LEBANON, Pa.: Pennsylvania Speedweek is here, and drivers and fans are gearing up for 10 races in 10 grueling nights. The payoff is intense competition and big first-place checks with nice purses.
There is none bigger than The Final Steve Smith Sr. Tribute Race at Lincoln Speedway on Monday, June 29th. Thanks to Brian Leppo, the Steve Smith Sr. family, Lincoln Speedway, and a host of sponsors, the event will feature at $50,019 winner’s share as part of a huge $188,000 purse.
This event will draw all of the heavy hitters in central Pennsylvania, as well as the smaller teams looking for a nice payday. Of course, when you put up that much money, you are going to get some invaders, and there are a smattering of World of Outlaws regulars making the trip from Wisconsin to compete for big money and a one-of-kind trophy.
“It’s an honor to be working with so many great people to pull this together,” Leppo said. “Lincoln Speedway has been a large contributor to this race and helped make this event possible. We have so many great sponsors who have also been instrumental in getting us to this point, and the drivers and teams have shown so much interest … it’s just great to be able to do this for the fans.
“We wanted to honor the memory of Steve, and thanks to his wife JoAnn and everybody involved with this event, we have been able to do that. I can’t think of a better way to remember Steve, and we are all looking forward to it.”
Second-place in The Final Steve Smith Sr. Tribute will pay $22,019. The fifth-place finisher will get $7,619, with 10th paying $4,319. It will be $1,919 to start the main event.
Along with a hefty purse, the Bandit Challenge will give a competitor a chance to earn an additional $6,619 for giving up their upfront starting spot to start 19th. The bonus, which is being posted by Brent Hetzel and his family, will be in addition to finishing money.
The Mechanic of the Race will receive a hand-crafted award that was constructed by Russell Greenholt. There is also a cash prize of $1,019 with the opportunity to earn more. If the individual who wins Mechanic of the Race is using an AL Driveline, he or she will receive an additional $1,000 from Aaron Long of AL Driveline, bringin the total to $2,019.
Other contingencies include a one-of-a-kind Black Bandit-themed jack, courtesy of Hellraizer Jacks, a custom Black Bandit engine heater from JST Enterprises, a Burrowmax pit bike to the Hard Charger of the race, compliments of Tribuilt Group, who will also be handing out $1,019 for the night’s fast timer. The winner of each heat race will also receive a complete front axle assembly from SmithTi.
Lincoln Speedway will be giving a free pit pass to each team that participates in the event, as well as 119 general admission tickets. Passes aren’t the only thing the speedway is contributing to the event.
The management team at Lincoln will be giving out 119 free hot dogs in the grandstands, the infield, and the pit area, bringing the total to 357. It’s just some of the giveaways to fans who attend.
“When we came up with this, we wanted to put a purse together that rewards the winner and also pays well down through the order, including the B-Main,” Leppo said. “Thanks to the many sponsors, we were also able to come up with nice monetary and contingency awards.
“The giveaways to drivers and fans were a nice touch by Lincoln Speedway. They have stepped up with all the rest of our sponsors to help this become a special must-see event for fans throughout the region.”
Thanks to R&R Enterprises, a special T-Shirt design was developed to commemorate this event. All shirts can be purchased for the affordable price of $19, so get there early before they sell out. It should also be noted that 119 shirts will be shot into the grandstands, courtesy of FillPools.com.
There will be Bandit Cups handed out at the T-Shirt stand, courtesy of Brewer Home Improvements. Some of the other giveaways for fans include 119 Eastern Sprint Car calendars from Rife Racing, tote bags and Bandit tattoos, compliments of Racing Through Time Antiques, 119 Fan Flags at race team merchandise stands from Graphcom, and more.
“I get emotional seeing all of this and what people have done for this race,” Leppo said. “The weather looks good, right now, and I just hope everybody comes out and has a good time at the races. I can’t wait for Monday.”
Schmuck Lumber/ACE Hardware is the presenting sponsor of the Final Steve Smith Sr. Tribute. Associate sponsors include Aero Energy, Avalon Group, LLC, Brewer’s Home Improvements, FillPools.com, Fletcher’s Service Center, Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic, J&S Classics, Jiffy Lube (Mechanicsburg and Camp Hill), Mark Martin Motors, Miller Brown Ohm, Ream Roofing, RLR Trucking, Rudisill Trucking, and Woods CRW/Link-Belt Excavators.
Other sponsors include AL Driveline, Auto Glass Guyz, Autry Plumbing, B&D Petroleum Service, B&E Racing Customs, Brett Reckless Tattoo, C&D Rigging, Capitol Renegade, Chop Designs, CJB Motorsports, Don Ott Racing Engines, Finish Line Auto Sales, Freedom Offroad, Front Runner Construction, FXG Sign and Label, Gene Latta Ford, Glenville Station Pub & Grub, Goofy’s Eatery and Spirits, GPS Griffith Plumbing Services, Graphcom, H&H General Excavating, Hanover Auto Team, Hellraizer Jacks, Hetzel Family, Huset’s Speedway, Jeff Barnes Collision Center, J Fuels, JPH Enterprises, JST Enterprises, JVI Group, Inc., LABs, Inc., Livingston Lawn Care Pros, Marchio’s Sport Hut, Inc., M&T Lawn Care, O’Brien Fuel & Service, OverDrive Rides, Pine Run Angus Farms, Racehorse Tavern, Racing Through Time Antiques & Collectables, Rider Racing Engines, Rife Racing, Rocket Designs, Rucker Computer Solutions, Salem Sales & Service, Sander Engineering, SHO Logistics, Smith’s Septic, SmithTi, SprintCarUnlimited.com, Sub Stop, Swope Salvage and Recycling, The Auto Barn Used Parts, The Bridges Golf Club, The Green Horizon Grill, Tribuilt Group, Torq Pit Bikes, Trump Plumbing and Heating, Waggoner Construction, York Excavating Company.