7/27/2021
Sharon Speedway
UMP Mods & RUSH Sportsman Mod Tour "Manufacturers Night" take center stage Saturday plus RUSH Sprints & Stocks
By Mike Leone
July 27, 2021
(Hartford, OH)…Sharon Speedway will look to close out the month of July this Saturday night (July 31) for a "Steel Valley Thunder" program presented by A&MP Electric. As the 92nd anniversary season rolls on, Saturday's show will include the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Modifieds, the HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds in a Touring Series event part of their "Manufacturers Night", the Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars, and the Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks. Race time is 7 p.m. Kids bike races will be held during intermission; helmets are required.
After two consecutive rainouts, the UMP Mods are set for their second appearance of the 2021 season on Saturday night. Back on April 24 at the season opener, Dave Hess, Jr. captured his fourth career win. Ty Rhoades charged from 13th to second and will be hungry for the $1,000 payday on Saturday. Joel Watson, who has 28 career Sharon wins, was fourth. The shows scheduled for May 26 and June 19 both fell victim to rain. The next appearance by the UMP Mods will be on August 28. Sharon is part of the East Region that offers $2,000 to the champion with the top 10 receiving point fund monies, while the national UMP champion will take home $20,000.
The HTMA/Precise Racing RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will also share the top billing as they will be competing in a Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Touring Series event with $600 to-win in addition to a $100 to-win dash presented by Ohio Intra Express. It's also their annual "Manufacturers Night" as some $21,000 in valuable giveaways will be doled out to RUSH Mod racers. The top two prizes from TBM Brakes and Lincoln Electric are valued at well over $1,000. TBM will award two F1 Tornado Calipers and two F3 Tornado Calipers along with three Bottles of TBM Brake Fluid valued at $1420; meanwhile, Lincoln Electric will provide a Power MIG 140C Multi Purpose Welder & cart valued at $1,175!
There will be a lot of points on the line Saturday for the RUSH Mods; not only Tour and 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 Championships! Eric Gabany won the most recent Tour race at the nearby Expo Speedway during the Trumbull County Fair. Thanks to his win at Lernerville and a runner-up last Saturday night, Chas Wolbert has taken over RUSH's Weekly Series points lead, and also leads the Sharon track points. Defending "Route 7 Rumble" Series Champion, Rob Kristyak, leads those standings.
The Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars were rained out at their last two scheduled events on July 11 and July 17, but are looking forward to returning for their fifth appearance of the season on Saturday night. Gale Ruth, Jr. leads the Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Car Series with five Series wins overall at four different tracks, but has yet to win at Sharon.
The 2018 and 2019 champion, Chad Ruhlman, is atop RUSH's $5,000 to-win Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series Championship standings with four victories including a sweep of last weekend's events at Lernerville and Pittsburgh, and the most recent race at Sharon on June 26. Ruhlman also leads the all-time win list at Sharon with five victories. Seventeen-year-old Nolan Groves has been impressive at Sharon with two wins and a runner-up finish. 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.
The Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks finally completed their fourth event of the season last Saturday night, but first since the June 12 "Steel Valley Nationals". 2018 track champion Chris McGuire topped the 24-car field for the $700 payday to become the third different winner in four races. The only repeat winner is 2019 champion Curt J. Bish, who won the first two races of the season. Chris Schneider is the other 2021 victor, who topped the $10,000 "Steel Valley Nationals". Bish has an eight-point lead on McGuire. Veteran Larry Kugel is hanging tough in third over 2016 and 2017 champ Paul Davis. Coleton Longwell has worked his way to fifth in points.
There is no Sharon registration fee for any division. 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 with passes going on sale at 4 p.m., while general admission opens at 5. Pill draw will close at 6:15 p.m. Motor heat for the Sprints will be at 6:15 p.m. with heat races getting underway at 7 p.m.
Grandstand/fan zone admission for those 14 and over is $15. Senior citizen admission is $10. 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 $30. As a reminder, coolers nor outside food or beverages are not permitted.
Coming up next Saturday (August 7), the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply "410" Sprints are back in the "Bill Kirila Memorial" paying $3,000 to-win and will be joined by the HTMA/Precise Racing RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, Whelen Econo Mods, and the Sportsman Dwarf Cars. 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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