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NASCAR SPRINT CUP STAR KASEY KAHNE TO JOIN TONY STEWART ONCE AGAIN AT 2012 LOU BLANEY MEMORIAL ALZHEIMER’S BENEFIT

By Mike Leone

December 10, 2011

(Hartford, OH)…It was recently confirmed that newly crowned three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart would be returning to compete in the fourth annual Lou Blaney Memorial Alzheimer’s Association Benefit on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at Sharon Speedway. Now Sharon Speedway is thrilled to announce that NASCAR Sprint Cup star Kasey Kahne will once again join Stewart in the “410� Sprint Car portion of the event.

Kahne most recently captured his 12th career NASCAR Sprint Cup win at Phoenix International Raceway in the next-to-last 2011 event on November 11, and will now move over to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 replacing Mark Martin in the #5. The 31-year-old Enumclaw, Washington native has competed in all three prior Lou Blaney Memorials with finishes of sixth, seventh, and twelfth respectively. Last season, Kahne was also a surprise entrant in the Ohio Speedweek All Star Circuit of Champions event where he finished a disappointing 17th.

Kahne hopes to improve on those finishes and capture his career first Sharon Speedway win when July 10 rolls around. Kahne’s racing roots began in a Sprint Car as a teenager where he owns six career All Star victories along with an opening day Williams Grove checkered flag. He’d later go on to be a winner in the USAC ranks including a Midget title before moving on to NASCAR. Besides his own racing success, Kahne has become a successful car owner in the World of Outlaw Sprint Car and USAC Series.

Friends of Lou Blaney will again attend the Memorial Event to help celebrate the life and accomplishments of the Hall of Fame driver, who won more than 600 feature victories during a five-decade career. The legend has at least 121 Modified wins and another 11 documented in a Sprint Car at Sharon alone. Blaney passed away in 2009 after battling Alzheimer’s.

Stay tuned for more information on the event, which benefits the Alzheimer’s Association. Sharon Speedway will get an early start to the 2012 season on Saturday, January 7 when snowmobiles take to the track. Gates open at 9 a.m. with racing at 11 a.m. Snowmobile racing will return on Saturday, January 21. The 2011 awards banquet will be held on Saturday, February 4 at the Yankee Lake (OH) Ballroom. More information on these events will be forthcoming.

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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