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Bob Yurko Photo
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – Grandview Speedway would like to officially announce and congratulate two first-time Track Champions in Brett Kressley and Logan Watt, who both captured a point title for the 2023 racing season.
Brett Kressley of Orefield, Pa. is officially the 2023 T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modified Track Champion at Grandview Speedway, becoming the 29th different driver to win a championship in the 61-year history of the track.
Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa. is officially the 2023 T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman Track Champion, becoming the 8th different driver to claim a championship in the 12-year history of the division at the track.
The T.P. Trailer Modified championship is the first for Brett Kressley at Grandview Speedway, after being very close the last couple of seasons, which saw Kressley finish runner-up in points during the 2019, 2021, and 2022 campaigns.
Kressley had a tough challenge all throughout the 2023 season, which saw him battle defending champion Craig Von Dohren of Oley, Pa. for the point lead throughout the year. Kressley and Von Dohren traded the point lead back and forth several times, before Kressley took over the number one spot for the third and final time on July 29th and ran the rest of the season in the top position to claim the title by 122 points.
Kressley’s drive to the championship saw him win three features, with victories coming on May 6, June 3, and August 26, to go along with 13 top five finishes and 15 top ten finishes in the 17 Saturday night NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series race programs.
With the three feature wins, Kressley has 24 for his career and continues his climb up the all-time Grandview Speedway feature win list. This season Kressley has moved past Billy Pauch Sr., Terry Meitzler, and Mike Geiser, and sits just two wins behind Meme DeSantis for the tenth spot on the all-time win list.
For teenager Logan Watt his drive to the championship was slightly different. Watt was never a regular competitor at Grandview Speedway prior to this season, having only run in a couple of previous races during the end of the 2022 season, which included a second place run in the 2022 Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship race.
Watt took to the one-third-of-a-mile high banked track as if he was a regular for five seasons, and hit pay dirt early in the year with the first of his two wins on May 13. That win put him on top of the point standings, a position he would never leave the rest of the season.
Watt would add a second win on July 22, and at one point built a lead of over 400 points over defending champion Brian Hirthler of Green Lane, Pa. Hirthler would make a late season charge and close the gap on the point leader, eventually ending the year 249 points behind the first year driving champion.
Watt’s run to the championship included the two feature wins plus 8 top five finishes and 13 top ten finishes in the 16 Saturday night NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series race programs.
Both championship winning drivers will be recognized at the Speedway on Saturday, September 16 prior to the Freedom 76 racing program, after the final night of point racing fell victim to rain last Saturday night. The two champion drivers and their car owners will be honored in Victory Lane right after warmups on Saturday evening.
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 October, 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 –
Friday, September 15 – 10th annual FREEDOM 38 SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP – T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman 38 laps, Modified Practice for Freedom 76 – 7:30 pm
Saturday, September 16 – 53rd annual FREEDOM 76 MODIFIED CLASSIC – T.P. Trailer Modifieds 76 laps – 7 pm
Saturday, September 23 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 7 pm (Rain date for Freedom 76)
Friday, October 13 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Linda’s Speedway Chargers – 7 pm.
Saturday, October 14 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 5 pm.
