DAVIS, CHARLIER, HAWKINS, CASWELL, BIDWELL & ARTHUR EARN 1ST SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL WINS OF 2015

By Jim Zufall             

 

May 12, 2015             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Pulaski, PA)…The second weekend of May brought continued warm, summer-like weather, and while most tracks were able to dodge the rain, a couple speedways weren’t so fortunate.  The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series saw six drivers capture their first win of the season, while the Sweeney RUSH Sportsman Modifieds featured a first ever winner on Sunday evening at Sportsman’s Speedway.

 

Freedom Motorsports Park kicked off the 2015 racing season on Friday night.  The night ushered in a new era with Bob Reis taking over the ownership of the Delevan, New York oval.  Taking the opening night win was Bryce Davis in the Carley Collision RUSH Late Models.  Randy Hall finished in the runner up spot as he continues his consistent runs in Terry Suppa’s #4s.  Adam Sixt, Zack Carley and Bob Kish rounded out the top five.  Kish made his debut on the $135 Bilstein sealed, spec shocks.  Racing action returns to Freedom Speedway this Friday night for a regular six-division program.

 

The Bazell/Sunoco Race Fuels Southern Touring Series headed southeast for the much-anticipated “Mid-Atlantic States Classic”. The first night of the doubleheader took place at Potomac Speedway in Mechanicsville, Maryland with a track record 26 competitors from all over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic participating. Northern Pennsylvania driver Max Blair was the class of the field early on setting fast time in Bobby Lake Motorsports qualifying, winning his heat, and the K&N dash to earn the feature pole. 

 

The second half of the race saw Walker Arthur and Blair wage a heated battle for the lead. In the end it was Arthur picking up his first career Potomac win in his first ever RUSH start over Blair, Jason Knowles, Logan Roberson and Rick Singleton. "There were a few times I didn't think I'd be able to catch Max." Arthur stated. "Those double-file starts really seemed to help because I could get alongside him and try to break his rhythm a little and we were able to beat him at the line."

 

The two-night event continued on Saturday at Virginia’s Winchester Speedway where Arthur pulled off the sweep of the weekend by capturing the checkered yet again in the 30-lap feature event.  His second win of the weekend also paid $2,000 to the winner; the same as his Potomac win the previous night, giving him not only his first win at Winchester, but a very lucrative pair of paychecks for the weekend.  

 

Michael Lake, who turned 14 on Monday, grabbed the top spot from the drop of the green.  Lake had his hands full from Blair, Arthur, Tyler Hershey, and Joe Martin.  A late-race caution bunched up the field, which allowed Arthur to roar past both Blair and Lake.  "This car has just been awesome the past two-nights and to win both of these races, I couldn't be happier for this team,” said a jubilant Arthur in victory lane.  The RUSH Late Models return to action at Winchester on Saturday, May 23.

 

At Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pa, no driver in the RUSH Late Models had stood in victory lane other than the #00 car of Josh Holtgraver through the first two events.  That was until Saturday when the bright orange #12 of third generation driver Daryl Charlier showed the way to the finish, besting Holtgraver and the rest of the field for his first win of the season.

 

Although a heat race winner, Holtgraver was relegated to an 11th place starting position due to his previous wins. He managed to pick off every car in the field except for Charlier, who picked up his first win of the new season. The #60C car of Corey McPherson was third, followed by Michael Reft and Justin Lamb rounding out the top five.  A regular four-division Action Event returns this Saturday night at PPMS when all residents of Ohio and West Virginia will be admitted free until 6:45 PM.

 

At Roaring Knob on Saturday it was a familiar car in victory lane as Jerry Hasleu’s #RJ1 parked it on the frontstretch for the second straight week.  This time Jared Hawkins carried Hasleu to victory matching Gary Dalton’s win from the week before.  On April 18 in the Bazell/Sunoco Tour event, Ryan Montgomery finished runner-up to Max Blair in the #RJ1 giving the car three top two finishes in three starts!  Troy Shields was runner-up.  Garrett Paugh was third and now has finished in the top five in all four starts! 

 

It was Dollar Dog Night at Brighton Ontario’s Brighton Speedway Saturday night.  That’s where Belleville, ON driver Charlie Sandercock picked up his first win of the new season, and second overall in the RUSH competition. The sixth starting Sandercock picked his way through traffic and used a couple of mid-race caution periods to get himself alongside leader David McDonald on the lap 10 restart. Sandercock took over the lead on lap 11, and built a substantial space between him and McDonald that was all erased when the yellow flew yet again. Sandercock held the lead for the win despite a last lap restart where he held off eventual runner up Phil Potts. Corey Earl, Steve Baldwin and Caley Weese made up the top five.

 

“We rolled off sixth tonight and just kind of picked our way through. I had 30 laps to get there,” Sandercock said of his race strategy, whose victory came on the Bilstein Shocks, “so we just kind of drove our race and did what we had to do.” Action continues this Saturday at Brighton Speedway as they welcome the Southern Ontario Sprints and hold their fifth annual Chili Contest!

 

Dale Caswell bested a field of 18 RUSH Late Models at Fulton Speedway in Fulton, NY on Saturday night for their second program.  Chris Fleming took an early lead of the 20-lap feature event ahead of a field of drivers including Johnny Hill, Caswell, Jason Occhino and Aron Bachus.  Caswell took over the lead running high on lap nine as Fleming and Hill were racing on the bottom. Caswell set sail from there taking the win by 3.5 seconds over Alan Fink. Hill, Occhino and Fleming were third through fifth. This Saturday, action returns to Fulton with extra attractions being the Small Car and Youth Demo Derbies along with their “World Famous Boat Races.”

 

At Stateline Speedway in Busti, NY, the RUSH Late Models were a part of the card that included a $3,000 to win ULMS Super Late Model event. In the Shults Auto Group RUSH Late Model portion of the evening, Dave Lyon and Jason Genco led the way to the flag stand at the outset of the feature.  After an early caution, Dave Shagla Jr. took the lead for a short time until Genco jumped back in front. Damian Bidwell became the third different driver in just three laps.

 

A nasty lap seven crash saw four cars involved, including the Chad Schauer 28C which got upside down.  After an extended red and yellow flag period, racing resumed with Bidwell holding the lead for the balance of the event for his first RUSH win of 2015.  Genco settled for runner up with Shagla, Lyon and Matt Harvey making up the top five.  Action continues at Stateline Speedway on Saturday with their wildly popular Fan Appreciation Night.

 

Sunday night at Port Colborne, Ontario’s Humberstone Speedway, Jorden Peters got out to a fast start with Dennis Lunger Jr. quickly capturing the second spot. Lunger, the opening night winner, worked his way around Peters on the fifth lap.  Lunger opened up a good lead on the field while Peters and Rob Pietz waged a battle for the runner up spot. Pietz got the advantage late in the race, securing the second spot, but it was a strong Lunger taking his second win in as many weeks, and tied Blair with his third RUSH win of the season. Peters was third followed by Colton Ledingham and Sam Pennacchio. The Southern Ontario Sprints invade Humberstone this Sunday for the John Puhl Memorial. All regular divisions will be on the card as well.

 

Sportsman’s Speedway in Knox, Pa. opened the new season on Sunday night with the first night of Bicknell Racing Products Weekly Series racing for the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.  In the end it was 67-year-old Les Myers taking the inaugural first win for the RUSH Mods at Sportsman’s. Substitute driving for Brandon Richey, who was under the weather, Myers beat out Nick Richey, Justin Shea, Kole Holden, and Jeremy Weaver. Sportsman’s Speedway returns this Sunday with a full Sunday Night Thunder program, as well as a Compact Car Demo Derby.

 

Sharon Speedway, which was slated to host both the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds and the RUSH Late Models, fell to rain on Saturday night.  Eriez Speedway lost its Mother’s Day program on Sunday evening, but will try again this week.  Friday night’s Can-Am Motorsports Park has the RUSH Late Models back on the card as does Orrville, Ohio’s Wayne County Speedway on Saturday night with a special $800 to-win feature along with the winged and non-winged “410” Sprint Cars.

 

On Monday, Merrittville Speedway will hold the first Crate Late Model race in their history as the Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Northern Tour kicks off with a $2,000 to-win event to celebrate Victoria Day along with the DIRTcar “358” Modified Series.

 

RUSH Late Model marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Bazell Race Fuels, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The Brake Man, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Crate Innovations Inc., Velocita-USA, High Gear Speed Shop, CrateInsider.com, B.R.A.K.E.S., RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.

 

RUSH Sportsman Modified marketing partners: Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Bicknell Racing Products, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, VP Racing Fuels, FK Rod Ends, Sherwood Racing Wheels, Velocita-USA, Precise Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, K&N Filters, TBM Brakes, Lincoln Electric, Rocket Racing, and B.R.A.K.E.S.

 

E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at [email protected] and snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. Office phone is 724-964-9300 and fax is 724-964-0604. The RUSH Racing Series website is www.rushracingseries.com. Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.
 

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