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DALE BLANEY WINS $12,000 "410" SPRINT CAR THRILLER FOR "LOU BLANEY MEMORIAL" VICTORY #2 AT SHARON; BRP MOD TOUR TO ERICK RUDOLPH FOR HIS 4TH EVENT VICTORY

2026-08-03 22:35

(Hartford, OH)...Despite showers scattered around, Mother Nature gave Sharon Speedway a reprieve on Saturday night allowing the 18th annual "Lou Blaney Memorial" to be completed without a hitch. A large crowd witnessed an action-packed night of tremendous racing as Dale Blaney (Hovis Auto & Truck Supply "410" Sprint Cars presented by Bala Management) and Erick Rudolph (BRP Mod Tour for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big Blocks) celebrated in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Victory Lane. It was Ryan Blaney Family Foundation and Bala Management Night.

Last September, Dale Blaney ended the 2025 season at Sharon by becoming the oldest winner in World of Outlaws Sprint Car history at 61. On Saturday night, Blaney out-dueled 19-year-old, recent Attica Raceway Park World of Outlaws winner, Bryce Lucius, to score the $12,000 "Lou Blaney Memorial" victory for his brother and car owner Dave Blaney. Unlike Dave, who called it a career two years ago in victory lane after winning his third "Lou Blaney Memorial" at the age of 61, Dale wasn't quite ready to hang up the helmet after his second event win at the age of 62. After leading laps 17-28, Blaney got back by Lucius on lap 32 to become the season's fifth different "410" Sprint Car winner in as many events.

"To win this race a second time is pretty damn special," expressed the Hartford, Ohio native. "I'm not going to do what Dave (Blaney) did and be done because we have a couple more races we want to compete in; we'll get after it in a couple weeks. I appreciate everyone coming. My daughter (Leah) is here along with Cale Conley (husband of Emma Blaney), who was won this race and is part of the family. It's great to have them here and the kids."

"He's (Lucius) a really good kid and a great race car driver," stated Blaney. "I got to Nash (Ely) and got stalled and couldn't work the corner up there and was losing ground to him (Lucius). I went to the bottom and Bryce went by and I was like 'I have to do something' so I got my wing back and I think Bryce messed up off (turn) two and let me get a run on him. I was trying to get into the corners as hard as I could and catch the cushion and it worked out."

Lucius, who was making just his second career Sharon start and first since last September's World of Outlaws show, used the outside to power into the early lead in the feature over Zeth Sabo, A.J. Flick, Ricky Peterson, and Blaney. Those five racers would put on quite a show for the fans and those watching on DIRTVision over the 35-lap feature, which would go non-stop in 10:19.539.

Blaney and Peterson battled hard for fourth swapping the spot back and forth numerous times before Blaney got by for good on lap seven. Blaney then put a slider on Flick in turn four two laps later to capture third. Blaney tracked down Sabo and put a similar move on the June 13 Ohio Speedweek All Star Circuit of Champions winner that he did on Peterson and Flick to overtake second on lap 13.

Meanwhile, Lucius was navigating lapped traffic beginning on lap seven and by the time Blaney reached second, he had a half-straightaway lead. That advantage was quickly eroded as it only took Blaney two laps to catch the leader. Blaney once again performed a slider in turn four snatch the lead away from Lucius on lap 17.

Blaney never got much more than a half-straightaway advantage on Lucius, who stayed within striking distance in lapped traffic. Lucius continued to power around the fence and tracked Blaney back down on lap 28. Lucius squeezed by the National Sprint Car Hall of Famer off turn two to regain the lead on lap 29. Blaney though wasn't about to let the race slip away as he made what would be the winning pass on lap 32. Lucius' bid for the $12,000 payday ended when he hit the fence one too many times and slowed coming to the white flag, which allowed Flick to move into second.

Flick made a last ditch effort to get under Blaney in turn four coming to the checkered flag, but came up 0.641 seconds shy. The Blaney Brothers remain the only repeat winners of the Sprint Car portion of the "Lou Blaney Memorial" as they've now won 5 of the 18 events. Dale's 25th career Sharon win came aboard his brother Dave's, Ryan Blaney Family Foundation/Ten Runner Bourbon Whiskey/Liberty Steel Industries-sponsored #10.

Flick earned a season best $4,100 payday for his runner-up finish just one night after trashing his #2 Sprint Car in a wild flip at Lernerville Speedway. In Flick's prior nine races at Sharon since his last win on May 10, 2025, his best finish was a sixth and had failed to qualify for the two of the features. In fact, last year's win and Flick's runner-up on Saturday night are his only top 5 finishes in the last 17 events at Sharon dating back to the 2023 season.

"I can tell you right now this is a win," revealed the 33-year-old Apollo, Pa. driver. "I'm not getting a trophy or a big check, but I think I won the 'Lou Blaney Memorial'. I know how bad my dad wants this win. He raced with Lou; Lou was one of his idols and this race means a lot to me. These guys are no joke here. To even see the tail tank of the 10-car means a lot. We've been struggling and if this track doesn't have bite, I'm out to lunch. I guess that's why you keep racing because if you work hard enough at it, you'll luck into something. Congrats to Dale, Dave, and the entire Blaney Family- I know winning this race is awesome for those guys. The whole Ryan Blaney Family Foundation and all the money they raise; my grandfather on my mother's side passed away from Alzheimer's as well so this is a very special race for me."

The last two laps were beneficial for Peterson, who got by the slowing Lucius on lap 34 for fourth then snuck past Sabo for third on the last lap to earn $2,600. After starting on the pole, Sabo slipped back to fourth at the finish for $1,900 in just his second night behind the wheel of the Rudzik Racing #49x from nearby Struthers, Ohio. Bowser was fifth for $1,600.

Cale Thomas was sixth. Local John Jerich had a solid run going 11th to 7th. Brandon Spithaler was eighth. Greg Wilson went 15th to 9th. Chris Verda was 10th. Jeremy Weaver, who started 19th, came home 11th and earned the hard charger honors. Weaver received $100 cash from Premier Pallet & Recycling along with a $100 Summit Racing Equipment gift card. Dan Kuriger was 13th and received a $300 bonus from Premier Pallet on top of his $1,250 earnings. Thanks to Pete Grove of Premier Pallet & Recycling for adding $1,300 into Saturday's Sprint Car event as drivers finishing 2-9 also received $100.

Blaney set fast time over the 35-car field in qualifying with a lap of 14.001. Heat winners were Spithaler. Thomas, Peterson, and Flick. Leyton Wagner won the last chance B main.

The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds followed up the Sprint Car thriller and put on a tremendous 35-lap BRP Tour feature of their own. Fifth starting Erick Rudolph emerged victorious in a race that had four different leaders and four official lead changes. Rudolph passed Jeremiah Shingledecker on lap 25 and went on for his leading fourth "Lou Blaney Memorial" victory worth $2,500, which have all come in the past seven years.

"This race has always been good to me," acknowledged the 34-year-old Ransomville, NY standout. "I was biding my time for a while. I kind of took it easy and hoped the track would come to me; about halfway through it really started to kick on and the car came alive for me. It seemed like the bottom and middle was the place to be tonight. I have to thank my family for putting up with me being gone and going up and down the roads, but bringing home a win makes it worthwhile. I have a lot of support behind me and grateful I have all the help I need to keep going. It gets tougher and tougher every year, but we'll keep trying to do it."

Shawn Kozar led the first feature laps of his career before Shingledecker took charge on lap three. Shingledecker had his hands full as a hungry pack of racers including Rudolph, Tyler Williard, and Will Thomas III were right there. Thomas started 12th and had the highline working as he raced around Rudolph for third on lap 10 and Willard for second on lap 12. One-lap later, Thomas powered past Shingledecker for the lead on lap 13.

Thomas maintained P1 until lap 21 when it was three-wide for lead as Shingledecker regained the top spot with Rudolph also getting by Thomas for second. Rudolph hounded the 2017 "Lou Blaney Memorial" winner over the ensuing laps before making the winning pass on the 25th circuit. Rudolph led the rest of the way to become the season's third different winner in as many Big-Block Modified races with the eighth victory of his career at Sharon aboard the Motech Ent Inc-owned, Stirling Lubricants/Mohawk Northeast/Highmark of Western New York/Dig Race Products-sponsored #25. Rudolph has now ironically won the "Lou Blaney Memorial" in 2020, 2022, 2024, and now 2026 and becomes the event's top winner amongst both divisions.

Shingledecker, who ended an eight-year winless drought at Sharon by winning the last Big-Block Modified show on June 27, came up 1.627 seconds behind Rudolph. Willard, the Canadian, was third in search of his first career Sharon win. Rex King, Jr., who was the last local to win the "Lou Blaney Memorial" in 2019 was fourth after starting eighth. After going 12th to 1st in the first 13 laps, Thomas faded to fifth at the finish.

Garrett Krummert, who started 11th, was the last car of the top six breakaway from the pack over the second-half of the event and finished sixth. Last year's event winner, Dalton Slack, who won Friday night's BRP Tour show at Lernerville, went 21st to 7th. Karston King was eighth in his Sharon Big-Block Modified debut. Ayden Cipriano went 20th to 9th. Chas Wolbert came back from a spin on lap two to complete the top 10.

Only two cautions slowed the event, which took place on laps two and three, and were in fact the only cautions during the 70 laps of feature racing between the Sprint Cars and Modifieds! Like the Sprint Cars, there were also 35 Big-Block Modifieds in competition. Winning their heat races were Rudolph, Krummert, Shingledecker, and Thomas, while Slack won the last chance B main.

There will be no racing next Saturday (August 8); however, a special midweek show will be held Wednesday, August 13 featuring the Super DIRTcar Series for the Big-Block Modifieds along with the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply "410" Sprint Cars for $4,000 to-win. The event is presented by Capital Renegade Custom Coaches and Trailers. NASCAR star and track co-owner, Ryan Blaney, will be on hand for the event. It'll be the second Menards Giveaway Night. Tickets are available at the following link: https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=WRG_SDW_MPV&orgid=53929&eventid=141581

Hovis Auto & Truck Supply "410" Sprint Cars presented by Bala Management (35 laps, $12,000 to-win): 1. 10-DALE BLANEY[5]; 2. 2-AJ Flick[3]; 3. 98-Ricky Peterson[4]; 4. 49X-Zeth Sabo[1]; 5. 11-Carl Bowser[6]; 6. 45-Cale Thomas[7]; 7. 3-John Jerich[11]; 8. 22-Brandon Spithaler[8]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson[15]; 10. 3V-Chris Verda[9]; 11. 5-Jeremy Weaver[19]; 12. 14-Zane DeVault[16]; 13. 08-Danny Kuriger[10]; 14. 13-Brandon Matus[12]; 15. 10X-Ryan Smith[14]; 16. 20B-Cody Bova[23]; 17. 38-Leyton Wagner[21]; 18. 22E-Nash Ely[13]; 19. 19-Tyler Esh[17]; 20. 3J-Jacob Begenwald[24]; 21. 21S-Bryan Salisbury[18]; 22. 32-Bryce Lucius[2]; 23. 3JT-Trey Jacobs[20]; 24. 21-Carmen Perigo Jr[22].

DNQ for the feature: 29-Logan McCandless, 23JR-Jack Sodeman Jr, 32B-Jeremy Kornbau, 5K-Adam Kekich, 47L-Dusty Larson, 7-Chris Smith, 81-Rayce Jacobs, 70-Henry Malcuit, 33-Brent Matus, 16-Jim Morris, 11J-David Kalb.

BRP Mod Tour for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big Blocks (35 laps, $2,500 to-win): 1. 25-ERICK RUDOLPH[5]; 2. 37MD-Jeremiah Shingledecker[2]; 3. 777-Tyler Willard[6]; 4. 165-Rex King Jr[8]; 5. 9-Will Thomas[12]; 6. 29-Garrett Krummert[11]; 7. 3RS-Dalton Slack[21]; 8. 165K-Karston King[18]; 9. 5C-Ayden Cipriano[20]; 10. C3-Chas Wolbert[16]; 11. 11R-Brad Rapp[19]; 12. 12-JC Boyer[10]; 13. 00K-Jackson Kristyak[7]; 14. 61-Dave Murdick[14]; 15. 3K-Shawn Kozar[1]; 16. 29*-Eric Beggs[4]; 17. 18-Colton Walters[15]; 18. 0055-Rob Kristyak[25]; 19. 60K-Kole Holden[3]; 20. 13-Rick Regalski Jr[24]; 21. 17M-Kyle Fink[22]; 22. B4-Brayden Beatty[17]; 23. 8M-Macey Adamik[13]; 24. X-Jeremy Paup[9]; 25. 32-Jim Rasey[23].

DNQ for the feature: 4. 45-Steve Feder, 86R-Rob Curtis, 21X-Ryan Riffe, 5A-Austin Eyler, 64-Rodney Beltz, 20P-Mike Kinney, 18W-Jeff Walters, 60-Kyle Holden, 57R-Jacob Rutana, 26-Karley Miller.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the 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 known as Twitter) @sharonspdwy.