Local Headlines

Mechanicsburg –Williams Grove Speedway will host the biggest event of the 25^th Pennsylvania Speedweek series this Friday, July 3 at 7:30 pm when it hosts the 27^th annual Mitch Smith Memorial for sprint cars, paying a hefty $10,000 to win out of a purse worth over $30,000.

Friday’s Mitch Smith Memorial will use time trials to set the field as do all speedweek events and the feature will be 30 laps in distance.

A special holiday fireworks display is also slated during the program.

The Saturday Series street stocks will also be on the July 3 racing card.

The Mitch Smith Memorial began in honor of the late star in 1989.

Known affectionately to most as the “Linglestown Leadfoot,” Smith was one of the most electric sprint car stars to ever grace the Cumberland County oval and the Central Pa region with his talents.

Perhaps his biggest claim to fame was his trumping of the world-renowned USAC sprint car stars when they came east to Williams Grove Speedway in 1971.

For comparison purposes, USAC was in 1971 what the World of Outlaws is to sprint car racing today.

They just simply didn’t get beat.

Except by Mitch Smith in Central Pa in 1971.

The USAC’ers were furious.

The PA drivers and fans were famous.

At the end of his four-decade career in 1978, Mitch Smith had amassed 179 overall total career feature wins including 27 in a sprint car and nine in a super modified at Williams Grove alone.

Smith drove for owners like Mary Flack in the Flying Tiger, John Regester, Gary Wasson and Al Hamilton in the famed No. 77.

After being felled by a massive heart attack in 1988, Smith was posthumously inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1995.

Fred Rahmer and Lance Dewease have done the best in the Smith Memorial over the years, each owning four victories.

Stevie Smith is the defending Smith Memorial champion, having taken his third victory in the event last season.

Smith won the inaugural event in 1989 and again in 2012.

He also kicked off the 2015 speedweek series with a win this past Friday night at Williams Grove.

Friday’s event will again be part of the 2015 Hoosier Diamond Series at the oval.

The Williams Grove portion of the 50/50 on the night will be donated to the American Red Cross.

Adult general admission for the show is $18 with youth ages 13 – 20 admitted for $10.

Kids ages 12 and under are always admitted free at Williams Grove Speedway!

The Williams Grove Saturday Series featuring the super sportsman continues on Saturdays during the summer months with race time at 7 pm each week.

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.