HARTFORD, Ohio — After some early morning rain, the skies cleared and turned into a beautiful day at Sharon Speedway for the rescheduled 16th annual “Lou Blaney Memorial” on Saturday night. The event got underway on Aug. 17 until rain overspread the area after Sprint Car qualifying.
On that night, Ryan Blaney was on hand to remember his grandfather, raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association and celebrate his 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship. While Ryan was unable to return on Saturday, fans packed the grandstands for the largest crowd of the season outside of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car event. Sixty-nine race cars were on hand for the two-division show as Dave Blaney (“410” Sprint Cars) and Erick Rudolph (BRP Big-Block Modified Tour) celebrated in Victory Lane.
There’s no better way to go out in sports than doing it on top and on Saturday night Dave Blaney decided the time was right. The National Sprint Car Hall of Famer regained the lead back from Ryan Smith on lap eight then held off a last lap charge by central Pennsylvania standout Danny Dietrich to win the 30-lap “Lou Blaney Memorial” for the third time. In the 16-year history, Blaney is the only Sprint Car driver to win the event more than once and Saturday night’s sendoff in memory of his father was worth $12,000 for the 95-time World of Outlaws winner and 1995 champion, who began his career in 1981.
Blaney also won the event in 2014 and became the first repeat winner in 2018. “This is big,” expressed the emotional 61-year-old Hartford, Ohio, native. “This is a race Dale (Blaney) and I try to win every year.
To beat that guy (Danny Dietrich) in my last race...
because I’m officially done right now — there’s no better way to retire than to win this one.” “It was a great race,” added Blaney. “I don’t think I was the fastest car by any means.
The 6 (Smith) had trouble and the 48 (Dietrich) was all over me, but we hung on. I tried to protect and saw where Danny was getting his runs from. You don’t think too much and run as hard as you can and hope you don’t give him a lane to drive up in front of you.
I can’t believe we did it. This is awesome. Thank you to everyone for coming out.
” Blaney drew the pole for the feature and took off in the lead over Smith and fellow National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Tim Shaffer. Brandon Spithaler had the top working going sixth to fourth on the opening lap then drove around Shaffer for third. Smith found the topside to his liking as he made the pass of Blaney off turn two to lead lap three.
By lap four, the lead trio of Smith, Blaney, and Spithaler pulled away from the pack until a caution for Greg Wilson with four laps scored. Wilson had charged from 20th to 12th before clipping an infield tire and knocking the front end out. Back under green, eyes shifted to northern Ohio standout Cap Henry.
Henry started seventh and moved into the top five on lap five then drove under Shaffer for fourth on lap six. Back up front, Smith was setting a good pace. Smith, who won the $4,000 Western Pa.
Speedweek event on June 1 at Sharon, was trying for a payoff of three times that for the central Pa. based BJD Motorsports team. Smith though got into the turn four fence on lap eight allowing Blaney to regain the lead.
Spithaler then passed Smith for second on lap 10 before a caution for Logan McCandless. Under caution Smith had to pit with a flat tire. Henry and Dietrich were swapping fourth place back and forth with Dietrich getting the spot before the caution then inherited third when Smith exited.
When racing resumed on lap 11, Henry regained third. By the halfway point, the top three of Blaney, Spithaler, and Henry opened up ground on the rest of the field. Henry snuck under and past Spithaler for second on lap 18 with Dietrich following in third one lap later.
Spithaler got into the fence and slowed with a flat tire to bring out the event’s final caution with 19 laps scored. When green replaced yellow on lap 20, Dietrich passed Henry once again- this time for second, and two laps later lost third to Cale Thomas. With five laps to go, Dietrich closed in on Blaney.
The two raced side-by-side in turns three and four for several laps. On the final lap, Blaney ducked low in lapped traffic opening up the top lane for Dietrich. Blaney took his Ryan Blaney Family Foundation/DRE Custom Trailers-sponsored No.
10 car to his 38th career Sharon victory by 0.519 seconds. Blaney also became the season’s fifth different winner in five “410” Sprint Car races.
Dietrich, who won the $5,000 Ohio Speedweek show on June 12, settled for the $4,000 runner-up spot. Rudolph joined Dave Blaney as a three-time winner of the “Lou Blaney Memorial” on the Big-Block Modified side. The New York standout capped off his third straight BRP Tour championship and fifth of his career by passing Mike Kinney on lap 15 to capture the victory in the 35-lap feature worth $2,500.
It was also Rudolph’s third Sharon win of the season as he won in all three appearances worth a total of $6,500. Visit for full press release. .
.. The final event of the season is Saturday at Sharon Speedway — the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series for $12,000 to-win.
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