Hart’s Stellar Year Continues With Emotional Win and Track Championship

Hart has raced a limited late model since 2014 and he has won a lot of races at Port Royal Speedway during the years since he started, but in nine attempts to win the Butch Renninger Memorial he had not been able to be the first one to the checkered flag.

He certainly had been close though.  As a matter of fact, his stats are astoundingly good in the race.  In his first nine attempts at the Renninger Memorial Hart had finished on the podium five times and in the top five a total of seven times.  

He just had not won it yet.  Hart didn’t think it was possible to want to win it more than he did but the desire grew deeper every time he came up just short.

With 31 cars on hand, there were plenty of good teams who were there with the same goal.  Hart made it clear in his heat race he was ready to give it his best shot again.  He drove from 4th to the lead on the opening lap and never looked back, taking the win by 3.2 seconds in his Lucky Buck, Hungry Run Wine Cellars, FK Rod Ends, JDS Racing, Penske Racing Shocks, Barron’s Racing Engines, Centre Boot Company, Gridiron Pizza & Gridiron Pub, Harling’s Hoagies, Brown’s Automotive, Rocket Chassis XR1 No.33k.

Hart started 3rd in the 25-lap feature event and jumped into 2nd on the opening lap.  For the next 18 trips around the Juniata County Fairgrounds half-mile oval, he pursued leader Spike Moore, trying to find a way to the top spot.  With nine laps remaining he pulled alongside Moore and the race was on in lapped traffic.

On lap twenty he made the pass by driving under Moore into turn three to take command of the race.  Only five laps, 2.5 miles, remained between Hart and the goal that mattered more to him than anything in racing.  While he tried to hit his marks and keep Moore at bay, his entire family held their collective breath.

With four laps remaining, the caution lights flashed on and forced Hart to deal with a restart.

Hart survived the restart and drove a smooth final three laps.

Finally, it happened.  Hart crossed the line first, with a 1.282 second advantage, to win his grandfather’s race.

“I can’t believe this just happened.”, an emotional Hart said as he was congratulated by cousin Trent Brenneman in victory lane.  Brenneman, who is also family to the late Butch Renninger, had also come up short on winning the race over the years and shared in Hart’s desire to someday win it.

“I can’t believe we just won this thing.  Every year everyone tells Trent and me it’s just another race but it’s not.  You can’t come in here with that mentality.  I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work.“, Hart explained to Port Royal Speedway announcer Brad Strawser.

“My whole family is here every year making this race happen.  This is the 20th year now remembering my pap.  Everybody knows what a great guy he was around these fairgrounds.  I have to thank everyone on my crew, my family who always supports me, and of course my wife who lets me do this every week.“