HARTFORD, Ohio — Sharon Speedway is preparing for one its biggest races of the 96th anniversary season this Saturday night.
The 17th annual Lou Blaney Memorial will feature the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply 410 Sprint Cars in the region’s richest non-sanctioned sprint car event and the BRP Tour for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds.
The Lou Blaney Memorial celebrates the life and accomplishments of the Hall of Fame driver, who won more than 600 feature victories during a five-decade career. The legend has at least 121 modified wins and another 11 documented in a sprint car at Sharon alone. Blaney passed away in 2009 after battling Alzheimer’s.
Not only does the event focus on remembering the late Lou Blaney, but also honors him by raising funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s and the Alzheimer’s Association.
For the second straight year, the Lou Blaney Memorial for the sprint car boasts a feature payoff $45,750 with $12,000 going to the winner and a whopping $1,200 to-start. It took 10 years, but there was finally a repeat winner for the sprint car portion of the event in 2018, and it was none other than track owner, Dave Blaney.
Blaney then became the event’s only three-time winner when he won last year’s event and abruptly announced his retirement from racing in victory lane.
Tony Stewart, won the inaugural event in 2009. Mike Lutz was the first local winner taking the 2010 version. Texan Sam Hafertepe Jr. won in 2011, while five-time World of Outlaws Champion Brad Sweet was victorious in 2012. Jack Sodeman Jr. became the second local driver to win the prestigious event in 2013, while Dave Blaney won his father’s memorial for the first time in 2014. Another WoO racer in Sheldon Haudenschild won the 2015 event. Pittsburgh’s Danny Holtgraver won the biggest race of his career in 2016. Christopher Bell, who has went on to NASCAR glory, won his first race at the track in 2017. In 2019, Dave’s younger brother Dale captured his first event, while in 2020 year it was Dave’s son-in-law, Cale Conley, winning.
Spencer Bayston became a new winner in 2021 before becoming a national touring driver. Ohio standout Cap Henry etched his name in the history books by winning in 2022. Two-time All Star Champion Tyler Courtney become the 14th different winner in 15 years when he won the 2023 event.
This year, Dale Blaney’s attempt at a second Lou Blaney Memorial victory will come in the Dave Blaney-owned No. 10 as he seeks to give his brother a fourth win in the event as a car owner.
The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds will race in a $2,500 to-win BRP Tour-sanctioned event on August 2. There have been 12 different winners in 16 Lou Blaney Memorial Modified events; however, it has been six years since a local was victorious.
