54th Annual Sportsman Firecracker 40 Championship Headlines Program This Saturday Night at Grandview Speedway
40 Lap Championship Now Pays $2750 to Winner Thanks to SDS Photography, JRN Logistics, and Horn Family Sponsorship – More Bonus Money on the Line as Well
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman will be running their longest race of the season on Saturday night at Grandview Speedway, and the stakes continue to increase in the annual event.
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman will be in the spotlight this week participating in the 54th annual Firecracker 40 championship race, the biggest race program of the summer for the division.
The show on Saturday, July 13 will be a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series program featuring the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman starting at 7:30 pm.
The program will include qualifying events for both classes leading into the 40-lap championship feature for the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman and the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature.
Many businesses and individuals have posted bonus money for the annual championship race increasing the winner’s share as well as many other bonuses the drivers can shoot for during Saturday night’s race program.
They are as follows:
Grandview Speedway’s official Track Photographer Steve Sabo owner of SDS Racing Photography has posted a bonus of $400 to the winner of the Firecracker 40, along with the posted purse of $2000, increasing the total to $2400 for the win in the championship race!
JRN Logistics will be posting another bonus of $250 to the winner, plus Mike and Jill Horn are also posting another $100 to the winner of the Firecracker 40, making for a grand total of $2750 to the race winner!
Mike and Tina Stringer of Stringers Collision have posted $50 to each Sportsman heat race winner along with $50 to the leader of lap 23, and another $50 to the 23rd place feature finisher.
Jimbo’s Gutters has posted a bonus of $40 to the 5th place finisher in each Sportsman heat race, and a $50 bonus to the 20th place feature finisher.
High Side Apparel and Sportsman team of #777 TJ Mayberry putting up a bonus of $100 to the Hard Charger in the Firecracker 40 feature event.
Breitenstein Motorsports will be posting a bonus of $141 to the 14th place finisher in the Firecracker 40 feature event.
Adult grandstand admission is $25, students 10-15 with ID are $12, while children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission is $35 for NASCAR members and $45 for non-members.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm, warm-ups starting at 6:15 pm, and the first race of the evening getting the green flag at 7:30 pm.
The weekend action actually begins on Friday, July 12 as another Outlaw Racing Series Enduro/Vintage double program will be presented along with the addition of the Xcel 600 Modifieds. On Friday, grandstand admission for adults is $10, children ages 12 and under are free, while pit admission is $30. Pit gates open at 2 pm, while grandstand gates open at 5 pm, and racing starts at 7 pm.
This Saturday night prior to the racing program will be the Low Down and Dirty meet and greet hosted once again by Whippy and Jennifer Umbenhauer. The drivers who will be participating include the father and son duo of Kevin Graver Jr. and Ryan Graver along with Modified drivers Jimmy Leiby and Glenn Owens on hand with their cars in the main gate area from 5-6 pm. This is a great time for fans to meet the drivers up close, collect some autographs, take photos, and talk racing with their favorite drivers.
Recent winners of the Firecracker 40 have been Brad Brightbill (2019), Brad Arnold (2020), Brian Hirthler (2021), Keith Brightbill (2022), and the defending race winner is Addison Meitzler (2023).
So far this season The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman division has been very competitive with eight different drivers reaching victory lane, with point leader Logan Watt and Gavyn Krupp each scoring two wins.
Other winners so far have been Colton Perry, Kenny Bock, Mark Kemmerer, Addison Meitzler, Brian Hirthler and last week Zach Steffey who added his first career win.
All of these drivers along with three dozen total will be looking for the top glory in the prestigious Firecracker 40 championship race.
Brett Kressley scored his third win of the season last Saturday night tying him with Louden Reimert at three feature wins each to lead the T.P. Trailer Modified division. Single winners have been Mike Mahaney, John Willman, Bobby Trapper Jr., and Eric Kormann and Doug Manmiller have scored Thunder on the Hill series wins.
Some more top drivers who will be in action looking for a win this Saturday night include point leader Jeff Strunk, Craig Von Dohren, Mike Gular, Eddie Strada, Jared Umbenhauer, Duane Howard, Doug Manmiller, Kevin Hirthler, and three dozen drivers who will be in competition.
The T.P. Trailer Modifieds will see their fourth heat completed along with the two consolations and 30-lap feature from the June 29 program, added to the show on Saturday, July 20, in addition to a complete new two-division program of T.P. Trailer Modified and T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman action.
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, July 12 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 7 pm
Saturday, July 13 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, 54th annual FIRECRACKER 40 – T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman 40 laps – 7:30 pm
Saturday, July 20 – T.P. TRAILERS & TRUCK EQUIPMENT NIGHT – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, TRIVIA NIGHT, PLUS 2 consolations & MODIFIED FEATURE FROM 6/29 – 7:30 pm
Saturday, July 27 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7:30 pm
Sources: Jeff Ahlum/Grandview Speedway PR