HARTFORD, Ohio — Sharon Speedway completed the two-night fifth annual “Steel Valley Pro Stock Nationals” on Saturday night, with Jason Fosnaught and Chris Schneider making it to victory lane.
Fosnaught and Schneider triumphed in the Homak Penn-Ohio Championship Series for the Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stocks, while Bud Watson stole the show in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Modifieds presented by A&MP Electric.
A total of 79 cars were in the pits for the two-day show.
Fosnaught passed Shaun Hooks on lap two and kept Hunter Exley at bay to win the first 35-lap Gibson Insurance Agency Pro Stock feature by a margin of 0.500 seconds. Fosnaught ended a five-year victory drought at Sharon with just his second career win as his first came on June 30, 2018.
Fosnaught earned a career best $3,500, which came in his B.T. Truck & Auto Service-sponsored No. J19 entry.
“After losing heat races to guys running the outside and watching the E-Mod races, I rethought my decision to not run the outside,” Fosnaught said. “Hunter (Exley) and I have become more friendly over the years. Him and I tied for the Penn-Ohio Championship in 2019 and it seems like when we’re good, they’re good and when something bad happens, it happens to both of us.
“He rolled over his sprint car earlier this year and I rolled over my E-Mod the same night — we’re connected somehow and as much as I’d like to see him win we’re going to take this one. This car wasn’t even together yesterday morning. We were putting the spoiler and decals on around 11 a.m. We loaded up and got here.
“We were good in the heat race both nights and led laps last night so I knew we had the right car.”
Exley passed Hooks on lap 11 and went on to finish a season best second.Â
Cody Koteles was third for his best career Sharon finish.Â
Tim Bish, who is this season’s only repeat pro stock winner, raced from 10th to fourth. Hooks dropped to fifth at the finish. Rounding out the top 10 were Brett Hutira, Scott Stiffler, Jackson Humanic, Josh Seippel and Jake Dietz.Â
Schneider always has a knack for winning big races throughout the region.
On Saturday night in the second 35-lap Gibson Insurance Agency feature, Schneider became the second repeat winner of the “Steel Valley Pro Stock Nationals.” Schneider passed Andrew Gordon on lap 29 for the lead. Schneider then fended off Curt J. Bish, the event’s only other repeat winner, on a late race restart and pulled away to win by 2.577 seconds.
Schneider became the season’s sixth different winner in seven races as his 18th career win came in his No. 55 entry.
“She was on a rail and dialed in,” Schneider said.  “I really didn’t even have to steer — just drive around. I had to be patient and bide my time. I knew my car was pretty much good everywhere. Earlier on I may have been a little slow, but once we got heat in the tires she started rolling. I didn’t want to see that last caution. I was leery where I wanted to restart at.
“Jotham (Curt J. Bish) is like the best restart’er in western Pa. so I was really nervous. Â My crew was telling me low, but I had already chosen the outside and there’s grip up there. All we really did was change gear on the car and didn’t adjust anything so we didn’t have to work a whole lot. These are the same tires from last night’s feature on the car.”
Bish, who won the 2019 and 2022 events for $10,000, settled for second.Â
Brett McDonald had a career best Sharon run in third as Bobby Whitling and Jonathan Davis completed the first five. Sixth through 10th were Rod Laskey, Benny Gordon, Nick Kocuba, Andy Buckley and Trevor McCann.
Pro Stock Feature 1 Results (35 Laps)
1. J19-JASON FOSNAUGHT[2]; 2. 23HJR-Hunter Exley[3]; 3. 1K-Cody Koteles[5]; 4. 11B-Tim Bish[10]; 5. 23-Shaun Hooks[1]; 6. 4-Brett Hutira[8]; 7. 14-Scott Stiffler[20]; 8. 17-Jackson Humanic[9]; 9. 84S-Josh Seippel[4]; 10. 27-Jacob Dietz[12]; 11. 94B-David Baker[11]; 12. 8C-Russ Coyne[18]; 13. 55C-Brandon Connor[7]; 14. 11S-Jamie Scharba[24]; 15. 05-Ed Bolyard II[16]; 16. 12M-Scott Malone[15]; 17. 49-Kole Stelmack[14]; 18. 77-Rusty Wheeler[21]; 19. 77H-Heath Close[19]; 20. 11T-Randy Wyant[6]; 21. 61M-Charlie McMillen[17]; 22. 04-Joe Stajnrajh[13]. DNS: Chase Lambert (22), Chris Withers (21W), Tyler Wyant (24).
Pro Stock Feature 2 Results (35 Laps)
1. 55-CHRIS SCHNEIDER[5]; 2. 29-Curt J Bish[4]; 3. 25M-Brett McDonald[3]; 4. 7W-Bobby Whitling[7]; 5. 8-Jonathan Davis[9]; 6. 1R-Rod Laskey[11]; 7. 66-Benjamin Gordon[8]; 8. 10-Nick Kocuba[10]; 9. 965-Andy Buckley[12]; 10. 12T-Trevor McCann[24]; 11. 67J-Rocky Kugel[13]; 12. 310-Dale Tuche[18]; 13. 7B-Matt Bernard[22]; 14. 39B-Joshua Blum[21]; 15. 25-Andrew Gordon[1]; 16. 63-Chris McGuire[6]; 17. 13J-Jordan Perkins[2]; 18. 51-Michael Miller[16]; 19. 26-Mike Bordt[17]; 20. 44-Jacob Wheeler[20]; 21. 28-Kyle Deneen[14]; 22. 50-Ron Boardman[25]; 23. 81J-Jason Jones[19]. DNS: Steve D’Apolito (84), Marty Spade (18S).
UMP Modifieds Feature Results (20 Laps)
1. 225-BUD WATSON[1]; 2. 77-George Dixon[5]; 3. 42-Nate Young[4]; 4. 49-Brian Ruhlman[12]; 5. 07R-Brent Rhebergen[8]; 6. 11M-Mike McGee[7]; 7. 67-Jack Young[2]; 8. 92-Joel Watson[15]; 9. 58-Joe Gabrielson[10]; 10. 77D-Dustin DeMattia[17]; 11. 9T-Mason Canter[20]; 12. M20-Mike Potosky[18]; 13. 17-Jason Gracey[19]; 14. 17G-Brandon Grossman[24]; 15. 4J-Jim Plance[23]; 16. 32-Alan Atkinson[21]; 17. 16C-Amelia Clay[22]; 18. 71D-Dan Davies[9]; 19. 71C-Chris Basich[6]; 20. 311-Kyle Adkins[3]; 21. 12R-Ty Rhoades[11]; 22. 83-Jeremy Double[14]; 23. 6-Chad Wright[16]. DNS: Mason Lobb (28). DNQ: Eric Nellis II (15), Keith Felicetty (98), Jeremy Holbrook (51), Gary Olson (23), Brian Pyler (18P).