Sharon Speedway
Rain-dodging Stile gets Fastrak win at Sharon
By Mike Leone
Fastrak Racing SeriesHARTFORD, Ohio (July 21) — Sammy Stile of Charleroi, Pa., found a good way to spend his Saturday night after plans to race his Super Late Model at Hesston Speedway were washed out by rain.
The veteran racer decided to load up his Crate Late Model and head to Sharon Speedway to compete in the 3/8-mile oval’s Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Fastrak Northeast Series event.
The decision paid off as Stile overtook Dan Angelicchio of Greensburg, Pa., on a lap-17 restart in the 30-lap race and later held off a furious charge from 10th-starting Matt Latta of Conneaut Lake, Pa., to earn a $2,000 victory in his first race at Sharon since 1995, when the track was still a half-mile oval.
"It was fun," Stile, 41 said of just his second series appearance of the season. "I was heading to Hesston, but they rained out at noon. This car has been sitting since the first show. I had it ready and we decided to bring it up. Things just fell into place.
“These guys are all tough. This is a great facility and nice crowd! This is my first time being here since 1995 when I ran on the old half-mile. I just spent $2,000 for tires on my Super Late so this helps out.”
Latta finished second with Chad Ruhlman of Bemus Point, N.Y., third. Angelicchio and series points leader Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., rounded out the top five.
Rookie Paul Jablonski, of Carnegie, Pa., was the night’s other big winner. Making his first-ever series start and first ever appearance at Sharon, Jablonski didn’t qualifying for the main event, but won a drawing for a free GM 604 Crate Engine from Sweeney Chevrolet.
The Fastrak Northeast Series returns to action Aug. 11 with the $3,000-to-win Empire State Classic at Black Rock Speedway in Dundee, N.Y.
Fastrak @ Sharon: (1) Sammy Stile, (2) Matt Latta, (3) Chad Ruhlman, (4) Dan Angelicchio, (5) Max Blair, (6) Will Thomas, (7) Andrew Satterlee, (8) Shane Weaver, (9) Butch Lambert, (10) Lauren Longbrake, (11) Rocky Kugel, (12) Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr., (13.) Justin Tatlow (14.)Brad Kling, (15) Brian Booher, (16) Eric Wilson, (17) Wayne Robertson, (18) Josh Double, (19) Bobby Rohrer, (20) Mike Pegher, Jr., (21) Bobby Whitling, (22) Chad Wright, (23) Joe Martin, (24.) Andrew Wylie, (25) Ryan Montgomery, (26) John Over. Heat race winners (among 42 cars): Satterlee, Whitling, Thomas, Stile, Double. Consolation race winners: Wylie, Pegher. Dash winner: Angelicchio. Provisional starters: Kling, Booher. Non-qualifiers race winner: Bobby Piefer.
