PORT ROYAL, Pa. — The Donnie Kreitz owned 69K has claimed a number of Labor Day Classic titles over the years, but on Monday afternoon it was Ryan Smith who piloted the legendary machine to Kish Bank victory lane at Port Royal Speedway.
Ryan Smith and Mark Smith made up the front row of the 25-lap daytime A-main event with Ryan Smith getting out to the early advantage.
Justin Whittall, the 2025 track champion who started outside the secondnd row, would wrestle away second from Mark Smith off the fourth corner on the opening lap.
The battle for the lead would start with 16 laps remaining as the top two cars would enter into lapped traffic and have to start fighting for real estate on the race track.
With the two drivers running different lanes, Whittall would use the top side of the race track to power around the 69K of Smith for the lead on the back straightaway.
Following a caution with 10 laps to go, Whittall’s lead, that had grown out to just over a second, would be erased and allow Smith a shot at the top spot on the ensuing restart.
After a one lap restart, and another quick caution, Smith would hang right with Whittall around the race track battling once again for the lead.
Whittall would show the way until there was just 5 laps to go where Smith would use the bottom side of the first and second corner to mount a charge past Whittall for the lead.
The Kunkletown based driver would lead the final 5 circuits around The Speed Palace using the lower lane to hold on for the 75th Annual Labor Day Classic title.
The win would mark Smith’s second triumph at Port Royal during the 2026 season leading into the illustrious Tuscarora 50 to come.
Whittall finished second and James McFadden, piloting the Macri Motorsports No. 39m was third.
In FWD 4-cylinder racing, the competition lived up to the always-exciting billing.
The top 5 cars would all shuffle for position throughout the 20-lap main event with Jeff Erb coming out on top for the ever-exciting win.
The finish:
Feature (25 laps): 1. 69K-Ryan Smith[1]; 2. 67G-Justin Whittall[4]; 3. 39M-James McFadden[5]; 4. 48-Danny Dietrich[7]; 5. 17-Mark Smith[2]; 6. 27S-Dylan Cisney[10]; 7. 27-Troy Wagaman Jr[14]; 8. 11-TJ Stutts[6]; 9. 55-Logan Wagner[9]; 10. 71-Parker Price Miller[19]; 11. 18J-JT Ferry[12]; 12. 71RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[18]; 13. 23-Chase Dietz[8]; 14. 71R-Logan Rumsey[21]; 15. 11T-Michael Walter[11]; 16. 11P-Brent Shearer[20]; 17. 55M-Domenic Melair[17]; 18. 28-Tyler Brehm[16]; 19. 69X-Kassidy Kreitz[24]; 20. 2-Jason Shultz[23]; 21. 47K-Kody Lehman[13]; 22. 35-Buddy Schweibinz[22]; 23. 10C-Matt Campbell[3]; 24. 77-Kody Hartlaub[15]
