By: Mike Leone

(Hartford, OH) Sharon Speedway hosted the annual “Apple Festival Nationals” on a chilly gall weekend. Friday featured preliminary events on a dreary night with drizzle falling throughout much of the late afternoon and evening, while Saturday brought clear and cool skies. A season-high 163 cars participated in the successful event.

Ricky Richner has been making the long drive down to Sharon Speedway every week this season from his home in Niagara Falls, New York. He’s been close to victory on several occasions this year including a few weeks ago when Rex King, Jr. stole one away from him in lapped traffic at the finish line. On Saturday night, the DIRTcar “358” Modified standout picked a perfect night for his first career Sharon win capturing the 35-lap $3,500 to win “Russ King Memorial” BRP Tour Governor Insurance Agency big-block win.

“I knew I had a good tire right from the start,” explained the 53-year-old veteran. “I knew Rex was getting slow at the end and we were getting faster on the outside. They started bumping and banging so I figured I’d let them settle their differences and then get after them. We usually run 35 laps at Ransomville (Speedway) so we’re used to that. It was a great race. We’ve been coming a long ways every Saturday and finally got one. I have to thank my entire crew and all my sponsors.”

Even though Richner started from the pole, it was fellow “358” racer Eric Gabany leading the opening lap. Following a caution for Carl Murdick, King passed both Richner and Gabany for the lead on lap two as Jeremiah Shingledecker, Tom Glenn and Dave Murdick were all able to get by Richner for third, fourth, and fifth respectively.

Shingledecker, who started sixth and won his first Sharon feature of the season last week, looked strong again as he passed Gabany for second on lap four, but following a restart on lpa six lost second and third to Gabany and Murdick. Shingledecker would then spin in turn four on lap seven collecting four other racers and ended his night.

Back under green, Murdick passed Gabany for second. Richner got himself back in contention when he passed Gabany for third on lap nine. Murdick closed in on King on lap 10 and then by lap 17 Richner joined in making it a three-car race for the lead. Lapped traffic came into play on lap 19 as action really heated up. Richner was able to make the move on Murdick for second on lap 20.

One more caution slowed the event with 35 laps scored setting up a 10-lap shoot-out to the finish. Richner hounded King every lap and eventually found a nice line on the top in turns one and two. Lap after lap Richner would get closer and closer and finally had enough momentum to make the pass stick racing off the outside of turn four on lap 33. Richner led the final three laps in his Jetport Restaurant/Lazy Lakes Camping Resort-sponsored #26 to hold off King by 0.928. Richner becomes the 15th different winner in the 28 “Russ King Memorial” events.

King missed out on his first win in the event as he had to settle for second. Gabany matched his best career Sharon finish from May 4 in third. BRP Tour point leader, Chad

Brachmann was fourth after starting 11th leading a trio of New York racers across the line as 17th starting Randy Chrysler was fifth and Justin Wright sixth. Rounding out the top 10 were Jim Weller, Jr., Kevin Hoffman, 26th starting Chris Haines and 22nd starting Bob Warren. Richner, Weller, and Dave Murdick won the heat races over the 30-car field, while Carl Murdick won the B main. Wright set fast time on Friday with a 16.476.

Feature Finish: Ricky Richner, Rex King, Jr., Eric Gabany, Chad Brachmann, Randy Chrysler, Justin Wright, Jim Weller, Jr., Kevin Hoffman, Chris Haines, Bob Warren, Joe Kubiniec, Steve Barr, Mike Turner, Rick Regalski, Mark Frankhouser, Dave Murdick, Brad Rapp, Tom Glenn, Erik Martin, Don Brown, Rob Kristyak, Rick Ryder, Jeremiah Shingledecker, Steve Feder, Tom Mattocks, Carl Murdick, Roger Chrysler, Dillon Barr, DNS: Rex King, Sr., Ralph McBride.