HARTFORD, Ohio -- Although denied a Buckeye Cup victory in April as the result of a last-ditch effort maneuver by Lane Racing’s Cap Henry, the “Myerstown Missile” Brent Marks found $6,000 worth of redemption Friday night in Sharon Speedway’s Sharon Nationals opener, securing not only his first-ever Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 victory at the Hartford, Ohio, oval, but simultaneously securing his fourth Series victory of the season, bumping his career total to eight in the process. The 2022 Dean Knittel Memorial champion, a $20,554 All Star triumph at Portsmouth Raceway Park, commenced his winning charge from the front row, taking command from Bill Balog on lap eight and never looking back.

Although solidly in command for over half of the 30-lap program, Marks’ crusade to the top of the podium did not come without challenges. In fact, Marks was forced to fend off two of the best in the business including National Sprint Car Hall of Famer, Dale Blaney, as well as defending All Star champion and current point leader, Tyler Courney. Blaney was the first to apply pressure, keeping tabs on the Murray-Marks Motorsports No. 19M following a caution on lap 11. Despite all attempts, Marks eventually escaped Blaney’s grip, utilizing a lapped car as a pick to keep the Hall of Famer at bay.

Courtney slipped by Blaney for second on lap 23 and then proceeded to track down Marks. To Courtney’s dismay, time ran out, forced to take a backseat to the former Outlaw followed by Bill Balog, Blaney, and Hunter Schuerenberg.

“I knew it had to be close,” Brent Marks expressed in Sharon Speedway victory lane. “We had one heck of a night. Forced to bounce back after a crash during qualifying, the guys busted their butts to get us back out there for the heat race. The driveline was still bent after the heat, so we had to come back and replace that. I’m just so thankful for them to work their butts off to get us back to where we are now.

“With so much going on, we really didn’t get a chance to analyze any setups,” Marks continued. “It wasn’t until after the dash that we got a chance to kinda sit down and discuss our approach. Even at that point, we were still kinda guessing on what this thing needed.”

Sharon Speedway’s Sharon Nationals will continue Saturday, September 3, with the Lou Blaney Memorial, commemorating the life and achievements of National Sprint Car Hall of Famer, Lou Blaney, as well as feature the All Stars at Sharon Speedway for the final time this season.

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