Story By: MIKE LEONE / SHARON SPEEDWAY – HARTFORD, OH – Sharon Speedway was able to complete its fourth consecutive program during the month of July as sunshine and hot temps greeted race fans and teams on Saturday night for the annual “Bill Kirila Memorial”. Celebrating in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply victory lane for the “Super Series” program presented by Bala Management were Dale Blaney (Hovis Auto & Truck Supply “410” Sprint Cars), Jordan Perkins (Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks), Kole Holden (HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds), and Joe Gabrielson (Whelen Econo Mods presented by Alcon Mechanical). It was Bucks Fabricating and Mark Thomas Ford Night.
Just when it appeared Dale Blaney’s hall of fame career may be coming to a close, the Hartford, Ohio great had a rejuvenating 2023 season aboard Tiger Barris’ #32B winning four features including three at Sharon. This season saw Blaney win at Lernerville giving him victories in 33 of his 35 years of racing “410” Sprint Cars. On Saturday night, Blaney led all 30 laps of the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply feature presented by Bala Management holding off sixth starting Cole Duncan for the $4,000 payday, and became the fourth different winner in four races this season.
“I wasn’t very good getting started but was really good on the long runs,” acknowledged the 60-year-old racer. “I didn’t know where to start and spun really hard and thought he (Cole Duncan) had run. I didn’t get through this corner very good, but I knew I needed to turn and cover that lane or else he was coming by. Cole is a really good race car driver and runs good when the track gets like this. Him and his dad have a real good package, but my car was really good. I thought I got through traffic really good. We came here with a little different setup than we normally do as we were trying something different for dad’s race in three weeks to see if we can learn something and get things better.”
Blaney raced into the lead overtaking pole-sitter Dan Kuriger at the start of the feature. Kuriger held down the runner-up spot until lap 11. Duncan, who considers Sharon one of his favorites tracks, was making his season debut at the Hartford, Ohio oval. Duncan actually fell back to seventh on lap two before cracking the top five on lap three. Duncan then worked his way forward and overtook Kuriger for second on lap 12. Duncan chased Blaney throughout the remainder of the event, but came up 0.453 seconds shy. Blaney’s 21st career Sharon win came in the Barris Truck Service/Barris Supply/Atwell & Perrine Excavating/Top Shelf Trucking/McFarland Lumber-sponsored #32B.
Sixteenth starting Greg Wilson charged to the front and snuck by Dave Blaney on the last lap to finish third for an all Ohio podium! The elder Blaney was fourth after starting 13th. Kuriger dropped to fifth. Central Pa. invader Dylan Cisney was sixth as A.J. Flick, Dan Shetler, Brandon Matus, and Michael Bauer completed the top 10. Flick set fast time overall against the 28-car field in qualifying with a lap of 14.022. Heat winners were Dale Blaney, John Jerich, and Chris Verda, while Bob Felmlee won the last chance B main.
Last season Jordan Perkins captured his first career Sharon victory in the Pro Stocks. On Saturday night, Perkins returned to victory lane a little more than 13 months later for his second career win. Perkins passed 32-time winner Steve D’Apolito for good on lap 16 and led the remaining laps of the 20-lap Gibson Insurance Agency feature to become the third different winner in four races this season.
“Boy that was a heck of a race,” expressed the 33-year-old New Castle, Pa. driver. “Even if I would have finished second I would have been happy the way our year has been and all the more we have gotten to race. I saw Steve (D’Apolito)’s passenger door a couple times. You can’t follow cars so you have to try somewhere else and I put it on the top. There was still some moisture left up there after the Sprints. It was touch and feel up there. We made some changes on the car and found something that worked.”
D’Apolito led the first 10 laps until losing the lead on lap 11 to Perkins. D’Apolito regained the lead on lap 15 hoping to end a long winless drought, but would lose the lead one lap later when Perkins drove on around. Perkins took the checkered flag first by 0.921 seconds over D’Apolito in his US Roll-Offs/Six Packs Bar & Grille/Four Star Pizza of New Castle/Denise Johnson/Stotish Racing Engines/Advance Auto Parts/Green Roof Rentals/Pagley Construction/Brian Watkins Landscaping-sponsored #13J.
Scott Stiffler came back from his opening lap spin to finish third. Seventy-two-year-old Larry Kugel went ninth to fourth to earn the $100 Summit Racing Equipment hard charger gift card. Jason Jones was fifth. Completing the top 10 were Jim Fosnaught, Russ Coyne, Jamie Duncan, Tony Bruno, and Paul Davis. D’Apolito and Davis won the heat races.
After going on a near five-year winless drought in the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds at Sharon until Kole Holden’s victory on June 22, it didn’t take the two-time track champion as long to return to victory lane. Holden passed Rob Kristyak on lap 15 and kept 12th starting Chas Wolbert at bay throughout the final laps of the HTMA/Precise Racing Products feature in a race that had three different leaders and four lead changes. The victory maintained Holden’s lead in RUSH’s $3,500 to-win Weekly Series Championship and also propelled him into the lead of the $1,000 to-win Wedge Motorsports “Route 7 Rumble” Series.
“I knew (Rob) Kristyak would be on the top of the track so it was no surprise when I saw him up there,” explained the 25-year-old Tiona, Pa. resident. “I knew my car was good on the bottom so I just stuck right along the tires the whole race. I just stayed cool, calm, and hit my marks. Fortunately I was able to pull a couple car lengths on him and held on for the win.”
Holden started second and led the opening lap until JC Boyer took a short-lived lead on lap two. Holden regained the lead back on lap three only to lose it on lap six to Kristyak. The sixth starting Kristyak was looking for his second straight lead and held down the top spot until lap 15 when Holden made the winning pass. Holden then outlasted Wolbert, the division’s all-time winningest driver, by 0.788 seconds for his seventh career win in the Dana Holden-owned, Holden Resources/Car-Go Auto Parts/Troyer Dirt Cars/Falconer & Mancross Garage Service/Baker Motorsports-sponsored #2.
Kristyak was third after leading nine laps. Darin Gallagher was fourth as continued his strong runs with his third top four in four starts. Doug Rutana was fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Ayden Cipriano, Boyer, Logen Lockhart, Jacob Jordan, and Jacob Rutana. Heat victors were Doug Rutana and Holden.
Former UMP Modified racer, Joe Gabrielson, captured his second win in three starts since moving to the Econo Mod division. Gabrielson inherited the lead with two laps to in the 20-lap Whelen feature presented by Alcon Mechanical after the top two cars of Coleton Longwell and Andy Buckley tangled. Gabrielson has now finished in the top two spots in his three feature starts this season.
“I like this division as it’s a lot easier to drive these cars with 400 horsepower versus 700 and some that we had in the UMP class,” revealed the 36-year-old Bristolville, Ohio driver. “I know we had some cautions and stuff there. I hate it for my buddy Coleton (Longwell). He was the car to beat, but those restarts are where it really happens on a race track like this. (Andy) Buckley got around him then he ended up getting into him and had to go to the tail, but that’s racing and it happens. We ended up getting the lead and held Jeremy (Double) off. I was worried about Jeremy; he’s the guy to beat in this class.”
Gabrielson crossed the finish line first by 1.344 seconds over Jeremy Double in his Big Ed’s Tire Service/McCool’s Graphics/Wedge Motorsports/MB Customs-sponsored #58 for his 11th career win overall at Sharon for the nine-time UMP Mod winner. Double, who started fifth, has finished in the top four in all four starts this year, but has yet to get to victory lane to become the division’s all-time winner.
Bryan Wagner crossed the finish line in third, but was disqualified for an illegal carburetor, which moved Brendan Warner to a career best Sharon finish of third. Sixteen-year-old Travis Carothers was a career best fourth as Dave Shagla, Jr. completed the top five. Chris Peterson was sixth over Gary Sullivan and Gary Olson. Cameron Nastasi, who has been racing Sprint Cars the last four years, returned to the Econo Mod division on Saturday and finished ninth beating out Longwell by 0.002 seconds to earn the $100 Performance Bodies nosed out contingency gift card. Double, Buckley, and Dennis Lunger, Jr. won the heat races over the 23-car field.
Coming up on Saturday (August 3) will be the return of the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds racing for $2,000 to-win. The Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks will be competing in “Ray’s Race” remembering the late Ray Virgile. The Billy’s Garage RUSH Sprint Cars and the Whelen Econo Mods presented by Alcon Mechanical will also be on the card. Racing will get underway at 7 p.m.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply “410” Sprint Cars presented by Bala Management (30 laps, $4,000 to-win): 1. 32B-DALE BLANEY[2]; 2. 22D-Cole Duncan[6]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson[16]; 4. 10-Dave Blaney[13]; 5. 08-Danny Kuriger[1]; 6. 5C-Dylan Cisney[8]; 7. 2-AJ Flick[7]; 8. 29-Dan Shetler[12]; 9. 13-Brandon Matus[3]; 10. 46-Michael Bauer[11]; 11. 3V-Chris Verda[5]; 12. 40-George Hobaugh Jr[21]; 13. 11J-David Kalb[9]; 14. 6-Bob Felmlee[19]; 15. 33H-Derek Hauck[14]; 16. 5K-Adam Kekich[20]; 17. 21-Bryan Salisbury[22]; 18. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer[17]; 19. 47L-Dusty Larson[18]; 20. 11M-Nathen McDowell[23]; 21. 4W-Eric L Williams[24]; 22. 11-Carl Bowser[10]; 23. 33-Brent Matus[15]; 24. 3-John Jerich[4]. DNQ: Natalie Brannon (8), Louie Mattes IV (m4), Jon Carpenter (22), Bodey McClintock (19M).
Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks (20 laps): 1. 13J-JORDAN PERKINS[3]; 2. 84-Steve D’Apolito[1]; 3. 14-Scott Stiffler[4]; 4. 0-Larry Kugel[9]; 5. 81J-Jason Jones[5]; 6. 20-Jim Fosnaught[7]; 7. 8C-Russ Coyne[8]; 8. 67J-Jamie Duncan[10]; 9. 97-Tony Bruno[12]; 10. 3-Paul Davis[2]; 11. 12M-Scott Malone[6]; 12. 1-Jethro Gibbs[14]; 13. 8-Jonathan Davis[11]; 14. 21-Troy DeZarn[13].
HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds (20 laps): 1. 2-KOLE HOLDEN[2]; 2. C3-Chas Wolbert[12]; 3. 00-Rob Kristyak[6]; 4. 23-Darin Gallagher[5]; 5. 46R-Doug Rutana[3]; 6. 5C-Ayden Cipriano[10]; 7. 12-JC Boyer[1]; 8. 58-Logen Lockhart[8]; 9. 28J-Jacob Jordan[4]; 10. 57R-Jacob Rutana[7]; 11. 165K-Karston King[14]; 12. 10-Chelsie Gallagher[11]; 13. 333G-Todd Gabriel[16]; 14. 2LC-Lucas Canon[9]; 15. 00K-Jackson Kristyak[13]. DNS: N2O-Brandon Tercho.
Whelen Econo Mods presented by Alcon Mechanical (20 laps): 1. 58-JOE GABRIELSON[3]; 2. 83-Jeremy Double[5]; 3. 12*-Brendan Warner[2]; 4. 89C-Travis Carothers[15]; 5. 6-Dave Shagla Jr[8]; 6. 25-Chris Peterson[7]; 7. 47S-Gary Sullivan[11]; 8. 23-Gary Olson[16]; 9. 99-Cameron Nastasi[20]; 10. 7-Coleton Longwell[1]; 11. 12-Troy Pinch[18]; 12. 15-Eric Nellis II[22]; 13. 24-Mike Bihler[21]; 14. 965-Andy Buckley[4]; 15. 71L-Dennis Lunger Jr[12]; 16. B1-Buzz Seitz[9]; 17. 17-Dennis Dellinger[14]; 18. 35-Rick Wilson Jr[23]; 19. 36-Cody Stronghart[10]; 20. 16C-Amelia Clay[13]; 21. 44R-Gary Robinson[17]; 22. T4-Travis Lueckert[19]; 23. 56-Bryan Wagner[6]-DSQ (carburetor).