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Huge night on tap Saturday with double DIRTcar Mod features & bonuses for $8 Fan Appeciation Night, Autographs & more!

By Mike Leone

August 1, 2012

(Hartford, OH)…After suffering the first rainout after eight consecutive events being completed, Sharon Speedway will look to return to action this Saturday night (August 4). The “Bill Kirila Memorial� Fan Appreciation Night will include $8 adult grandstand admission and autograph night on the speedway during intermission. It’s also Quaker Steak & Lube Night.

The six-division weekly program will include the Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply FASTRAK Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment E-Mods, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks. Race time for the May 27 rained out DIRTcar Modified feature is early at 6:45 p.m.

One important reminder for fans is that those that use Route 7 from Hubbard to Brookfield, you need to find an alternate route as the section from Chestnut Ridge Road and north will be closed for much of August due to the replacements of culverts. The detour is Route 62 to 82.

The DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds will certainly be in the spotlight Saturday. After first running their $1,500 to-win make-up feature, the division will then get ready for their regularly scheduled action. Saturday is part of the DIRTcar weekend bonus program with Lernerville Speedway. The driver that emerges with the most points from both nights of competition (Sharon’s point system) will receive $1,000 cash plus four pit passes for the November 1-3 “World Finals� at The Dirt Track at Charlotte!

In addition, teams that compete at both Lernerville and Sharon this weekend, will automatically qualify for the right to compete at the World Finals, which features a pair of complete events for the Super DIRTcar Series! This is in lieu of competing in a Super DIRTcar event during 2012.

The DIRTcar Modifieds have been very competitive this season. Mark Frankhouser became the newest winner when he somehow held off the staunch challenges of Dave Murdick and Rex King to earn his first career win in the division the last time out. Murdick and King enter Saturday night tied atop the standings! Even with seven drivers already victorious this season, a host of other top runners are still looking for their season’s first wins like Jim Rasey, Jim Weller, Dean Pearson, Rob Kristyak, Del Rougeux, Kevin Hoffman, and others.

The FASTRAK Late Models have done one better than the Modifieds with eight different winners! Sammy Stile was the latest with his first ever win in the division on July 21 picking up the $2,000 Northeast Touring win. Only point leader Will Thomas has been able to win multiple events at three. Thomas has a 32-point lead on Matt Latta, who won his first career feature earlier this season. After a late start, defending track champion Josh Double has worked his way to third in points, and was the last regular show winner. Seventy-four different FASTRAK drivers have competed this season!

It’s been a career year for Jack Young in the E-Mods at Sharon. Young entered 2012 with only one E-Mod win at the track, which came back in the late 90s to go along with four Stock Car wins. At the last event, Young held off one of the region’s best in Joel Watson for his third win of 2012! Young has pulled to within three points of Watson heading into Saturday night. The E-Mods continue to draw full fields or more of cars week after week.

The Stock Cars only competed once in July so these racers will be anxious to get back on the speedway Saturday. Steve D’Apolito was the winner on July 14 when the Stock Cars ran for his first win of the season as he looks to continue to cut into Tim Burns’ point lead. Burns has just a 12-point lead on the four-time champion entering Saturday night. Rod Laskey is 12 more points back in third and Mike Clark, who finished runner-up in 2011, is another 12 back.

It’s been the Blackshear show in the Econo Mods with Brandon Blackshear winning six features and brother Brad another two. Even going topless didn’t derail Brandon from his division-high 11th career win. Jim Dellinger and Jeremy Double, who also have feature wins, are 40 and 41 points back respectively. A strong field of 21 cars was on hand at the last show, just one shy of the record 22 that were on hand earlier this season. A total of 32 different drivers have competed this year in season number three for the division, but first as a weekly division.

After low counts for much of the season, it was good to see a season high 19 Mini Stocks on hand on July 21 and a new winner to boot. Jamie Wrightsman was declared the winner after Jerry Batcher didn’t pass post-race tech inspection. Jim Haefke, Jr. currently leads defending champion Bill Fuchs by 27 points. It was a rough night for Fuchs, who got upside down in his heat, then taken out in the feature.

Pits open at 4 p.m. on Saturday with grandstands at 5. Race time is 6:45 p.m. for the make-up feature. Besides the $8 adult admission, kids 13 and under are always free. Pit passes are $25.

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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