CAREER 1ST SWEENEY RUSH LM WIN FOR BRIAN KNOWLES; POLICZ, BOSSARD, MESLER & FORD CAPTURE 1ST LM WINS OF 2016; MARTELL & HILTON ARE NEW RUSH SPORTSMAN MOD WINNERS

By Jim Zufall & Mike Leone

 

June 22, 2016            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Pulaski, PA)

Another weekend of great weather greeted all the member tracks in the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance.  Five Late Model drivers were able to capture their first wins of the season, while the count climbed to seven different Sportsman Modified winners in 10 races, and the new Pro Mod division had its first repeat winner after five weeks.

 

Friday night at Freedom Motorsports Park, Damian Bidwell took his first victory at the Delevan, New York speedway.  Bidwell and Joe Chamberlin led the field to green in the RUSH Late Model feature event.  Bidwell took the early lead and was able to hold on through a couple of early yellow flag periods.  When he encountered lapped traffic in the closing laps he was able to use his substantial lead to his advantage, holding off Adam Sixt, Bill Holmes, Chamberlain and Andy Michael.  All of Freedom’s divisions will be back in action this Friday for “Buy one, get one free” hot dog night.

 

Outlaw Speedway was the site of a dominating performance by Brain Knowles driving the Doug Gross Construction No. 7 to his first career RUSH victory.  Bob Buono was in a tight battle with Jason Knowles for the runner up spot, but Jason would prevail and finish second to brother Brian. “We did a lot of homework after last Friday night because we decided we had to do something different,” said Knowles in victory lane.  “We needed to be faster in the corners and we were tonight.  I was wide open in three and four for most of the race.” After Jason Knowles, it was Buono, John Waters and Adam Depuy rounding out the top five.  The Dundee, NY oval is back in action this Friday with a full six-division show.

 

Ben Policz pulled into victory lane for the first time this season in the RUSH Late Models at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.  And he did it with very little problem. After a few cautions before a single lap had been scored, Policz took command of the event leading over eventual runner up Daryl Charlier, at times leading by half of a track.  After Charlier, it was front row starter Justin Lamb, Michael Reft and Kyle Lukon rounding out the top five.  No racing at PPMS this Saturday, but action returns for a holiday weekend special featuring the BOSS Sprints and a full five-division racing card.

 

Timmy Booth started on the pole of the 20-lap RUSH Late Model feature Saturday night at Winchester, but an early dust up with Transton Stoner sent both to the rear.  This put Tanner Kerr in the top spot and through a series of cautions Kerr held off the advances of seventh starting Kris Eaton.  Kerr went on to his second win.  Bilstein Bandit racers Eaton and Mike Franklin were third and fourth over Darin Henderson and Logan Robertson.  The RUSH Late Models return to the Winchester schedule on July 2.

 

At Stateline Speedway in Busti, NY on Saturday night, Darrell Bossard and Ryan Scott started on the front row of the RUSH Late Model feature race.  Five laps in Bossard was in full command with Scott a quarter lap behind, while battling Damian Bidwell for the runner up spot.  Bidwell, fresh off his victory at Freedom Motorsports Park the night before, set his sights on Bossard after a restart.  As the laps wound down to the white flag, Bidwell made a final charge for the win, but came up short, making the final order at the finish with Bossard winning his first of the season over Bidwell, Dave Lyon, Ryan Scott and last week’s winner Jason Genco.   

 

Stateline fans also saw the RUSH Pro Mod feature race where Jeremy Williams and opening night winner Justin Carlson brought the field to green.  Williams was just barely ahead of Jason Covey.  By lap three, Covey had the lead with plenty of action going on behind him.  Through a series of caution periods, Carlson got next to Covey and took the lead.  Carlson went on to become the first repeat winner over Covey, Scott Gurdak, Kelly Frederes and Williams. A record 12 cars were on hand.  Stateline is back in action this Saturday with all seven divisions along with the Patriot Sprint Tour.

 

Saturday night at Fulton Speedway, Jason Occhino led the opening lap of the RUSH Late Model 20-lap feature event.  After a couple of lead changes in the early laps, Brandon Ford took the top spot on lap five.  Ford was the class of the field, going on to win by 1.716 seconds over 13th starting Kevan Cook.  Third through fifth were Bret Belden, Johnny Hill and Dale Caswell.  No racing this Saturday at Fulton as the speedway steps aside for high school graduations; however, Fulton's sister track, Brewerton Speedway, will host their annual RUSH Weekly Series-sanctioned event on Friday night.

 

Twenty laps was the distance for the RUSH Late Models at Batavia, NY’s Genesee Speedway Saturday night. Wellsville, NY driver Brad Mesler scored his first victory of the season after being absent a number of weeks. Mesler, who was the sixth different winner in the division this year, credits his car to the repairs and tips he got at Rocket Chassis in Shinnston, WV. “You guys don’t realize how much we needed this win right now,” declared Mesler in victory lane.  “We tore up the car two weeks ago and went down to West Virginia (to Rocket Chassis) and it’s amazing what their tips can do.”  He ran pretty much unchallenged from the start and every restart as well. He held off the likes of Beamer Guzzardi, TJ Downs, Dave DuBois, and Jon Rivers. The "360" Late Models join the regular 5 Star program this Saturday night.

 

Saturday night at Sharon Speedway in Hartford Ohio, Kyle Martell was the man to beat in the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.  After several runner-up finishes and close calls for the Rootstown, Ohio pilot over the past two years, Martell was a bridesmaid no more.  Martell led each of the 15 laps that made up the feature event to become the fifth different winner in six feature races this year.  "Finally...it's been awhile," said Martell in victory lane. "The right rear tire was starting to give away at the end and was losing some grip.”  The 16-year-old Bicknell "Futures Cup" point leader took the win in just his second year of competition over Brian Schaffer, Kole Holden, Brandon and Nick Ritchey.  After hosting on All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car race on Tuesday, Sharon Speedway gets back to action on Saturday with six-division "Steel Valley Thunder" racing as the Sportsman Modifieds compete in a $600 to-win Bicknell Touring Series event for their "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance.

 

The always tough Dennis Lunger, Jr. was the class of the field Sunday night at Port Colborne, Ontario’s Humberstone Speedway.  Lunger and Sam Pennacchio were on the front row for the RUSH Late Model feature event.  Lunger took the early lead, but it was Paul Grigsby moving into the lead on the third circuit. A caution put Grigsby and Lunger up front for the restart and they battled for a number of laps. Lunger took the lead for good and with some very good racing behind him, scored just his second victory of the year.  Grigsby regained the second spot with Pennacchio, Jeff Dayman and Ken Winfield making up the top five.  The 602 Crate Sprints visit Humberstone this Sunday along with a regular racing card.

 

Sunday night at Eriez Speedway, Mike Lozowski and Max Blair brought the RUSH Late Models to green with Blair in the lead while Ryan Scott came to second at the end of one lap and Darrell Bossard to third.  Blair stretched his lead to a quarter lap by halfway with Scott still second, Bossard third, Andy Boozel fourth, and last week’s winner Jason Genco fifth when caution flew for a spin by Scott Gurdak.  With eight laps remaining Boozel came to third then suddenly slowed from third place and headed pit side at four laps left.  Blair, the points leader, proceeded to go on to his second win of the season with Scott second, Bossard third, Genco fourth, and Wyatt Scott fifth.  A full night of racing is on tap this Sunday as it is Phantom Signs & Graphics Kids Night & Autograph Night.

 

Also on Sunday night, The Old Bradford Speedway held their second show of the season.  The RUSH Late Models saw Jeremy Wonderling and Jeff Hoffman lead the field to the green.  Wonderling would take the lead with Hoffman second.  Hoffman would keep pressure on Wonderling all the way to the checkered flag, but Wonderling was too strong as Bradford became the fourth different speedway he's won at this year!  Rounding out the top five were Mikey Wonderling, Damian Bidwell and Andy Michael.

 

The final racing of the weekend was at Tri City Raceway Park where the RUSH Late Models and the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds helped kick off the 2016 racing season at the Franklin, Pa. oval.  In the "Bill Emig Memorial" for the RUSH Late Models, Bryce Davis kept his streak alive as he now has RUSH Tour wins in the each of the last four years.  Davis took an early lead, but lost it to John Waters only to regain it again at the halfway point to go on to the win the 30-lap $2,000 to-win event for his fifth career Tour win.  He was followed to the stripe by Will Thomas III, Kyle Lukon, John Waters and Alan Dellinger.

 

Also in action at Tri-City was the Bicknell Touring Series for the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.  Buffalo, New York pilot Adam Hilton started from the third spot soon overtaking Chelsie Kriegisch and pole-sitter Brandon Ritchey for the lead on the opening lap.  With a ton of racing going on behind him, Hilton was able to hold on for the win in the 20-lap event, holding off 14th starting Nick Ritchey, Chas Wolbert, Brian Schaffer and Kriegisch.

 

McKean County Raceway returns to action on Thursday, June 30 for the "Dick Rice Memorial" and a full racing card.  The RUSH Late Models are back at Path Valley Speedway Park in Spring Run, Pa. this Friday (June 24) for a pair of 15-lap races.  Both Potomac and Wayne County Speedways will return to action with the RUSH Late Models over the holiday weekend with Potomac on Friday, July 3 and Wayne County on July 4.

 

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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