By Mike Leone
(Hartford, OH)…In what has been a continual theme throughout the 2026 season, Mother Nature tried once again to intervene in the racing action on Saturday night. Late afternoon and early evening showers delayed the program; however, this time Sharon Speedway was able to prevail for just the fourth time during the 97th anniversary season. The “Super Series” program on Gault Heating & Cooling, Kams Electric, and Sara Cipriano of Hermitage Novus Home Mortgage Night saw the following celebrate in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Victory Lane: Brandon Spithaler (Hovis “410” Sprint Cars), Brandon Spithaler (Hovis Big-Block Modifieds), Jeremy Double (Alcon Mechanical Econo Mods), and Coleton Longwell (Gibson Insurance Agency Crown Vics). Ninety-three cars were on hand for the four-division program on CDL & Touch-A-Truck Night presented by Ohio Intra Express and P.I.&I. Motor Express.
Brandon Spithaler began his racing career at Sharon Speedway in 2007 in the former Limited Sprint Car division and over the course of three seasons won six feature events and the track championship in 2009. Spithaler moved up to the “410” Sprint Cars in 2010, but took more than 15 years to find victory lane at Sharon when he won last August. Spithaler, who was coming off a two-win weekend where he won $7,000, put on a dominating performance on Saturday night leading all 30 laps and lapping up to fifth place for the $4,000 victory. Spithaler became the season’s third different winner in as many races.
“It should rain here more often,” joked the 34-year-old Butler, Pa. driver referring to the fast track conditions. “We brought our smaller engine here thinking it was going to be slick. We struggled in the heat, but it slicked off enough and apparently no one else wanted to run the fence that hard. We went fourth to first in the first half-lap and that’s all we needed to do and then navigate lapped traffic. Outside of the Limited Sprint, it took 15 years to get on the frontstretch here and we got that done last year and here we are again. I couldn’t do it without this man, Tom Burkey, all my crew guys, and Brian Steinman for coming all board this year. There’s a whole group of people that help put this together. Sometimes it’s kind of a ragtag situation, but we always end up at the race track and usually can end up making it kind of fast. If we can keep this rolling, it’ll be good.”
The feature got off to a scary start when Jimmy Morris and Mike Keegan were involved in a wicked accident that also included A.J. Flick, Jeremy Kornbau, and Bryan Salisbury. Morris was transported to the hospital and was released on Sunday morning with no broken bones. When racing resumed, Spithaler went fourth to first on the opening lap and was never challenged taking his eighth career Sharon win overall by 4.547 seconds aboard his Superior Tank & Trailer/Rustler Sales & Service/Ravens Trailers/Hobaugh’s Auto Parts/Moore’s Auto Body/Top Shelf Trucking/Malcuit Racing Engines-sponsored #22.
After dropping to fourth on the opening lap, Dale Blaney, who has been shutout of victory lane at Sharon in 2026, was second and earned $2,000 for his brother Dave. Jeremy Weaver went sixth to third for his first podium finish of the season. Logan McCandless also advanced three spots to finish fourth. Central Pa. invader, Derek Hauck, was impressive going 22nd to 5th for his career best Sharon finish and earned the $100 Summit Racing Equipment Hard Charger gift card.
After starting on the pole, Brandon Matus was lapped by Spithaler as he dropped to sixth at the finish over Carl Bowser, Adam Kekich, Cody Bova, and New York invader Matt Farnham. Blaney set fast time overall against the 32-car field in qualifying with a blistering lap of 13.439. McCandless, Farnham, and Matus won the heat races, while Carmen Perigo, Jr. won the last chance B main.
Jeremiah Shingledecker ended a near eight-year winless drought at Sharon in the Big-Block Modifieds. Shingledecker passed Will Thomas III on lap seven and led the rest of the way in the 25-lap, $2,000 to-win Hovis Auto & Truck Supply feature presented King Bros. Ready Mix Concrete, King’s Sanitary Services, Russ King Racing, and Thermo Supply.
“It’s been awhile and feels good to get back to victory lane here,” expressed the 49-year-old Polk, Pa. driver. “We’ve been experimenting with a few different things and switched to Dig Shocks over the winter. It’s been a whole new learning curve and I think we’re finally starting to get it dialed in. The car has been very consistent so that’s helping us making small adjustments.”
Shingledecker started in third and was running fourth on lap three before advancing two spots to second on lap four. A restart with six laps completed set up the winning pass. When green replaced yellow, Shingledecker overtook race-long leader Thomas. Shingledecker went uncontested the remainder of the way in his Garage Bar & Grill/Chuey Farms/RCR Automotive-sponsored #37MD. Even though it was Shingledecker’s fifth career win, it was his first since August 25, 2018 in a BRP Tour-sanctioned event for the 2017 “Lou Blaney Memorial” winner.
Thomas came home second at the track he co-owns with Dave and Ryan Blaney. Chas Wolbert, whose company Ohio Intra Express was sponsoring the CDL and Touch-A-Truck Night, had a solid third after starting sixth. Veteran Jim Rasey went eighth to fourth. Canadian Tyler Willard was fifth. Completing the top 10 were Brad Rapp, Mike Kinney, Kyle Fink, Rick Regalski, Jr., and Ayden Cipriano. Heat winners over the 22-car field were Kinney, Thomas, and Shingledecker.
After being shutout of victory lane in 2025, Jeremy Double made it two-for-two in 2026 Alcon Mechanical Econo Mod action. Double passed Jacob Eucker for the lead on lap seven and the division’s all-time winner earned $600 once again with 27 cars on hand.
“Jake (Eucker) and Coleton (Longwell) made me work for it and I was pretty grateful for that last caution,” explained the 30-year-old Bristolville, Ohio winner. “I almost took the top because I figured Jake was up there after I got by him. I wasn’t sure if Coleton found something on the bottom and got comfortable or not so I figured I’d stick to what I was doing. Coleton then showed me that wasn’t the place to be anymore and luckily I got a second go.”
Double started the 20-lap feature from third and moved into runner-up on lap two. Double chased Eucker for the next four laps before making the winning move on the seventh circuit. Coleton Longwell followed Eucker into second as Eucker dropped from first to third on lap seven. Double kept Longwell and Eucker at bay over the remaining 13 laps to capture his 24th career win aboard the Tom Sok-owned, Bala Management/Capital C Machine Tool Services/Close Racing Supply/All Star Performance/Glunt Industries/C&R Tire/Malone Diesel & Automotive-sponsored #83 by 0.674 seconds.
Pole-sitter George Vestal IV dropped to fourth. Bryan Wagner was fifth. Female racer Arianna Samuelson made her 2026 debut and finished a Sharon career best sixth. Buzz Seitz, Robert Simmons, Shayne Meadows, and Paul Davis completed the first 10. Eucker, Brian Toto, and Double were the heat race victors.
Coleton Longwell ended the night winning his second of the year in the 12-lap Gibson Insurance Agency Crown Vic featue. Longwell charged from the 10th starting spot into the lead on lap three past Brian Krepps and went on for his third career win to become the division’s all-time winner.
“It’s really just straight, clean laps is what you have to do to win in these things,” acknowledged the 25-year-old Kinsman, Ohio resident. “No one really slows down enough to stay under control. I was kind of hoping this would be fun and we’d let other people drive this car, but every person that was supposed to do it hasn’t because apparently they’re scared to drive something that’s not a real race car. These are a blast- they’re a street car. No one is out-smarting and out-spending anyone- you just have to drive them.”
Longwell’s seventh career win at the track in three divisions came by a commanding 6.915 seconds aboard his Bala Management #7. Jacob Moon, who won the heat race, was second over opening night winner, Bradley Shaffer. Brandon Albert was fourth as Branden Porter rounded out the top five.
There will be no racing over the Independence Day holiday. The next events are coming July 10-11 for the World of Outlaws Late Models featuring a complete show both Friday and Saturday night along with the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Modifieds. For tickets, visit https://mpv.tickets.com/schedule/?agency=WRG_SNG_MPV&orgid=52711#/?view=list&includePackages=true
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply “410” Sprint Cars (30 laps, $4,000 to-win): 1. 1. 22-BRANDON SPITHALER[4]; 2. 10-Dale Blaney[3]; 3. 5-Jeremy Weaver[6]; 4. 29-Logan McCandless[7]; 5. 12J-Derek Hauck[22]; 6. 13-Brandon Matus[1]; 7. 11-Carl Bowser[10]; 8. 5K-Adam Kekich[5]; 9. 20B-Cody Bova[8]; 10. 7NY-Matt Farnham[9]; 11. 23JR-Jack Sodeman Jr[2]; 12. 3V-Chris Verda[14]; 13. 2J-Jason Shultz[17]; 14. 21-Carmen Perigo Jr[19]; 15. 33-Brent Matus[15]; 16. X-Mike Keegan[11]; 17. 38-Leyton Wagner[12]; 18. 16-Jim Morris[13]; 19. 21S-Bryan Salisbury[16]; 20. 83X-Nate Reeser[18]; 21. 2-AJ Flick[20]; 22. 47L-Dusty Larson[21]; 23. 46-Michael Bauer[23]; 24. 32-Jeremy Kornbau[24]
DNQ for the feature: 56N-Nash Gierke, 20M-Vivian Jones, 18S-Brian Razum, M4-Louie Mattes, 7A-Tim Robertson, 82M-Rod Jones, 05-Adam Herb & 11J-David Kalb.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds (25 laps, $2,000 to-win): 1. 37MD-JEREMIAH SHINGLEDECKER[3]; 2. 9-Will Thomas[2]; 3. C3-Chas Wolbert[9]; 4. 32-Jim Rasey[8]; 5. 777-Tyler Willard[4]; 6. 11R-Brad Rapp[10]; 7. 20P-Mike Kinney[1]; 8. 17M-Kyle Fink[6]; 9. 13-Rick Regalski Jr[15]; 10. 5C-Ayden Cipriano[5]; 11. 00-Rob Kristyak[11]; 12. B4-Brayden Beatty[13]; 13. 00K-Jackson Kristyak[21]; 14. 60-Kyle Holden[16]; 15. 9M-Cameron Miller[22]; 16. 23-Darin Gallagher[17]; 17. 12-JC Boyer[7]; 18. 29-Garrett Krummert[12]; 19. 19-Ray Bullis[20]; 20. 005-Braden Eyler[14]. DNS: 86R-Rob Curtis & 1R-Brandon Ritchey
Alcon Mechanical Econo Mods (20 laps, $600 to-win): 1. 83-JEREMY DOUBLE[3]; 2. 7-Coleton Longwell[4]; 3. 64-Jacob Eucker[1]; 4. 4-George Vestal IV[5]; 5. 56-Bryan Wagner[9]; 6. 9G-Arianna Samuelson[24]; 7. B1-Buzz Seitz[7]; 8. 4RJ-Robert Simmons[13]; 9. 224-Shayne Meadows[15]; 10. C02-Paul Davis[12]; 11. 8B-Brian Toto[2]; 12. 02C-Brian Carothers[14]; 13. 11J-Ryan Johnston[17]; 14. 35-Rick Wilson Jr[20]; 15. 44-Lucas McEwen[23]; 16. T4-Travis Lueckert[19]; 17. 71-Drew Barnes[21]; 18. 14R-Clay Ruffo[11]; 19. 71L-Dennis Lunger Jr[6]; 20. 9T-Mason Canter[22]; 21. 10-Derek Tessean[8]; 22. 31-Seth Brenot[16]; 23. 71A-Don Watson[10]; 24. 51-Brian Lacey[18]. DNS: 8-Jonathan Davis, 00-Jason Longwell & 24R-Derrick Randolph.
Gibson Insurance Agency Crown Vics (12 laps): 1. 7-COLETON LONGWELL[12]; 2. 309-Jacob Moon[6]; 3. 26-Bradley Shaffer[3]; 4. 30-Brandon Albert[2]; 5. 16-Branden Porter[4]; 6. 4-Brian Krepps[1]; 7. 31-Bryan Fee[10]; 8. 10J-Bill Fuchs[9]; 9. 37-Dennis Dellinger[11]; 10. 82R-Ray Gregory[5]. DNS: 33-Terry Clowser & 83-Dave Hanshaw Jr.
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.