By Mike Leone
(Hartford, OH)…After a weekend off, Sharon Speedway is gearing up for a big two-race weekend featuring the FloRacing All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars this Saturday and Sunday (July 10-11). Tony Stewart’s travelling band will compete in the 13th annual “Lou Blaney Memorial” presented by Premier Pallet and the Ryan Blaney Family Foundation for $8,000 to-win on Saturday night followed by Justin Snyder’s “Salute to the Troops” presented by Self Made Racing LLC for $6,000 to-win on Sunday night. Saturday’s event will include the BRP Modified Tour, while the non-wing Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars will be part of Sunday’s show. Warm-ups are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. each night.
Saturday’s “Lou Blaney Memorial” will celebrate the life and accomplishments of the Hall of Fame driver, who won more than 600 feature victories during a five-decade career. The legend has at least 121 Modified wins and another 11 documented in a Sprint Car at Sharon alone. Blaney passed away in 2009 after battling Alzheimer’s. There will also be a Chinese Auction along with the live auction (see current items posted below) that starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Lou Blaney Memorial event t-shirts and Ryan Blaney Family Foundation apparel will be on sale. Information will also be available on the Alzheimer’s Association.
For the seventh straight year, the “Lou Blaney Memorial” will be under the All Stars’ sanction. It took 10 years, but there was finally a repeat winner for the Sprint Car portion of the “Lou Blaney Memorial” in 2018, and it was none other than track owner, Dave Blaney. In 2019, Dave’s younger brother Dale captured his first event, while last year it was Dave’s son-in-law, Cale Conley, winning his first to become the 11th different winner in 12 years!
Series owner, Tony Stewart, won the inaugural event in 2009. Mike Lutz was the first local winner taking the 2010 version. Texan Sam Hafertepe, Jr. won in 2011, while Californian Brad Sweet, who was the 2019 World of Outlaws champion, was victorious in 2012. Jack Sodeman, Jr. became the second local driver to win the prestigious event in 2013, while Dave Blaney won his father’s memorial for the first time in 2014. Another WoO racer in Sheldon Haudenschild won the 2015 event. Pittsburgh’s Danny Holtgraver won the biggest race of his career in 2016. Christopher Bell, who has went on to NASCAR glory, won his first race at the track in 2017.
Derek Snyder, owner and founder of Self Made Racing LLC, as well as the executive manager and partner of Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC in Boardman, Ohio, will honor his brother with the Justin Snyder’s “Salute to the Troops” event, which is also a benefit for the Wounded Warrior Project. This is the second straight year the event has been held at Sharon and once again Lee Jenson of Dragonslayer Industries has created a beautiful trophy for Sunday’s All Star winner.
Justin was one of open wheel racing’s most loyal and dedicated supporters, and was a retired Army combat veteran who did two tours in Afghanistan as a proud member of the US Army 10th Mountain Division. Once retired, he moved to central Pa. before his passing on April 19, 2016. Remembered by those closest to him as a loyal friend and by anybody who met him, for his compassionate smile and whole-hearted laugh.
The Wounded Warrior Project was founded by veterans and positions itself with veterans to support those in need including their families. It provides help through independent, peer, and family support including combat stress recovery services to help those struggling both physically and/or emotionally as they strive to adjust and integrate back into civilian life.
Sharon has hosted six successful “410” Sprint Car events with six different winners in 2021! Justin Peck won the May 1 All Star show over a stellar 41-car field worth $6,000 for his first career Sharon win. George Hobaugh returned to victory lane on May 15 over the 30-car field nearly three years after his first career Sprint win. Dave Blaney thrilled the hometown capacity crowd on May 22 winning his first World of Outlaws show in 24 years. Invader Ryan Smith won the Western PA Speedweek show over a 38-car field on June 5. Central Pa. star Danny Dietrich captured his first career Sharon and Ohio Speedweek victory over a huge 53-car field in the All Star-sanctioned event on June 15. Andy most recently, Dale Blaney made a winning 2021 debut on June 26 driving Rich Farmer’s #29 to victory.
Five-time 2021 All Star winner, Tyler Courtney, currently leads the Series points. Other full-time All Star drivers include Peck, Spencer Bayston, Hunter Schurenberg, Cory Eliason, Paul McMahan, Zeb Wise, Bill Balog, Cap Henry, Kyle Reinhardt, T.J. Michael, and Skylar Gee. Standouts Rico Abreu, Danny Dietrich, and Brent Marks are three of the outsiders that will be competing at Sharon this weekend.
The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds will make their first and only scheduled appearance of the 2021 season on Saturday night as they will round out the two-division show in a $2,000 to-win BRP Mod Tour event. Thus far this season, BRP has completed three events with Rex King, Jr., Chad Brachmann, and Garrett Krummert victorious. Krummert has a six-point lead on Rex King, Jr. with Brachmann, Rex King, and Brad Rapp completing the top five in points.
There have been 10 different winners in 12 “Lou Blaney Memorial” Modified events. New York legend Jack Johnson captured the inaugural 2009 race, while local Ohio drivers Jim Rasey and Rob Kristyak stole the thunder in 2010 and 2011. Kevin Bolland won the prestigious event in 2012 and fellow western Pa. racer Dave Murdick joined him in 2013. In 2014, Rex King, Jr. won the event part of his dream season, while in 2015 Jim Weller, Jr. added his name to the win list. Rasey became the first repeat winner in 2016. Jeremiah Shingledecker got his first event win in 2017, while New York’s Mike Maresca ended the locals’ run of eight straight event wins thanks to his victory in 2019. Five years after his first win, King, Jr. added his second event win in 2019. Last year, Erick Rudolph became the third Empire State racer to be victorious in the event.
The Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars will make their fifth appearance of the season on Sunday night. Gale Ruth, Jr. leads the Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Car Series with four Series wins overall at four different tracks, but has yet to win at Sharon. Seventeen-year-old Nolan Groves has been impressive at Sharon with two wins and a runner-up finish. The 2018 and 2019 champion, Chad Ruhlman, is atop RUSH’s $5,000 to-win Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series Championship standings with two victories including the most recent on June 26 at Sharon, and also leads the all-time win list at the track with five victories. 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 pits will be open throughout the afternoon each day with pit pass ticket sales beginning at 3 p.m. and general admission sales at 4. The All Stars drivers meeting is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. followed by Sprint engine starts at 6 with warm-ups, qualifying and racing to follow.
Adult admission is $25 each day. On Sunday, veterans of war receive a $10 discount off general admission. Advanced and reserved tickets are on sale by visiting https://sharonspeedway.simpletix.com/. Pit passes are $35. Children under 14, parking, and camping are FREE! Sharon has a no carry-in cooler policy.
Saturday’s “Lou Blaney Memorial” live auction items:
*Ryan Blaney Signed NASCAR Windshield
*Dave Blaney signed Busch Series Fire suit
*William Byron signed replica helmet
*Chase Elliott signed die cast and Funko Pop
*Coral Yeti Cooler with accessories
*Donny Schatz signed sideboard
*One of a kind Corn Hole Boards
*Battery operated Children’s Bike
*Thom Duma necklace and earrings
*2 Season Pit Passes to Sharon Speedway
*Collectibles from Eastern Museum of Motor Racing
*Lou Blaney 2001 Mercer Raceway Champion’s Jacket
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.