Story By: MIKE LEONE / SHARON SPEEDWAY – HARTFORD, OH – Sharon Speedway was back in action on Saturday night for another “Steel Valley Thunder” program part of the 94th anniversary season.
Three drivers celebrated their first wins of the season in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply victory lane including Ty Rhoades-Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Modifieds, Bobby Whitling-Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks, and Rob Kristyak-HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, while Jacob Eucker repeated in the Whelen Econo Mods.
It was A&MP Electric, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, and M&R Power Equipment Night.
The UMP Modifieds presented by A&MP Electric made their second appearance of the season in the final tune-up before the $2,558 to-win “Bill Gabrielson Memorial” on August 19 and it was Ty Rhoades capturing the 20-lap Hovis Auto & Truck Supply feature win. The 32-year-old Harmony, Pa. driver started third and passed Chris Basich on lap two for the lead and went on for first win of the season and second of his career in the UMP Modified division to go along with five Econo Mod victories. Rhoades’ Trace Lawn & Landscaping/Hemly Tool Supply/Bloom Machine Works/Rent-A-Wreck Car Rentals & Propane Sales-sponsored #12R took the $1,000 victory by a margin of 1.750 seconds.
Bud Watson, who was fresh off his first career Sharon win on July 22 in the UMP Mod opener, started fourth and came home second worth $700 after getting by Basich on lap 11. Basich dropped to third over Nate Young and Dan Davies. Jeremy Double, who was doing double duty, went 10th to 6th. Joe Gabrielson was 7th over 30-time Sharon UMP Mod winner Joel Watson. Mason Lobb dropped from the pole to ninth as Brent Rhebergen completed the top 10. Heat winners were Lobb and Basich.
Bobby Whitling became the amazing eighth different winner in nine Pro Stock features this season. Whitling started fifth and passed Jonathan Davis on lap four for the lead. Whitling then went unchallenged in the 20-lap Gibson Insurance Agency featuring winning by a commanding 5.402 seconds. Whitling’s fifth career win in the division and sixth overall at Sharon came in his Carbaugh’s Barber Shop/Bish Heating & Cooling/Precise Racing Products/Close Racing Supply-sponsored Slider Race #7W.
Davis was second for the second straight week as the second generation racer continues to knock on the door for his first career win. Hunter Exley went sixth to third. Pole-sitter Brian Carothers dropped to fourth, but did record his second straight top four finish. Jason Fosnaught, who two weeks ago won one of the $3,500 to-win “Steel Valley Pro Stock Nationals” features, was fifth after starting eighth. Russ Coyne, Jamie Scharba, Jacob Wheeler, Troy DeZarn, and Joe Gillespie rounded out the top 10. Exley and Whitling captured the heat races.
For the second straight week in the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, Ayden Cipriano went up in a ball of smoke and flames leading in the final stages of the feature. Last week it came on the last lap allowing JC Boyer to take his first win of the year, this week it was on lap 19 as Rob Kristyak garnered his first victory of the season. Kristyak, who was fresh off a season best second, became the fifth different winner in six HTMA/Precise Racing Products features this year.
Kristyak, who was running third with two laps to go, inherited second from Cipriano’s misfortune then used the top to pass Ben Easler on the final restart. The 45-year-old Bristolville, Ohio driver took the checkered flag first by 0.491 seconds in his Bala Management/C&R Tire/Mark Thomas Ford/Jeff’s Towing/Wedge Motorsports/Bristol Disposal/Schoonover Trucking-sponsored #00 for his fourth career win in the division and 12th overall at Sharon. Boyer followed his win with another podium finish in third as he closes in on the Wedge Motorsports “Route 7 Rumble” Series points lead.
Kole Holden, who has seven wins around the circuit, was fourth as he continues to search for his first Sharon win of the season. Tony Tatgenhorst, who has been snake-bitten twice while leading features this season, charged from 12th to 5th. Dalton Gabriel was a season best sixth as Jacob Rutana, Jacob Jordan, Lucas Canon, and Bill Cunningham completed the top 10. Cipriano and Kristyak were the heat race winners.
Jacob Eucker became the only repeat winner of the night as he was victorious for the second straight week in the Econo Mods. The 22-year-old Fowler, Ohio driver started sixth and had the lead on lap six taking over from Steve Haefke, Jr. Eucker went on to lead the rest of the way in the 20-lap Whelen feature by winning margin of 1.635 seconds in his Ohio Commerce Center/Dr. John Eucker/Close Racing Supply/Danski Dyno Performance-sponsored #64. Eucker took over sole possession of third on the division’s all-time win list with his 16th victory to go along with a UMP Modified win.
Garrett Calvert started seventh and passed Haefke on lap eight to garner the runner-up spot. Double went ninth to third for his second top six finish of the night. Haefke dropped to fourth over Scott Burk, Jr. Completing the top 10 were Brian Toto, Bryan Wagner, Alex Brockway, Nate Arp, and Gary Sullivan. Troy Pinch earned the $100 Summit Racing Equipment Hard Charger honors by going 20th to 7th. Heat winners over the 21-car field were Double, Burk, and Calvert.
Coming up next Saturday (August 12), the Super Late Models will make a rare appearance in a $3,000 to-win, $300 to-start event presented by Stackhouse Construction. The Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks will compete in the sixth annual “Ray’s Race”, which will take place at Sharon for the first time ever paying $2,000 to-win, $200 to-start. The Terry Bowser Excavating RUSH Sprint Cars and the HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will round out the four-division show. Racing will get underway at 7 p.m.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Modifieds (20 laps, $1,000 to-win): 1. 1. 12R-TY RHOADES[3]; 2. 225-Bud Watson[4]; 3. 71C-Chris Basich[2]; 4. 42-Nate Young[5]; 5. 71D-Dan Davies[7]; 6. 83-Jeremy Double[10]; 7. 58-Joe Gabrielson[6]; 8. 92-Joel Watson[9]; 9. 28-Mason Lobb[1]; 10. 07R-Brent Rhebergen[8]; 11. 67-Jack Young[12]; 12. 12C-Garrett Calvert[14]; 13. 17G-Brandon Grossman[16]; 14. 17-Jason Gracey[15]; 15. 6-Chad Wright[17]; 16. 4J-Jim Plance[13]; 17. 51-Jeremy Holbrook[18]; 18. 77D-Dustin DeMattia[11]
Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks (20 laps): 1. 7W-BOBBY WHITLING[5]; 2. 8-Jonathan Davis[2]; 3. 23HJR-Hunter Exley[6]; 4. 02C-Brian Carothers[1]; 5. J19-Jason Fosnaught[8]; 6. 8C-Russ Coyne[9]; 7. 11S-Jamie Scharba[7]; 8. 44-Jacob Wheeler[10]; 9. 21-Troy DeZarn[12]; 10. 41-Joe Gillespie[14]; 11. 99T-Kyle Zimmerman[4]; 12. 25-Brett McDonald[3]; 13. 51L-Brian Lacey[11]; 14. (DNS) 3-Paul Davis
HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds (20 laps): 1. 00-ROB KRISTYAK[2]; 2. 02-Benjamin Easler[3]; 3. 12-JC Boyer[6]; 4. 2-Kole Holden[4]; 5. 60F-Tony Tatgenhorst[12]; 6. 333G-Dalton Gabriel[8]; 7. 57R-Jacob Rutana[5]; 8. 28J-Jacob Jordan[7]; 9. 2LC-Lucas Canon[10]; 10. 59-Bill Cunningham[9]; 11. 59C-Billy Cunningham Jr[14]; 12. 5C-Ayden Cipriano[1]; 13. 1*-Jeff Watson[11]; 14. (DNS) 00K-Jackson Kristyak; 15. (DNS) 46R-Doug Rutana
Whelen Econo Mods (20 laps): 1. 64-JACOB EUCKER[6]; 2. 7G-Garrett Calvert[7]; 3. 83-Jeremy Double[9]; 4. 39-Steve Haefke, Jr.[2]; 5. 2-Scott Burk Jr[8]; 6. 8B-Brian Toto[4]; 7. 56-Bryan Wagner[5]; 8. 4B-Alex Brockway[1]; 9. 27-Nate Arp[3]; 10. 47S-Gary Sullivan[10]; 11. 4RJ-Robert Simmons[11]; 12. 26X-Carter Bidwell[15]; 13. 12-Troy Pinch[20]; 14. 16C-Amelia Clay[12]; 15. 15-Eric Nellis II[17]; 16. 965-Seth Brenot[16]; 17. 35-Rick Wilson Jr[18]; 18. 20-Alex Siekkinen[19]; 19. 89C-Travis Carothers[13]; 20. 55W-Bob Wagner[21]; 21. B4-Buzz Seitz[14]