Sharon Speedway
Zarin burnishing skills, eyeing national tour run
By Kyle McFadden
DirtonDirt staff reporter
Logan Zarin during the 2024 season. (heathlawsonphotos.com)
HARTFORD, Ohio (July 11) — Weekends such as these are important steppingstones for Logan Zarin, the 22-year-old racer who’s already planning for an ambitious 2026 season.
Sharon Speedway and Orrville, Ohio’s Wayne County Speedway give Zarin the opportunity to race on both the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series and DIRTcar Summer Nationals less than 90 minutes from his Hookstown, Pa., home. | RaceWire
That’s a can’t-miss experience for the fourth-year driver targeting first-time nationally touring campaigns either on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series or World of Outlaws next year. Zarin, the current Jay’s Automotive United Late Model Series traveler, is serious when he says he and his family No. 1z team are preparing to follow either the Lucas Oil or WoO tours in 2026.
This year, they’ve splurged on a sparkling new semi truck and stacker trailer. They’ve purchased a fleet of brand-new Longhorn Chassis, have invested more into their engine program and have expanded their racing schedule. All that’s left is gaining experience against national competition at a variety of racetracks.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to do it,” Zarin said of eventually following a national tour. “That’s what we’ve been working up to since the beginning of this. Yeah, just trying to go out there and make a name for myself. Hopefully we can do something when we get there.
“Trying to make a name for myself and do it full time. So yeah, I think this is the next step for us, and we’ll see what we got.”
Though Zarin still searches for his first win of 2024, his six runner-ups and eight total podiums in 19 races this year buoy his hopes. His career-best finish of ninth on the Lucas Oil tour last Saturday at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio, shows that going national tour racing in 2026 isn’t far-fetched either.
“We’re just trying to build a notebook for these cars, see what it likes, what it doesn’t, for all these different tracks we’ll be going to next year,” Zarin said. “Kind of just getting ready. … I just feel like it, (racing on a national tour), makes you so much better of a driver. You’re always racing, and it’s always been a dream of ours to do it. We’re taking this year to build up to it. We’ll go full swing next year to see what we got.”
Like any rookie, Zarin knows he’ll have growing pains. As for most Pennsylvania-based racers, half-miles come naturally. But with that comes a learning curve at bullrings or any track that rewards drivers who can hustle a race car.
“We wanted to branch out as soon as possible because half-miles kind of ruin your driving style, racing those big tracks,” said Zarin, who’s home track is Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. “We started branching out quickly. … Racing a Crate car at Pittsburgh, it kind of ruins you because you have to drive so straight. You’re not used to backing the car in like at a couple of these bullrings we go to. We wanted to travel a lot and not get into the habit of that. My dad (Jim), that’s what he did; race at Pittsburgh full-time and he kind of struggled at other places.
“Yeah, Pittsburgh is always my home track. I do love it there, and it’s nice (the) Lucas (Oil tour) goes there. It’s another reason we like Lucas, because they go to Pittsburgh. We’re just taking it day by day now.”
Zarin would “like to run Lucas Oil because they race a lot of tracks we’ve been to before” such as PPMS, Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., Muskingum County, Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway, Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway and even All-Tech Raceway in Ellisville, Fla. But Zarin is also considering signing the World of Outlaws, too.
“Whatever rookie class seems more doable, that’s what we’ll try to go for,” said Zarin, whose crew consists of crew chief Greg Beach and father, a former Late Model racer.
Because Florida-Georgia Speedweeks are staggered among the national tours next year, with WoO running Jan. 22-Feb. 14 and Lucas Oil going Feb. 19-March 7, he’ll have to see if racing every season-opening wintertime event makes sense.
“We plan on doing all of it. We’re going to play it by ear and we’re going to try and make our decision before we get down there. That’s what I’d like to do. The Lucas Speedweeks, I’ve raced All-Tech before, so I have a little experience there.”
Before Zarin sets his sights on 2026, he’s first trying to keep up with former Lucas Oil campaigner Mason Zeigler in the ULMS points chase. Zeigler currently leads Zarin by 105 points through four of 21 races on the regional tour that visits tracks across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York.
Zarin’s path to the ULMS title would be much smoother if Zeigler wasn’t in the picture, but he’s thankful to compete against the Chalk Hill, Pa., driver on the tour because it makes him better.
“I watch him a lot because obviously he knows what he’s doing,” Zarin said. “I try to watch him a lot on the racetrack, see how he does things different than me and try to learn.”
Zarin’s schedule the remainder of the season includes Aug. 22-23 and Aug. 29-30 weekends on the Lucas Oil tour at Port Royal and Lernerville. He’s also like to make a trip to the Midwest and race at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway and Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway for the first time, even if that means finding a pair of weekly shows at the quarter-mile ovals that’d fit into his schedule.
“They don’t have to be Lucas shows or national shows. We just want to get out there and get used to that kind of dirt,” Zarin said. “I have a lot of people supporting me, but it’s going to take an army to get us up and down the road next year. Always looking for more (partners). We took this year to get the new rig, get the new cars and stuff. Yeah, we’re just building up for it. It’s going to take a lot to do this, getting our motor program right, all that kind of stuff.”
