WoO Late Models Return To Sharon For 1st Time In 9 Years

By Mike Leone

Hartford, OH August 28, 2019 With the regular season now in the record books, Sharon Speedway will now shift to special events over the next four weekends to wrap up the 90th anniversary season. It all starts this weekend with a new event as the “Battle at the Border” will feature the World of Outlaws Morton Building Late Models for two complete shows on Friday night (August 30) presented by Buck’s Fab and Saturday night (August 31) presented by Stackhouse Construction and Predator Trucking. The HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will be Friday night’s support division, while the Elite Econo Mod Series will be Saturday night’s support division. Warm-ups are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. each night followed by qualifying and racing.

“We’re looking forward to this weekend and bringing back the World of Outlaws Late Models,” acknowledged Sharon GM Dave Willoughby. “While Mother Nature hasn’t been kind to most of our special events in 2019, this weekend is looking good. Super Late Models have played an important part in the history of Sharon on both the asphalt and dirt. We hope the fans come out and support these shows so it can become a traditional Labor Day weekend event for years to come.”

This weekend’s appearance marks the first time the World of Outlaws have visited Sharon in nine years and of course not since the new surface has been in place. The WoO have made seven prior appearances at Sharon all taking place in consecutive years from 2004-2010. Ironically, no driver has been able to repeat! Davey Johnson, a 27-time Super Late Model winner at Sharon and the 1987 track champion, won the 2004 inaugural event with Tim McCreadie (2005), Rick Eckert (2006), Chub Frank (2007), Donnie Moran (2008), Tim Fuller (2009), and most recently Darrell Lanigan (2010) winning.

Brandon Sheppard leads the WoO to Sharon. The 2017 Series Champion and current point leader has amassed 16 wins (52%), 29 top 5s (94%), and 30 top 10s (97%) in 31 starts! He won all four DIRTcar Nationals features and the overall crown, Illini 100, Prairie Dirt Classic and Eldora Speedway’s prestigious Dirt Late Model Dream. He’s looking to break the all-time WoO single-season wins record of 18, held by himself and his predecessor Rocket1, Josh Richards.

Rookie of the year leader, Ricky Weiss of Manitoba, is second in points with a second best 10 podium finishes, but is still after that elusive first career WoO win. Three-time winner, Shane Clanton, is third in points just 28 behind Weiss. One-time 2019 winner, Chase Junghans, is fourth in points. Meanwhile, Lanigan has yet to reach victory lane after 31 starts in 2019; however, has 13 top five finishes to sit fifth in points. Completing the top 10 in points with everyone competing in all 31 events are Dennis Erb, Jr., Cade Dillard, Boom Briggs, Brent Larson, and Blake Spencer.

While the HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds wrapped up their points chase last Saturday with Chas Wolbert topping a 24-car field and Kole Holden winning the track championship, two more events remain at the track including Friday. RUSH Member drivers are still competing for Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Weekly Series points along with the “Wheelman” points on Friday night. Friday’s program will pay $600 to-win. Thus far this season, Wolbert leads the way with four wins at Sharon followed by Garrett Krummert with three, Rob Kristyak two, and Holden one. The average car count this season has been 25. Kristyak has just a four-point lead on Wolbert in RUSH’s overall Weekly Series points, which pays $3,000 to the champion at the conclusion of the season. Holden, Tony Tatgenhorst, and Josh Deems complete the top five.

At the end of the night on Friday, the “Wheelman” Non-Winners race presented by Ohio Intra Express and C&R Tire will take place for the RUSH Mods. To date there have been six different winners in nine races. One-time winner, Cameron Nastasi, leads the points by four over Tatgenhorst, a three-time winner. Amelia Clay, who has one win, is third in points over Jacob Jordan and Greg Porter, who are both looking for their first wins.

Rounding out Saturday’s program will be the Elite Series for the Summit Racing Econo Mods racing for $500 to-win, $100 to-start. Earlier this season, Eric Wilson and Dustin DeMattia captured Elite Series wins at Sharon. DeMattia also picked up a regular win at the track that propelled him to his first track championship. Others winners this season in regular action were Kyle Miller, Ty Rhoades, Jacob Eucker, and Andy Buckley. There were six different winners in the seven races run overall. Rhoades and DeMattia are tied for the Elite Series points lead heading into Sharon with four events remaining. Alan Dellinger, Jeremy Double, and Butch Lambert are third through fifth in points.

World of Outlaws Late Model Payoff (Friday): 1. $6,000 2. $3,000 3. $2,000 4. $1,750 5. $1,500 6. $1,400 7. $1,300 8. $1,200 9. $1,100 10. $1,000 11. $900 12. $850 13. $800 14. $775 15. $750 16. $700 17. $660 18. $640 19. $620 20-24. $600. Non-Qualifiers $110.

World of Outlaws Late Model Payoff (Saturday): 1. $15,000 2. $7,000 3. $5,000 4. $3,000 5. $2,500 6. $2,000 7. $1,800 8. $1,600 9. $1,500 10. $1,250 11. $1,200 12. $1,150 13. $1,100 14. $1,050 15. $1,000 16. $900 17. $875 18. $850 19. $825 20-24. $800. Non-Qualifiers $110.

RUSH Sportsman Modified Feature Payoff (Friday): 1. $600 2. $300 3. $250 4. $200 5. $175 6. $150 7. $140 8. $135 9. $130 10. $125 11. $120 12. $115 13. $110 14. $105 15. $100 16. $95 17. $90 18-24. $85. Tow/Non-Qualifiers: $50.

RUSH Sportsman Modified “Wheelman” Non-Winners Payoff (Friday): 1. $75 2. $60 3. $50 4. $40 5. $35 6. $30 7. $25 8. $20

Elite Series for Econo Mods (Saturday): $500 to-win, $100 to-start.

Pits will be open throughout the day both days with pit passes going on sale at 3 p.m., while the main grandstands open at 4. Drivers meeting will be at 6 p.m. each night. Warm-ups are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. followed by Late Model qualifying and heat race action. A live DJ and bonfire will take place after Friday’s racing program has concluded in the Fan Zone located behind the main grandstands.

Grandstand admission for those 14 and over is $25 on Friday night and $30 on Saturday night. Kids 13 and under are free. Pit passes are $40 each night. Patio seating upgrades are just $5 and fan suite seating upgrades are just $20 over the cost of general admission. Reserved seating along with patio, and fan suites are available online through Thursday night at midnight by clicking on “Buy Tickets” at SharonSpeedway.com. As a reminder, coolers nor outside food or beverages are not permitted. Free camping is available all weekend starting on Wednesday night at 5 p.m.

Next weekend will feature an open practice on Friday night, September 6. Pits open at 5 p.m. with practice from 7-10. Pit passes are $20. Then on Saturday the 7th, will be the $10,000 to-win “Steel Valley Pro Stock Nationals” for the Penn-Ohio Series along with the Econo Mods racing for $2,000 to-win. Full Pull Productions truck and tractor pulling will take place on September 14 and the season will conclude with the “Apple Festival Nationals” September 20-21.

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. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter @sharonspdwy.