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56th ANNUAL FREEDOM 76 SET FOR SATURDAY NIGHT
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – The 56th annual Freedom 76 weekend kicked off in a big way Friday night at Grandview Speedway, with an overflowing pit area and an energetic crowd enjoying the 13th annual Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship event.
When the checkered flag dropped on the busy night of action, Bryce Bashore of Bethel, Pa. was the proud winner of his first ever Freedom 38 championship race for the T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, besting a large 59-car field of entrants to pick up his second feature win of this season and in his Grandview Speedway career.
Bashore drew the second starting spot for the Championship feature but spent the opening feature laps battling with Joey Vaccaro of Reading, Pa. for the top spot, before securing the lead following a lap eight restart, then withstood some serious, lapped traffic mid-race, and some pressure from Mike Schneck Jr. of Pine Grove, Pa. while dicing through the lapped cars to motor home with a $4293 pay day for the huge win.
Bashore collected $2064 in purse money, a $500 winner’s bonus from the NASCAR Local Racing Series, a $400 winner’s bonus from Lisa’s Landscaping, a $150 winner’s certificate from Bob Hilbert Sportswear, $75 Penske Racing shocks certificate, Dan’s Deli gift certificate for leading at half-way, a $50 bonus from Stringer’s Collision Center for winning his qualifying heat race, and $1054 in lap prize money as well, to earn himself a cool $4293 payoff.
The T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modifieds were also on hand for practice rounds on Friday night, with 52 drivers pit side in preparation for Saturday night’s Freedom 76.
The Freedom 38 Championship race saw Joey Vaccaro grab the lead at the drop of Starter Ray Kemp’s green flag, with second starting Bryce Bashore, third starting Mike Scvhneck Jr. and sixth starting Joe Toth of Upper Makefield, Pa. right on his bumper fighting for the top spot.
Several times Bashore would work the top lane to get around Vaccaro, before Vaccaro would switch to the top lane, with Bashore really turning up the pressure, diving to the inside of the leader before a caution waved on lap eight.
Following the restart, the field would race out of turn four three wide in a fight for the lead, with Bashore sliding past Vaccaro entering turn one to grab the lead, with Schneck Jr. following into second spot.
By lap ten Toth had advanced to third, followed by a multi-car race for top five spots between Dakota Kohler of Kutztown, Pa., Decker Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa., and Colin Cox of Perkasie, Pa.
By the half-way mark Bashore continued to lead over Schneck Jr.,and Toth, while Swinehart, Kohler, and Cox were joined by Kenny Gilmore of Fleetwood, Pa., fifteenth starting Teague Miller of Barto, Pa., and twenty-second starting Addison Meitzler of Kempton, Pa. who were now locked into a great six car battle for the top positions.
Bashore would reach lapped traffic by lap twenty, allowing Schneck Jr. and Toth to really close the gap, making for some interesting racing while the top three diced through the lapped traffic.
One final caution on lap twenty-three cleared the track for leader Bashore, who would pull away from Schneck Jr. and Toth following the restart, leaving the great multi-car, side-by-side battle behind them between Swinehart and Kohler, and Cox and Gilmore, who were followed by Miller, Meitzler, and twenty-fifth starting Jordan Henn of Kutztown, Pa.
Bashore would build himself a comfortable lead in the late stages, reaching lapped traffic again with three laps to go, while the intense action continued behind him.
At the checkered, Bashore would score the big win in the 13th annual Freedom 38, with the young driver adding his name to the history books and scoring his second victory of the season at Grandview, after scoring his first career speedway win back in April.
Following Bashore to the finish were Mike Schneck Jr. and Joe Toth for their best runs of the season, Decker Swinehart, Joey Vaccaro, Dakota Kohler, Kenny Gilmore, Jordan Henn who picked up the Bobby Gunther Walsh and sponsors Hard Charger in honor of Theresa Rogers advancing sixteen positions, Addison Meitzler, and Colin Cox.
Qualifying heats for the 59 cars in attendance were won by Jordan Henn, TJ Mayberry of Sellersville, Pa., Addison Meitzler, Brad Brightbill of Sinking Spring, Pa., Bryce Bashore, and Dakota Kohler, who all received $50 from Stringer’s Collision Center, while Brett Gilmore of Kutztown, Pa. and Brett Grim of Coplay, Pa. scored the wins in the consolations.
The T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Sportsman also ran the 20-lap Patriot 20 b-main, qualifying the final five cars for the Freedom 38, with Ethan Bill of Pilesgrove Township, N.J. racing home with the win.
Colton Perry of Topton, Pa. took the early lead, followed by Devin Whitmoyer of Hamburg, Pa., Brayden Shelton of Hatfield, Pa. and Bill, who were racing hard right from the start.
Bill would sweep to the top groove and quickly moved into second spot to challenge leader Perry, eventually securing the lead entering turn one on lap nine to become the new leader.
By lap fourteen an intense battle would rage for the final qualifying spots between Perry, Shelton, Nick Van Wickle of Springfield, N.J. Matthew Laubach of Quakertown, Pa. and Whitmoyer that would last to the final circuit.
Laubach also found the outside lane to his liking and quickly moved past the other front runners into second spot with two laps to go.
At the finish Bill would score the win, followed by Laubach, Perry, Shelton and Whitmoyer who secured the final qualifying spot in the last two turns.
Grandview Speedway will be presenting the biggest race event of the season, the 56th annual Freedom 76 for the T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modifieds on Saturday night starting at 7 pm.
Saturday, September 19, will feature the 56th annual Freedom 76 honoring Theresa Rogers for the T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modifieds, paying a whopping $35,531 to the winner! The program includes qualifying heats, consolations, GT Radiator Repair $1000 to win cash dash, and the Schaeffer’s Motorsports Minuteman 20, all leading up to the 76-lap Championship main event.
On Saturday pit gates open at 9 am, for car 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 advance tickets sold for this event.
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.
13th ANNUAL FREEDOM 38 SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE SUMMARY – SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
T.P. TRAILERS & TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FREEDOM 38 FEATURE FINISH (38 laps): BRYCE BASHORE, Mike Schneck Jr., Joe Toth, Decker Swinehart, Joey Vaccaro, Dakota Kohler, Kenny Gilmore, Jordan Henn, Addison Meitzler, Colin Cox, Matthew Laubach, Teague Miller, Brad Brightbill, Jesse Hirthler, TJ Mayberry, Zach Steffey, John Leiby, Mark Mohr, Adrianna Delliponti, Brayden Shelton, Reice Widger, Devin Whitmoyer, Scott Heilman, Kaitlyn Bailey, Kevin Graver Jr., Colton Perry, Ebby Ridge, Mike Toth, Ethan Bill, Mike Loney
PATRIOT 20 – B MAIN – Top 5 Transfer to feature (20 laps): ETHAN BILL, Matthew Laubach, Colton Perry, Brayden Shelton, Devin Whitmoyer, Nick Van Wickle, Stephen Smith III, Ryan Conrad, Taylor Kramer, Brett Grim, Nate Brinker, Shannon Slaughter, Xavier Sprague, Brett Gilmore, Gavyn Krupp, Jarad Miller, Steve Hughes, Alex Bartorillo
DID NOT QUALIFY: Nick Van Wickle, Stephen Smith III, Ryan Conrad, Taylor Kramer, Brett Grim, Nate Brinker, Shannon Slaughter, Xavier Sprague, Brett Gilmore, Gavyn Krupp, Jarad Miller, Steve Hughes, Alex Bartorillo, Jesse Landis, Matt Peck, Mike Stofflet, Del Howell, Dallas Breidenbach, Anthony Tortorello, Chase Gular, Matt Martino, Derrick Smith, Todd Smith, Duncan Molesworth, Josh Mittman, Kyle Hartzell, McKenzi Smith, Mark Behm, Nate Horn
HEAT WINNERS: Jordan Henn, TJ Mayberry, Addison Meitzler, Brad Brightbill, Bryce Bashore, Dakota Kohler
CONSOLATION WINNERS: Brett Gilmore, Brett Grim
LAP LEADERS: Joey Vaccaro ($300) 1-8, Bryce Bashore ($1054) 9-38
NASCAR LOCAL RACING SERIES FREEDOM 38 FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS – $500 – Bryce Bashore
NASCAR LOCAL RACING SERIES FREEDOM 38 FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS (IF TRACK REGULAR) – ($500): No winner
LISA’S LANDSCAPING FREEDOM 38 FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS – $400 – Bryce Bashore
VICTORY AUTO GLASS CHARGE TO VICTORY (starting 12th or further back) – $150 – No winner
STRINGERS COLLISION CENTER HEAT WINNERS BONUS – ($50 each) – Jordan Henn, TJ Mayberry, Addison Meitzler, Brad Brightbill, Bryce Bashore, Dakota Kohler
ROY MILLER II OF KELLER WILLIAMS REAL ESTATE FREEDOM 38 CASH DASH – $500 TO WIN – Addison Meitzler
LOW DOWN ENTERTAINMENT CASH DASH WINNER’S BONUS ($150): Addison Meitzler
BOBBY GUNTHER WALSH AND HIS SPONSORS SPORTSMAN HARD CHARGER IN HONOR OF THERSA ROGERS – $531 – (Special thanks toRes Q Natural Supplements, Just Born Quality Confections, Dr. Eric Lebby and Dr. Thomas DiBennedetto Orthopedic Specialists, and Yocco’s the Hot Dog King) – Jordan Henn +16
RICK’S TOWING & HAULING FREEDOM 38 SPORTSMAN HARD LUCK AWARD – $200 – (First car on hook in feature) – Mike Toth
STRINGERS COLLISION CENTER 23rd PLACE BONUS – ($50) – Scott Heilman
BOB HILBERT SPORTSWEAR WINNER’S BONUS GIFT CERTIFICATE ($150 or $300) – Bryce Bashore
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS CERTIFICATES: Bryce Bashore ($75), Mike Schneck Jr. ($50), Joe Toth ($25)
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Bryce Bashore
DRIVEN RACE OIL/JOHN WILLMAN MOTORSPORTS OIL & FILTER KIT 7th PLACE: Kenny Gilmore
MANMILLER ELECTRIC FIRST DRIVER ACROSS THE FINISH TO NOT HAVE WON A FEATURE IN 2026 ($300) – Joey Vaccaro
$3731 – in bonuses $1354 – in lap money $5085 – total bonuses and lap money!!!
THANK YOU everyone for the great support!!!!
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Saturday, September 19 – 56th annual FREEDOM 76 MODIFIED CLASSIC – Modifieds 76 laps – 7 pm
Saturday, September 26 – TIM PAUCH MEMORIAL – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Keystone Sport Compact Series, Xcel 600 Modifieds, Atlantic Coast Old Timers, Halloween for the Kids – 5 pm (Rain date October 3)
