Grandview Speedway
| The Greatest Show on Dirt[1] | |
|---|---|
 Modified race at Grandview Speedway | |
| Location | Washington Township, Berks County, near Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania |
| Time zone | UTC−5 / −4 (DST) |
| Capacity | ~5,000 |
| Owner | Bruce Rogers |
| Operator | Bruce Rogers |
| Broke ground | 1962 |
| Opened | 1963 |
| Major events | Freedom 76 USAC National Sprint Cars USAC National Midgets Pennsylvania Speedweek All Star Circuit of Champions |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Clay |
| Length | 0.333 miles (0.535 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Race lap record | 0:11.243 (Aaron Reutzel, Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports, 2018, 410 ASCOC Sprints) |
Grandview Speedway is a one third-mile automobile race track located just east of Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania, United States.[2] Featuring moderately high banks and a wide racing surface, it is suitable for close racing and passing. The track is sanctioned by NASCAR in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.[3]
History
[edit]The track opened in 1963 and was built by Forrest Rogers after construction started in 1962.[2] The track was originally planned as a ¼ mile (402 meters) asphalt track in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Eventually this was changed to a larger dirt track in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania. The track opened on August 11, 1963.[2] Forrest Rogers died of a heart attack in 1966.[2] His son, Bruce Rogers, took control of the race track and operated until he died in 2017.[2][4] The Rogers family continues to operate the track.[2]
Weekly races
[edit]It features a regular weekly series of modified,[1] sportsman modified.
Special events
[edit]The track's signature event is the Freedom 76, a modified event in mid-September.[2] The track has a date on the Pennsylvania Speedweeks of winged 410 sprint cars. Touring series that have raced at the track include: USAC National Sprint Cars, USAC National Midget cars, All Star Circuit of Champions, and the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars.[2]
Freedom 76 Champions
[edit]1971 to 2010
[edit]| 1971[5] | Ed Mumford | 1991 | Billy Pauch |
| 1972 | Glenn Fitzcharles | 1992 | Billy Pauch |
| 1973 | Roger Knappenberger | 1993 | Duane Howard |
| 1974 | Mike Erb | 1994 | Chip Slocum |
| 1975 | Ed Mumford | 1995 | Donny Erb |
| 1976 | Pete Damiani | 1996 | Billy Pauch |
| 1977 | Doug Carlyle | 1997 | Duane Howard |
| 1978 | Bobby Hauer | 1998 | Billy Pauch |
| 1979 | John Blackey | 1999 | Duane Howard |
| 1980 | Paul Lotier | 2000 | Billy Pauch |
| 1981 | Fred Rahmer | 2001 | Craig Von Dohren |
| 1982 | Smokey Warren | 2002 | Meme DeSantis |
| 1983 | Fred Rahmer | 2003 | Jeff Strunk |
| 1984 | Doug Hoffman | 2004 | Jeff Strunk |
| 1985 | Craig Von Dohren | 2005 | Ray Swinehart |
| 1986 | Tom Mayberry | 2006 | Craig Von Dohren |
| 1987 | Davey Wenger | 2007 | Jeff Strunk |
| 1988 | Billy Pauch | 2008 | Craig Von Dohren |
| 1989 | Billy Schinkel | 2009 | Meme DeSantis |
| 1990 | Kenny Brightbill | 2010 | Meme DeSantis |
2011 to present
[edit]| 2011 | Duane Howard | 2021 | Ryan Godown |
| 2012 | Jeff Strunk | 2022 | Craig Von Dohren |
| 2013 | Jeff Strunk | 2023 | Ryan Godown |
| 2014 | Stewart Friesen | 2024 | Alex Yankowski |
| 2015 | Craig Von Dohren | ||
| 2016 | Jeff Strunk | ||
| 2017 | Jeff Strunk | ||
| 2018 | Duane Howard | ||
| 2019 | Mike Gular | ||
| 2020 | Jeff Strunk |
See also
- Bedford Speedway
- Eriez Speedway
- Lake Erie Speedway, Erie County, south of North East, Pennsylvania
- Nazareth Speedway
- Pocono Raceway
References
[edit]- ^ a b Kleinfield, N. R. (October 23, 2019). "Calling Danger at the Grandview Speedway". New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Fenwick, Adam (23 March 2020). "Track Of The Day: Grandview Speedway". SPEED SPORT. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ Marcinek, Sam (May 19, 2020). "Grandview Speedway awaits green flag". WFMZ. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ Lee, Richard S.; Lee, Mary Price (2003-09-22). Careers for Car Buffs & Other Freewheeling Types. McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 9780071431347.
- ^ "Grandview Speedway - Touring Series and Major Events". The Third Turn. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
External links
[edit]