MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Williams Grove Speedway will again present the biggest race of the Pennsylvania Speedweek Series this Friday night when it hosts the Pennsy Supply 35th annual Mitch Smith Memorial for 410 sprint cars.
Known for decades as The Crown Jewel of Speedweek, the Mitch Smith Memorial will pay a hefty $20,000-to-win out of a total purse worth nearly $50,000.
The Pennsy Supply Mitch Smith Memorial honors the late, great Richard “Mitch” Smith of Linglestown who succumbed to a massive heart attack in 1988, some 10 years after retiring.
Smith left the sport in 1978 after a four-decade long career wherein he scored 27 sprint car wins and nine super modified victories at Williams Grove alone to go along with 179 overall checkered flags.
Time trials will set the starting grids for the Friday Smith Memorial with the main event going 30 laps in distance.
The Smith Memorial will be another race in the Hoosier Diamond Series at the track.
The special speedweek event will be a stand-alone sprint car program, highlighting the speedweek 410 sprint cars.
First run in 1989, Stevie Smith won the very first Mitch Smith Memorial before returning for wins again in 2012 and 2014.
No driver owns more wins in the speedweek race than six-time event champion Lance Dewease.
Brent Marks is the defending race champion.
Among others, previous winners have included Joey Allen, Alan Krimes, Daryn Pittman, Trey Starks, Don Kreitz Jr. Fred Rahmer, Greg Hodnett and Danny Dietrich.