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“STEEL VALLEY THUNDER� & KIDS BIKE RACES SATURDAY FOR LINCOLN ELECTRIC NIGHT; WELDER TO BE AWARDED TO A LUCKY RUSH L.M. DRIVER

By Mike Leone

June 5, 2013

(Hartford, OH)…Sharon Speedway continues to battle Mother Nature seemingly week in and week out as it seems when it hasn’t been threatening, the races have been run under chilly and windy conditions; nonetheless, Sharon will look to complete the ninth straight racing event this Saturday night, June 8!

Saturday’s “Steel Valley Thunder� program will again feature the Governor Insurance Agency DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks.  Racing begins at 7 p.m.

Saturday is Lincoln Electric Night as they will give away a Power Mig 140C machine & utility cart (valued at $750) to one lucky RUSH Late Model driver!  All competing RUSH drivers will be eligible for the prize.  Decals are required.

Saturday is also the first Kids Bike Race Night.  Kids 3-12 will be eligible to compete on the frontstretch during intermission. Helmets are required. Once again Saturday night, one lucky boy and girl under the age of 14 will win a bicycle or scooter thanks to King Bros. and Sharon Speedway.  This promotion will continue throughout the 2013 season.  Saturday’s home-cooked meal special is mashed potatoes with hamburger gravy and vegetable.

After Rex King, Jr. became the first DIRTcar Big-Block Modified repeat winner of the season on May 26, Jim Weller, Jr. found the same success last Saturday night.  Weller had went nearly three years without a win now finds himself with two well before the midpoint of the season and also leads the Governor Insurance Agency points by 15 over King, Jr  Weller credits much of his turnaround to a new Troyer car.

It appears it will come down to a five-man race for the big-block title as the elder Rex King, Dave Murdick, and New York racer Ricky Richner are in pursuit.  Richner, who is in his first season of racing at Sharon, looks to continue his streak of all finishes in the top six spots.  In fact, all of Richner’s seven feature starts have resulted in finishes of either fourth, fifth or sixth!

RUSH Late Model drivers will not only be able battling for prize money and Sharon points, but of course Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Weekly Series points and the one lucky racer will take home the Lincoln Electric Welder thanks in part to being a Major Contingency Sponsor of the Series.

After a hot start, Dennis Lunger, Jr. has cooled off slightly in the Barris Supply-sponsored division, but has remained consistent as he’s yet to finish outside of fourth place in any of the weekly events at Sharon.  That’s good enough for a 56-point advantage.  It’s a tight battle for runner-up with 2011 champion and last year’s runner-up Matt Latta tied for the position.  Just one point behind that is 2012 champion Will Thomas III and trailing him by only seven is last week’s winner Eric Wilson.  Wilson is second in RUSH’s “Futures Cup� standings.

Joe Gabrielson’s emotional first win of the season following the passing of his father Bill has propelled him into second place in the Summit Racing Equipment Modified points.  Gabrielson trails the division’s all-time winner, Alan Dellinger, by 17 markers.  Third and fourth place point men, Mike Kinney and Shawn Shingledecker, have been fast, but haven’t been able to find victory lane to date.  Could there be a seventh different winner this Saturday night!?  This will be the final tune-up before Wednesday’s $2,000 to-win UEMS event.

After an open rules event on Sunday, May 26 and a non-point event last Saturday due to a special at Pittsburgh, the Stock Cars will be back to basics this Saturday night.  Though the car counts in the Gibson Insurance Agency-sponsored division aren’t what they used to be in years past, the competitiveness is still present.  Six different drivers have found victory lane!

Mike Clark, who is looking for his first ever track championship, leads the Stock points by 11 over defending champion Tim Burns, who remains winless in 2013.  Paul Davis, the division’s only repeat winner, is just 14 points out of the lead. One-time winner, Bryan Wagner, and Jamie Scharba, who is also in search of a win, round out the top five.

It’s looking more and more like the Econo Mods is coming down to a race between youngsters Jeremy Double, Ryan Fraley, and Jacob Eucker.  Just six points separate these three boys, who have won seven of the eight races to date!  Double leads the way in wins (three) and points (309).  Fraley and 12-year-old Eucker have both won a pair of features and trail Double by one and six points respectively.  One-time winner, Steve Burns, Jr., and impressive rookie Ty Rhoades complete the top five.

Quite a competition has ensued in the Mini Stocks between Scott Gilliland, Bill Fuchs, and Travis Creech.  Gilliland leads the way at the speedway with five wins and leads 2011 champion Bill Fuchs by 43 markers.  The man on the move is the rookie Creech, who has seemingly become the fastest car over the past several events.  Ray Gregory, who just can’t nail down his first career win, is fourth in points ahead of defending champion, Jim Haefke, Jr., who has had a disappointing season to date.

Pits open at 4 p.m. Saturday with grandstands at 5 and heat races slated for 7. Grandstand admission for those 14 and over is $13, while children under 14 are always free.  Pit passes are $25.  Parking and camping is always free.

Lincoln Electric is a leading global manufacturer of welding products, arc welding equipment, welding consumables, plasma and oxy-fuel cutting equipment and robotic welding systems.  Lincoln Electric’s tradition of innovative solutions, technological leadership and commitment to customers, employees, and shareholders stems from the vision of its founder, John C. Lincoln and his brother, James F. Lincoln.  In 1895 John C. Lincoln started the company with a capital investment of $200 and his own design of electric motors.

Today, Lincoln Electric has more than 40 manufacturing locations, including operations and joint ventures in 20 countries and a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices covering more than 160 countries, Lincoln Electric has a global work force of more than 10,000.

Lincoln Electric is a major supporter of auto racing including various series and racers in NASCAR, Indy Car, Sprint Cars, monster trucks, off road racing, NHRA drag racing, and much, much more.  Lincoln Electric is headquartered at 22801 St. Clair Ave. Cleveland, OH 44117.  For more information, check out their website at www.lincolnelectric.com or call 216-481-8100.

Don’t forget about a pair of special midweek events coming up this month.  On Wednesday the 12th, the Pay It Forward Foundation will present the “Summer Bash� featuring NDRL’s United Late Model Series (ULMS) and their United E-Mod Series (UEMS) paying $3,000 and $2,000 to-win respectively.  The Econo Mods will also be in action for $350 to-win.  NASCAR racers Ryan Blaney and Ken Schrader will be competing in Modifieds.

Sprint Car fans will want to mark Tuesday, June 25 down for the first of four Sprint Car shows in 2013 at Sharon.  The first event will be an All Star Circuit of Champions-sanctioned event as part of Ohio Speedweek with the winner pocketing $5,000.  The Econo Mods and Mini Stocks will be part of the program.  Gates open at 4 p.m. for both of these programs.

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 @SharonSpdwy.

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