Story By: JEFFREY AHLUM / GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY – BECHTELSVILLE, PA – It will be Championship Night this Saturday, and the stakes just got higher for the Freedom 76 weekend at Grandview Speedway.
This Saturday, September 14 will feature Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant Championship night with the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman in a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series double-program starting at 7:30 pm. The show will include qualifying events leading up to the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature and the 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature event.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm, warm-ups will be starting at 6:15 pm, and racing gets underway at 7:30 pm.
Adult grandstand admission is $20, students 10-15 with ID are $10, while children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission is $35 with a license, or $45 without a license.
Grandview Speedway is a member of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, and as a result, drivers who will be competing in the T.P. Trailer Modified Freedom 76 and the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman Freedom 38 will be racing for bonus money courtesy of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.
On Saturday, September 21 the winner of the Freedom 76 will receive a $1000 bonus from the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series increasing the winner’s take to a cool $31,062, and if the driver competed in all the Saturday NASCAR point races at the track this season, an additional bonus of $1000 will be awarded, making it possible for a driver to win $32,062 in this year’s Freedom 76!
On Friday September 20 the winner of the Freedom 38 will receive a $500 bonus from the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series increasing the winner’s share to $2562, and if the driver competed in all the Saturday NASCAR point races at the track this season, an additional $500 bonus will be awarded, making for a possible $3062 to win the Freedom 38!
Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant of Boyertown, Pa. will be sponsoring Championship night, and will be giving away many prizes including 300 can koozies for the adults, and 300 frisbees for the kids at the main gate and the Meet and Greet where the Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant sponsored Modified of Justin Grim will be participating. There will also be over 100 t-shirts to be given away during the night as well, don’t be left out on a fun evening!
Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant is located at 699 Englesville Road in Boyertown, Pa. and is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 11 am until Midnight. They are a family friendly neighborhood restaurant and bar where you can go to watch a game or catch up on what is going on in the Boyertown community.
The final Trivia night of the season will be held on Saturday, where fans can win prizes, including Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant gift certificates, after answering questions about Grandview Speedway racing. Study up, this is the last chance for this season!
Prior to the racing action on Saturday will be the weekly Low Down and Dirty Meet and Greet. This week’s drivers include Modified drivers Jeff Strunk, Justin Grim, Craig Whitmoyer and Bryan Rhoads along with Sportsman driver Mark Gaugler. The Meet and Greet is held in the main gate area from 5-6 pm. and is a great time for fans to meet the drivers up close, collect some autographs, take photos, and talk racing one on one.
The racing weekend will actually kick off on Friday, September 13 and will feature the Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage Cars in action along with the Slingshots starting at 7 pm. Pit gates open at 2 pm., with Grandstand gates open at 5 pm.
On Friday night grandstand admission will be $10, with children ages 12 and under admitted for free. Pit admission is $30 for the Friday event.
Lap sponsorships, at $20 per lap, are still available for the September 21 running of the Freedom 76 T.P. Trailer Modified Championship race. All the laps for the BIG race have been sold, but race laps can be doubled up if you would still like to add your name or business to the list. It is a great way to wish your favorite driver good luck or advertise a business during the big race event.
Laps that are sponsored are read on the public address system and posted on social media leading up to the big event and on championship race weekend.
You may contact Tina Rogers, Tommy Kramer or Jeff Ahlum at the track on race night, or Venmo @Tina-Rogers327.
The Freedom 76 weekend begins on Friday, September 20 with the 11th annual Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship race plus qualifying events, along with practice time for 358 Modified drivers wishing to participate in the Freedom 76.
Friday’s program will be known as Fans for Five Friday as the grandstand admission is just $5, while children ages 9 and under will be free of charge.
On Friday, pit gates open at 3 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm, drivers meeting at 5:30 pm, with the pill draw following the drivers meeting. Warmups are at 6:15 pm, and racing at 7:30 pm. Pit admission on Friday is $40, and no license is required. There is no rain date for the Friday event.
Racers are reminded that the Freedom 38 is open to regular Sportsman division drivers only (track or series), drivers who compete regularly in Modified division competition are not eligible to compete.
On Saturday, September 21, the 54th annual Freedom 76 will be run for the 358 Modifieds. The program includes qualifying heats, consolations, cash dash and the Minuteman 20 leading up to the 76-lap Championship main event.
Pit gates open at 9 am, for inspections, fans will be able to enter the Grandstand areas between 9 am, and 12 Noon to reserve seats with blankets, with grandstand ticket windows opening at 3 pm. Pill draw for position is at 4:30 pm, with the drivers meeting at 5 pm, warm-ups are at 6 pm, with racing starting at 7 pm.
Adult Grandstand tickets on Saturday will be $40, students 10-15 with ID are $20, while children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission will be $45, and no license is required. There will be no advanced tickets sold for this event, and the rain date is Saturday, September 28.
Those wishing to camp at the Speedway please note: Campers can enter the grounds in the fourth turn area on Saturday, September 14 and remain there until the 21st. However, because there are no hookups, sleeping in the campers can only take place September 20-22.
All eyes will be upon the top two drivers in the T.P. Trailer Modified point standings, with Jeff Strunk leading Craig Von Dohren entering Saturday night’s point finale. Not only will they be battling for the championship title, but they both would like to hit victory lane.
The top six drivers in T.P. Trailer Modified points are still looking for a win during the 2024 season including Strunk, Von Dohren, Mike Gular, Eddie Strada, Jared Umbenhauer and Duane Howard.
These drivers will be in action this Saturday night including feature winners so far this year Brett Kressley with five, Louden Reimert with three, Doug Manmiller and Eric Kormann with two wins (each one with a Thunder Series win), and Mike Mahaney, John Willman, Bobby Trapper Jr., Nate Brinker, Cody Manmiller, and Ryan Watt all with one win each.
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman title chase will go right down to the wire, with Dylan Swinehart leading defending champ Logan Watt by a small 25 point margin. Mike Schneck Jr. sits third in points at 116 behind the leader, also with an outside shot at the title.
The division has been super competitive all season long, as twelve different drivers have been to victory lane led by Swinehart, Watt and Gavyn Krupp as two-time feature winners.
Drivers with one win each include Kenny Bock, Brian Hirthler, Mark Kemmerer, Jesse Landis, Addison Meitzler, Colton Perry, Zach Steffey, Jared LaBagh, and Alex Bartorillo.
All of these drivers along with around three dozen drivers in each class will be challenging for the top spots on Saturday night!