LOWERY, TARBOX & MAZUR EARN CAREER 1ST SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL WINS, WHILE REFT & WRIGHT CAPTURE 1ST RUSH LM WINS OF 2016; DEEMS & FOSNAUGHT RACE TO 1ST CAREER RUSH MOD & STOCK WINS

By Jim Zufall & Mike Leone

 

September 7, 2016                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Pulaski, PA)…It was very busy holiday weekend of action throughout region at Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance speedways in all of the Series' divisions.  Several tracks wrapped up the season or simply just have special events to finish out 2016.  It was a weekend of first time winners as five drivers in the Late Models either won their first feature of the season or of their career in RUSH, while the Sportsman Modifieds and Stocks also produced a new winner. 

 

Friday night at Freedom Motorsports Park, Jeremy Wonderling took control of the 35-lap feature race early on and never looked back on “King of the Hill” night at the Delevan, New York speedway.  Brad Mesler followed behind, while a race-long tremendous battle for third between Andy Michael, Bill Holmes, Joe Chamberlain and Jim Johnson all contending for the third position. Wonderling’s only challenge would come from Mesler, who came up short and settled for second while Wonderling scored his third win of the season picking up the $1,000 winner’s check.  Holmes, Michael and Johnson came home third through fifth.  Holmes was able to secure the 2016 track championship with his third place finish.  One final night of racing at Freedom comes next Friday for the regular classes as it is Championship Night as Adam Sixt leads the RUSH member Freedom track points.

 

Friday night at Path Valley Speedway Park, Steve Lowery held off the likes of Brad McGinnis, Bryan Benton John Imler and Jennae Piper for the first of two feature events for the RUSH Late Models.  It was Lowery's first career RUSH win!  The second 15-lap feature would come at the end of the evening when Kris Eaton would pick up the win.  It was Eaton's second win at Path Valley on the $135 sealed, spec Bilstein Shocks as he continues to lead the $5,000 to-win points.  Tim Snare took the second position with Piper, Ralph Morgan and Path Valley's RUSH point leader, McGinnis, rounding out the top five.   

 

It was Jason and Brian Knowles finishing first and second in the 20 lap feature event at Dundee, New York’s Outlaw Speedway on Friday night.  It was Jason's fifth win of the season as the brothers have now won seven straight features   TJ Downs was third in his first Outlaw start of 2016.  Adam Depuy and Bob Buono were fourth and fifth. The win gives Jason Knowles the 2016 RUSH Late Model championship at Outlaw. The RUSH Late Models return to Outlaw Speedway for the Dutch Hoag Memorial Weekend on October 21 &22.

 

The RUSH Sportsman Modifieds were in action as part of the “Working Man 50” weekend at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa on Friday night.  A new winner was crowned at the legendary Lernerville as Josh Deems of Volant, Pa. scored his first career victory in the Sportsman Modified division. Deems, who made his debut late in the inaugural 2014 season, was followed by Chas Wolbert, Rocky Kugel, Brian Schaffer and Kyle Martell.  The Sportsman Modifieds will be back at Lernerville this Saturday for the "Autumn-Motive Fest".

 

RUSH Pro Stock member racers, Jim Fosnaught and Corey McPherson, also picked up wins during the "Working Man 50" weekend at Lernerville.  Friday's win for Fosnaught was his first at Lernerville, while McPherson's sixth win of the season gave him a milestone #30 for his career at the track.

  

Saturday night, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway was the site of the richest RUSH Weekly Series race in the history of the Series.  The 40-lap "Jook George Fall Classic" had competitors from three states converge on the Imperial, Pa.  "Monster Half-Mile". The race, honoring longtime car builder and owner, Jook George, paid $4110 to the winner thanks to the efforts of fan and racing promoter, Brandon Lockwich along with racer Ben Policz.

 

The race was plagued by a number of cautions, but on each restart, the #9R of Michael Reft took a commanding lead.  Reft had challenges from several of the top drivers in the division at PPMS, but managed to hold off everyone. Reft went on to collect the big winner’s check in a very excited victory lane as he picked a great night to capture his first win of the season.  He was followed to the line by Justin Lamb, whose runner-up moved him into second place in the "Bilstein Bandits" points.  Wayne Robertson, Jason Knowles and Mike Pegher Jr. were third through fifth.  Racing continues on Championship Night this Saturday.  John Mollick who finished 23rd in the event has a slight point lead in the track points over 24th finishing Daryl Charlier going into Saturday’s action, while Lamb leads the RUSH member points, which won't end until October 1.

 

Also on the card at PPMS on Saturday were the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, making their third visit of the year.  Nick Ritchey picked up his second victory of the year at Pittsburgh with Rocky Kugel, Kyle Martell, Brian Schaffer and Kole Holden making up the top five. The RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will return to PPMS two more times this season during the track’s first ever Post Season Chase on September 24 and October 1.

 

Saturday night at Winchester Speedway, a first time winner was crowned as Brandywine, Maryland’s Matt Tarbox picked up the win from his pole position start.  Darin Henderson followed Tarbox to into the green, but Tarbox built a comfortable lead leaving Henderson and Devin Brannon to battle it out for second.  Tarbox cruised to victory in the 20-lap race, while Henderson, Brannon, Logan and Greg Roberson rounded out the top five.  This coming Saturday is the final night for championship points at Winchester Speedway with Logan Roberson holding a substantial lead over Transton Stoner for the track title for 2016.

 

Saturday night at Stateline Speedway in Busti, New York, Justin Carlson was looking for his eighth win of the season in the RUSH Pro Mods.  Scott Gurdak led for a good portion of the race, which was slowed a number of times for yellow flag periods. With five laps to go, Carlson slipped past Gurdak and held on for the win.  Gurdak settled for second with Kelley Frederes, Jeramy Williams and Jason Covey making up the top five.

 

Also in action at Stateline on Saturday were the RUSH Late Models where Jason Genco took the early lead from his front row spot.  Darrell Bossard got by Genco on lap five while Dennis Lunger, Jr. was moving forward through the field.  Lunger got by Bossard in lapped traffic for the winning move and went on to his second win of the season in just three appearances at Stateline.  Bossard, Genco, Chad Valone and Matt Harvey made up the rest of the top five.  Bossard’s runner up spot allowed him to slip past Ryan Scott and secure the track title for 2016 and also the runner-up spot in the Pace Performance "Summer Chase" points.  The Stateline Shootout Weekend gets underway this Thursday for a practice session for the two-day season ending show Friday and Saturday.

 

Saturday at Fulton Speedway, Chris Fleming took not only the track title and RUSH member point crown via his feature win.  In just his second year in the RUSH Late Model division, Fleming now has two championship titles.  Fleming took the lead from the start on the 20-lap feature event and spent the entire event holding off challenges from Jason Parkhurst and Kevan Cook.  The finish even came down to an exciting drag race to the checkers as Parkhurst threw a last lap slide job on Fleming only to see Fleming come along side by side with Parkhurst to take the win by just 0.114 of a second.

 

“When I saw the white I just wanted to make it back in one piece,” said Fleming who was the point leader but any disaster that struck could've cost him the championship. “There was a little contact down there and I thought oh boy here we go.  I went into three (final) lap just trying to make it back (to the finish) I saw him (Parkhurst) slide up the track I saw the bottom open up for the drag race.”  Kevan Cook, AJ Kingsley and Sean Beardsley finished third through fifth. While the RUSH Late Models are done for the year, Fulton has one more race weekend scheduled for September 30 & October 1 for the Outlaw 200 Weekend.

 

At Genesee Speedway in Batavia, New York, JJ Mazur finally broke through and got the win he’d been trying for all season.  Genesee’s field of RUSH Late Model drivers is a strong one, proven by the fact that Mazur becomes the 11th winner in the first year of competition for the RUSH Late Models!  Beamer Guzzardi followed Mazur much of the way scoring the 2016 track points title with his runner up performance.  Jeremy Wonderling took third with Brad Mesler and Mikey Wonderling rounding out the top five.  Even though he finished a disappointing 12th in the season finale, Jimmy Johnson, Jr. captured the RUSH member points at the track.

 

Potomac Speedway, normally a Friday night track, held their annual special holiday weekend racing program on Sunday where John Imler picked up the win in the 20-lap feature event. Imler took an early lead and never looked back for his third victory of the season beating out the likes of Logan Roberson who picked up the 2016 track title. Crossing third was Jamie Sutphin over Greg Roberson and newcomer Sommey Lacey.  Potomac will close out their season with a two-day event for RUSH on September 30-October 1.  Imler leads the RUSH member points, which will end with this event.

 

Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio also held racing on a special Sunday night for the holiday weekend that featured Tony Stewart's All Star Circuit of Champions.  Matt Aber was looking to sweep the RUSH Late Model action as he won the heat was and led the first 11 laps of the feature.  A caution on lap nine for a spun Bob Fry would double file the restart and Aber elected to start on the outside with Millersburg's Charlie Duncan on the inside. The two would go side by side for the next two laps before Duncan was able to slide up in front of Aber to take the lead for good and post his third win of the year, which have all come in the last five events.  Justin Chance would sneak past Aber on the last lap for second as Fry finished fourth.  Racing will return to Wayne County on September 24 for the final show of the season.

 

At PA's Eriez Speedway, the RUSH Late Model feature event would settle the track's division championship for the 2016 season.  Chris Withers and Dave Lyon brought the field to green.  Lyon took an early lead but slipped up and allowed Withers and Scott Gurdak to get by. By the seventh lap, Jason Genco had come to second place looking for the win as well as the title.  Chad Wright made his way to third by the eighth lap.  Wright moved to second over Genco and Withers and ultimately got by Gurdak for the lead.  Wright led the final five laps for his first RUSH win of the season.  Genco settled for second, but secured the point title, Bruce Hordusky, Withers and Kyle Zimmerman made up the top five.  The RUSH Late Models will join with all other divisions on September 23-24 for Eriez Speedway’s big season ending event that will also determine the RUSH member points at the track.

 

Sunday at the Old Bradford Speedway, division titles were decided in all classes. In the RUSH Late Models, Andy Michael took an early lead with Brad Mesler and Jeff Hoffman in tow.  The race went green until lap 15 when pole sitter Brain Haggerty spun out bringing out the only caution of the night.  When the field went back to green, Jeremy Wonderling got by Hoffman then Mesler and put him in a position to challenge for the lead. Michael held on for his third win and the track title as Wonderling just got by Mesler for second. Hoffman and Garrett Mott made up the top five.  The RUSH Late Models will be off this Sunday due to the "Manufacturers Night" at Tri-City Raceway Park.

 

Sunday night at Humberstone Speedway, Chad Homan took the early lead in the RUSH Late Models with Rob Pietz and Jeff Dayman behind.  On a lap seven restart, Homan and Pietz battled for the lead for a lap with Pietz coming out on top.  After a lap 14 caution, Pietz and Homan again went side-by-side for the top spot for a few laps with Pietz coming out on top for his fifth win.  Homan settled for second with Paul Grigsby, Dennis Lunger, Jr. and Dayman rounding out the top five. This Sunday at Humberstone marks the second to last regular racing program of the season as Lunger leads both the track and RUSH member points.

 

Current RUSH Late Model point leaders are Bryce Davis (Tour), Max Blair (Weekly & Summer Chase Champion), Kris Eaton (Bilstein Bandits), and Wyatt Scott (Futures Cup). 

 

Current RUSH Sportsman Modified point leaders are Brian Schaffer (Weekly), Chas Wolbert (Tour), and Kyle Martell (Futures Cup). 

 

Current RUSH Pro Mod point leaders are Justin Carlson (Weekly) and Brian Mohawk (Futures Cup), while Corey McPherson leads the Sweeney RUSH Pro Stock Weekly Series points.

 

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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