“Steel Valley Thunder” Racing Plus RUSH Late Models Saturday At Sharon

By Mike Leone

Hartford, OH June 25, 2015 After a successful Ohio Speedweek event on Tuesday, Sharon Speedway continues its busy week with the second “Summer Jam & BBQ Series” on Friday night (June 26) followed by a full night of racing on Saturday. The “Steel Valley Thunder” racing program will include the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Weller Hughes Contracting & Developing RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks along with an appearance by the RUSH Late Models. Action gets underway at 7 p.m.

Friday’s entertainment will include the band “Testify”- a Stevie Ray Vaughn Tribute Band. Gates open at 6 p.m. with entertainment getting underway at 9. The food menu will include BBQ chicken dinner, BBQ country ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and hot sausage sandwiches. Admission is $5. Free camping is available, and bring your armband on Saturday to receive $2 off admission!

Saturday is “Armed Forces Night” will free admission for those in active and former serviceman. Power wheels races for kids will be held at intermission. Saturday’s beer and 50/50 proceeds will benefit the Liberty School Backpack Program.

After getting rained out in their first two scheduled appearances, the RUSH Late Models are hoping the third time is a charm as they’ll join the “Steel Valley Thunder” program on Saturday in a Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC “Weekly Series” event. If 24 or more cars are present, Sharon will pay $1,000 to-win. There is no longer a required Hoosier Crate Racin’ USA D55 on the right rear. Former track champions Will Thomas III, Dennis Lunger, and Josh Double are expected to be in the field. Thomas leads the all-time win list with 13 victories over Lunger’s 11.

It took an invasion by Brian Swartzlander to end the Kings perfect run in the DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds with his season’s first win last Saturday night. The two Kings are atop the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply standings with three-time winner Rex Jr. leading his father and one-time winner by just four points. Ricky Richner, Jim Rasey, and Jim Weller, Jr. are currently third through fifth in points and are hungry for their first wins.

Will Thomas will be doing double duty Saturday driving both his RUSH Late Model and Modifieds. In the Modifieds, he’s picked up two victories and has been consistent in the other events to lead the Summit Racing Equipment standings by 16 over former champion, Mike Kinney. Dwayne Clay, one-time winner Matt Lux, and Carl McKinney are through fifth in points.

Last Saturday, Nick Ritchey became the second driver this season to knock off New York star Greg Martin in the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds with his first ever Sharon win. The victory closed Ritchey to within 25 points of Martin’s point lead in the Weller Hughes Developing & Contracting-sponsored division. One-time winner, Rocky Kugel, is third in points over teenagers Kole Holden and Kyle Martell. Holden currently leads the overall $3,000 to-win Bicknell Racing Products “Weekly Series” standings in addition to the “Futures Cup” points.

Late race heroics by defending two-time champion Mike Clark allowed him to pass Mike Miller in route to his season’s first win in the Stock Cars. Clark not only denied Miller of his first career win, but was able to extend his Gibson Insurance Agency point lead to just four over Miller. One-time winner Brian Carothers is third in points over Charlie Jasinski and Brian Mulichak. Other winners this year include opening night winner Chris Haines and Shaun Hooks, who have neither returned since week two.

Casey Bowers denied Jason Longwell of becoming the season’s fifth different winner in the Econo Mods with a late race pass for his second win last Saturday night. Bowers has always been consistent and now posting wins could make him the odds on favorite to win the title. Bowers’ lead though is just four over one-time winner Ryan Fraley in the HTMA/Precise Racing Products-sponsored division. Brian Foley, Jr., Keith Felicetty, and Jamie Scharba are through fifth in points in search of their first wins.

Bill Fuchs is already a two-time champion and leads the Mini Stock’s all-time win list. Fuchs will look to add his third win on Saturday and extend an already 19-point lead over Jamie Maxwell in the Deforest Used Parts standings. Michael DelliQuadri, Matt Rubright, and Joe Keney are third through fifth looking for their first wins. The Mini Stock car counts have been solid this year and already 38 different drivers have competed. The last three events have saw drivers tow in 100 miles and pick up victories in their first appearances including Doug Hensel, Andy Proper, and most recently Casey Butler in Tuesday’s $300 to-win special.

Hovis Auto & Truck Supply will again award six complimentary pit passes for the following week; a pair going to the hard luck driver in DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, a pair to a lucky driver in the division that competes first, and a pair to a lucky fan. Summit Racing Equipment will award $25 gift cards to the hard charger in the Modified, Stock Car, Econo Mod, and Mini Stock divisions.

Pits open at 4 p.m. with grandstands at 5, and group qualifying slated for 7. Adult admission is just $10. Pit passes are $30. As always, children under 13, parking, and camping is always FREE! Sharon has a no carry-in cooler policy.

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.