8/17/2022
Sharon Speedway
WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODELS SET TO INVADE SHARON SATURDAY WITH $10,000 ON THE LINE ALONG WITH ECONO MODS
By Mike Leone
August 17, 2022
(Hartford, OH)..."The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet" are set to invade Sharon Speedway this Saturday night (August 20) as the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models make their final visit of the 93rd anniversary season for the "Battle at the Border". Sharon will look to complete its 12th straight show, which will also include the Whelen Econo Mods. It's Stackhouse Construction and Buck's Fab Night. Warmups begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing.
The World of Outlaws Late Models have made nine prior appearances at Sharon with nine different winners! Will there be a 10th on Saturday night!? The most recent race was earlier this year on May 28 when Ryan Gustin scored his first career Series victory worth $20,000 over a 39-car field! Last year at the "Battle at the Border", eventual NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson won a thriller. In 2019, Brandon Sheppard won a race of the year candidate as the WoO returned for the first time in more than nine years. Other WoO winners at Sharon include Darrell Lanigan (2010), Tim Fuller (2009), Donnie Moran (2008), Chub Frank (2007), Rick Eckert (2006), and Davey Johnson (2004).
Dennis Erb, Jr. leads the WoO into Sharon for the 40-lap, $10,000 to-win main event. The Carpentersville, Illinois veteran has four Series victories and sits atop the standings by 164 over rookie-of-the-year candidate Tanner English, who is still in search of his first win. Local favorite, Max Blair, trails English by just 20 points as the Centerville, Pa. driver has been able to score two victories during his rookie WoO campaign. Blair is no stranger to Sharon as he has nine career wins including one in a Super Late Model and eight in a Crate Late Model for the former ULMS and RUSH Champion.
Gustin, who hasn't won since his Sharon victory, is fourth in points. Last year, Gustin came up just short to Larson with a runner-up in his first ever Sharon start. Brent Larson is fifth. Completing the top 10 in points are Josh Richards, Gordy Gundaker, Boom Briggs, Shane Clanton, and Tyler Bruening. Clanton is the only driver outside of the top four in points, but within the top 10 with a victory.
The Whelen Econo Mods round out the show on Saturday night for their seventh race of the year. The Econo Mods joined the All Star Sprints at the April 30 opener, and it was Jeremy Double victorious. Five weeks later, Will Thomas III won for the sixth time in eight starts over the past two years in the division. On June 25, Garrett Calvert passed Gary Olson to score his first career Sharon win. Jacob Eucker ended nearly a three-year winless drought by capturing the July 16 main event. Double then became the first driver to double up as he led from start-to-finish on July 30 holding off Thomas for his 18th career win. Thomas joined Double as the season's only repeat winners by scoring the victory at the last outing on August 6.
Summit Racing Equipment will present the hard charger award on Saturday night to the Econo Mods. The driver that passes the most cars in the feature will receive a $100 Summit gift card. In the event of a tie, the tiebreaker will be the driver that finishes highest in the feature.
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 2022 season, please bring the registration form with you completed http://sharonspeedway.myracepass.com/downloads/get.aspx?i=713060
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 concession and restrooms, debuted in 2020. 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.
Pit passes go on sale at 3 p.m., while general admission opens at 4. Grandstand/fan zone admission for those 14 and over is $30. Patio seating upgrades are just $10 and fan suite seating upgrades are just $20 over the cost of general admission. These along with reserved seats are on sale through the following link: https://sharonspeedway.simpletix.com/ Children under 14 and parking are FREE. Pit passes are $40. As a reminder, coolers nor outside food or beverages are not permitted.
Camping permits are $25 and can be reserved at the following link: https://www.simpletix.com/e/rv-trailer-tent-camping-tickets-98988
Coming up next Saturday night (August 27) will be the final "Steel Valley Thunder" program of the season. The Renegades of Dirt UMP Modifieds will make their final appearance of the season racing for $1,500 to-win. The Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars, HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, and Whelen Econo Mods are also on the card. 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.
Article Credit: Mike Leone
