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“STEEL VALLEY THUNDER� PROGRAM WITH BIG-BLOCK MODS RETURN TO SATURDAY; FASTRAK “FUTURES CUP� AUTOGRAPH NIGHT & SPECIAL RACE ALSO ON TAP

By Mike Leone

June 1, 2011

(Hartford, OH)…After last Saturday’s Bill Emig Memorial, Sharon Speedway turns the calendar to the month of June as its “Steel Valley Thunder� program highlights racing action this Saturday night (June 4). On tap will be the Governor Insurance Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply FASTRAK Late Models, Ainsley 500 Heating & Cooling E-Mods, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, and the Presidential Lawn Care Mini Stocks. Race time is 7 p.m. and the rain date is Sunday at 5:30.

After a week off, the mighty Big-Block Modifieds return with their ground-pounding action. Local favorite Rex King leads the entourage back to the Hartford, Ohio oval as the Bristolville, Ohio veteran currently has an 18-point lead over Jim Rasey. Both drivers have two wins each, while Dave Murdick is the only other driver to score a win in 2011. King has yet to finish worse than sixth all season.

FASTRAK Weekly Series action resumes Saturday night for the Late Models after last Saturday’s Bill Emig Memorial Northeast Touring Series event, which was won by Josh Holtgraver over the season-high 41-car field. The lowest car count to date this season for FASTRAK is 28 as the new weekly division has averaged 33 cars per race with 68 different competitors! Atop the points standings is three-time winner Joe Martin, who has a three-point lead on Josh Double despite missing the April 30 program.

Not only will FASTRAK be competing in a full program, but also the new FASTRAK “Futures Cup� program will be in the spotlight. Sixteen 14-19 year-old FASTRAK racers, who are members and haven’t competed in more than one full season of FASTRAK, are eligible for this program.

These drivers earn their Weekly Series points as normal then will be competing amongst themselves in three additional stand-alone races with the first being Saturday night with two other events at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway and Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex later in the season. These races will pay $200 to-win with a payoff down through. Also, these races point totals will be added to their National Weekly Series points and at the end of the season the $1,000 “Futures Cup� Champion will be crowned and nine other drivers will also receive cash prizes!

The following drivers are eligible for Saturday’s “Futures Cup� race and will also be participating in a special autograph session from 5:30-6:30 PM: Newt Tackett, Ryan Montgomery, Damian Bidwell, Chad Wright, Alessa Young, Shane Weaver, Nico Dabecco, Clay Ruffo, Russell Baird, Jr., Eric Wilson, Jorden Peters, Bobby Rohrer, Jr., Lauren Longbrake, Matt Bassaro, Joe Long, and Joe Petyak. Special FASTRAK “Futures Cup� shirts are available in the speedway’s novelty stand.
Jeff Johnson is fresh off his season’s first win last Saturday night in the $1,000 special for the E-Mods. Like FASTRAK, the E-Mods have attracted strong fields of cars each and every night ranging between the opening night low of 23 cars to as high as 33. Alan Dellinger, who is competing in four divisions at the speedway this season, leads the Ainsley 500 Heating & Cooling points by 13 over Joel Watson.

Another of Dellinger’s divisions is the Stock Cars, where the Hermitage, Pa. driver has now won three of the past four features, but currently sits just fourth in points due to some mechanical woes. Mike Clark, another Bristolville, Ohio racer, leads the Gibson Insurance Agency points by only one over Steve D’Apolito, who continues to knock on the door for his first win of the season.

Bill Fuchs has been on a roll. The Greenville, Pa. driver won for the third straight time last Saturday night, but will now have to come from last in the 12-lap Presidential Lawn Care feature on Saturday to continue his streak. Fuchs has opened up a commanding 56-point lead over Lucas Sprouse. The younger Sprouse is then up two on his father Randy, who won his first career race back in April.

The new boys and girls bike giveaway program presented by King Bros. Feed Supply & Redi Mix will continue Saturday night. Kids 4-14 can sign up until intermission. If either Rex King, Sr. or Jr. wins the Big-Block Modified or Russell King wins the FASTRAK Late Model feature, a new bike will be presented to a lucky boy and girl the following Saturday.

Pits open at 4 p.m. with the grandstands at 5 and racing at 7. Adult admission is $13. Students 9-13 are $5. Kids eight and under are free. The family pass is $32 for mom, dad, and four kids 13 and under. Pit passes are $25. The rain date is Sunday with racing at 5:30 p.m. Those of you that are signed up to receive news via e-mail from Sharon Speedway, follow us on Twitter, or are our fan on Facebook received this week a $3 coupon off general admission for this Saturday night!

There will be no “Friday Night Thunder� this Friday night, but will return on Friday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. featuring three make-up features from May 6 along with a full program of Ti22 Performance Outlaw Sprint Warriors, Summit Racing Equipment Econo Mods, Joe’s Radiator & Uni-Tech Frame Straightening Mod Lites, Micro Sprints, Uni-Tech Frame Straightening & Joe’s Radiator Sportsman Dwarf Cars, and the Mini Late Models.

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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