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PIERCE BECOMES 13TH DIFFERENT WINNER IN 15 WOO LM RACES AT SHARON BY CAPTURING NIGHT 1 FOR $10K; MOLLICK (RUSH SPRINTS) & LUNGER (ECONO MODS) ALSO WIN

By Mike Leone

July 12, 2024

(Hartford, OH)…A beautiful day welcomed fans and competitors to Sharon Speedway on Friday for night one of the "Battle at the Border" as the 95th anniversary season rolled out. Celebrating in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply victory lane were Bobby Pierce (World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models), John Mollick (Billy's Garage RUSH Sprint Cars), and Dennis Lunger, Jr. (Whelen Econo Mods presented by Alcon Mechanical). Seventy-three cars filled the pit area for the three-division program.

Bobby Pierce became the 13th different winner in 15 World of Outlaws features contested all-time following his milestone 25th career Series win in the 40-lap affair. After starting on the pole, Pierce fell back to fourth early on before tracking down Ryan Gustin and making the winning pass on lap 21. Only one caution would slow Pierce's run to the $10,000 payday- his leading eighth Series win of 2024.

“The start was sketchy and had me a little nervous,” stated the 27-year-old Oakwood, IL winner. “I was like ‘f***, we screwed ourselves,’ it was slimy when we took the green and the hard tire did not like that. But, we finally got going and started digging and I saw (Ryan) Gustin was about half a straightaway ahead of us. We were reeling him in so once I slid him and got clear off of turn four, I got that clean air and then it felt bad in the last 10 laps. This place gets really slick and super icy, and most tracks aren’t like that so it was tricky. The car was great. Fortunately, we didn’t lose too many positions, but it worked out and I can’t wait to see what the place is like for a 50-lap race tomorrow.”

Gustin, who is one of only two drivers to repeat in WoO competition at Sharon, went third to first on the opening lap over Nick Hoffman and Cade Dillard, while Pierce slipped to fourth. Following a caution for Dustin Walker and Eric Wilson, ninth starting Kyle Bronson raced into the top five when action resumed on lap three.

Gustin caught lapped traffic on lap nine and began to pull away as the battle was on for second on lap 13 between Hoffman, Pierce, and Dillard. The trio closed in on Gustin on lap 17 as Pierce put a slider in turn two on Hoffman for second on lap 18. Dillard followed in third with a slider of his own on Hoffman on lap 19. Pierce quickly ran down Gustin and slid the race-long leader in turns one and two on lap 21. Pierce quickly began to distance himself from the field before a caution for a hard charging Max McLaughlin, who got into the fence running sixth, with 25 laps scored.

Pierce took off in the lead when green replaced yellow on lap 26, while Dillard and Bronson both drove around Gustin for second and third respectively. Gustin though would retake third on lap 29. The final 15 laps went green-to-checkered as Pierce took the checkered flag first by 1.776 seconds over Dillard in the Hoker Trucking/Churchill Transport/Low Voltage Solutions-sponsored #32.

Gustin was third after setting a torrid pace early on leading the first half of the 40 lapper. Bronson was fourth at the finish over Hoffman, who dropped to fifth. Points leader Brandon Sheppard was sixth. Michael Norris of Sarver, Pa. was the top local finisher in seventh beating out Dustin Sorensen, Brian Shirley, and Dennis Erb, Jr.

Gustin set fast time overall against the 34-car field in qualifying with a blistering lap of 15.328. Heat winners were Gustin, Pierce, Shirley, and Hoffman, while locals Dave Hess, Jr. and Alex Ferree copped the last chance B mains.

After failing to win a RUSH Sprint Car feature during the first six years of competition at Sharon, John Mollick made it two-in-a-row. Mollick led all 20 laps, but the victory was far from easy as he had four different competitors all over him including a late charge by eighth starting Arnie Kent to secure a narrow victory in the 20-lap Billy's Garage feature, worth $800.

"We had to win tonight- it was my owner's birthday yesterday," revealed the 54-year-old Toronto, Ohio victor after his fourth overall win of 2024 on the circuit, which extended his points lead in the $5,000 to-win Sunbelt Rentals Weekly Series Championship. "We got lucky and started up front and stayed out of trouble. We're learning a lot on the car- it's a DRC. We've been really happy with this car out of the box and hope it continues."

Front row starters Gale Ruth, Jr. and Mollick raced side-by-side for the lead on the opening lap with Mollick nosing ahead. Brent Rhebergen passed Ruth for second on lap two. Blaze Myers then drove around Ruth for third on lap five with Kent following. It was a three-car race up front with Mollick running the middle, Rhebergen the bottom, and Myers the top over the ensuing laps. Myers had just nosed ahead of Rhebergen on lap 13 for second when he slapped the turn four fence bringing out the caution and ending his night.

This moved Kent to third for the restart, and on lap 17 he worked his way around Rhebergen for second. Kent, who ended a 22-year winless drought at Sharon when he won on opening night, went after Mollick. Kent got alongside Mollick on a couple occasions, but Mollick enough momentum to maintain his lead and took the checkered flag first by 0.683 seconds in the Scott Clever-owned, Duda Cable Construction/Pro-X Pressure Washing/ RV Coleman Trucking/Peluso Roofing/Dutch Run Coal/Salina Inn/Fox's Pizza Den/JET Engines-sponsored #4J. It was Mollick's third career Sharon win as he also won in the Big-Block Modifieds in 2017.

Rhebergen was third as the veteran UMP Modified and Super Late Model racer continues to be close to his first career Sprint Car win in his first year driving for Tim Engles. Charlie Utsinger went ninth to fourth easily eclipsing his best prior finish of eighth. Bill Cunningham earned the $100 Summit Racing Equipment Hard Charger gift card for going 15th to 5th. Ruth dropped to sixth over Trent Marshall, 14th starting Amelia Clay, Billy Myers, and Curt Emings. Heat winners were Ruth and Mollick.

Dennis Lunger, Jr. ended a more than three-year winless drought at Sharon by winning the nightcap in the Whelen Econo Mod feature presented by Alcon Mechanical. Lunger denied Jeremy Double of becoming the division's all-time winner with a late race pass for the $800 victory in his season debut at the Hartford, Ohio oval.

"The car was great," acknowledged the 56-year-old Albion, Pa. veteran. "I was able to find some traction through the middle and just rolled right through there. There was also a patch of brown on the top so that was helping me too. I didn't think I was going to be able to get him (Double) early, but then the car just came alive. I was trying to keep my tires cool. I wasn't sure if I should have went with the hard tire, but we gambled on the 30. I was afraid there was going to be a bunch of cautions and I was right."

Double took off in the lead, while Lunger went fourth to second on the opening lap. Lunger hounded Double throughout the event as caution's killed any momentum Lunger would have at overtaking Double. Finally on a restart on lap 13, Lunger made the outside work nosing ahead before another yet another caution. Ultimately, the event was timed out due to six cautions including four multi-car pileups.

While the win was just Lunger's second of his career in the Econo Mod division, it upped his all-time total at Sharon to 14, which includes 12 in the Crate Late Models. Lunger's victory came in his wife Elizabeth's #71L sponsored by Charlie's Complete Landscaping, West Penn Collision, Angela's Cafe, TMR Racing, Hess Technology Group, Great Lakes Speed, English Tire, Beacon Lubricants, and Paul's Trading Post.

Double was second. Jacob Eucker earned the $100 Performance Bodies gift card for nosing out Jarrett Young in the closest margin of the top 10 finishers in the final green flag lap on lap 13. Ninth starting Andy Buckley completed the top five. Buzz Seitz was sixth. Sixteen-year-old Arianna Samuelson went 20th to 7th in her first ever Sharon appearance as Zack Eller, Carter Bidwell, and Troy Pinch rounded out the top 10. Heat winners over the season high 23-car field were Double, Seitz, and Eucker.

The World of Outlaws Late Models are back at Sharon for night two of the "Battle at the Border" on Saturday (July 13) featuring another complete show; this time for $15,000 to-win! The HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds presented by Bala Management will also be in action for $800 to-win. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. with general admission at 4. Warmups begin at 6:30 p.m. following by qualifying and racing.

World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models (40 laps, $10,000 to-win): 1. 32-BOBBY PIERCE[1]; 2. 97-Cade Dillard[5]; 3. 19R-Ryan Gustin[3]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[9]; 5. 9-Nick Hoffman[2]; 6. B5-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 7. 02-Michael Norris[6]; 8. 19-Dustin Sorensen[11]; 9. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 10. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 11. 22*-Max McLaughlin[13]; 12. 44-Dave Hess Jr[17]; 13. 22-Gregg Satterlee[20]; 14. 97JR-Cody Overton[10]; 15. B1-Brent Larson[14]; 16. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[15]; 17. 16-Tyler Bruening[12]; 18. 57T-Matt Tifft[16]; 19. 14W-Dustin Walker[23]; 20. 12-Doug Drown[24]; 21. 1Z-Logan Zarin[19]; 22. 9S-Breyton Santee[21]; 23. 1C-Alex Ferree[18]; 24. 217-Eric Wilson[22]

DNQ for the feature: Tyler Dietz (00), Kevin Smith (97), Chub Frank (1*), Mike Smith (96), Ryan Scott (0), Bump Hedman (B22), Levi Yetter (9), Tyler Wyant (24), Andy Boozel (14B), Brock Pinkerous (555).

Billy's Garage RUSH Sprint Cars (20 laps, $800 to-win): 1. 4J-JOHN MOLLICK[2]; 2. 9-Arnie Kent[8]; 3. 68-Brent Rhebergen[3]; 4. 23-Charlie Utsinger[9]; 5. 44C-Bill Cunningham[15]; 6. 24-Gale Ruth Jr[1]; 7. 17-Trent Marshall[5]; 8. 16C-Amelia Clay[14]; 9. 43SR-Billy Myers[7]; 10. 1E-Curt Emings[6]; 11. 5Z-Zack Wilson[11]; 12. 55-Luke Mulichak[10]; 13. 17M-CJ McClintock[13]; 14. 48T-TJ Rosario[16]; 15. 13K-Kevin Kaserman[12]; 16. 41-Blaze Myers[4].

Whelen Econo Mods presented by Alcon Mechanical (13 laps, $800 to-win): 1. 71L-DENNIS LUNGER, JR[4]; 2. 83-Jeremy Double[1]; 3. 64-Jacob Eucker[3]; 4. 21-Jarrett Young[5]; 5. 965-Andy Buckley[9]; 6. B1-Buzz Seitz[2]; 7. 9G-Arianna Samuelson[20]; 8. 99E-Zack Eller[6]; 9. 26X-Carter Bidwell[17]; 10. 12-Troy Pinch[13]; 11. 4-George Vestal IV[11]; 12. 47S-Gary Sullivan[16]; 13. 36-Cody Stronghart[12]; 14. 56-Bryan Wagner[8]; 15. 71A-Don Watson[19]; 16. 9-Jeremy Holbrook[23]; 17. 11-Bill Rabbitts[22]; 18. 16-Nate Young[10]; 19. 35-Rick Wilson Jr[21]; 20. 37M-Josh McDonald[7]; 21. 2P-Branden Porter[14]; 22. 38-Dan McDonald[15]; 23. 89C-Travis Carothers[18].

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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