Sue Pontius’ dream is about to come true.

 After over two years of hard work, planning and who knows what else, Pontius will see her dream of a $30,000 to win sprint car race become reality at the Port Royal Speedway.

 Pontius, the Second Vice President at the Juniata County Fairgrounds oval has been a life-long staple at Port Royal. It’s where she has spent  just about every Saturday night of her life at not to mention the endless hours on off-racing nights.

 Next Saturday night, August 4, the 50-lap Mike Cleck Paving Dream Race Extreme will be front and center at the Port.

 It’s a race that will pay the winner a hefty $30,000 prize. That’s the second largest paying race in Central Pennsylvania next to the Williams Grove National Open. The race will pay the last place starter $1,000.

 But there will be more than a sprint car race. Fans can make a complete day of it at the speedway with a variety of other events planned all afternoon.

 A craft show, Quilt Auction, Tire Changing Contest, autograph sessions, simulator sprint cars, radio control car club racing and professional wrestling entertainment are preludes to the big sprint car later Saturday night.

 “The whole idea of having this race was when I heard that Joe Harz was getting out of  racing,” Pontius stated about the long-time sprint car owner who retired a few seasons ago. “We got looking into it to see what some of the problems that there are fewer sprint car teams and just 16 tracks in the country that race sprint cars. Joe Harz loved this sport but yet he still got out of it because of the expense.”

 Pontius has put long hours into making this an event for everyone and is hoping to pack the place, not only from current sprint car fans but maybe bringing in some new fans with the other entertainment offered.

 “It was a three-part process with the $30,000 to win to help the racer and get support from sponsors for such a big paying event,” she added. “The Pro wrestling could maybe get racing a new fan base. Get them in the atmosphere and let them see what we have to offer. The third part with the fastest tire changing contest is to help out some of the lower dollar teams that might not be able to win the big money but can win some sprint car parts to help their operation.”

 Mike Cleck Paving recently came on board as the event’s major sponsor.

 Based in Mifflintown, Cleck is a self-made businessman in the paving business is an avid sprint car fan as well.

 “Mike is a Juniata County native and he’s really made a name for himself in business in the area,” Pontius stated. “We are thrilled to have him on board and he’s really stepped up in a big way to help us out with this race. And I know he’s excited about the race and the future of sprint car racing as well.”

 There will be three qualifier races for the Dream Race. Lincoln Speedway’s winner this Saturday night will be a guaranteed starter as will next Thursday’s winner in the Port Royal race and next Friday night’s winner at Williams Grove. All three drivers will still go through the qualifying process with the rest of the competitors.

 The fast time award for the Dream Race will pay $1,100 courtesy of VRP Shocks, Ken’s Jewely and Coins of York, Tilton Hilton and Butcher Motorsports.

 The fast time driver will also win a 55-gallon drum of racing alcohol from John Goshorn Racing Supplies.

 Other race sponsors include Aumiller & Associates, Hoosier Racing Tire Mid Atlantic, Browns Funeral Homes, Inc., First National Bank of Mifflintown, Zimmerman Truck Lines, Abramson Auto Wrecking, Hower & Associates-Jack Gaughn Real Estate, Juniata Valley Bank, Lingle’s Distributing and Don Ott Racing Engines.

 Sponsors of the Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic Fastest Tire Changing Contest/Sprint car giveway are Tom Rider Racing Engines, Maxim Racing, Penske Shocks, Hanks Performance Products, John Goshorn Racing Parts, JEI Peformance, Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic, Don Ott Racing Engines, Zemco Headers, Huggins Cams, J & J Auto Racing, Wings Unlimited, HP Engines, Jim Stenger’s The Toyer Shop, VRP Shocks and Nields Racing.

 The pro wresting will begin at 1pm with the Showdown with team managers being Keith Kauffman and Fred Rahmer while the Execution with begin at 4:30pm with managers Kevin Nouse and Justin Seigler.

 Pontius summed it up best.

 “I think we have the best racers in the world right here in our own back yard and we take them for granted,” she said. “By all of the local tracks working together, we can give them something back and this is what this race is all about.”


PIT STOPS
 Spearheaded by sprint car owner Sandy Kline, $9,700 was collected at last week’s Summer Nationals at the Grove for Charlie and Dawn Sorokach. The car owners for Alan Cole recently lost all of their belongings and their home in a tragic fire. Kline presented the Sorokach’s with $10,000 on Monday on behalf of the sprint car fans at Williams Grove. Morgan Hughes kicked off the contributions with $500 while the BeerHill Gang collected $1,200 and the National Sprint Car Bean Bag Association gave $900 from their tourney at the Nationals. It’s great to see everyone pitching in in such a time of need…

 Lucas Wolfe will not be competing in next week’s Knoxville 360 Sprint Nationals. Wolfe will be in action tomorrow night at Williams Grove and then again next week in all of the races. He will also drive the Rick Kaylor owned 360 sprint next Friday in the $4,000 to win URC event at the Grove. Wolfe and the Allebach team will be taking a brand new No. 5W sprinter to the Knoxville Nationals…

 Jason Meyers won Sunday night’s World of Outlaws event at New York’s Lebanon Valley Raceway over Steve Kinser, Lucas Wolfe, Daryn Pittman and Jason Solwold. The Outlaws were in action for the first ever time at Oshweken Speedway in Canada last night…

 Lincoln Speedway has made a few changes to its upcoming schedule as the 410 Sprints have been dropped from the August 4 program and replaced by the All American Outlaw Series cars. The thundercar championship, which pays $1,000 will be held on August 11 on Flooring Outlaw Night which also includes the 358 Sprints and 410 Sprints in a show-up points only event…

 It will be a big weekend for Kids as  Williams Grove, Lincoln and Selinsgrove Speedway’s all host Kids Night this weekend. Tomorrow night will Kids Night at the Grove where prizes and bikes will be given out as well as big wheel and bike racing on the race track. Hundreds of gifts will be given to Kids on Saturday night at Lincoln as well as Selinsgrove…

 Don’t forget the John Gleim Jr. Excavating 55th Anniversary for 410 Sprints will be on tap next Wednesday night at Lincoln Speedway. The race was rained out in May…