CAMARGO, IL By Brian Liskai – The UNOH All Stars will invade the Keystone State for a big three race weekend, April 27-29. It kicks off on Friday, April 27 for a $5,000-to-win affair at the lengendary Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa. The following night, Saturday, April 28, the UNOH All Stars will move to Port Royal Fairgrounds Speedway for a huge $10,000-to win affair and wrap up the weekend at Clinton County Raceway in Mackeyville, Pa. for a $5,000-to-win event. All three races are part of the $20,000-to-win Eastern Region Points for the series.
The Bob Weikert Memorial – named for the legendary team owner of the famous “Beef Mobiles #29 – at Port Royal will also offer several monetary incentives for both the drivers and fans. A week after announcing the 2012 edition of the race will pay $10,000 to win, Weikert’ Livestock and its family of sponsors has just pumped $3,000 more into the 30-lap affair by posting $100 to the leader of each circuit.
That means if one driver is lucky enough to lead all 30 laps of the Bob Weikert Memorial, he or she will pocket a whopping $13,000!
In addition to the overall purse, Crankwerks of Newville has announced it will be paying $100 to the highest driver in Port Royal points who fails to qualify for the feature.
And if that weren’t enough, the fans will get a chance to win too as Weikert’s Livestock gives away bicycles to kids and packages of Weikert’s famous meat products to adults. Up for grabs by general admission fans will be 10 five-pound boxes of hamburger patties and 10 10-pound boxes of hot dogs. Bikes for five boys and five girls will also be given away during the night.
The UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions have competed at Port Royal 20 times since 1981. Lance Dewease, the All Star’s 2011 Eastern Region champion, and Greg Hodnett each have four series wins at the track. Hodnett, of Thomasville, Pa., is the defending Bob Weikert Memorial winner at Port Royal. As of April 17, Hodnett has already racked up five wins in Pennyslvania action, including a pair of wins at Port Royal and two at Williams Grove.
With two All Star wins in 2012, three time series champion Dale Blaney leads the National Points over three time and defending All Star champion, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania’s Tim Shaffer who remains winless in 2012. All Star regulars David Gravel and Cap Henry sit third and fourth in the national standings, while former World of Outlaw driver Paul McMahan is fifth and last year’s All Star Rookie of the Year, Pennsylvania youngster Pete Miller is sixth.
PA Posse member Daryn Pittman, who opened the All Star season with a win in Georgia in February, leads the UNOH All Star Easter Region Points over Danny Lasoski, who has three series wins so far in 2012, Blaney, new PA Posse member Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Gravel.
Hodnett currently leads the Port Royal point standings over Chad Layton, Mike Erdley, Fred Rahmer and Mike Wagner. Dewease, who is coming off a serious back injury suffered late in 2011, also has a victory in 2012 at Port Royal.
At Williams Grove, Hodnett has also scored two wins in 2012, while Danny Dietrich and Alan Krimes also have posted Williams Grove victories. Fred Rahmer leads Dewease in the track’s point standings as of April 13, with Layton, Logan Schuchart (who posted a top three finish with the All Stars in Georgia), and Brian Montieth rounding out the top five.
Sunday’s race at Clinton County will mark the second ever appearance of the UNOH All Stars as the 2011 event was a huge success among the drivers and fans.
For more information go to www.allstarsprint.com