PORT ROYAL, Pa. – Port Royal Speedway has confirmed the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will again return to the track next season on Oct. 9-10.
Still using the Nittany Showdown moniker, this will be the third consecutive season in which the speedway will attempt a two-day event. The last two seasons have been hit with rain and, as a result, each race weekend has been shortened to one night. With the weekend date being moved up a few weeks earlier in the season, this could be the first time both races get run in the history of the speedway.
Last year Donny Schatz continued a recent string of success at Port Royal as he picked up the victory over Pennsylvania Posse regular Anthony Macri and weekend invader Brian Brown. The $8,000 checkered flag was the third consecutive at the Juniata County oval for Schatz and his fourth career at the track.
Once again racers will compete Friday night for $8,000 and $15,000 during Saturday night’s finale.
The first World of Outlaws sprint car race held at the speedway occurred in 1979 and Lynn Paxton picked up the checkered flag that evening. The series didn’t return until two consecutive seasons in 1986-87, when Don Kreitz Jr. and Doug Wolfgang picked up victories. More than a decade later, the series returned for four seasons from 2001-2004 where Danny Wood, Brad Furr, Jason Meyers and Schatz parked it in victory lane.
The series returned after a 10-year absence in 2014 and have been a regular on the yearly schedule since with Ryan Smith, Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart and Schatz all collecting victories.