Freedom 76 Championship Weekend This Week at Grandview Speedway – Jeff Strunk & Logan Watt Are 2024 Track Champions

The 62nd anniversary season of auto racing action at Grandview Speedway moves into the final weekend of competition for Modified and Sportsman competitors, and it is the biggest weekend of the season with the running of the 54th annual Freedom 76.

The Freedom 76 weekend begins this Friday, September 20 with the 11th annual Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship race, along with qualifying events, plus practice time for Modified drivers wishing to participate in the Freedom 76.

Friday’s program will be known as Fans for Five Friday as the grandstand admission is just $5, while children ages 9 and under will be free of charge. Pit admission on Friday is $40, and no license is required.

On Friday, pit gates open at 3 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm, drivers meeting at 5:30 pm, with the pill draw following the drivers meeting. Warmups are at 6:15 pm, and racing at 7:30 pm. There is no rain date for the Friday event.

Prior to the racing action on Friday will be the weekly Low Down and Dirty Meet and Greet. This week’s drivers include Sportsman drivers Adrianna Delliponti, Gavyn Krupp and Jax Yohn. The Meet and Greet is held in the main gate area from 4-5 pm. and is a great time for fans to meet the drivers up close, collect some autographs, take photos, and talk racing one on one. This will be the final Low Down and Dirty Meet and Greet of the season, and Thank You to everyone who has been a part of it all season long!

On Saturday, September 21, the 54th annual Freedom 76 will be run for the 358 Modifieds. The program will include qualifying heats, consolation races, cash dash, along with the Minuteman 20, leading to the 76-lap championship feature.

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. Grandstand ticket windows open 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, while students ages 10-15 with ID are $20, with children ages 9 and under admitted for free. Pit admission will be $45, and no license is required. There will be no advanced tickets sold for this event, and the rain date is Saturday, September 28.

SDS Photography will be having an autograph session with track champions Jeff Strunk and Logan Watt on Saturday from 3-4 pm next to the photo stand. Fans will be able to get free autograph collectors cards signed by the drivers in the pre-race session.

For the Freedom 38 & 76, the tire rules for the event are as follows, ANY American Racer tire and compound, but it must be the Grandview Speedway tread pattern. Further rules are available on the speedway website or any questions please call Cliff Quinn at 484-357-2587 or Ed Scott at 610-298-2408. Entry forms for the Modified competitors are available on the speedway website at www.grandviewspeedway.com under the Freedom 76 tab.

All race teams are reminded that, as has been the case all season, there is no fuel truck on site so plan accordingly. American Racer tires will be available at the racetrack this weekend.

With Grandview Speedway being a member of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, drivers who will be competing in this weekend’s T.P. Trailer Modified Freedom 76 and T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman Freedom 38 will be racing for bonus money courtesy of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

On Saturday, September 21 the winner of the Freedom 76 for T.P. Trailer Modifieds will receive a $1000 bonus from the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series increasing the winner’s take to a cool $31,062, and if the driver competed in all the Saturday NASCAR point races at the track this season, an additional bonus of $1000 will be awarded, making it possible for a driver to win $32,062 in this year’s Freedom 76!

On Friday September 20 the winner of the Freedom 38 for T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman will receive a $500 bonus from the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series increasing the winner’s share to $2562, and if the driver competed in all the Saturday NASCAR point races at the track this season, an additional $500 bonus will be awarded, making for a possible $3062 to win the Freedom 38!

Last season over seventy drivers competed in the Freedom 76, and this year’s event should see the Grandview regulars battle it out with a whole host of invaders for the big championship prize. For the latest updates, check in with the Grandview Speedway Facebook page.

As has been a tradition for many seasons, lap money will be paid to the drivers leading the laps in the Freedom 76, with all of the laps being sold and some more than once for this year’s big race. To date the lap money total is $2556! The list will be posted on social media once again and read at the track over championship race weekend. THANK YOU to everyone for sponsoring the lap prize money once again this season!

Several extra bonuses are also available for both the Freedom 76 and Freedom 38 and are as follows:

FREEDOM 76 FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS – $1000 – From NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series

FREEDOM 76 FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS – $1000 – From NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series if winner has competed in all Saturday NASCAR point races at Grandview Speedway during 2024 racing season.

MODIFIED HARD CHARGER – $1776 – From Bobby Gunther-Walsh and his sponsors – The following sponsors have contributed to the Hard Charger Award – Res Q Natural Supplements, Drs. Eric Lebby and Thomas DiBenedetto Orthopedic Specialists, Eden East Designs, Just Born Confections, and Agentis Plumbing. The driver advancing the most positions in the Freedom 76 from their scheduled starting spot to their finishing position receives the Hard Charger Award.

MODIFIED HARD LUCK OR NON QUALIFIER AWARD – $276 – From Bobby Gunther-Walsh and his sponsors – The following sponsors have contributed to the Hard Luck Award – Res Q Natural Supplements, Drs. Eric Lebby and Thomas DiBenedetto Orthopedic Specialists, Eden East Designs, Just Born Confections, and Agentis Plumbing. This award will be determined by the track officials on race night.

LYNN HIMES GREAT EFFORT AWARD – $100 – Sponsored by T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment & the Perkins Family (presented to the highest finishing driver NOT in the top 10 in Grandview Modified Points) in memory of Carole Lynn Himes, a long-time familiar face at Grandview Speedway

TRACK OFFICIALS MODIFIED NON-QUALIFIER AWARD – $225 – Free Engine re-sealing for 2025 season from Grandview track officials (must be within 50-mile radius)

FREEDOM 38 FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS – $500 – From NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series

FREEDOM 38 FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS – $500 – From NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series if winner has competed in all Saturday NASCAR point races at Grandview Speedway during 2024 racing season.

STRINGERS COLLISION CENTER HEAT WINNERS BONUS – $75 – To each Freedom 38 heat race winner

STRINGERS COLLISION CENTER CONSOLATION WINNERS BONUS – $50 – To each Freedom 38 consolation race winner

STRINGERS COLLISION CENTER LEADER OF LAP 23 BONUS – $50 – Leader of lap 23 during Freedom 38

STRINGERS COLLISION CENTER 23rd PLACE FINISHER BONUS – $50 – To the 23rd place finisher in Freedom 38

SDS PHOTOGRAPHY 13th PLACE FINISHER BONUS – To the 13th place finisher in Freedom 38

The total bonuses for the Freedom 76 so far are $4377 plus lap money bringing the overall total of extra money to $6933! The total in extra bonus money for the Freedom 38 stands at $1800! THANK YOU TO ALL!!!!

The 2024 Grandview Speedway track champions were determined this past Saturday night in another action packed night of racing, and two drivers were able to score their first wins of the season.

Jeff Strunk was crowned the T.P. Trailer Modified Track Champion for the eleventh time after a fine second place feature finish after starting out of 16th position, while Craig Von Dohren ended the year in the second position in points following his dramatic feature win that saw him charge from 24th starting spot to the win.

Mike Gular ended the year third in points after he charged forward from 23rd starting spot to a fourth place feature finish, while Jared Umbenhauer will end the year fourth in points following a ninth place feature run after starting in 22nd spot, and Duane Howard capped off the season moving into the fifth position in points after a late race charge for a third place feature run from 15th starting position.

The final top ten in points for the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds are 1. Jeff Strunk – 4377, 2. Craig Von Dohren – 4107, 3. Mike Gular – 3863, 4. Jared Umbenhauer – 3536, 5. Duane Howard – 3534, 6. Eddie Strada – 3387, 7. Doug Manmiller – 3347, 8. Louden Reimert – 3214, 9. Brett Kressley – 3210, 10. Tim Buckwalter – 3063.

The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman division saw Logan Watt score his second consecutive point title after a back and forth battle in the last couple of weeks with Dylan Swinehart. Watt scored a second place feature run last Saturday night behind winner Dakota Kohler, who scored his first win since the 2020 season, and that was enough to vault him back into the number one position to capture the championship.

Dylan Swinehart did all he could to hold on to the point lead, but had to run a consolation to qualify, and charged forward from 24th starting position to finish ninth, but not enough to overcome Watt’s second place run, and ended a fine season second in the standings.

Mike Schneck Jr. had a super steady season and ended up with a solid fourth place feature run to end up third in points, while Brett Gilmore missed out on a top ten following a recent win, but still ends the season fourth in points, while Addison Meitzler made a good turn around after a couple of tough outings, and ends the year fifth in points with a feature win.

The final top ten in T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman points are 1. Logan Watt – 3648, 2. Dylan Swinehart – 3594, 3. Mike Schneck Jr. – 3536, 4. Brett Gilmore – 3225, 5. Addison Meitzler – 3217, 6. Jesse Hirthler – 3201, 7. Adrianna Delliponti – 3172, 8. Ryan Graver – 2941, 9. Logan Bauman – 2618, 10. Nathan Mohr – 2428.

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 20 – 11th annual FREEDOM 38 SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP – T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman 38 laps, Modified Practice for Freedom 76 – 7:30 pm

Saturday, September 21 – 54th annual FREEDOM 76 MODIFIED CLASSIC – T.P. Trailer Modifieds 76 laps – 7 pm

Saturday, September 28 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 5 pm (Freedom 76 Rain date)

Grandview Speedway PR