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BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – Grandview Speedway will host another NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series program this Saturday night, continuing the 60th season of auto racing celebration.
It has been a busy week at the 60-year-old one-third-mile high banked clay oval, as the PA 410 Sprint Car Speedweek kicked things off on Tuesday night, June 28, and action now switches to the 52nd annual running of the Firecracker 40 for the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman on Saturday night.
For the Independence Day Holiday weekend, Saturday, July 2, the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman will be competing in the 52nd annual Firecracker 40 championship race starting at 7:30 pm. The program will also include the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds plus qualifying events for both classes leading to the 40-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman championship paying $2000 to win and the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm. with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. and warm-ups starting at 6:30 pm. Adult grandstand admission is $22, while children ages 6-11 are $10, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge.
Point leader Dylan Hoch will be a top contender to score a win in the Championship event on Saturday. He will be challenged by other top drivers in points such as Brian Hirthler, Kyle Smith, Jimmy Leiby, Cole Stangle, Dakota Kohler, Mike Schneck Jr., Parker Guldin, last week’s winner Decker Swinehart, Cody Manmiller and a few extra invaders that may join in the action chasing the $2000 top prize.
The T.P. Trailer Modifieds saw Brett Kressley pick up his third feature win of the season Saturday night to add to his lead in the point standings. Kressley backed up his Saturday night point race win with a victory in Tuesday night’s Thunder on the Hill 358 Modified feature, making him a top candidate for another feature race win.
Other drivers in the hunt for a win on Saturday include other top point drivers like Craig Von Dohren, Doug Manmiller, Tim Buckwalter, Duane Howard, Jeff Strunk, Mike LIsowski, Cory Merkel, Jared Umbenhauer, Craig Whitmoyer and three dozen drivers vying for feature glory Saturday night.
On Saturday, the Low Down and Dirty meet and greet will feature Modified drivers Bobby Gunther-Walsh and Dan Waisempacher along with Sportsman drivers Kenny Bock and Mike Schneck Jr. starting at 5 pm. The Meet and Greet is held in the main gate area starting at 5 pm. and is a great time for fans to meet the drivers up close and collect some autographs.
Race teams are being advised that there will be NO tire sales at the racetrack this Saturday night, and as has been the case all season there will be no fuel truck on site. Management again thanks everyone for their support and patience throughout the season dealing with the tire situation.
The Firecracker 40 has become an Independence Holiday weekend tradition at Grandview since it was first run in 1971. In the early years it was a big championship event for the Modern Stock class which eventually became the current day Late Model division, until the Late Model class was discontinued after the 2018 season.
The very first race in 1971 was won by Dick Grimley. Other early winners were Dennis Zerbe, Elmer Rushong twice, Ronnie Peck, Dave Posavec, Hack Jones, Bill Jordan, Barry Amole twice, Jack Montgomery and D.B. Smith.
Starting in 1983, drivers started to dominate the winner’s circle in Firecracker 40 competition. Ron Schnable won three in a row on his way to four total victories, followed by Jon Kellner Sr. with four wins. More winners during the 1980’s and into the 1990’s include Ed Hoffman, Don Kellner, Steve Gross, Dean Stoudt, Ed Aiken, Terry Bartik, and Ron Christman.
Moving through the late 90’s and into the 2000’s we saw more multi-time race winners with Randy Stoudt leading the way with the most Firecracker 40 wins with six trips to victory lane, Chuck Schutz with four wins, Danny Snyder with three, and Ron Kline with two.
Other single race winners include Kyle Pennsinger, Rick Todorow, Bill Henning, Mike Kellner, Sean Merkel, and Wayne Pfeil.
The last three seasons the race has been run for the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman division. Winning the event during this time were Brad Brightbill in 2019, Brad Arnold in 2020, and Brian Hirthler took the win last year in 2021.
Next Saturday, July 9 will see another two-division program for the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman starting at 7:30 pm.
Since the 1960’s, Grandview Speedway has been presenting exciting wheel to wheel NASCAR stock car racing every Saturday Night starting in April and running through September, plus special events. Grandview Speedway is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505, just off Route 100, ten miles north of Pottstown, Pa.
Information is always available at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook, or by telephone at 610.754.7688.
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Saturday, July 2 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, 52nd annual FIRECRACKER 40 for T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman $2000 to win – 7:30 pm.
Friday, July 8 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7 pm
Saturday, July 9 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 7:30 pm.
Saturday, July 16 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman plus URC 360 Sprint Cars – 7:30 pm.
