EATON WINS 1ST ON THE BILSTEIN BANDITS SHOCKS AT WINCHESTER ; MOLLICK, MARKHAM, DUBOIS, BIDWELL & LEDINGHAM ALSO WIN SEASON'S 1ST SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL RACES

By Jim Zufall & Mike Leone

 

June 14, 2016            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Pulaski, PA)…For the first time this season, a weekend of great weather was on tap for the family of tracks in the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance as all of the scheduled events were able to be completed!  Six drivers picked up their first Sweeney RUSH Late Model wins of the season, while there was also a new winner in both the RUSH Sportsman Modified and RUSH Pro Mod events! 

 

The weekend started early on Thursday night at McKean County Raceway for the East Smethport, Pa's make-up event from the prior week.  Jeremy Wonderling led the field to green in the RUSH Late Model feature.  Through a few caution periods that saw a lead change to John Waters, Max Blair was charging from his ninth place starting spot and carving his way to the front. With five laps remaining and Blair up to second, Waters tangled with the lapped car of Josh Ayers.  Waters limped to the pits handing the lead to Blair who made history with his 200th career overall win. Following Blair to the finish were Damian Bidwell, Jeremy Wonderling, Eric Wilson and Mikey Wonderling.

 

“Every one of my wins is special to me,” stated Blair.  Then he used the opportunity to mention his dad.  “I hope I can be half as good as he is. Without him I’d have nothing”. Many of Blair’s 200 wins came at McKean County Raceway with him noting that he always enjoys racing there. McKean’s next “Thursday Night Thunder” race program will be on June 30.

 

Current Sweeney Weekly Series point leader, John Water,s started up front in the 20-lap feature event on Friday night at Dundee, New York’s Outlaw Speedway.  Waters would go on to lead every lap of the event, beating out the likes of Jason Knowles Wayne Robertson, Brian Knowles and Frank Guererri Jr.  It was a good rebound from losing a heartbreaker on Thursday night at McKean.  The victory was Waters' third overall of the season.  Outlaw’s next event is their Mid-Season Championship this Friday (June 17).

 

Friday night at Potomac Speedway in Budds Creek, MD, John Imler redrew for the pole position in the 25-lap feature event.  He would go on to hold the top spot for the entirety of the race to score his second win of the 2016 campaign. Not the easiest of tasks though as Darin Henderson remained in Imler’s rear-view for most of the feature. "What a race!" Exclaimed Imler as he stood in Potomac's victory lane. "This is the first time my wife has been able to see me win in the crate car and I was glad she was here to see it." Henderson settled for runner up while Logan Roberson took third with 14th starting David Williams and Jeff Pilkerton completing the top-five.  The RUSH Late Models return to Potomac on Sunday, July 3 for a special holiday show.

 

Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Ben Policz led the field to green in the Precise Racing Products RUSH Late Model feature. Outside pole sitter Brandon Burgoon would take the early lead. Policz and Burgoon traded the top spot again on lap seven. Sixth starting John Mollick would use a lap 10 restart to improve his position to second to battle Policz for the lead.  Once again a caution period benefited Mollick as he powered by the #14B of Policz.  Mollick went on to score his first career win in a RUSH Late Model.  The rest of the top five included Policz, Daryl Charlier (from 12th), Justin Lamb (from 11th) and Point leader Kyle Lukon.  Next week at PPMS will be a special winged sprint car show with the best sprint car drivers in the area battling on the big half-mile along with the five regular divisions.

 

Saturday at Winchester Speedway, former Limited Late Model champ Kris Eaton took the win in the 20-lap feature event for the RUSH Late Models.  The win came on the $135 sealed, spec Bilstein Shocks as Eaton is going after the $5,000 "Bilstein Bandits" title.  Matt Hill took the early lead with Eaton just behind.  Eaton took the top position on the 16th lap and held on for the win. Hill was a close second with Darin Henderson, Logan Roberson and Dave Friedrich completing the top-five. The RUSH Late Models return to Winchester Speedway this Saturday (June 18).

 

Jason Genco took an early lead in the RUSH Late Model feature at Stateline Speedway in Busti, NY on Saturday night.  And while Genco led for the entire feature, the racing behind him was a great show with Andy Boozel, Darrell Bossard, Damian Bidwell, Scott Gurdak and Max Blair trading spots and competing for position for the duration of the race. In the end it was Genco with the win. Bossard settled for second with Dave Lyon, Boozel and Bidwell making up the top five. 

 

Stateline was also the site of Justin Carlson and Jason Covey pacing the field for the RUSH Pro Mods feature event.  After some difficulty getting a clean start, Scott Gurdak took control of the race on lap five with Carlson and Covey falling to second and third. Gurdak held on for his first win in the class with Carlson, Covey, RUSH point leader Kelly Frederes and Dennis Asel making up the top five.  Stateline is back to racing this Saturday night for a Father’s Day Special including Vintage Modifieds.

 

Orrville, Ohio’s Wayne County Speedway returned to action on Saturday night with Matt Aber jumping into the lead early on in the RUSH Late Models.  Alan Dellinger put on an early challenge for the lead, but Ryan Markham powered into second on lap three. Two laps later Markham took the lead from Aber and never looked back for his first win of the season.  Dellinger, another runner on the Bilstein Bandits Shocks held off Justin Chance who came from 10th for the runner up spot.  Aber fell to fourth and Charlie Duncan made up the top five. Wayne County will be dark the next two Saturday nights due to Ohio Sprint Speedweek.

 

New York’s Fulton Speedway saw Tony Finch II lead the opening three laps in the Billy RUSH Late Model feature.  Alan Fink drove into the lead next until a lap seven yellow flag bunched up the field.  That gave defending track champ Chris Fleming his chance to power to the front and hold the spot for the balance of the 20 lapper. It was Fleming’s second of the year with Bret Belden, Johnny Hill, Kevan Cook and Jason Parkhurst finishing second through fifth.  Racing action returns to Fulton Speedway on Saturday night.

 

Genesee Speedway was the site of a first time win for Dave Dubois of Corfu, NY in the RUSH Late Model feature event.  Dubois, a regular in the "360" Late Model division at Genesee, would lead every lap from his outside pole starting spot.  Dubois, who became the track's fifth different winner in six races, remained on the high side of the 1/3 mile track to out-race runner up Andy Michael. Beamer Guzzardi , T.J. Downs and Jimmy Johnson rounded out the top five. A “Five Star” race program is on tap for this Saturday with the added "360" Late Models.

 

At Hartford, Ohio’s Sharon Speedway on Saturday night, it was East Liverpool, Ohio’s Rocky Kugel shaking off the early season demons and coming away with his first win of the 2016 season in the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.  Kugel, who rode the top of the track and steamed forward from his eighth starting position, took the lead from Jeremy Weaver at the halfway point of the 15-lap event and never looked back. “I was hooked up on the top,” stated Kugel. “We watched every race before ours. Hats off to Dave (Willoughby)- they prepare a nice race track for us to race on.” Behind Kugel in the end was 15-year-old Weaver, who recorded his career best finish as did Josh Deems in third.  Kole Holden and Jerry Schaffer were fourth and fifth.  

 

Sharon will be the middle of a busy, first-ever three-race weekend for the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.  On Friday night, Thunder Mountain Speedway in Brookville, Pa. will host its first ever show in a $500 to-win Bicknell Racing Products Weekly Series event.  Then after a regular event at Sharon on Saturday, the Bicknell Touring Series will kickoff Sunday for $600 to-win at Tri-City.

 

Erie County’s Eriez Speedway Sunday night results included the RUSH Late Models, where Jason Genco took the win over the always dangerous Max Blair, Dave Lyon, Andy Boozel, Scott Gurdak and Bruce Hordusky.  It was Genco's second Sweeney Weekly Series win in as many nights backing up his win at Stateline on Saturday night, and was his season's second checkered flag at Eriez. 

 

Finally Bradford Speedway was blessed with a sunny Sunday as they kicked off the 2016 season.  Damian Bidwell was glad Bradford finally got going as he captured his season's first win on the Sweeney Weekly Series circuit besting brothers Mikey Wonderling and  Brady Wonderling with Andy Michael and Jeff Hoffman completing the top five.

 

 At the Sweeney Weekly Series' third Sunday night speedway, “The Fireball” Colton Ledingham dominated the RUSH Late Models at Port Colborne, Ontario’s Humberstone Speedway.  With considerable action behind him including a serious challenge from Rob Pietz, Ledingham led wire-to-wire in the 20-lap race for his first of the 2016 season and became the fifth different winner in six races. Pietz settled for runner up with John McIntire, Dennis Lunger, Jr., and Jeff Dayman making up the top five. This Sunday at Humberstone is Autograph Night and a full six-division program. 

 

The RUSH Late Models had the night off last Friday at Delevan, New York's Freedom Motorsports Park, but they'll return this Friday night.  The next Sweeney Weekly Series event at Path Valley Speedway Park in Spring Run, Pa. will be on Friday, June 24- a off night for Potomac Speedway. 

 

RUSH Late Model marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, FK Rod Ends, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, Rocket Chassis, Bobby Lake Motorsports 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, Sunoco Race Fuels, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, FK Rod Ends, Sherwood Racing Wheels, Velocita-USA, Precise Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, K&N Filters, TBM Brakes, Lincoln Electric, CrateInsider.com, 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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