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RUSH Late Model Tour returns to Sharon Saturday after a 5-year absence for "Bill Forney Memorial" for $3,199 to-win plus RUSH Sprints, Stocks & RUSH M

By Mike Leone

July 14, 2021

(Hartford, OH)…After a successful "Lou Blaney Memorial" last Saturday, Sharon Speedway will honor and remember another local racing legend this Saturday night (July 17) in the inaugural "Bill Forney Memorial".  The program will feature the Pace Performance RUSH Late Model Flynn's Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Touring Series racing for $3,199 to-win along with the Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars, Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks, and HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.  Race time is 7 p.m.

Bill Forney, one of, if not the greatest racer to ever wheel a Late Model in the region, passed away on August 10, 2019 at the age of 92.  Forney made famous the candy-striped #199 Late Model, thus the additional $199 added in Memory of Bill from Bill's children, Mike Forney and Anita Carson.  The inaugural event was scheduled for last year; however, was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Forney was a fixture at both Canfield and Sharon Speedways.  Forney's racing prowess earned him the Late Model track championship at Sharon in 1964, and an unprecedented seven championships at Canfield (1959-1960, '61, '63, '65-66, '68) - a track that had a national reputation for tough as nails competition.  All totaled, Forney had hundreds of feature wins, many at these two tracks.  Forney was inducted into the inaugural Twin State Auto Racing Club's Hall of Fame in 2010, and is also a member of the Cloverleaf Speedway (Cleveland) Hall of Fame.  

The RUSH Late Model Tour last appeared at Sharon in 2016 with Will Thomas III taking the victory.  That was prior to the new red clay surface that has produced tremendous racing in recent years.  The RUSH Late Models ran weekly at Sharon from 2011-2014.  After a four-year hiatus, Sharon hosted a RUSH Weekly Series special last year that saw Max Blair top a 22-car field.   Thomas is the division's all-time winner with 13 victories.  The RUSH Late Model Tour will return September 10-11 during the "Apple Festival Nationals" racing for $4,000 to-win in an event presented by Zarin Truck & Auto.  

In conjunction with the "Bill Forney Memorial" will be the Sharon/Canfield Speedways Drivers Reunion.  Drivers that competed on the dirt at these speedways from 1949-1973 were invited to the event free of charge and will enjoy a complimentary dinner in the pavilion prior to the event.  Special thanks to Jeff Teeters, Jeff Johnson, Steve Haefke, Joe Gabrielson, John Sandquist, Jr., and Wayne Tessean for their generous contributions to cover the cost of complimentary meals for the retired drivers.  The fathers of all these racers competed during this era.

Drivers/car owners that have confirmed their attendance include John Czoka, Tom Czoka, Skip Evans, Mike Forney, Butch Haefke, Tim Henrich, Jeep Iacubucci , Tom Jarrett, Bobby Johnson, Dan Lewis, Sr., Terry May, Ed McGarry, Clair Mizner, Ron Novak, Jerry Postlethwait, Jerry Rydarowicz, John Sandquist, Michael Saverko, Tubby Tessean, Bob Williams, Wally Yeager, and Dave Yobe.

Virginia racer Kyle Hardy leads the way with five wins as he also sits atop the standings of both the $12,000 to-win RUSH Late Model Tour and the $5,000 to-win Weekly Series Championships.  Hardy's Tour points lead is 51 over defending three-time champion Jeremy Wonderling.  Joe Martin trails Wonderling by 10 points as he's strung together six top five Tour finishes in the last seven shows.  Michael Duritsky, Jr., J.J. Mazur, Bud Watson, Kyle Lukon, Ryan Frazee, John Waters, and Cory Sines complete the top 10 in points.  

The Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars will make their fifth appearance of the season on Saturday night.  Gale Ruth, Jr. leads the Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Car Series with four Series wins overall at four different tracks, but has yet to win at Sharon.  Seventeen-year-old Nolan Groves has been impressive at Sharon with two wins and a runner-up finish.  The 2018 and 2019 champion, Chad Ruhlman, is atop RUSH's $5,000 to-win Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series Championship standings with two victories including the most recent on June 26 at Sharon, and also leads the all-time win list at the track with five victories.  Veteran Rod George won the May 22 show at Sharon.  On June 5, an all-time record high RUSH Sprint Car count of 23 was established. 

Due to rain and some scheduled nights off, the Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks have completed just three events this season and haven't raced since the June 12 "Steel Valley Nationals".  Chris Schneider's victory in the $10,000 event denied Curt J. Bish of starting the season off with three straight victories and his bid for two straight $10,000 "Steel Valley Nationals" wins.  Bish, the 2019 track champion, has a nine-point edge on 2018 champion Chris McGuire, who appeared headed to victory on Saturday before tagging the fence and suffering a flat tire 10 laps from the finish.  Chase Lambert, Larry Kugel, and Coleton Walters are third through fifth in points.  The Stocks will race for the $700 to-win payoff on Saturday night if 24 or more cars are present.

The HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds return on Saturday night for their fifth show of the 2021 season.  Drivers will not only be battling for Sharon points, but also the $3,500 to-win Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Weekly Series and the $1,000 to-win Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series Championship.  Chas Wolbert has won two features to date to lead the Sharon points by 10 over Justin Shea, who leads both the Weekly Series and "Route 7 Rumble" Series points.  Tony Tatgenhorst, 14-year-old Ben Easler, and two-time champion Kole Holden complete the top five.  At the most recent show on June 26, Jacob Wolfe captured his first career win and earned $500 with a full field of cars on hand.

There is no Sharon registration fee.  One-way driver radios are mandatory; channel 454.000.  AMB/MyLaps transponders are required; rentals available for $25.  If you have yet to register for the 2021 season, please bring the registration form with you completed  http://www.sharonspeedway.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/RegistrationFormSharon2021.pdf

Fans can not only experience viewing from the frontstretch and backstretch grandstands, but also from the infield fan zone.  The fan zone, which includes a concessions and restrooms, debuted in 2020 during the COVID-19 shortened season.  Sharon is the only track in the area to have viewing from the unique infield perspective.  There will be times throughout the night when fans can cross on the frontstretch back and forth.

The pits will be open throughout the afternoon.  All gates this Saturday will open at 4 p.m.  Warm-ups for the RUSH Late Models will be at approximately 6:15 followed by group qualifying and heat races at 7.

Grandstand/fan zone admission for those 14 and over is $15.  Patio seating upgrades are just $5 and fan suite seating upgrades are just $20 over the cost of general admission.  These can be upgraded on race night at the track office.  As always, children under 14 and parking are always FREE.  Pit passes are $35.  As a reminder, coolers nor outside food or beverages are not permitted. 

Coming up next Saturday (July 24) will be the return of the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply "410" Sprint Cars racing for $3,000 to-win plus Pro Stocks, RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, and Econo Mods.  Race time is 7 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.  Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter @sharonspdwy.

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