5/14/2024
Sharon Speedway
WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CARS TO OPEN SHARON'S 95TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON ON SATURDAY; PRO STOCKS ALSO IN ACTION
By Mike Leone
May 14, 2024
(Hartford, OH)... Sharon Speedway will try again this Saturday night (May 18) to kickoff the 2024 racing season. The 95th anniversary opener will get underway for the first time in the Speedway's storied history with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series! Also in competition are the Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks racing for $1,000 to-win. Warmups will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing.
Saturday's appearance by the World of Outlaws will be first of two visits of 2024 at Sharon as the "Greatest Show on Dirt" will return to the Hartford, Ohio showplace on Saturday, September 28. This year's events will both pay $12,000 to-win, $1,200 to-start!
The World of Outlaws Sprint Cars completed both events in 2023 as the May show was won by 10-time Series Champion, Donny Schatz, for his first Sharon "410" feature win! Brad Sweet topped the September show for the second straight year in route to his fifth Series championship. In 2021, Dave Blaney won in spectacular fashion over Sheldon Haudenschild for his 95th career WoO win, but first since 1997!
Prior to 2021, the World of Outlaws last appeared at Sharon on June 1, 2007 when the "King of the Outlaws", Steve Kinser, scored the victory. Kinser leads the way at Sharon with four WoO wins, while Danny Lasoski is the only other repeat winner besides Sweet with victories in 2002 and 2004. Besides Schatz and Blaney, other single WoO winners at Sharon include Jac Haudenschild (2006), Jason Meyers (2005), and Joey Saldana (2002).
Entering this weekend, David Gravel sits atop the World of Outlaws points in search of his first Series championship. Gravel, who has a Series best six victories, has a 58-point lead on two-time winner, Schatz. Gio Scelzi and Carson Macedo are third and fourth in points respectively with one win a piece. Logan Schuchart is fifth and is still in search of his first win of the season as is sixth place Buddy Kofoid. Sheldon Haudenschild is second on the season's win list with four victories and is seventh in points. Rookie Bill Balog is eighth over Pennsylvania racer Brock Zearfoss. Another rookie in Landon Crawley aboard Jason Sides' #7s is 10th. Kraig Kinser and Bill Rose complete the top 12 in platinum driver standings.
The Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stock division will also be on the card on Saturday in their season opener paying $1,000 to-win, $100 to-start. Sharon has one of the region's highest weekly Pro Stock car counts. Alan Dellinger still sits on top of the all-time win list with 66 victories. The top active winner is four-time track champion Steve D'Apolito with 32 victories. Veteran Paul Davis has 23 wins. Chris Schneider has worked his way up into a tie for ninth on the all-time win list with 18. The next top active winner is Curt J. Bish with 11.
Summit Racing Equipment will present the hard charger award on Saturday night to the Pro Stocks. 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.
The Performance Bodies "Nosed Out" program will award a $100 Performance Bodies gift card redeemable only at Wedge Motorsports to a driver in the Pro Stocks. The recipient will be the driver that most closely beat out another competitor for any finishing position on the lead lap. Tiebreaker will be the driver with the best finishing position.
Pro Stock Feature Payoff: 1. $1,000 2. $700 3. $400 4. $300 5. $200 6. $175 7. $140 8. $125 9. $120 10. $115 11. $110 12. $105 13-24. $100. Tow/Non-qualifiers $50
There is no Sharon registration fee for the Pro Stocks. 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 2024 season, please bring the registration form with you completed https://www.sharonspeedway.com/downloads/get.aspx?i=899241
Fans can not only experience viewing from the frontstretch and backstretch grandstands, but also from the infield fan zone, which includes concessions and restrooms. 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 gates open at 2 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at 4 p.m. Warmups will get underway at 6:30 p.m. followed by Sprint Car qualifying with heat races scheduled for 7:30.
General admission for those 13 and over is $35 in advance and $40 on Saturday, while reserve tickets are $40 in advance and $45 on Saturday for all ages. Students 6-12 are $10 for general admission. Kids five and under are free. Pit passes are $45. Advance and reserved tickets can be purchased at the following link: https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=WRG_SNG_MPV&orgid=52711&eventId=104122#/event/E104122
Reserved seats are the top five rows of all frontstretch grandstands. Patio and VIP fan suite seats are sold out. 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-spots-tickets-153713
There will be no racing over Memorial Day weekend. Racing will resume on Saturday, June 1 with Western PA Sprint Speedweek paying $4,000 to-win for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply 410s. They will be joined by the Big-Block Modifieds and the "305" Sprint Cars.
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
