By Frank Buhrman
PORT ROYAL, Pa. (Apr. 18, 2026) — Kenny Heffner added to his reputation as one of Port Royal Speedway’s most reliable front-runners in the River Valley Builders PA Sprint Series by taking the 20-lap make-up feature Saturday from April 4.
Heffner fought off a determined Jarrett Cavalet to win the Penns Valley Meat Market feature that had been rained out two weeks ago. It was his fifth career win at the “Speed Palace,” a track just over an hour south of his Watsontown home.
Heffner lined up fourth on the grid for the race—he had been a heat race winner for the event on April 4—with Cavalet, from Hollidaysburg, taking the early lead.
The race only went one lap before Friday night’s Selinsgrove winner Drew Young got into the turns three and four guardrail, barely avoiding a flip and ending his night. Another caution followed, this time for a slowing Tyler Brehm. Doug Dodson, who had started fifth, also pulled into the pits during the stoppage.
The next restart set the stage for an epic battle. Heffner passed Jeff Weaver for second and went after Cavalet, briefly taking the lead before losing it on the next lap.
Fred Arnold of Richfield spun and collected Weaver to bring out another caution on lap 13, with Heffner back in front. On the restart, he stretched his lead while a heated battle for second developed among Cavalet, “Nitro” Nick Sweigart of Myerstown, and Cole Dewease, who had advanced from the sixth row.
That fight continued until lap 17, when fifth-place Timmy Bittner of Beech Creek slowed on the front stretch.
With one last chance, Cavalet—who had been working the inside line all race—went high and passed Heffner on the restart. Heffner answered with two laps to go, retaking the lead and going on to win by 1.362 seconds over Cavalet.
Dewease held onto third, with Sweigart fourth and Ken Duke Jr. of Winfield fifth.
Duke was the Penns Valley Meat Market Hard Charger Award winner, advancing from 20th starting position to finish in the top five.
