Big Money Tommy Hinnershitz Spring
Classic For Sprints This Week At Williams Grove
Memorial event now pays $7,500 to win with purse of over $30,000 up for grabs
4/13/14
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mechanicsburg
–
The Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprint cars will compete in their first big event of
the season at Williams Grove Speedway this Friday, April 18 at 7:30 pm when the
2014 Diamond Series kicks off with the running of the high-dollar Tommy
Hinnershitz Memorial Spring Classic.
Fireworks celebrating the oval’s 75th season of existence will also
be on the card along with racing action featuring the super sportsman.
The prestigious 30-lap Tommy
Classic event will pay $7,500 to win out of a total purse of more than $30,000
with time trials setting the heat and feature starting grids.
The winners share has been
increased from $6,000 to $7,500 for the Tommy race thanks to a generous sponsor
and historian from the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing who intends the
contribution to honor Hinnershitz, the man who won the first auto race at the
track in 1939 during this 75th anniversary season at Williams Grove.
Formerly known as the Early Bird Championship, The Tommy Spring Classic took its
name in 2007, now run in honor of the winner of the first ever motor racing main
event at Williams Grove Speedway back in 1939.
An eventual Hall of Fame driver, Hinnershitz of Oley went
on to win the track title that year and again in 1949 and 1952.
Winners of the event since
taking the Hinnershitz name have been: Craig Keel, 2007; Brian Leppo, 2008;
Lance Dewease, 2009; and Layton, 2010, 2012.
The event was lost to rain in 2011 and last season, thus
making Layton the reigning Tommy champion.
The Tommy Classic is also the first date of the 2014 Diamond
Series at Williams Grove.
Don Kreitz Jr. is the defending
series champion over the batch of races that carries its own point standings and
season payoff.
Another Diamond Series event comes up the following week,
April 25 with the first appearance of the season by the All Star Circuit of
Champions Sprints at Williams Grove Speedway.
The Williams Grove Speedway Saturday
Series races begin on April 26 with the Super Sportsman, 358 late models and
street stocks on the program at 6:30 pm.
And remember, kids ages 12 and under are
always admitted free at Williams Grove Speedway!
Keep up
to date on all the latest speedway news and information by visiting the oval’s
official website at
www.williamsgrove.com or by visiting the oval
on Facebook or via Twitter.
Early Bird Championship Winners
1983
No. 1A Bobby Allen
1984 No. 5W Randy Wolfe
1985 No. 29 Doug Wolfgang
1986 No. 10 Dave Blaney
1987 No. 29 Doug Wolfgang
1988 No. 69 Don Kreitz Jr.
1989 No. 1W Kenny Jacobs
1990 No. 69 Don Kreitz Jr.
1991 No. 23S Frankie Kerr
1992 No. 69 Don Kreitz Jr.
1993 No. 69 Don Kreitz Jr.
1994 No. 69 Don Kreitz Jr.
1995 No. 461 Lance Dewease
1996 No. 461 Lance Dewease
1997 No. 12 Kevin Gobrecht
1998 No. 19 Stevie Smith
1999 No. 11 Kevin Gobrecht
2000 No. 77E Dave Ely
2001 No. 12 Greg Hodnett
2002 No. 12 Greg Hodnett
2003 No. 77 Lance Dewease
2004 No.12 Greg Hodnett
RACE BECOMES THE “SPRING CLASSIC”
2005 No. 88H Fred Rahmer
2006 No. 30 Doug Esh
2007 No. 9 Craig Keel
2008 No. 71 Brian Leppo
2009 No. 30C Lance Dewease
2010 No. 7 Chad Layton
2011 Rain
2012 No. 7 Chad Layton
2013
Rain