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Dale Blaney wins $3000 in "410" Sprints Saturday at Sharon in his 1st race of 2021; RUSH Sprint standout Chad Ruhlman wins 1st of the year; Career 1st

By Mike Leone

June 26, 2021                   

(Hartford, OH)…After a rainout, Sharon Speedway returned to action on a beautiful summer evening on Saturday night.  Capturing victories on Kams Electric and Cortland Mower Night and celebrating in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply victory lane were Dale Blaney-Hovis Auto & Truck Supply "410" Sprint Cars, Chad Ruhlman-Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars, Jacob Wolfe-HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, and Will Thomas III-Whelen Econo Mods.  A total of 96 race cars filled the pit area for the four-division program.

In 2018, Dale Blaney won at Sharon Speedway on August 11 to continue his streak of at least one victory for 29 consecutive years.  In 2019, Dale won his father's "Lou Blaney Memorial" for the first time.  Last year, Dale became an All Star Circuit of Champions Official, and with the Series off this weekend, the 57-year-old Hartford, Ohio driver made his 2021 season debut a successful one on Saturday night taking the lead on lap six and racing on for the $3,000 victory.  Dale, who started sixth, became the sixth different winner in as many Hovis Auto & Truck Supply "410" races in 2021 at Sharon joining his brother Dave, who won the May 22 World of Outlaws show.

After May 15 winner, George Hobaugh, led the first five circuits, "The Low Rider", went to the outside and drove around Hobaugh on lap six.  Blaney mastered the topside of the speedway for the remainder of the feature rim-riding to his 17th career Sharon "410" victory by 1.325 seconds, but first ever for Rich Farmer in the NAPA Auto Parts/Valvoline-sponsored #29.  Carl Bowser, who finished runner-up in the Western PA Speedweek show on June 5, turned in another runner-up effort as he continues to look for his first career Sharon win.  A.J. Flick went ninth to third over eighth starting Sye Lynch.  Hobaugh dropped to fifth at the finish after leading the first five laps.

Completing the top 10 were Bob Felmlee, Brandon Matus, Dan Kuriger, Adam Kekich, and Darren Pifer.  Hobaugh set the fastest time overall in qualifying over the 29-car field with a lap of 15.965.  Hobaugh, Flick, and Felmlee won the heat races, while Davey Jones won the last chance B main.

The 2018 and 2019 Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Car Weekly Series Champion, Chad Ruhlman, returned to prominence on Saturday night.  The 44-year-old Erie, Pa. resident started fourth and inherited the lead on lap five after a caution for leader Nolan Groves, who was chasing after his third consecutive win.  Ruhlman then ran the topside of the speedway to perfection for the remainder of the 20-lap Terry Bowser Excavating feature for the $600 win.

Ruhlman became the third different winner in four races this year as he crossed the finish line first by a big 5.029-second margin in the Tim Engles-owned, Dirt Roads Logistics/Pennywell Sandblasting/Dotera Oils-sponsored #68.  It was Ruhlman's all-time division-leading fifth career Sharon win.  Seventeen-year-old Blaze Myers recorded his second straight runner-up finish.  Veteran Arnie Kent was third for the second straight race and third time in four races!  Amelia Clay was a career best fourth beating out hall of famer Rod George.  Tyler Newhart, who is in his first full year of racing, charged from 17th to sixth.  Kevin Ruhlman, Gale Ruth, Jr., Ricky Tucker, Jr., and Brad Blackshear rounded out the top 10.  Chad Ruhlman and Myers won the heats over the 19-car field.

Improving fourth-year racer Jacob Wolfe became a first time winner on Saturday night.  Wolfe led all 20 laps of the HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modified feature holding off a hard charging Justin Shea for his career first victory worth $500.  Wolfe became the third different winner in four races in 2021 as the event was part of RUSH's Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Weekly Series Championship and Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series.

The 24-year-old Warren, Ohio racer took the checkered flag first in his Liberty Steel/Beacon of the Valley-sponsored #7 by a margin of 0.578 seconds.  Wolfe became the 19th different driver to win a Pace Performance RUSH Sportsman Modified feature at Sharon in the eight-year history of the division.  Shea, who leads RUSH's Weekly Series points, came from 12th to record his fourth straight top five finish at Sharon, but still is in search of his first win. 

Sixth starting Chas Wolbert held off seventh starting Garrett Krummert in a spirited battle for third, which was his worst finish of the season at Sharon.  Rob Kristyak dropped from second to fifth.  Completing the top 10 were Kole Holden, Tony Tatgenhorst, Preston Cope, Brandon Ritchey, and J.C. Boyer.  Wolfe, Kristyak, and Krummert won the heat races over the 24-car field.

Will Thomas III became the season's first repeat winner in the Econo Mods.  The multi-division talent started sixth and passed Ty Rhoades for the lead on lap five and went on for the 20-lap Whelen feature victory, worth $400.  The 45-year-old Sharpsville, Pa. former asphalt standout also has wins at Sharon in the RUSH Late Models and UMP Modifieds in addition to success in the Big-Block and RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.

Thomas cruised to his 21st career Sharon win by 1.300 seconds in his Hallman Originals/Colonial Metal Products/Colonial Slitting Industries/Motorstate Distributing/955 Automotive-sponsored #9.  Rhoades, who led the first four laps, had to settle for second.  Points leader Jeremy Double was third after starting 17th as he's been on the podium all four races this year.  Gary Olson went ninth to fourth as 12th starting Keith Felicetty completed the top five.  Sixth through 10th were Jacob Eucker, Vinnie DePizzo, Travis Creech, Andy Buckley, and Jordan Simmons.  Creech, Rhoades, and Eucker won the heat races over the 24-car field. 

There will be no racing over the Fourth of July weekend.  The FloRacing All Star Circuit of Champions will return for two nights of action on Saturday, July 10 and Sunday, July 11 with each show paying $6,000 to-win.  The Saturday show will be the "Lou Blaney Memorial" that will also include the BRP Modified Tour racing for $2,000 to-win, while Sunday's All Star show will be Justin Snyder's "Salute to the Troops" along with the RUSH Sprint Cars.  Advance and reserve tickets are on sale at the following link: https://sharonspeedway.simpletix.com

Hovis Auto & Truck Supply "410" Sprint Cars (30 laps, $3,000 to-win): 1. 1. 29-DALE BLANEY [4]; 2. 11-Carl Bowser [3]; 3. 2-A.J. Flick [9]; 4. 42-Sye Lynch [8]; 5. 40-George Hobaugh [1]; 6. 6-Bob Felmlee [10]; 7. 13-Brandon Matus [5]; 8. 08-Dan Kuriger [6]; 9. 5K-Adam Kekich [15]; 10. 23-Darren Pifer [12]; 11. 29-Michael Bauer [2]; 12. 33-Brent Matus [7]; 13. 11J-David Kalb, Jr [13]; 14. 80JR-Kyle Colwell [16]; 15. 66-Ken Rossey [20]; 16. 5-Bob McMillin [23]; 17. 21-Bryan Salisbury [24]; 18. 13B-Steve Bright [22]; 19. 29s-Seth Zabo [11]; 20. 20B-Cody Bova [21]; 21. 27K-Dan Shetler [14]; 22. 76-Davey Jones [19]; 23. 35W-Jeremy Weaver [18]; 24. 99-Cameron Nastasi [17].  DNQ: 11X-George Englert, 901-Bob Lime, 13X-Jimmy Mangino, 4W-Eric L. Williams, 12-Darin Gallagher.

Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars (20 laps, $600 to-win): 1. 68-CHAD RUHLMAN [4]; 2. 43JR-Blaze Myers [3]; 3. 18-Arnie Kent [2]; 4. 16C-Amelia Clay [5]; 5. 41-Rod George [7]; 6. 57N-Tyler Newhart [17]; 7. 23-Kevin Ruhlman [15]; 8. 24-Gale Ruth, Jr [9]; 9. 1T-Ricky Tucker [10]; 10. 19-Brad Blackshear [12]; 11. 9J-Andy Feil [13]; 12. 37x-Bill Watson [8]; 13. 69X-A.J. MacQuarrie [11]; 14. 12C-Calvin Clay [14]; 15. 13K-Kevin Kaserman [19]; 16. 5B-Gale Ruth, Sr [16]; 17. 58-Joe Lockhart [6]; 18. 25-Nolan Groves [1].  DNS: 14-John Mollick.

HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds (20 laps, $500 to-win): 1. 7-JACOB WOLFE [1]; 2. 14s-Justin Shea [12]; 3. C3-Chas Wolbert [6]; 4. 10s-Garrett Krummert [7]; 5. 00-Rob Kristyak [2]; 6. 2-Kole Holden [9]; 7. 63T-Tony Tatgenhorst [5]; 8. 24-Preston Cope [10]; 9. 1R-Brandon Ritchey [4]; 10. 12-J.C. Boyer [18]; 11. 5C-Ayden Cipriano [11]; 12. 02-Ben Easler [8]; 13. 8-Kyle Martell [13]; 14. 16-Gary Haupt [14]; 15. 28J-Jacob Jordan [22]; 16. 10-Chelsie Kriegisch [16]; 17. 25-Greg Porter [23]; 18. 571-Josh Ehrenberg [17]; 19. 29-Cole Edwards [19]; 20. 83-Cameron McFadden [20]; 21. 3X-Brandon Tercho [24]; 22. 30-Brandon Albert [3]; 23. JD57-Jordan Ehrenberg [15]; 24. 111-Dave Price [21].

Whelen Econo Mods (20 laps, $400 to-win): 1. 9-WILL THOMAS III [6]; 2. 28-Ty Rhoades [2]; 3. 83-Jeremy Double [20]; 4. 23-Gary Olson [9]; 5. 98-Keith Felicetty [12]; 6. 64-Jacob Eucker [3]; 7. 1-Vincent DePizzo [7]; 8. 75-Travis Creech [1]; 9. 965-Andy Buckley [5]; 10. 13-Jordan Simmons [4]; 11. 44R-Gary Robinson [23]; 12. 12L-Kasey Lam [24]; 13. 51-Brian Lacey [16]; 14. 89-Junior Mechling [18]; 15. 9JR-Emily Stoyer [17]; 16. 12P-Troy Pinch [21]; 17. 262-Dale Reiser [8]; 18. 31H-Michael Hudzik [14]; 19. 2-Scott Burk, Jr [15]; 20. 2P-Brandon Porter [11]; 21. 17-Jason Gracey [10]; 22. 20-Alex Siekkenen [13]; 23. 35-Rick Wilson, Jr. [19]; 24. 4-George Vestal IV.

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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