MAX BLAIR MAKES LATE CHARGE TO POWER TO OPENING SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL
BAZELL/SUNOCO SOUTHERN TOUR WIN AT ROARING KNOB
By Mike Leone
April 18, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Markleysburg, PA)…The
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series kicked off its 2015
campaign for its new Bazell/Sunoco Race Fuels Southern Touring Series on
Saturday night at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex.
Summer-like conditions were present at the scenic 3/8-mile facility that
saw 28 competitors from all over Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland,
and New York compete.
After drawing the next-to-worst pill for his heat race starting spot, Max Blair
raced his way from ninth to fourth with a last lap pass to qualify for the
feature redraw. That proved key as
Blair lined up fourth in the 25-lap feature.
After young Garett Paugh of West Virginia and New York’s Brian Knowles
traded the lead early on, Blair found moisture on the top and rode it to the
lead on lap 17. Once in front and
without a caution to slow action, Blair pulled away from the field to capture
the $1,200 win. Blair takes the
early point lead as he has his sights set on the $10,000 Sweeney Touring Series
sweep.
“We got put behind with that big pill draw and it was tough to pass in the heat
races, but I got in position on the final lap to make something happen and it
worked out,” explained the 25-year-old Centerville, Pa. driver.
“We ended up drawing a four for the feature so it realistically took me
from starting 14th to fourth so that was a huge deal.
It was fun. I wasn’t a big
fan of the water when we were packing it, but it ended up making it pretty
racey. I moved up and there was
something to get a hold of. It sure
was a lot of fun to ride around this place on the top- I’ve never gotten to do
that in all the years coming here.”
Knowles and Paugh brought the 24-car starting field to green with defending
Sweeney Tour champion Ryan Montgomery and standout Blair in tow followed by
“Futures Cup” racer Clinton Hersh, who moved into the top five after one lap.
By lap six, Paugh began to open up his
lead, while the battle for second heated up with Knowles trying to fend off
Montgomery, Blair, and now last year’s leading Tour winner, Rick Singleton.
The first seven caution-free laps were uneventful until Chad McClellan’s spin
slowed action. Paugh chose the
inside for the double file restart, but it was Knowles, who used the moisture
from the water that was put down on the topside of the speedway prior to the
race, powering to lead off turn four to lead lap eight.
Blair and Montgomery swapped the third spot on laps eight and nine with
Montgomery regaining the position on lap nine.
Paugh didn’t let Knowles out of his sight as he ran consistent laps around the
bottom. The duo ran side-by-side
for several laps before Paugh regained the lead on lap 10, while Blair took
third back before the event’s second and final caution with 11 laps scored.
Nolan Dalton was the victim as damage from contact with Troy Shields
ended his night. Dalton, who also
got caught up in a heat race skirmish that was not of his doing, was awarded the
TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night”.
When green replaced yellow, Paugh was able to maintain the lead this time, while
positions behind him began to change.
Montgomery and Blair were able to get by Knowles for second and third
respectively. Blair then got up top
and nosed ahead of Montgomery for runner-up just past the halfway point on lap
14. Blair stayed in the moisture
and closed in on Paugh on lap 16.
One lap later, Blair pulled alongside and made the pass stick racing off turn
four.
Once in front, Blair quickly pulled away as he was running laps three tenths
quicker than everyone else.
Meanwhile, Montgomery moved up like Blair did and closed on Paugh on lap 22.
Montgomery then drove around Paugh for the second spot off turn two on lap 24.
Blair had a half-straightaway lead built up when he caught traffic on lap
24, but the traffic un-phased him as he carried the R&J Poultry/Moody & Son
Welding/Genesis Shocks/Murphy’s Logging/C&J Dairy-sponsored #111 to his sixth
career Tour win- tying him with Montgomery for the most all-time.
“I have to thank my dad (Rob),” stated Blair.
“I can’t wait to watch him in his Late Model.
He gives up a lot to support my stuff.
I have to thank all of my sponsors and crew.
Without these guys I couldn’t do this.
It takes everyone’s effort.
We did the trip to Florida and it started out as a real good year and I hope we
can keep this going.”
Montgomery had to be pushed to the front-stretch for the podium presentation
after breaking at the finish. “I
heard a big snap and I don’t have a gear anymore,” explained the 18-year-old
Fairmont, West Virginia racer. “It
was my first time out this year and I have thank Jerry for letting me drive his
car. Jerry helped us out and got
everything set up for us. We worked
out the kinks in the heat race. The
car was great. I just wished I
could have got to the top a little quicker than Max (Blair) did, but he knew it
was going to be good. As soon he
got around me on the top, I moved up and it was a lot better but I couldn’t keep
up with him.”
The 19-year-old Paugh, who was making just his third career Tour start and first
since October 19, 2013 at Roaring Knob, impressed everyone leading the most laps
and his best career Tour finish earned him the Maxima Racing Oils “Maximum
Performance” award!
“This feels pretty good,” expressed Paugh of Elkins, West Virginia.
“I was getting pretty nervous, but I just kept trying to hit my marks
every lap and was hoping I could come out with one.
We had shock troubles this week and didn’t think we were going to get to
race, but Tim Scenic thankfully gave me a set of shocks to try and they worked
pretty well. I’m super pumped about
this!”
Brian Knowles dropped to fourth holding off his brother Jason, who raced from 11th
to fifth at the finish. Singleton
was sixth. Longtime E-Mod standout,
Randy Hall, made his debut in the Terry Suppa-owned #4s and finished seventh
ahead of John Waters, Eric Wilson, and Rob Marhefka.
Ralph Morgan, Jr., who drove John Powell’s #100 last year to a 10th
place Tour point finish, was in his own #44 and charged from the 22nd
starting spot to 11th at the finish to earn the $100 Precise Racing
Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger gift card.
Heat race winners were Montgomery, Wilson, and Singleton.
Last year’s “Futures Cup” Champion, Michael Lake, passed fellow “Futures
Cup” driver, Jennae Piper, on the final lap to win the last chance B main.
Troy Shields won the opening K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash to earn the $100 K&N
certificate. Steve Lowery was
second and received a $50 K&N certificate, while Russell Baird, Jr. and Nolan
Dalton earned an extra $25.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Bazell/Sunoco Race Fuels
Southern Touring Series Race #1
(25 laps, $1,200 to-win): 1. MAX BLAIR (111)
2. Ryan Montgomery (12) 3.
Garrett Paugh (03) 4. Brian Knowles
(7) 5. Jason Knowles (4)
6. Rick Singleton (99*)
7. Randy Hall (Suppa 4s) 8.
John Waters (LeBarron 11) 9. Eric
Wilson (27W) 10. Rob Marhefka
(99FM) 11. Ralph Morgan, Jr. (44)
12. Chad McClellan (119) 13.
Michael Lake (Yowler 27) 14.
Clinton Hersh (16) 15. Russell
Baird, Jr. (17B) 16. Steve Lowery
(48) 17. Kyle Lukon (1)
18. Doug Gavette (9G) 19.
Jennae Piper (14) 20. Dylan Lewis
(44) 21. Troy Shields (11)
22. Michael Ott (21) 23.
Vince Masi, Jr. (61) 24. Nolan
Dalton (D2).
DNQ:
Michael Duritsky, Jr. (90J), Dave Friedrich (66), Mark Wells (7), Jeff Haynes
(64).
Car Count:
28
Feature Lap Leaders: Garrett Paugh
(1-7, 10-16), Brian Knowles (8-9), Max Blair (17-25)
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down Hard Charger”:
Ralph Morgan, Jr. (+11)
Maxima Oil “Maximum Performance”:
Garrett Paugh
TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night:
Nolan Dalton
RUSH Late Model Heat 1
(10 laps, top 6 transfer): 1. Montgomery
2. Waters 3. J. Knowles
4. Ott 5. Shields
6. Dalton 7. Wells
8. Lewis 9. Haynes
10. Gavette.
RUSH Late Model Heat 2
(10 laps, top 6 transfer): 1. Wilson
2. Hall 3. Hersh
4. Blair 5. Baird
6. Morgan 7. Piper
8. Duritsky 9. Masi.
RUSH Late Model Heat 3
(10 laps, top 6 transfer): 1. Singleton
2. Paugh 3. B. Knowles
4. Marhefka 5. Lowery
6. McClellan 7. Lukon
8. Lake 9. Friedrich.
RUSH Late Model Last Chance B Main
(10 laps, top 6 transfer): 1. Lake
2. Piper 3. Lukon
4. Morgan 5. Gavette
6. Masi 7. Duritsky
8. Friedrich 9. Wells
10. Haynes.
RUSH Late Model K&N "Cold Air Induction" Dash
(4 laps): 1. Troy Shields 2. Steve
Lowery 3. Rusell Baird, Jr.
4. Nolan Dalton.
The next Sweeney Tour event will be the second annual “Mid-Atlantic States
Classic” on May 8-9 at Potomac and Winchester Speedways.
Each event will pay $2,000 to-win and will be part of the Bazell/Sunoco
Southern Tour Series.
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 Ignition, Maxima Racing
Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products,
ARbodies, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers,
FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Crate Innovations Inc., Moroso Performance
Products, Velocita-USA, High Gear Speed Shop, CrateInsider.com, B.R.A.K.E.S.,
RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.
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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