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CAREER 1ST WIN FOR KING, JR. IN MODS; SNYDER WINS WILD FASTRAK MAIN FOR 1ST EVER AT SHARON; DELLINGER BAGS #3 IN E-MODS; DAVIS & FUCHS RETURN TO VICTO

By Rich Berry & Mike Leone

June 18, 2011            

(Hartford, OH)…Despite a chance of rain again in the forecast all weekend long, Sharon Speedway was able to wrap up the doubleheader weekend on Saturday night with a beautiful evening on Dreves Insurance Night.  It was also Twin-State Auto Racing Club Night as all members received free admission into the grandstands.

Celebrating “Steel Valley Thunder� wins in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply victory lane were Rex King, Jr.-Governor Insurance Agency Big-Block Modifieds, Tom Snyder, Jr.-Barris Supply FASTRAK Late Models, Alan Dellinger-Ainsley 500 Heating & Cooling E-Mods, Paul Davis-Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, Bill Fuchs-Presidential Lawn Care Mini Stocks, and Max Wilkinson & Levi Spinneweber-Mini Late Models.   

After four years of trying and being close on numerous occasions, Rex King, Jr. finally captured his career first win.  The Bristolville, Ohio youngster passed race-long leader John Buchanan on lap nine and held him off for the $1,100 win in the 20-lap Governor Insurance Agency feature.

King, Jr. and Buchanan made up the front row with Buchanan taking the lead at the start using the outside groove.  King, Jr. settled into second over his father Rex King, Sr., Rob Kristyak, and Jim Rasey.  The top three pulled away leaving Kristyak and Rasey to battle for fourth. 

The younger King, nicknamed Cooter, took a peek inside Buchanan on lap six, but was unsuccessful.  Buchanan slipped high in turn one working lap seven, but recovered to hold on to his lead.  Later, working lap eight, he wasn’t as lucky after a slip high in turn four.  Cooter dove to the inside and swept past to become the new leader on the ninth circuit. 

One caution period slowed the event on lap 13 for third running King, Sr. with a spin in turn four.  Cooter regained the lead when racing resumed, as he held it flawlessly through the remaining laps in earning the popular win by 1.034 seconds in the King Bros-owned, Jim Brown Seed Sales/Arrowhead/Cintas/Schaeffer Oil/Reese Services/Mahan Welding & Fab-sponsored #165.

Buchanan turned in a career best big-block finish in second.  Rasey taking third over 11^th starting Jim Weller, Jr. and Last week’s winner Kristyak.  Skip Moore, Brian Swartzlander, Kevin Bolland, King, Sr., and heat race winner Dean Pearson rounded out the top ten.

For the second week in a row, the FASTRAK Late Models had a wild ending and a new winner.  This week, it was Tom Snyder, Jr. inheriting the lead and eventual win after Joel Prosser and Alan Dellinger tangled while battling for the lead in the closing laps of the 20-lap Barris Supply feature.  The $700 win was the 39-year-old Mayport, Pa. racer’s first ever win at the track and continued the shutout of Ohio racers from victory lane.    

West Virginia resident Joel Prosser took the lead at the drop of the green flag, as the yellow flag appeared on the first lap for Tyler Barris who slipped high in turn four into the outside wall. Michael Mitchell grabbed the lead on the double file restart, showing the way over Prosser, Snyder, Ben Black, and last week’s winner Chad Wright.  Eighth starting Alan Dellinger passed Wright for fifth on lap 3, and slipped past Black for fourth a lap later. 

Rookie Eric Wilson spun on lap five for the next caution period.  Mitchell showed the way again when racing resumed over Prosser, Snyder, Dellinger, and Black.  Wilson stopped to bring out the next caution with 13 laps complete.  Mitchell chose the inside for the restart, but Prosser used the outside to move into the lead when the race went back to green.  Prosser was the new leader on lap 14 over Dellinger, Mitchell, Snyder, and Wright.  Snyder passed Mitchell for third on lap 16, just before the next yellow would wave for a spin by newcomer Russ Dunn.

On the attempted restart, Prosser chose the outside groove with Dellinger to his inside.  As the green flag waved and the cars were accelerating up to speed, Prosser and Dellinger made contact with Prosser spinning in front of the field.  The field scattered as seven cars were involved in the incident with both Prosser and Dellinger exiting the event. 

Snyder inherited the lead for the restart over Mitchell, Black, Wright, and Rocky Kugel.  Snyder took over when the green reappeared and went on to pick up his first FASTRAK win of the season in his Faster Chassis #1F.  Snyder became the seventh different winner in nine FASTRAK races this season, and 11^th different in 17 races all-time. 

Mitchell was 0.720 second behind for a career best FASTRAK finish in second.  Black was third as he also notched his best finish of the season as well.  Volpe was fourth, as he passed fifth finishing Kugel on lap 18 and became the new point leader.  Billy Cunningham, Jr., Wright, Dunn, newcomer Steve Beatty, and Rusty Cade completed the top ten.  Heat race winners were Dunn and Dellinger.

The Ainsley 500 Heating & Cooling E-Mod feature was scheduled for a distance of 15 laps;  however, the event reached its time limit during the seventh caution period of the event with nine laps completed with Alan Dellinger awarded the victory.  The victory was the Hermitage, Pa. driver’s third of the season in the division and eighth overall as he also has three Stock Car wins and two Econo Mod victories. 

Arlan Coy and Howard Fraley topped the starting grid, with Fraley leading the first lap over Jeff Johnson, Coy, Dellinger, and Carl McKinney, but Fraley spun in front of the field in turn one, triggering an incident that collected five cars.  Dellinger advanced to the lead when racing resumed, taking a lead he would not relinquish. 

Scott Stiffler took second on a lap two restart, but three laps later spun in front of the field in turn one to trigger a five-car incident.  Tim Burns held second through a lap nine caution period, but he too spun in turn one to trigger the final caution as yet another five-car tangle pushed the event past the 30-minute time limit. 

The field was scored how they would have lined up for the restart, with Dellinger winning over McKinney, Johnson, Scott Jones, and Clayton Kennedy.  Dellinger’s 86^th career Sharon E-Mod win came in the Bootie Petsko-owned #00.  Heat wins went to Johnson, Joe Gabrielson, and McKinney.

Paul Davis returned to victory lane in the Stock Cars for the second time this season in the 15-lap Gibson Insurance Agency feature.  The 50-year-old Fowler, Ohio driver led from green to-checkered.

Davis and point leader Steve D’Apolito led the field to green with Davis leading from the start.  Following a lap one caution for newcomer Larry Baldwin, Davis resumed in the lead over D’Apolito, Jamie Scharba, Charlie Jasinski, and Gary Robinson.  Jasinski passed Scharba for third on lap 4, as 11^th starting Alan Dellinger entered the top five. 

Last week’s winner Mike Clark spun on lap six for the next yellow flag.  On the restart, Davis continued to lead as Dellinger advanced to second over D’Apolito, Jasinski, and Brian Caruthers.  A pair of late cautions with 13 and 14 laps completed left heat race winners Davis and Dellinger leading the field back to green, but Davis easily controlled both restarts and went on to score the victory over Dellinger by 0.623 seconds in the Matthew Schaefers-owned, Hover Racing/Integra Fab-sponsored #3. 

Carothers earned third place, which was a credit to his team as his car suffered a fire in the engine compartment in the heat race, with the crew working hard to make the necessary repairs.  D’Apolito dropped to fourth, but has still yet to finish worse than sixth in any heat or feature this season.  Jasinski fifth for his third straight top five finish and fourth of the season.

After getting his four-race win streak halted last Saturday by Mike Scharba, Bill Fuchs was back in victory lane for the fifth time in six weeks and sixth time overall in 2011 following his 12-lap Presidential Lawn Care feature. 

Randy Sprouse and Dave McMurray led the event to green with newcomer McMurray leading the first lap.  Third starting Rob McElhaney took over on lap two and built a commanding lead, leaving a host of competitors racing for second.  McMurray got into the turn two wall on lap four forcing the lone caution period of the event. 

Not only was McElhaney’s big lead wiped out, but the restart put Fuchs alongside when racing resumed.  And like so many times this season, Fuchs took over when racing resumed with McElhaney, Randy Sprouse, Jamie Wrightsman, and Lucas Sprouse in tow.  Fuchs, 35 of Greenville, Pa., went on for the victory in his RTW Industrial Contracting/Hittles Auto Supply/Kreider Tire-sponsored #10. 

McElhaney, who had only one top five- a fifth place on June 4, earned his best finish of the season in second.  Randy Sprouse was third with his son Lucas passing Wrightsman for fourth on lap 10 as they filled the top five.  Fuchs and Lucas Sprouse took the heats.

The Mini Late Models joined the racing program for a pair of 12-lap feature races.  The first race had David Innes leading the first two laps before being passed by James Wilkinson.  Rick Ament took second on lap four and closed on Wilkinson, but fell back after bumping the backstretch wall on lap eight.  Wilkinson, 17 of Gibsonia, Pa. took his first win over Levi Spinneweber, Jeremy Adamik, Innes, and Ament in his Hotel Richland-sponsored #21    

In the second 12-lapper, Adamik and Spinneweber raced for the lead in the early laps with Spinneweber making a turn two pass to take over the lead on lap four.  Adamik and Wilkinson tangled to bring out the lone caution period on lap four.  When racing resumed, Spinneweber, 25 of Butler, Pa., controlled the remainder of the event as he took his first win over two-time winner Ament, Innes, Adamik, and Wilkinson in the #11.

Governor Insurance Agency Big-Block Modifieds (20 laps): 1. REX KING, JR. (165)  2. John Buchanan (44)  3. Jim Rasey (32)  4. Jim Weller, Jr. (31)  5. Rob Kristyak (00)  6. Skip Moore (17M)  7. Brian Swartzlander (83)  8. Kevin Bolland (777)  9. Rex King (65)  10. Dean Pearson (8J)  11. Donny Minor (22M).

Barris Supply FASTRAK Late Models (20 laps): 1. TOM SNYDER, JR. (1F)  2. Michael Mitchell (19)  3. Ben Black (27B)  4. John Volpe (Bidwell B1D)  5. Rocky Kugel (21KRT)  6. Billy Cunningham (44c)  7. Chad Wright (6)  8. Russ Dunn (47)  9. Steve Beatty (B4)  10. Rusty Cade (47)  11. Joel Prosser (77)  12. Alan Dellinger (Williams 8)  13. Eric Wilson (27)  14. Josh Double (38)  15. Stan Woomer (2)  16. Clay Ruffo (14R)  17. Tyler Barris (32B)  18. Bill Cunningham (59)-DNS.

Ainsley 500 Heating & Cooling E-Mods (15 laps): 1. ALAN DELLINGER (Petsko 00)  2. Carl McKinney (Hendrickson 6M)  3. Jeff Johnson (27)  4. Scott Jones (44J)  5. Clayton Kennedy (9)  6. Jim Dellinger (Cryster 25)  7. Jeff Hassay (10)  8. Ronnie Kahler (7R)  9. Arlan Coy (56)  10. Vince Crisanti (221)  11. John Upshire (97)  12. Tim Burns (2B)  13. Jim Turley (117)  14. Mike Kinney (3)  15. Paul Phillips (11SS)  16. Scott Stiffler (14)  17. Bill Thomas (White 53)  18. Dwayne Clay (31)  19. Joe Gabrielson (58)  20. Howard Fraley (217)  21. Bob Williamson (93)  22. Bob Diver (23)  23. Mitchell Lam (12).

Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars (15 laps): 1. PAUL DAVIS (Schaefers 3)  2. Alan Dellinger (Burns 43B)  3. Brian Carothers (02c)  4. Steve D’Apolito (84)  5. Charlie Jasinski (11A)  6. Mike Hudzik (31H)  7. Gary Robinson (44R)  8. Steve Burns, Jr. (70B)  9. Jamie Gibbs (98)  10. Al Herman (11)  11. Mike Clark (7)  12. Jamie Scharba (00s)  13. Larry Baldwin (7UP)  14. Troy DeZarn (21)  15. Gary Laurie (21)-DNS  16. Tyler Nicely (72)-DNS.

Presidential Lawn Care Mini Stocks (12 laps): 1. BILL FUCHS (10)  2. Rob McElhaney (7)  3. Randy Sprouse (23s)  4. Lucas Sprouse (24s)  5. Jamie Wrightsman (21J)  6. Jeremy Double (83)  7. Steve Walker II (4M)  8. Chris Roberts (93)  9. Stacy Neubecker (5)  10. Ken Koby II (22)  11. Dave McMurray (8)  12. Jim Haefke, Jr. (421)-DNS.

Mini Late Model Feature 1 (12 laps): 1. MAX WILKINSON (21)  2. Levi Spinneweber (11)  3. Jeremy Adamik (7)  4. David Innes (18)  5. Rick Ament (67).

Mini Late Model Feature 2 (12 laps): 1. LEVI SPINNEWEBER (11)  2. Rick Ament (67)  3. Dave Innes (18)  4. Jeremy Adamik (7)  5. Max Wilkinson (21).
Sharon will return to action this Friday and Saturday with a doubleheader weekend.  On Friday night (June 24), it’ll be “Friday Night Thunder� for the Ti22 Performance Outlaw Sprint Warriors, Summit Racing Equipment Econo Mods, Uni-Tech Frame Straightening/Joe’s Radiator Mod Lites, Micro Sprints, Joe’s Radiator/Uni-Tech Frame Straightening Sportsman Dwarf Cars, and the Mini Late Models at 7:30 p.m. 

Then on Saturday (June 25) it’s the inaugural Gary Knollinger Memorial for the FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series paying $2,000 to-win!  The E-Mods, Stock Cars, and Mini Stocks will also be on the card.  Race time is 7 p.m.  The rain date is Sunday, June 26 at 5:30 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.  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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