From Sharon Speedway
(Hartford, OH)… Sharon Speedway will try for the sixth time to kick-off the 2026 racing season this Saturday night (May 30) with a “Super Series” event presented by Bala Management. The 97th anniversary season opener will feature Western PA Speedweek for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply “410” Sprint Cars along with the Hovis Big-Block Modifieds and the Gibson Insurance Agency Crown Vics. Warmups will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing. It’s Novus Home Mortgage Night.
Sharon welcomes in round four of the revived Western PA Speedweek with a record high payoff of $5,000 to-win, $400 to-start in the “Floyd Trevis Memorial”. The Youngstown, Ohio native is a member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame known for his efforts and success in Sprint Car racing as well as his achievements at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Notable drivers to sport a Trevis Craft include Lou Blaney, Dave Blaney, Kenny Weld, Larry Dickson, Ray Tilley, Gus Linder, Ralph Quarterson, Mitch Smith, Kenny & Greg Weld, Smokey Snellbaker, Lynn Paxton, Dick Tobias, Joe Saldana, Jan Opperman, Keith Kauffman, Gary Bettenhausen, Paul Pitzer, Lee Osborne and Billy Cassella.
As influential as Floyd Trevis’s designs were in Sprint Car racing, his decades-long exploits at the historic Indianapolis Motor may supersede that. Trevis is routinely credited with entering into competition one of the most unusual and unique that the Indianapolis 500 has ever seen. His first appearance as an owner and builder came in 1946 when Trevis arrived with a car that utilized two supercharged 91-cubic inch midget engines, effectively giving the car four-wheel drive. After spending years as an owner, chassis builder and chief mechanic, decades of design and development finally culminated in a Trevis-built car winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1961 with A.J. Foyt behind the wheel!
As a great addition to the celebration of Floyd Trevis’s accomplishments, one of his original Sprint Cars will be on display behind the speedway grandstands. Tom Burkey, a longtime racing enthusiast, car owner and sponsor, also has a hobby of preserving history. He has done just that with one of the early Trevis Craft cars. In his possession is a restored car that was originally built in 1968 and raced by none other than Lou Blaney in 1969.
Speedweek features a $13,500 point fund with $3,000 going to the champion for the five-night swing. Nightly contingencies include $200 for fastest qualifier (Knox Bakery), $200 hard charger (Rustler Sales & Service), $100 to the hard luck (R.K. Vigile), $500 McCandless Bonus Bucks drawing, Hoosier Tire giveaway, pair of race gloves to seventh place (Angry Duck), $50 for 10th place & $50 digital images (Sprint Car News), $25 to 20th place (AMain Landscaping), and a $50 fuel card to the first non-qualifier.
In the 2021 event at Sharon, central Pennsylvania invader Ryan Smith hounded race-long leader Carl Bowser before making the winning pass with six laps to go for his first career win at the Hartford, Ohio oval. A big field of 38 cars were on hand. Local A.J. Flick topped a 33-car field in 2022 for his first Sharon win in more than three years. In 2023, Dave Blaney dominated the event over the 31-car field. Smith won his second Sharon Speedweek show in 2024 topping an event record 46-car field for $4,000. Last year’s event was scheduled to pay $5,000 to-win, $400 to-start, but was rained out.
Smith won the 2021 Speedweek title with two victories and a runner-up, while Flick copped the 2022 crown after victories in all three completed events. Flick repeated the championship in 2023 thanks to finishing in the top eight in all five events including two victories. Dave Blaney won his first title outscoring his brother Dale in 2024. Last year, Mother Nature was the big winner claiming three of the five events, but Jeremy Weaver was credited with the title thanks to a pair of runner-up finishes.
Western PA Speedweek always attracts the top regional talent along with several surprise invaders. Three central Pa. drivers have already made it known they’re coming West including Mark Smith, Billy Dietrich, and Jason Shultz.
The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds are set for their first of what is now eight appearances over the remainder of the 2026 season presented by King Bros. Ready Mix Concrete, King’s Sanitary Services, Russ King Racing, and Thermo Supply. Saturday’s event will pay $2,000 to-win, $200 to-start.
The Big-Block Modifieds have made 648 appearances all-time at Sharon with 99 different winners. The late Lou Blaney sits atop the all-time win list with 121 victories. Active drivers with double digit win totals include Rex King, Jr. (29), Jim Rasey (19), Brian Swartzlander (14), and Rob Kristyak (11). New York invader, Erick Rudolph, is up to seven Sharon wins and will look to add to that on Saturday. Canadian Dalton Slack won his first career Big-Block Modified feature last year at Sharon.
Summit Racing Equipment will present the hard charger award on Saturday night to the Big-Block Modifieds. 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.
Rounding out the three-division program on Saturday night will be the Gibson Insurance Agency Crown Vic division, which debuted on June 21, 2025. The division has exploded in popularity throughout the nation in recent years. Five events were completed last year during the inaugural season with four different winners. Brian Krepps was the only repeat winner, while Coleton Longwell, Travis Reeher, and Jacob Moon were also victorious. The rules are available at the following link: https://www.sharonspeedway.com/downloads/get.aspx?i=1195691. For tech questions, contact Rick Robinson at 724-893-6898.
“410” Sprint Car Payoff: 1. $5,000; 2. $2,000; 3. $1,500; 4. $1,000; 5. $900; 6. $800; 7. $700; 8. $600; 9. $550; 10. $500; 11. $475; 12. $450; 13. $425; 14-24. $400. Non-Qualifiers/Tow: $100.
Big-Block Modifieds Payoff: 1. $2,000 2. $1,200 3. $750 4. $550. 5. $500 6. $425 7. $375 8. $300 9. $275 10. $250 11. $225 12. $220 13. $215 14. $210 15. $205 16-24. $200. Non-Qualifiers/Tow $75.
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 2026 season, please bring the registration form completed with you: https://www.sharonspeedway.com/downloads/get.aspx?i=1006835
In commemoration of their 70th anniversary of operation, King Bros. Ready Mix Concrete will give away a bicycle to a child at every event in 2026 that the Big-Block Modifieds are in competition. The Big-Block Modified feature winner will draw a child’s ticket in victory lane. If Rex King, Jr. wins the feature, two tickets will be drawn and two children’s bicycles will be given away! Sharon Speedway would like to thank King Bros. for their support over the years.
The Willy’s World Kids Club presented by Millcraft Barns returns for the second straight year. The Kids Club will include games and sensory friendly crafts and will open when the general admission gates open at 5 p.m. Sprint Car racers, Cody Bova and Chris Verda, will be the drivers of the week that will be signing autographs and participating in the Kids Club activities. Sharon Speedway is a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Friend Venue; information is available at the Kids Club site behind the main grandstand building.
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.
The pits will be open throughout the afternoon with passes going on sale at 4 p.m., while general admission opens at 5. Warmups are scheduled for approximately 6:30 p.m. followed by racing. Grandstand/fan zone admission for those 14 and over is $20. Patio seating upgrades are just $10 and can be done on race night at the track office for non-special events. As always, children under 14 and parking are always FREE. Pit passes are $35. As a reminder, coolers nor outside food or beverages are not permitted.
Coming next Saturday (June 6) will see the return of the RUSH Late Model Touring Series after a four-year absence competing in a $4,000 to-win event presented by Kuhnle Motorsports Park. Also on the “Steel Valley Thunder” program will be the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Mods presented by A&MP Electric, Gibson Insurance Agency RUSH Sprint Cars, Alcon Mechanical Econo Mods, and the Gibson Insurance Agency Crown Vics. It’s Teacher Appreciation Night presented by Willy’s World with FREE grandstand admission for teachers & school staff with valid school ID.
Sharon Speedway is owned by Dave Blaney, Ryan Blaney, and Will Thomas III 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 X (formerly Twitter) @sharonspdwy.