8/10/2024
Sharon Speedway
ERICK RUDOLPH INVADES SHARON FOR 2ND BIG-BLOCK MOD WIN; LUNGER (UMP MODS), MOLLICK (RUSH SPRINTS) & CIPRIANO (RUSH MODS) CONTINUE WINNING WAYS
By Mike Leone
August 10, 2024
(Hartford, OH)…After a rainout last week, Sharon Speedway was blessed with a beautiful Saturday evening for "Steel Valley Thunder" racing as the 95th anniversary season rolled on. Celebrating in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply victory lane with wins were Erick Rudolph (Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds), Dennis Lunger, Jr. (Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Modifieds presented by A&MP Electric), John Mollick (Billy's Garage RUSH Sprint Cars), and Ayden Cipriano (HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds). It was Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, A&MP Electric, and Twin-State Auto Racing Club Night.
Making his second appearance of the season, Erick Rudolph remained undefeated in the Big-Block Modifieds. Rudolph passed Garrett Krummert on lap nine and fended him off throughout the remainder of the 25-lap Hovis Auto & Truck Supply feature presented by Autism Awareness, King Bros. Ready Mix Concrete, King's Sanitary Services, Russ King Racing, and Thermo Supply. It's been quite a week for Rudolph, who won $5,500 on Wednesday at Woodhull Raceway, $4,000 on Thursday at Genesee Speedway and added another $2,000 to his bank account on Saturday night!
"He (Krummert) had us covered early and it seemed like he really wanted to be on the top," explained the 32-year-old Ransomville, NY racer. "I think they touched the top right before we went out so the top was really fast tonight. Then at the end I saw him peeking his nose here and there on the bottom so it got me thinking, but I just stuck to my guns and kept running the top. He was right there and I was getting nervous at the end, but I'm really proud of my guys for giving me a car that's capable of winning. We've gotten two wins in a row here at Sharon and both have been really close. Hopefully we have something for next week as we'd really like to win another 'Lou Blaney Memorial'. I think this is one of the nicest tracks in all of America. It's certainly one of my favorite tracks. You know what to expect; it's never rough and it's driver friendly."
In the final tune-up before next Saturday's BRP Tour event, Rudolph crossed the finish line first ahead of Krummert by 0.598 seconds in the Briggs Motorsports-owned, Stirling Lubricants/Highmark/Nationals Maintenance Contracting/Snyder Industries/United Steelworkers-sponsored #25 for his sixth career Sharon win.
Krummert, who has yet to win this year at Sharon, has finished on the podium in all three events. Friday night Lernerville Speedway winner, Rex King, Jr., was third over Will Thomas III. Canadian invader Dalton Slack was fifth in his first ever Sharon appearance. Brad Rapp was sixth. Dave Murdick finished seventh in his first Sharon visit of 2024. Ayden Cipriano, who was doing double duty on Saturday night also racing in the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, came home eighth over Rick Regalski, Jr. and Jordan Ehrenberg. Heat winners over the 20-car field were Krummert and Rudolph.
Different division, same result for Dennis Lunger, Jr. Lunger, who has two victories this season in three Econo Mod starts, captured his first career Sharon UMP Modified feature win. Lunger led all 20 laps of the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply feature presented by A&MP Electric for the third division he's now won it at Sharon. Lunger, who also has 12 career Crate Late Model wins, earned a season best $1,000 in the caution-free event timed in 6:47.229.
"We've been close down here a few times but have just had bad luck at the end," acknowledged the 56-year-old Albion, Pa. veteran. "I had a flat tire once and had a tire give up while leading; had a red flag and it never took back off and we lost that one. Starting spot was everything tonight and the was bottom was there for me. Lapped traffic got a little hairy, but it all worked out. We hadn't raced here for awhile. We ran Stateline (Speedway) for a bunch of years and won a lot of races up there, but we decided to come down and run here in the Econo Mods. We've been real good in that so we decided to bring this car down tonight. Last time I ran fourth, but didn't have enough gear. My engine builder Jeff Tregler was all over me and told me to put more gear to it and he was right- car was outstanding tonight."
Lunger started second and took the lead on the opening lap and was never challenged aboard 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. Lunger crossed the finish line first by a commanding 4.684 seconds for his 16th career win overall at Sharon.
Sixth starting Troy Johnson was a career best Sharon finish of second. Bud Watson advanced from the seventh starting spot to third and received the $100 Performance Bodies gift card for the "Nosed Out" contingency. Nate Young, who won his first career Sharon race at the last UMP Mod race on July 20, charged through the field to finish 4th after starting 19th without a caution. Gary Olson was fifth. Completing the top 10 were Josh McDonald, Jarrett Young, Dustin DeMattia, Eric Reinwald, and Mason Canter. Heat winners over the 20-car field were Olson and Watson.
It's been quite a year for veteran racer John Mollick in the RUSH Sprint Cars. Mollick entered the 2024 season with seven career wins in the division, but had never won before at Sharon. That certainly has changed this year as Mollick went unchallenged on Saturday night for his third victory at the Hartford, Ohio oval and has more than doubled his career win total circuit wide with his eighth checkered flag of 2024! The 20-lap Billy's Garage feature went caution-free in 6:52.602.
"We've been tweaking and tweaking on this car just for here," revealed the 53-year-old Toronto, Ohio standout. "We've been trying some different things and it's really been coming around to where it's really getting into this slick track. DRC builds a good car and this is a really good one. I'm really happy with the car tonight. I knew it was Twin-State Club Night and I've won a lot of races on their night so I knew I had to get another one tonight. I have to thank my car owner Scott (Clever), who keeps this thing going and we've been going good all year."
Blaze Myers and Trent Marshall led the field to green with third starting Mollick charging into the lead on the opening lap. Without a caution, Mollick set sail and took the checkered flag first by 5.260 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 to maintain his lead in RUSH's $5,000 to-win Sunbelt Rentals Weekly Series Championship. Mollick has yet to finish worse than second in any of the six RUSH Sprint features this season. It was Mollick's fourth career Sharon win as he also won in the Big-Block Modifieds in 2017.
Fifth starting Gale Ruth, Jr. was third. Brent Rhebergen went eighth to fourth to earn the $100 Summit Racing Equipment Hard Charger gift card. Arnie Kent was fifth. Fifteen-year-old Sprint Car rookie Luke Mulichak, who leads RUSH's Futures Cup points, went 10th to 6th. Marshall dropped from second to seventh at the finish as Bill Cunningham, Joe Buccola, and Ryan Fraley completed the top 10. Heat winners were Kent and Ruth over the 18-car field.
Ayden Cipriano became the fourth different winner in five RUSH Sportsman Modified events this season. Cipriano however is no stranger to victory lane this season as he won his first career Big-Block Modified feature on June 1. On Saturday night, Cipriano passed Darin Gallagher for good on lap four and kept RUSH's 2020 and 2021 Champion, Chas Wolbert, at bay for the 20-lap HTMA/Precise Racing Products feature victory.
"This feels really good to be here tonight," stated the 18-year-old Hermitage, Pa. winner. "I knew I was starting second and thought I'd be able to ring it around the top the entire race, but (Darin) Gallagher put an awesome race against me. I took a little time to get around him and once I did I just tried to hit my marks and focus on staying on the bottom."
Gallagher and Cipriano led the field to green as the duo exchanged the lead every lap until Cipriano made what would be the winning move on the fourth circuit. One lap later, Wolbert got by Cipriano for second. Cipriano kept Wolbert at bay as he took the checkered flag first by 0.673 seconds in the William Cipriano-owned, Wheatland Steel Processing/Novus Mortgage of Hermitage/Rudy's Tavern/Stainless Steel Engineering/BJS Powder Coating-sponsored #5c. It was Cipriano's sixth career RUSH Sportsman Modified win and seventh overall at Sharon.
After leading laps one and three, Gallagher came home third as he's now finished in the top four in four of his five starts this season for the former Mod Lite and Sprint Car racer. Kole Holden, who leads RUSH's Weekly Series and Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series points, advanced from sixth to fourth. Brandon Ritchey charged from 11th to 5th beating out 13th starting JC Boyer. Doug Rutana made his way from the 15th starting spot to 7th. Rob Kristyak, who won on July 20, raced from 14th to 8th. Rookie Karston King was 9th after starting 16th. Dalton Gabriel completed the top 10. Heat winners over the 19-car field were Holden and Gallagher.
Up next is the “Lou Blaney Memorial” next Saturday (August 17) featuring the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply “410” Sprint Cars battling for $12,000 to-win/$1,200 to-start! The BRP Tour for the Big-Block Modifieds will also be in action for $2,500 to-win. NASCAR star Ryan Blaney will also be making an appearance. For reserved seats, advance general admission, and camping permits visit https://sharonspeedway.simpletix.com/
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds (25 laps, $2,000 to-win): 1. 25-ERICK RUDOLPH[2]; 2. 29-Garrett Krummert[1]; 3. 165-Rex King Jr[6]; 4. 9-Will Thomas[3]; 5. 3RS-Dalton Slack[9]; 6. 11R-Brad Rapp[7]; 7. 61-Dave Murdick[5]; 8. 5C-Ayden Cipriano[8]; 9. 13-Rick Regalski Jr[10]; 10. JD57-Jordan Ehrenberg[13]; 11. C3-Chas Wolbert[19]; 12. 18JR-Mike Dougherty Jr[12]; 13. 18-Colton Walters[14]; 14. 71-Steve Barr[11]; 15. 27H-Hayden Holden[16]; 16. 60-Tom Holden[18]; 17. 35-Steve Slater[20]; 18. 8M-Macey Adamik[17]; 19. 64-Rodney Beltz[15]; 20. 20P-Mike Kinney[4].
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Modifieds presented by A&MP Electric (20 laps, $1,000 to-win): 1. 71L-DENNIS LUNGER JR[2]; 2. 2J-Troy Johnson[6]; 3. 225-Bud Watson[7]; 4. 42-Nate Young[19]; 5. 23-Gary Olson[8]; 6. 37-Josh McDonald[4]; 7. 21-Jarrett Young[5]; 8. 77D-Dustin DeMattia[9]; 9. 72-Eric Reinwald[3]; 10. 9T-Mason Canter[15]; 11. 17G-Brandon Grossman[13]; 12. 5B-Andrew Beatman[1]; 13. 8B-Brian Toto[11]; 14. 151-Jeremy Holbrook[14]; 15. 39-Dan McDonald[16]; 16. B1-Buzz Seitz[17]; 17. 38-Percy McDonald[10]; 18. 15-Eric Nellis II[18]; 19. 74-Jeffrey Bametzrieder[20]; 20. 99-Cameron Nastasi[12].
Billy's Garage RUSH Sprint Cars (20 laps): 1. 4J-JOHN MOLLICK[3]; 2. 41-Blaze Myers[1]; 3. 24-Gale Ruth Jr[5]; 4. 68-Brent Rhebergen[8]; 5. 9-Arnie Kent[6]; 6. 55-Luke Mulichak[10]; 7. 17-Trent Marshall[2]; 8. 44C-Bill Cunningham[9]; 9. 5B-Joe Buccola[7]; 10. 12-Ryan Fraley[4]; 11. 23-Charlie Utsinger[11]; 12. 13K-Kevin Kaserman[16]; 13. 1E-Curt Emings[13]; 14. 16C-Amelia Clay[12]; 15. 19-Brad Blackshear[14]; 16. 43SR-Aden Boozell[17]; 17. 29-Brandon Shughart[15]; 18. 18-Brandon Fiedler[18].
HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds (20 laps): 1. 5C-AYDEN CIPRIANO[2]; 2. C3-Chas Wolbert[3]; 3. 23-Darin Gallagher[1]; 4. 2-Kole Holden[6]; 5. 1R-Brandon Ritchey[11]; 6. 12-JC Boyer[13]; 7. 46R-Doug Rutana[15]; 8. 00-Rob Kristyak[14]; 9. 165K-Karston King[16]; 10. 333G-Dalton Gabriel[10]; 11. 28J-Jacob Jordan[9]; 12. 2LC-Lucas Canon[7]; 13. 57R-Jacob Rutana[4]; 14. 10-Chelsie Gallagher[8]; 15. 7P-Caden Petry[17]; 16. 58-Logen Lockhart[5]; 17. 29A-Anthony Antus[19]; 18. 00K-Jackson Kristyak[18]; 19. B4-Brayden Beatty[12].
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 X (formerly known as Twitter) at www.twitter.com/sharonspdwy.
Article Credit: Mike Leone
