May 22, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Hartford, OH)…Sharon Speedway will celebrate the Memorial Day Weekend by hosting two events with complete shows both Saturday and Sunday nights (May 25-26)!  The Bill Emig Memorial “Wild Card Weekend” will feature the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series both nights!

Saturday night will also include the Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods and Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks, while Sunday night’s program will also have the Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Open Stock Cars, and the Mini Stocks.  All divisions will be racing for increased payouts.  Race time is 7 p.m. both nights.

“We are really looking forward to the weekend,” stated General Manager Dave Willoughby.  “We tried this two-day Memorial Day Weekend format last year, but the weather ruined Sunday’s event.  It’s looking like a beautiful weekend so we invite everyone out to enjoy two big days of racing.”

After a wildly successful debut on April 20 at Hagerstown Speedway, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series comes to Sharon Speedway to continue a busy holiday weekend after a scheduled event Thursday at McKean County Raceway.  The weekend is expected to draw competitors from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Maryland, Delaware, and Ontario, Canada.

RUSH will compete in complete events each night paying $1,500 to-win as part of the “Bill Emig Memorial” and will also be eligible for the “Wild Card Weekend” point fund.  An extra $1,500 will be posted with $500 going to the champion using overall points for the weekend plus a nightly card draw to add to those scores.

Former Bill Emig driver, John Buzzard, will be remembered with a dash held each night that will pay $100 to-win.  Also, TurboStart Batteries will award one lucky RUSH racer a 16-volt racing battery by luck of the draw!  Drivers will get one chance each night.

Former Seattle Seahawk, Rick Singleton leads the Sweeney RUSH Tour to Sharon following his Hagerstown win and has a two-point lead on Maryland driver Glenn Elliott.  All of the top Touring racers will be on hand in addition to Sharon’s regulars that have the advantage of competing in five weekly Sharon events to date.  Dennis Lunger, Jr. is the current Sharon point leader with two victories, while 2011 and 2012 champions Josh Double and Will Thomas III have also been victorious this season in addition to Touring regular Mike Pegher, Jr.

The Governor Insurance DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds have gotten off to a strong start with solid car counts and five different winners!  The ground-pounding big blocks will share the top billing with RUSH on Sunday paying $1,500 to-win as well.  The Kings started off the year victorious with Rex, Jr. winning opening night followed by Rex, Sr.  The veterans continued to shine the last three weeks with Jim Weller, Brian Swartzlander, and Dave Murdick all picking up victories.  King, Sr. currently has just a two-point advantage on Weller.

It could easily be argued that the Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds have been putting on the best racing week in and week out.  Strong car counts and quality racing have been the norm.  The ante will be upped on Saturday as the Mods battle for $750 to-win, $100 to-start in their 20-lap feature.

Defending co-champion Joel Watson has been the only racer to repeat this season, while Alan Dellinger, Jeff Johnson, Randy Hall, and most recently Bob Diver have won events.  Dellinger has an 18-point lead over Mike Kinney with Shawn Shingledecker, Clayton Kennedy, and Joe Gabrielson rounding out the top five.  Ironically drivers in second through fifth in points are searching for their first wins of the season.

Things will change up a little bit for the Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars as they’ll have the night off Saturday, but will be in action on Sunday in an “open rules” event.  While the Stocks normally race for $350 to-win, Sunday’s event will pay $750 to-win and is expected to attract some outside talent.  In regular Stock Car competition, Mike Clark, Tim Burns, Bryan Wagner, Paul Davis, and Bob Sloss all have a victory.

The upstart Econo Mod division continues to attract approximately 20 cars per week.  The HTMA/Precise Racing Products division will be on the card Saturday night racing in a 15-lap feature paying $350 to-win.  The youngsters have had their way to date with Ryan Fraley winning the first two races of his career to lead the points by nine over two-time winner Jeremy Double.  Others winners have included Steve Burns, Jr. and last Saturday night Jacob Eucker became the youngest winner in the track’s 84-year history taking the win at age 12!

Rounding out the weekend card will be the Mini Stocks.  And like the Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, they’ll be in action both days as well.  The Mini Stocks will battle for $200 to-win each night.  The track’s only three-time 2013 winner, Scott Gilliland, also has the biggest point lead of any division at 39, but with two nights of points on the line, things could really change this weekend.  Bill Fuchs, Ray Gregory, last year’s champ Jim Haefke, Jr., and last Saturday’s first ever winner Travis Creech complete the top five in points.

Once again for both nights, one lucky boy and girl under the age of 14 will win a bicycle or scooter thanks to King Bros and Sharon Speedway.  This promotion will continue throughout the 2013 season.  The home-cooked kitchen special is fish dinner with macaroni and cheese and mixed veggies.

No annual registration fees for new cars will be charged this weekend.  Pits open at 4 p.m. Saturday with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7. Sunday’s gate times will be one hour earlier, but racing will still begin at 7.  Grandstand admission for those 14 and over is $13 on Saturday and $15 on Sunday, while children under 14 are always free.  Pit passes are $30 on Saturday and $35 on Sunday.  Parking and camping is always free.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at @SharonSpdwy.

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May 15, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…Sharon Speedway continues to battle Mother Nature seemingly every week this year, but is hoping for brighter, warmer weather this Saturday night (May 18) as it looks to complete its fifth straight week of racing action on Trumbull Business College Night.

It’ll be another installment of “Steel Valley Thunder” featuring the Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks. Racing begins at 7 p.m.

The DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds continue to churn out good car counts and great racing.  The competition has been stout this season.  Last Saturday, the Governor Insurance Agency division had 21 cars as Brian Swartzlander became the fourth different winner in as many races this season.

The other three winners this season currently command the top three spots in points with April 27 winner Rex King leading the way by three over May 4 winner Jim Weller, Jr. and opening night winner Rex King, Jr. by eight.  New Yorker Ricky Richner continues to make the tow south every week from Niagara Falls and rides fourth just 14 points back.  Richner will look for his fifth straight top six finish Saturday!

The Barris Supply RUSH Late Models have been putting on a lot of caution-free racing of late, but the few cautions that have occurred have set up some wild shootouts with lots of position changing.  While all that took place behind Josh Double last Saturday, the 2011 champion was able to garner his season’s first win and add valuable Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Weekly Series points.

Last year’s season finale winner, Dennis Lunger, Jr., continues to set the standard as he already has a pair of wins and a pair of third place finishes to date.  The strong runs have propelled him to a 12-point lead over Eric Wilson, who has been right there week in and week out with four top six finishes in as many weeks.

Defending co-champion Joel Watson became the first repeat winner in the Modifieds last Saturday in the Summit Racing Equipment division’s fifth event.  Watson has quickly moved up the charts in the division’s all-time win list in recent seasons and continues to be the guy everyone is shooting for.  After not competing in the season’s first two shows, Watson has won two of the three he has raced in!

The division’s all-time winner and one-time winner this season, Alan Dellinger, saw his point lead shrink to just seven over Mike Kinney after his first DNF of the year.  Neither Kinney nor Shawn Shingledecker, who sits third in points just eight behind Dellinger, have yet to win in 2013.  A total of 44 different races have already competed this season!

The Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars continue to be the tightest championship race as just six points separates the top four!  Last week, Mike Clark led the points by just one, this week he has a two-point advantage on Tim Burns, while two-time winner Paul Davis trails by three, and one-time Bryan Wagner is just six back.  There have been four different Stock Car champions in the last four years as Clark looks to make it five for his first ever championship.

The youngsters have certainly had the upper hand in the Econo Mods this season.  Ryan Fraley is coming off of his second win of the season and his career, while two-time victor Jeremy Double and Steve Burns, Jr. have also added wins.  Burns has a two-point lead on Fraley, while Double is 18 back.  The car count also continues to rise as new cars make their way out; in fact, 28 different drivers have competed to date this season.

Scott Gilliland feels he’s been lucky in two of his three wins this season, but the nonetheless the Warren, Ohio driver leads all racers at the speedway in wins this season and commands the biggest point lead at 36 over Ray Gregory, who has been oh so close to victory on several occasions this year.  Gregory ironically is ahead of 2011 and 2012 champions Bill Fuchs and Jim Haefke, Jr. by only one point!

Once again Saturday night, one lucky boy and girl under the age of 14 will win a bicycle or scooter thanks to King Bros.  This promotion will continue throughout the 2013 season.  The home-cooked kitchen special is chicken pot pie.

Pits open at 4 p.m. Saturday with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7. Grandstand admission for those 14 and over without one of the special discounts is $13, while children under 14 are always free. Pit passes are $25. Parking and camping is always free.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at @SharonSpdwy.

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May 9, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…Summer is drawing near and one of the new events on the slate for 2013 at Sharon Speedway is quickly approaching.  The inaugural “Summer Bash” Pay it Forward Foundation event will be held on Wednesday, June 12 featuring the NDRL’s United Late Model Series (ULMS) and the United E-Mod Series (UEMS).  Though not on the original published 2013 schedule, Hamilton-Young Motorsports has coordinated this special event part of the 84th anniversary season that will include NASCAR racers Ken Schrader and Ryan Blaney competing in Modifieds.

Sharon has stepped up in 2013 showcasing ULMS and UEMS on four occasions.  Back on April 20, “The Juice” Davey Johnson shattered the track record in route to the $3,000 payday.  Johnson’s victory was the 27th of his career, which is second all-time to the great Jim Bickerstaff.  Johnson is likely to be in the field on June 12 as he looks to add to that total.  Keith Barbara ended the 2012 season at Sharon winning the season’s only Super Late Model show and first ever ULMS event at the speedway.

Other ULMS winners to date this season include Rob Blair (April 6 at Mercer) and Ron Davies (April 27 at McKean).  Dave Hess, Jr. is the current Series point leader.  Once again $3,000 will be posted for the event.  ULMS will return on Saturday, July 20 and Saturday, October 5 for two more $3,000 to-win shows!

The Modifieds have provided the best racing night in and night out this season to date with four winners in as many races.  The action heats up even more when UEMS comes to town.  In 2012, Jack Young tied for the championship with Joel Watson.  Young and his car owner Ken Hamilton were instrumental in making the June 12 event happen, which also includes $2,000 to-win for the Modifieds!

Joining the already stout Modified field that is expected to draw racers from all over with no other events taking place are NASCAR racers Ken Schrader and up and coming star Ryan Blaney.  The youngest of the racing Blaneys is quickly making a name for himself in NASCAR; however, has yet to win a race at the speedway his father is part-owner of.  Ryan will replace his father Dave, who is unable to compete in the event.

Sharon will have two more Modified special events after June 12.  They are July 20 with ULMS and then $2,000 will be up for grabs again on September 14 all under the UEMS banner!

The Pay It Forward Foundation was formed with the desire to carry out the mission defined by the principle of generosity witnessed in the movie Pay It Forward.  P.I.F.F. is a completely volunteer group in the spirit of love and faith that raises money to help hard-working people who have fallen on tough times regardless of their beliefs, color, sex, age or orientation. The only thing they ask is that the recipients, in the same spirit of love and faith, pay it forward with three random acts of kindness.  For more information, check out their website at www.piffcleveland.org.

“This will be a great event to be able to host at Sharon Speedway,” stated Sharon GM Dave Willoughby.  “It gives us another opportunity to feature the Super Late Models, which isn’t always easy to do with so many Saturday Super Late Model shows.  Racers and fans both are always asking us to do more events  and we’re glad to be able to host four shows this season.  I have to thank Hamilton-Young Motorsports for making this night happen.”

Sharon features the Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks on a weekly basis as part of the “Steel Valley Thunder” programs at 7 p.m.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481.  Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sharonspdwy.

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May 8, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…Sharon Speedway will look to string together another night of “Steel Valley Thunder” racing this Saturday night, May 11 on Speed Energy Night.  It’ll be a six-division program of Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks. Racing begins at 7 p.m.

With Saturday being Mother’s Day Eve, Sharon will honor all moms with just $7 general admission!  If you’re not a mom, bring a Speed Energy can to the gates Saturday and receive $3 off admission!  Once again Saturday night, one lucky boy and girl under the age of 14 will win a bicycle or scooter thanks to King Bros. This promotion will continue throughout the 2013 season.  The home-cooked kitchen special is country fried steak with mashed potatoes and vegetable.

It’s been good to see solid car counts in the DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds early in the season as there have been at least 18 cars each night.  The competition has been strong.  Jim Weller, Jr. put an end to the King dominance in the first two weeks and ended his own personal winless drought dating back nearly three years!  Also look for Jimmy Weller III to be in action on Saturday night as he’ll try to do for the Weller Family what the Kings did the first two weeks.  Weller, Jr. currently has a nine point lead on Rex King, while New Yorker Ricky Richner has climbed into the third spot in the Governor Insurance Agency Points.

Dennis Lunger, Jr. has laid the gauntlet down that he’s going to be the driver to beat in the Barris Supply RUSH Late Models.  After winning the final show of 2012, Lunger kept his momentum as he’s been hot out of the box winning two of the first three shows.  Not only is he leading the Sharon points by 11 over Eric Wilson, but he’s gaining valuable points towards the $5,000 to-win Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Weekly Series Champion points and on his way to being eligible for the $3,000 to-win Pace Performance “Summer Chase”.

The Summit Racing Equipment Modified division has seemingly been putting on the best racing night in and night out.  Already four different racers from three different states have claimed victories with Ohio’s Jeff Johnson and Joel Watson, New York’s Randy Hall, and Pennsylvania’s Alan Dellinger.  While Dellinger has opened up a 21-point advantage after reuniting with the Jim White Family, the competition is tight behind him.  Mike Kinney and Joe Gabrielson are tied for second with Shawn Shingledecker one point behind, and only eight more points back is Clayton Kennedy.  It won’t be long until these four racers are in victory lane themselves.

The Stock Car count has slowly climbed each week and that’s expected to continue with several additional racers expected out in the coming weeks.  The Gibson Insurance Agency-sponsored division features the tightest point race as Mike Clark leads this week by just one marker over last week’s winner Bryan Wagner.  Defending champion Tim Burns trails Clark by just six points with Paul Davis Jamie Scharba, Brian Carothers, and Jamie Duncan all within shouting distance.  In fact, only 19 points separate the top eight drivers!

Could this be the week 12-year-old Jacob Eucker makes history at Sharon Speedway to become the youngest winner in the 84-year history of Sharon Speedway?  He’s led laps all four weeks to date, but has come up just shy so far.  It looks like Jeremy Double has replaced the Blackshear Brothers, who have moved on from the division, as the driver to beat in the HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods with two wins in the first four shows to go along with the first two wins of his career last season. April 27 winner Steve Burns, Jr. has the point lead by four over April 20 winner Ryan Fraley, Double, and Eucker.

Ken Koby II ended Scott Gilliland’s two-race win steak and kept him from adding to his point lead in the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks.  Nonetheless, Gilliland has built up a 25-point advantage on 2011 champion, Bill Fuchs. Defending champion Jim Haefke, Jr. is third over Ray Gregory, who just missed out on his first career win last Saturday.

Pits open at 4 p.m. Saturday with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7.  Grandstand admission for those 14 and over without one of the special discounts is $13, while children under 14 are always free.  Pit passes are $25.  Parking and camping is always free.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at @SharonSpdwy.

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May 1, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…After a miserable start with weather to the 2013 racing season at Sharon Speedway, things finally broke last Saturday with a beautiful sunny 70-degree day. The sunny, warming trend is to continue right into the weekend as another clear, mild day is predicted for this Saturday, May 4. It’ll be another installment of “Steel Valley Thunder” featuring a six-division program of Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks. Racing begins at 7 p.m.

Who will be the first to stop the Kings in the DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds!? Opening night saw Rex, Jr. lead all 20 laps of the Governor Insurance Agency feature and last Saturday it was Rex, Sr. doing the same. In recent years, the Big-Block Modified counts have been low at the beginning of the season and then increased by mid-year, but so far a respectable 18 cars were at each of the first two shows with 23 different drivers competing to date. The elder King currently leads “Cooter” by three markers.

Mike Pegher, Jr. made quick work of the RUSH Late Model competition last Saturday. After getting by Billy Henry, Jr. on lap three for runner-up, Pegher chased race-long leader Bobby Whitling for nearly 10 laps before making a breathtaking move in lapped traffic splitting Whitling and the lapped car for the winning move. It was a busy day for Pegher, who won earlier in the day at Pittsburgh, then beat feet to Sharon just in time for action to accumulate important points toward the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Weekly Series Championship. Opening night winner, Dennis Lunger, Jr., has an eight-point advantage on “Futures Cup” contender Eric Wilson in the Barris Supply point battle.

The competition in the Modified division is always stout. This year is no different with three winners in as many races. Jeff Johnson got his season off to a fast start winning opening night, while Randy Hall won the UEMS special on week two, then Alan Dellinger came out on top of a wild three-wide battle in the closing laps to win last week’s feature. Dellinger, the division’s all-time winner, currently has a five-point lead on Shingledecker. Already 40 different racers have participated this season in the Summit Racing Equipment-presented class!

While the Stock Cars no longer draw the big car count numbers of years past, the competition level is top notch and generally features the tightest point races. Mike Clark and Paul Davis, who have been adding wins at a much more frequent pace the last couple seasons, have won the first two shows. Defending champion, Tim Burns, has the point lead by one over Clark and Brian Carothers. Just four points separates the top six cars in the battle for the Gibson Insurance Agency title!

After just 13 cars each of the first two weeks, the count rose to 20 last Saturday in the HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods. That trend is expected to continue as the season progresses. The competition is pretty equal as youngsters Jeremy Double, Ryan Fraley, and Steve Burns, Jr. have picked up victories to date. Twelve-year-old Jacob Eucker has led laps all three features and it won’t be long until he finds victory lane. Burns has a one-point lead on Fraley with Double and Eucker not far behind.

In 2011 it was Bill Fuchs dominating the Mini Stocks for his first career championship. Last year, Jim Haefke, Jr. emerged as the driver to beat to capture his first ever championship. This year, Scott Gilliland has had the upper hand so far winning two features and leads the early Deforest Used Parts championship chase. The Warren, Ohio racer has the biggest point lead of all of the six divisions as he has an 22-point margin over Fuchs.

Once again Saturday night, one lucky boy and girl under the age of 14 will win a bicycle or scooter thanks to King Bros. This promotion will continue throughout the 2013 season.

Pits open at 4 p.m. Saturday with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7. Grandstand admission for those 14 and are over is $13, while children under 14 are always free. Pit passes are $25. Parking and camping is always free.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at @SharonSpdwy.

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April 24, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…After a rainout and a special race event last Saturday night, weekly “Steel Valley Thunder” racing action returns to Sharon Speedway this Saturday night, April 27. Racing will get underway at 7 p.m. featuring a six-division program of Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks.

Saturday’s promotion includes free admission for youth sports and scouts in uniform. Saturday’s home-cooked meal is beef macaroni with roll and butter. Once again Saturday night, one lucky boy and girl under the age of 14 will win a bicycle or scooter thanks to King Bros. This promotion will continue throughout the 2013 season.

“It’s looking like a beautiful Saturday,” stated Dave Willoughby. “Sunshine and temps near 70 will be well appreciated after fighting the weather since back to the snowmobile races and every event to date. It’ll be nice for everyone to be able to enjoy a night of racing!”

With rainouts and special events, the regional DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds are anxious to get back on the speedway. A nice field of 19 cars turned out for the April 6 opener from three different states. In the end, it was a King show as Rex, Jr. topped Rex, Sr. in the 20-lap Governor Insurance Agency feature to get an early jump on the points. While his father is a four-time track champion, “Cooter” has never won a track championship and has the early lead on his father.

Dennis Lunger, Jr. went down in the history books as the first ever RUSH-sanctioned winner in the 20-lap Barris Supply feature. Lunger will look to make it three-straight Late Model wins at Sharon Saturday and gain important points toward the $5,000 to-win Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Weekly Series Championship. A couple of Sharon racers in Josh Double and Eric Wilson went on the road and competed in the first ever Sweeney Chevrolet Touring Series event last Saturday at Hagerstown. Double, the 2011 champion, was the hard charger in the feature. Double will be making his first Sharon start of the season Saturday as will be several other racers including 2012 champion Will Thomas III.

The Modifieds are one of three divisions entering their third week of competition Saturday. Jeff Johnson was impressive winning the opener, while New York’s Randy Hall invaded for the UEMS-sanctioned event last Saturday and picked up the $1,000 victory. Another New York racer, John Boardman, has the point lead. Already 35 different drivers have participated after two weeks of action with others due out soon.

The Stock Cars will be ready to return after not competing since the April 6 opener when Mike Clark picked up the victory. Clark has won all five of his career wins in the last year and a half despite racing nearly 17 years. Clark is one of the contenders for the Gibson Insurance Agency feature, which would be his first track championship anywhere.

The Econo Mods have become an excellent class for young racers to hone their racing talents, for veteran racers still wanting to compete, and an opportunity for others to participate without spending a lot of money. Young Jeremy Double and Ryan Fraley have split wins in the first two weeks. For Fraley, who is beginning his second full season of competition, the win was the first of his career. Twelve-year-old Jacob Eucker has already led HTMA/Precise Racing Products feature laps both weeks and currently sits in a tie for third in points with Steve Burns, Jr., while trailing point leader Fraley and Double.

By virtue of his fifth career victory last Saturday night, Scott Gilliland has jumped out to the point lead in the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks. Like most of the other point leaders, the Warren, Ohio driver has never won a track championship anywhere. Gilliland is up five points on 2011 champion and opening night winner Bill Fuchs. Last year’s champion and eight-time winner, Jim Haefke, Jr., is mired in sixth place in points after a tough start.

Pits open at 4 p.m. Saturday with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7. Grandstand admission for those 14 and are over is $13, while children under 14 are always free. Pit passes are $25. Parking and camping is always free.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at @SharonSpdwy.

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April 17, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…After a successful 84th anniversary season opener on April 6, Sharon Speedway couldn’t withstand all of the rain Mother Nature produced late last week forcing the April 13 program to be cancelled. Sharon will try again this Saturday night (April 20) with the first special race event of 2013 on tap featuring the NDRL’s United Late Model Series (ULMS) and the United E-Mod Series (UEMS) along with the HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks. Race time is 7 p.m.

The ULMS Super Late Models will compete in a 30-lap feature paying $3,000 to-win! ULMS opened their season on April 6 at Mercer Raceway Park with Robbie Blair capturing the victory. Blair will be on hand at Sharon Saturday as he’ll be competing for the championship in 2013. ULMS last visited Sharon on October 6 for the season finale when Keith Barbara won his first ever Late Model race at the speedway. Barbara will look to make it two-in-a-row Saturday as he fresh off a win last Saturday at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex!

Super Late Models have competed 404 times over the asphalt and dirt history at Sharon as Barbara became the 105th different winner. Jim Bickerstaff, Sr. leads the list at 42 victories over Davey Johnson’s 26, and recent hall of fame inductee Mark Malcuit, who was 21 wins. The ULMS will return to Sharon on Wednesday June 12 followed by appearances on Saturday, July 20 and Saturday, October 5 all for $3,000 to-win as well.

“The Super Late Models have been an important part of the history at Sharon,” acknowledged General Manager Dave Willoughby. “There are a lot of Late Model fans in our area and we always get good support from both the fans and racers when we host these events. We’re glad to be able to bring them in four times this year. It should be a great show and a great field of cars with several regional speedways not in action! Hopefully the weather will cooperate”

Like their counterpart, the UEMS under the long-time direction of Chris Zuver will also be making four appearances during 2013. The UEMS events always draw a large and quality field of competitors as they add to Sharon’s already strong weekly base. Jeff Johnson got off to a fast start at the Sharon opener coming from 10th to score his 16th career win tying him for second on the all-time win list. Johnson will hope to break the second-place tie Saturday. The 25-lap feature will award the winner $1,000. Other appearances by UEMS will be Wednesday, June 12, Saturday, July 20, and Friday and Saturday, September 13-14 for $2,000 to-win!

Warm-ups/group qualifying will be held for both divisions at 6:30 p.m. For more information on ULMS and UEMS, check out their website at www.unitedlatemodelseries.com.

The HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods began their fourth season of competition and second full season as part of the weekly Saturday “Steel Valley Thunder” program on the April 6 opener. Seventeen-year-old Jeremy Double’s third career win came over 12-year-old Jacob Euker. Eucker, who practiced last year at Sharon while winning the Deerfield Championship, is the grandson of the great Dale Johnson. Don’t be surprised to see Eucker in victory lane this year and make history as the youngest winner in the track’s history. Look for the Econo Mod car counts to pick up and be around a full field before too long.

Of all of the divisions at the opener, the most familiar face in victory lane turned out to be in the Mini Stocks in the last race run of the night. Bill Fuchs, the 2011 track champion, won his milestone 20th career race and will look to add to that total Saturday night.

This week’s home-cooked special is chicken gravy over mashed. Once again Saturday night, one lucky boy and girl under the age of 14 will win a bicycle or scooter thanks to King Bros. This promotion will continue throughout the 2013 season.

Show-up points will be awarded to the Modifieds, while full points will be on the line for the Econo Mods and Mini Stocks. Pits open at 4 p.m. with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7. Grandstand admission for those 14 and are over is $15, while children under 14 are always free. Pit passes are $35. Parking and camping is always free.

“Steel Valley Thunder” weekly racing returns to Sharon on Saturday, April 27 with the Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at @SharonSpdwy.

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April 10, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…After a successful 84th anniversary season opener on April 6, Sharon Speedway is ready to roll into week #2 this Saturday night, April 13. Racing will get underway at 7 p.m. featuring Sharon’s weekly “Steel Valley Thunder” program consisting of Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks.

After losing the first five early season events, a dry week and a dry race day allowed Sharon to get the 2013 season underway last Saturday. Though the temperature barely hit 50, fans were treated to the long-awaited start to the new season. The fast-pace show was run off in less than three and a half hours with three of the six winners resigning from nearby Bristolville, Ohio.

A nice field of 19 Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds from three different states turned out for the opener, but in the end it was a King show as Rex, Jr. topped Rex. Jr. to get an early jump on the points. While his father is a four-time track champion, “Cooter” has never won a track championship and has the early lead on his father.

Dennis Lunger, Jr. has taken a liking to Sharon. After winning his first career feature at the track on September 29, Lunger opened the season last Saturday making it back-to-back wins. Lunger also stated he plans to compete for the Sharon track championship for the first time ever. Lunger got a head start on 2011 and 2012 champions Josh Double and Will Thomas III, who will make their debuts Saturday. Sharon is a RUSH-sanctioned Late Model track, and Lunger has also taken the lead in the $5,000 Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Weekly Series standings. It was also a good start for two-time feature winner Eric Wilson. The 16-year-old finished second in the feature and also took the lead in the Series’ “Futures Cup” standings.

One of the most impressive runs in all of the six features last Saturday was probably Jeff Johnson. After a disappointing 2012 season, Johnson flew out of the gates to victory lane after starting 10th in the Summit Racing Equipment Modified feature. Johnson, who won the championship in 2010, finished 10th in the standings each of the past two seasons. The victory tied him with Scott Stiffler at 16 for the second most all-time in the division at the speedway. While an uncharacteristic low of 16 Mods turned out for the opener, look for many more in the coming weeks.

After going some 15 years winless, Mike Clark is starting to make winning a habit in the Stock Cars. Clark won Saturday night’s Gibson Insurance Agency feature for the fifth time in the last year and a half as he has his sights set on his first track championship!

The HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods began their fourth season of competition and second full season as part of the weekly Saturday “Steel Valley Thunder” program. Seventeen-year-old Jeremy Double’s third career win came over 12-year-old Jacob Euker. Eucker, who practiced last year at Sharon while winning the Deerfield Championship, is the grandson of the great Dale Johnson. Don’t be surprised to see Eucker in victory lane this year and make history as the youngest winner in the track’s history. Look for the Econo Mod car counts to pick up and be around a full field before too long.

Of all of the divisions last Saturday at the opener, the most familiar face in victory lane turned out to be in the Mini Stocks in the last race run of the night. Bill Fuchs, the 2011 track champion, won his milestone 20th career race and will look to add to that total Saturday night.

Once again Saturday night, one lucky boy and girl under the age of 14 will win a bicycle or scooter thanks to King Bros. This promotion will continue throughout the 2013 season.

Pits open at 4 p.m. with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7. Grandstand admission for those 14 and are over is $13, while children under 14 are always free. Pit passes are $25. Parking and camping is always free.

Coming up on Saturday, April 20 will be the first special event of the season! The NDRL’s United Late Model Series (ULMS) will make their first of four appearances of the season racing for $3,000 to-win! They’ll be joined by NDRL’s United E-Mods Series (UEMS) for $1,000 to-win along with the HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at @SharonSpdwy.

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April 5, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…While Sharon Speedway continues to let children 13 and younger in free every night during the 2013 season, these children will also be eligible for a nightly giveaway. At every event during the 2013 season beginning this Saturday night (April 6), one lucky boy and girl will leave the speedway with their choice of a bicycle or scooter thanks to King Bros. in conjunction with Sharon Speedway! Children will simply take their ticket stub to the souvenir stand to be eligible.

“King Bros. will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in racing in 2013,” stated Sis King. “Once the realization came to mind it was wow, what can we do to celebrate this milestone!? Rex, Sr., the patriarch of the King Compound, said I want to give away bikes- not just when we win, but every night. We gave a call to general manager Dave Willoughby and he accepted the offer with open arms.”

“Racing is what has kept our family such a tight knit unit,” continued King. “Rex, Sr. spent every weekend at the races since a very young age. As you go into adulthood you realize that the folks at the race track are your racing family. We wanted to share the joy of racing with other families and prompt families to bring their kids to the race track to start a tradition of their own. King Bros is looking forward to spending another year behind the wheel at Sharon Speedway!”

The 84th anniversary season will get underway at 7 p.m. on Saturday night featuring the “Steel Valley Thunder” program of Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks. The championship point races will get underway.

Teams are urged to arrive early Saturday, if possible, to complete any necessary registrations as well as be ready for warm-ups slated to begin early at 6 p.m. Pits open at 4 p.m. with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7. Grandstand admission for those 14 and over is $13, while children under 14 are always free. Pit passes are $25.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at @SharonSpdwy.

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April 2, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…Even with snow showers still scattered about and on the heels of a cold, wet winter, all systems are a go for Saturday’s 2013 opener at Sharon Speedway! The 84th anniversary season will get underway at 7 p.m. on April 6 featuring Sharon’s “Steel Valley Thunder” program consisting of Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks.

The planned early season events at Sharon did not get off the ground as the lack of snow in January cancelled the “Circle Track Showdown” Snowmobile races three times and then wet grounds didn’t allow for the open practice and “Springduro 150” Enduro to happen the past two weeks.

“Mother Nature hasn’t been kind to us, but the nonetheless we’re ready to go” stated fourth year General Manager Dave Willoughby. “We were finally able to get on the track late Saturday afternoon and thankfully didn’t get the heavy rain they were originally calling for Sunday and Monday. The grounds have begun to dry up and with dry weather forecasted the rest of the week we’ll be ready to go Saturday. The early outlook for Saturday looks good with sunshine and 50s.”

The Big-Block Modifieds have been one of the headlining divisions at Sharon since the Speedway switched back to dirt in 1981. For the second straight year, the Governor Insurance-sponsored class will be sanctioned by DIRTcar along with Friday night sister track, Lernerville Speedway. Saturday’s race will be the first Modified race in the region and the only one scheduled of the weekend.

The late Lou Blaney leads the divisions with five championships and 121 victories. Active racer Rex King has moved up the ladder and now sits second on both championships (4) and wins (39). The next nearest active competitor is Jim Weller, Jr. with 23 wins and two track titles. Defending champion, Dave Murdick, has now won two championships in the past five years to go along with six victories.

The newly formed Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series will sanction weekly Barris Supply Crate Late Model racing weekly in 2013. The schedule will be highlighted by five Touring events with the first coming up over Memorial Day Weekend in the Saturday-Sunday Bill Emig Memorial “Wild Card Weekend”.

In addition to Sharon’s point fund, Sharon RUSH member racers will have the ability to compete for the $5,000 to-win Sweeney Weekly Series Championship that pays down 30 positions, the $3,000 to-win Pace Performance “Summer Chase” that pays down 10 positions, and eligible member teenage racers will be battling for the $1,000 to-win “Futures Cup”, which also pays 10 positions. Two of the “Futures Cup” racers include Eric Wilson and Clay Ruffo that compete weekly at Sharon.

Sharon has held 45 Crate Late Model events in the short history of the division with 21 different winners. Mike Pegher, Jr. leads the all-time win list at six followed by Joe Martin and Max Blair with five wins apiece. Josh Double won the division’s inaugural title in 2011, while Will Thomas III was last year’s champion. One driver to keep an eye on this year is third year racer Matt Latta. The Conneaut Lake, Pa. youngster captured two wins and contended for the title last year.

The Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds (formerly E-Mods) have boasted excellent car counts the past two seasons and led the way amongst the six divisions last year. Last season, Joel Watson and Jack Young were about as even as any two racers could possibly be and that resulted in a tie for the championship. What will happen this season!?

The (E) Modifieds joined the weekly card in 1996 and have been part of weekly action ever since. In that period, Alan Dellinger has won 86 features and three championships. No one is anywhere near those wins, but five active racers are in a close battle for second including Scott Stiffler (16), Jeff Johnson (15), Russ Dunn (11), and most recently Joe Watson (11).

The Modifieds have an impressive schedule in 2013 as the UEMS Series will make four appearances (April 20, June 12, July 20, & September 13-14). The first and third events will pay $1,000 to-win, while $2,000 will be up for grabs in the second and fourth shows. Modified racers on Hoosier Tires will not only be eligible for Sharon’s weekly point fund, but also the HTMA/Precise Racing Products point fund, which will be back for a second straight year.

Though not always the highest in number, the Stock Cars were one of the most competitive divisions night in and night out with generally eight to ten drivers battling for the win. Gibson Insurance Agency is back again as the divisional sponsor and Tim Burns is set to defend his title. The Greenville, Pa. driver is now a seven-time winner and is a past Sportsman’s Speedway Champion as well.

Atop the win list is still Alan Dellinger with 65 victories followed by Rick Prosser, Jr. at 50. Neither racer is a regular in the division in recent years. Third on the win list is four-time champion Steve D’Apolito with 32 wins.

After campaigning nearly two years on the bi-weekly Friday night programs, the Econo Mods moved over the Saturday night program in August 2010 when the Friday shows were dropped. The Econo Mods will be entering their third full season of competition in 2013 and the two-barrel division could easily have the highest count amongst the weekly divisions. Don’t even be surprised to see B mains being run once things get rolling!

HTMA/Precise Racing Products is back again to be the divisional sponsor. The Econo Mod purse also got boasted from positions 7-24 due to their continued growth. Look for some changes at the top though as 11-time winner and 2012 champion Brandon Blackshear has moved up to the Modified division and younger brother Brad, who was the 2010 champion and has the second most all-time wins at four, will be in a RUSH Late Model in 2013.

And finally the Mini Stock division is back once again with backing from Deforest Used Parts for the second straight year. Due to struggling car counts last season, the rules have been opened up a little more to allow racers from other speedways to compete including the six cylinders that run to the north. Bill Fuchs, the 2011 champion, leads the win list at 19 victories out of the 73 races run all-time. Six-time winner, Jamie Wrightsman, has moved up to the RUSH Late Models for 2013.

In conjunction with Sharon Speedway, at each event in 2013, one lucky child will win a bicycle presented by King Bros. More information will be released later this week.

Teams are urged to arrive early Saturday, if possible, to complete any necessary registrations as well as be ready for warm-ups slated to begin early at 6 p.m. Pits open at 4 p.m. with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7. Grandstand admission for those 14 and are over is $13, while children under 14 are always free. Pit passes are $25.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at @SharonSpdwy.

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