410 Sprints Return To Sharon With $3,000 On The Line
4 min read
By Mike Leone
(Hartford, OH)…After a week off and various special events during the month of July, Sharon Speedway will host its first four-division “Super Series” program since June 25 this Saturday night (July 30). Sharon is coming off hosting the sellout Camping World SRX event that saw Chase Elliott win live on CBS last Saturday night. The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply “410” Sprint Cars will headline the show and will be joined by the Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks, HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds and the Whelen Econo Mods. It’s Kam’s Electric, Warehouse Sales, and Hawk Performance Night. Race time is 7 p.m.
The “410” Sprint Cars will race for $3,000 to-win in Saturday’s non-sanctioned show, which is the 700th “410” event in the history of Sharon Speedway! Only four “410” events have been completed in 2022. Cap Henry won the opener over the 41-car field of All Star Sprints on April 30. A.J. Flick ended more than a three-year dry-spell by capturing the June 4 Western PA Speedweek event over the 33-car field. Christopher Bell won for the third time in All Star competition at Sharon bagging the Ohio Speedweek show on June 14 over a strong 42-car field. And most recently, Flick added his season’s second win on June 25. The Sprints will group qualify to set their heat race lineups. One invader that has made it known he’ll be at Sharon on Saturday is two-time All Star champion, Greg Wilson. The Benton Ridge, Ohio driver has been running a true outlaw schedule this year and will look to get in some valuable laps prior to the Sharon Nationals on September 2-3.
“410” Sprint Car Payoff: 1. $3,000 2. $1,300 3. $1,000 4. $750 5. $650 6. $550 7. $500 8. $450 9. $425 10. $400 11-13. $375 14-16. $350 17-20. $300 21-24. $250. Tow/Non-Qualifiers $100.
The Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks will be competing in just their fifth race of 2022 on Saturday night. In their June 18 opener, McGuire returned to prominence as he ran his famed high line around the fence to pass 32-time Sharon winner Steve D’Apolito for the victory. It was the seventh career win for the 2018 champion, who loves to make the trip down from Erie, Pa. to race. On June 25, Bish stole a win away from 70-year-old Larry Kugel with a turn four, last lap pass for the 2019 and 2021 champion. On July 19, Chris Schneider led all the way unchallenged for his 16th career win at the track. And finally on July 16, Bish picked up his second win of the year and second $10,000 “Steel Valley Pro Stock Nationals” victory topping a 52-car field.
The HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will also be battling in their fifth show of 2022. The RUSH Mods have averaged a full field of cars as they have every year since 2016. There have been four different winners in as many races with Tony Tatgenhorst, Justin Shea, Ben Easler, and Garrett Krummert victorious; the wins for Tatgenhorst and Easler were the first Sharon wins of their career, while Shea’s ended nearly a five-year winless drought. Easler sits atop both the $3,500 to-win Hovis Weekly Series and $1,000 to-win Wedge Motorsports “Route 7 Rumble” Series points over two-time track champion, Kole Holden. Easler’s lead is just one-point in the Weekly Series.
Summit Racing Equipment will present the hard charger award on Saturday night to the RUSH Sportsman Modified division. The driver that passes the most cars in the feature will receive a $100 Summit gift card. In the event of a tie, the tiebreaker will be the driver that finishes highest in the feature.
The Whelen Econo Mods round out the four-division show on Saturday night for their fifth race of the year as well. The Econo Mods joined the All Star Sprints at the April 30 opener, and it was Jeremy Double earning his 17th career win. Five weeks later, Will Thomas III won for the sixth time in eight starts over the past two years in the division. On June 25, Garrett Calvert passed Gary Olson to score his first career Sharon win worth $550. And most recently, Jacob Eucker ended nearly a three-year winless drought by capturing the July 16 main event. Will there be a fifth different winner in five races on Saturday night!?
There is no Sharon registration fee. One-way driver radios are mandatory; channel 454.000. AMB/MyLaps transponders are required; rentals available for $25. If you have yet to register for the 2022 season, please bring the registration form with you completed http://sharonspeedway.myracepass.com/downloads/get.aspx?i=713060
Fans can not only experience viewing from the frontstretch and backstretch grandstands, but also from the infield fan zone. The fan zone, which includes a concession and restrooms, debuted in 2020 during the COVID-19 shortened season. Sharon is the only track in the area to have viewing from the unique infield perspective. There will be times throughout the night when fans can cross on the frontstretch back and forth.
The pits will be open throughout the afternoon with passes going on sale at 4 p.m., while general admission opens at 5. “410” Sprint group qualifying will be at 6:30 p.m. Racing will begin at 7 p.m.
Grandstand/fan zone admission for those 14 and over is $15, while senior admission is $10. Patio seating upgrades are just $10 and fan suite seating upgrades are just $20 over the cost of general admission. These can be upgraded on race night at the track office. As always, children under 14 and parking are always FREE. Pit passes are $30. As a reminder, coolers nor outside food or beverages are not permitted.
The same four divisions will return next Saturday night (August 6) for the “Bill Kirila Memorial” with racing 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. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter @sharonspdwy.
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