By Mike Leone
June 3, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Hartford, OH)…After finally completing the 97th anniversary season opener last Saturday, Sharon Speedway will try to complete a second consecutive program this Saturday night (June 6). The big five-division “Steel Valley Thunder” show will feature the RUSH Late Model Touring Series presented by Kuhnle Motorsports Park along with the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Modifieds presented by A&MP Electric, Gibson Insurance Agency RUSH Sprint Cars, Alcon Mechanical Econo Mods and the Gibson Insurance Agency Crown Vics. Warmups will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing. It’s Holbrook Sewer & Excavating Night.
Saturday is Teacher Appreciation Night with FREE general admission for teachers, school administrators, school counselors, teacher aides, and school staff! Big Ed’s Tire Service will be giving away two children’s bikes and two scooters to lucky children on Saturday night.
The Willy’s World Kids Club presented by Millcraft Barns will include games and sensory friendly crafts and will open when the general admission gates open at 5 p.m. RUSH Late Model racers, Ben Easler and Christian Schneider, 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.
The cars and stars of the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series will make their first visit to Sharon in nearly four years! Drivers from all over New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Michigan will travel in to compete on neutral grounds on the 3/8-mile red clay surface in the $4,000 to-win event presented by Kuhnle Motorsports Park of Thompson, Ohio.
The RUSH Late Model Tour has fought weather challenges all year and have only completed two events with 2021 Series Champion, Kyle Hardy, victorious at Georgetown Speedway and five-time Series Champion, Jeremy Wonderling, capturing the Eriez Speedway show. Wonderling currently leads the $20,000 to-win points by 10 over Demetrios Drellos, who is in search of his first Series win. Sitting third is Kurt Stebbins, who leads the 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year standings. Completing the top 10 in points are Daryl Charlier, Austin Allen, Ben Easler, Zack Carley, Jason Knowles, Bill Holmes III and Brodie Oravetz.
Joe Martin has a pair of RUSH Late Model Tour victories at Sharon including the last two events. Other two-time Touring Series winners at Sharon include Max Blair and Ryan Montgomery, while Will Thomas III, Mike Pegher, Jr., Matt Latta, Chub Frank, Rick Singleton, and Russell King have also been victorious.
Thomas, who joined Dave and Ryan Blaney as part of the new Sharon Speedway ownership group in 2025, ironically leads the Crate Late Model division’s all-time win list at the track with 15 victories. Thomas was also the 2012 and 2014 track champion. There have been 87 races run all-time at Sharon with 24 different winners. Latta, who owns four wins at Sharon including the April 16, 2016 RUSH Tour victory, presents the $3,000 Rookie-of-the-Year award for RUSH through his 3C Graphix company.
Kuhnle Motorsports Park, formerly Thompson Drag Raceway, has been an Ohio racing landmark since 1960. Kuhnle Motorsports Park is NHRA-sanctioned and delivers nonstop action with bracket racing, grudge nights, semi drags, tractor pulls, nostalgia shows, karting, autocross, festivals, and more. Kuhnle Motorsports Park is proud to host the annual ” Semi Stampede”, Ohio’s only Quebec-style Uphill, loaded and bobtail semi truck drag racing event which will take place June 26-28, along with the “Fall Brawl” which will be held September 25-27. For more information, check out http://www.kuhnlemotorsports.com and like their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/KuhnleMotorsportsPark
The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Mods are slated for what will now be their first of 11 visits during 2026. Special thanks to A&MP Electric, Holbrook Sewer & Excavating, and Wedge Motorsports for their support of the UMP Modified division. Saturday’s event will pay $1,000 to-win, $100 to-start and is also part of the Local’s Cup program.
Last season saw Ty Rhoades and Zain Harvey victorious in UMP Mod action. For Rhoades, it was his fourth career win in the division, while Harvey’s was his first at Sharon. There have been 337 races run all-time at Sharon for the UMP Mod division with 64 different winners. Alan Dellinger sits atop the all-time win list with 87 victories over Joel Watson, who is still active in the class. Scott Stiffler, who in recent years has competed in the Pro Stock division, has 20 victories as Jeff Johnson (18) and Russ Dunn (13) complete the top five. After Watson, the next active UMP Mod winner is Joe Gabrielson with nine victories.
After three prior rainouts, the Gibson Insurance Agency RUSH Sprint Cars will look to get their season underway on Saturday. The non-wing Chevrolet Performance crate engine powered cars are in their ninth year of racing and have completed 42 events all-time at Sharon with 15 different winners.
Retired racer Chad Ruhlman, a five-time Series Champion, leads the way with 14 RUSH Sprint Car victories at Sharon. All eight of John Mollick’s wins in the division at Sharon have come over the last two years. Blaze Myers sits third on the win list with four victories. Myers is the defending $5,000 Rustler Sales & Service Weekly Series Champion. Myers and Mollick have both won a pair of events on the circuit this season, while Ruth also has a win in his return to racing after a broken collarbone sidelined him for the second half of 2025.
The Alcon Mechanical Econo Mods will be starting their 17th year as a regular division at Sharon, and typically average around a full field of cars. One-hundred seventy-three races have been run all-time with 40 different winners. Jeremy Double overtook Brandon Blackshear in 2024 as the division’s all-time winner at 22; however, was shutout of victory lane in 2025. Jacob Eucker is the next active driver with 16 wins, but hasn’t won since August 5, 2023.
Rounding out the five-division program on Saturday night will be the Gibson Insurance Agency Crown Vic division. The division has exploded in popularity throughout the nation in recent years. The Crown Vics made their season debut last Saturday night with a record 19-car field as Brad Shaffer scored the victory. 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.
Summit Racing Equipment will present the hard charger award on Saturday night to the UMP Mods. 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.
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
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 13) will see Ohio Sprint Speedweek make a stop at Sharon in a $7,500 to-win event for the All Star Circuit of Champions. The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Mods will also be on the card. It’ll be A&MP Electric Night.
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 http://www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @sharonspdwy.
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