By Mike Leone
April 21, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
(Winchester, VA)...The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series
powered by Pace Performance returned to Winchester Speedway on Saturday night
for the first time in three years to the Virginia oval.
It was the fourth and final night of the inaugural “Battle of the Bay”
Mid-Atlantic Speedweek presented by Pancho’s Racing Products, which attracted 44
cars from six states (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania
& New York) along with Ontario, Canada.
One night after winning his first National Touring Series event of
any kind at Potomac Speedway, Logan Roberson put a beat down on a stellar field
of competitors Saturday night sweeping the night by setting a new track record
in qualifying, winning his heat race, the K&N Dash, and leading all 30 laps of
the feature. The $2,125 sweep also
propelled Roberson to the $1,000 “Battle of the Bay” title by just one-point
over Thursday’s Georgetown winner, Ross Robinson, and two points over
Wednesday’s Delaware winner, Max Blair!
“We struggled the first two nights but it’s nice to get back home
and to win against this competition is great,” expressed the 20-year-old
Waynesboro, VA driver. “To win two
tour events back-to-back means a lot.
You have Max Blair, Ross Robinson, and Jeremy Wonderling.
I watch those guys on Facebook win 10 to 30 races a year.
To beat them, you know you’ve beat the best in crate racing.
I enjoyed it. I can’t thank
my family, friends, and sponsors enough.
It’s been a dream come true to do what I do.
It’s a lot of fun, and to meet great people- I love it. Vicki (Emig) and
Mike (Leone) put on such a great series.
My crew gave me a great car again.
I just had to hold the steering wheel.
I made a few mistakes in the feature that almost cost me.”
Roberson led Jeremy Wonderling, Tanner Kerr, Amanda Whaley, and
John Waters for the first seven non-stop laps of the feature until Billy
Thompson slowed to bring out the event’s only caution as the final 23 went
caution-free. Waters made his way
under and past Whaley for fourth on lap 10 as Whaley’s boyfriend, Robinson,
followed in fifth on lap 13.
Meanwhile, Roberson had distanced himself from the field and had a straightaway
lead by the time he caught lapped traffic on lap 19.
Roberson had to work his way through heavy lapped traffic on lap 28
as Jason Genco, Adam Ferri, and Devin Brannon were all battling for position.
Once he did, it was clear sailing as Roberson took the checkered flag
first by a commanding 2.686 seconds in his Dirt Defender/BTS Towing
Service/Pancho's Racing Products/QA1 Shocks/Race 1/Sunoco/All About
Wraps-sponsored #17.
Wonderling, a Sweeney Touring Series regular, ended the “Battle of
the Bay” with his best performance taking the $1,000 runner-up.
“Congratulations to Logan,” stated the Scio, NY driver.
“He deserves it- he runs well.
I’ve never been here before so I really didn’t know what to do, but
things worked pretty well. It’s good
end to the week. I tried everything
I could to narrow the window down, but he kept seeming to get better so I gave
up and just tried to maintain my line.”
In his first ever Tour start, Kerr was an impressive third.
“Hats off to Logan (Roberson) and his crew,” expressed the hometown
Winchester driver. “I have to deal
with him every week down here. Man
they are a class act. They are the
best in the region and one of the best crate drivers in the country.
His results speak for that.
It’s a true blessing to be able to come out here and run with these guys.
I told my guys at the beginning of the week I wasn’t sure if I was even
going to run it. We’ve been having
some brake issues and bad luck. I
told them mid-week we were going to try it and the ultimate goal is to get in
the show. To stand on the
frontstretch with the type of drivers that finished behind us makes it feel
good. We have a very small budget,
old car and shocks with a used motor.
I can’t thank my family, crew, and sponsors enough.”
Waters, the 2016 Sweeney Tour Champion and last year’s runner-up,
was fourth for his best “Battle of the Bay” finish.
The most important battle on the speedway was the intense action with
Whaley, Robinson, Blair, and Sandercock.
As Whaley was sliding back, Robinson was trying to keep Blair behind him
in the chase for the “Battle of the Bay” title, while Canadian Charlie
Sandercock was running the highline moving forward.
Robinson, Blair, and Sandercock would all pass Whaley, but Robinson was
unable to fend off Blair and the charging Sandercock in the final laps, which
cost Robinson the title.
After starting 10th, Blair was fifth giving him all four
top five finishes. Sandercock went
17th to sixth to earn the $100 Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down”
Hard Charger gift card as he really turned around his night after having to
start ninth in his heat due to being light at the scales.
Robinson and Whaley faded to seventh and eighth at the finish.
Brady Wonderling was ninth ahead of track regular, Levi Crowl, who made
his first ever Tour start.
Scott Gunn ended the night and the “Battle of the Bay” victorious
leading all 10 laps of the non-qualifier.
Gunn got behind the eight-ball after being light at the scales following
qualifying putting himself behind all night.
Gunn did rally from eighth to third in the first last chance B main
earning him the pole position for the non-qualifier.
The West Mifflin, Pa. driver earned $175 in his West Mifflin Collision
#14G as became the 30th different winner in 34 races run all-time.
Mike Franklin was second, who ironically was light after finishing fourth
in his heat. J.J. Mazur, Ronnie
Martin, Jr., and Christian Schneider completed the top five.
Roberson shattered Jacob Hawkins’ previous track record of 15.700
set nearly three years ago with a lap of 15.479 in $100 FK Rod Ends “Shock the
Clock” Qualifying. Besides Roberson,
Wonderling, Kerr, Waters, and Whaley picked up $25 FK Rod Ends heat race wins.
Joe Warren and Jason Knowles split the last chance B mains.
The Sweeney Tour will now be off for one month and will resume action with a
two-night weekend on May 19-20 with Saturday night at Stateline Speedway in
Busti, NY for just the second time ever and Sunday night at Eriez Speedway in
Eriez, Pa. Both “Marquee” events
will pay $2,000 to-win.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Late Model Touring Series Race #4 "Battle of
the Bay" presented by Pancho’s Racing Products
(30 laps, $2,000 to-win): 1. LOGAN ROBERSON (17)
2. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 3.
Tanner Kerr (41*) 4. John Waters
(LeBarron 11) 5. Max Blair (111)
6. Charlie Sandercock (57) 7.
Ross Robinson (11D) 8. Amanda Whaley
(4) 9. Brady Wonderling (Ralyea 2R)
10. Levi Crowl (5) 11. Billy
Beachler (21) 12. Darrell Bossard
(Winans 213) 13. Joe Warren (11*)
14. Garret Paugh (03) 15.
Jonathan Dehaven (Reed 1) 16. Bruce
Hordusky, Jr. (3) 17. Jason Knowles
(4) 18. Jason Genco (Craig 29J)
19. Adam Ferri (66) 20. Devin
Brannon (Newcome 37) 21. Damian
Bidwell (1/2-Pint) 22. Chuck Bowie
(14) 23. Braeden Dillinger (14)
24. Steve Lowery (48) 25.
Billy Thompson (Klink 49).
(Note: Jason Genco took a Series
provisional.)
Non-Qualifier
(10 laps, $175 to-win): 1. Scott Gunn (14G)
2. Mike Franklin (74) 3. J.J.
Mazur (13) 4. Ronnie Martin, Jr.
(15JR) 5. Christian Schneider
(Maniecki 1ST) 6. Bob
Schwartzmiller (28s) 7. Richard
Hawkins (17H) 8. Scott Sweeney (44s)
9. Cory Lawler (93) 10. Corey
McPherson (c33) 11. Jakob Piper (21)
12. Bill Kessler (09) 13. Trevor Collins (11)-DNS
14. Matt Glanden (01)-DNS 15.
Jimmy Johnson (39J)-DNS 16. Matt
Hill (84)-DNS 17. Jimmy Jesmer, Jr.
(747)-DNS 18. Cody Dawson (36)-DNS
19. Beamer Guzzardi (12)-DNS.
Car Count:
44
Feature Lap Leaders: Logan Roberson
(1-30)
Margin of Victory:
2.686 seconds
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down Hard Charger”:
Charlie Sandercock (+11)
Dirt Defender “Defensive Drive of the Night”:
Garret Paugh
TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night":
Beamer Guzzardi
FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying
($100 for fast time) (Track record 15.700 by Jared Hawkins 6/12/15): 1. Logan
Roberson 15.479 (NTR) 2. Jeremy
Wonderling 15.628 3. Levi Crowl
15.988 4. John Waters 16.059
5. Amanda Whaley 16.137 6.
Brady Wonderling 16.157 7. Mike
Franklin 16.166 8. Billy Thompson
16.173 9. Braeden Dillinger 16.206
10. Bruce Hordusky, Jr. 16.246
11. Ross Robinson 16.255 12.
Devin Brannon 16.274 13. Damian
Bidwell 16.281 14. Scott Sweeney
16.312 15. Max Blair 16.317
16. Trevor Collins 16.330 17.
Adam Ferri 16.370 18. Joe Warren
16.384 19. Darrell Bossard 16.413
20. Billy Beachler 16.443 21.
Matt Glanden 16.453 22. Jimmy
Johnson 16.465 23. Tanner Kerr
16.479 24. Garret Paugh 16.501
25. Jonathan Dehaven 16.594
26. Jimmy Jesmer, Jr. 16.726 27.
Cory Lawler 16.726 28. Steve Lowery
16.751 29. Christian Schneider
16.883 30. Richard Hawkins 17.200
31. Bob Schwartzmiller 17.201
32. Matt Hill 17.209 33. Jakob Piper
17.218 34. J.J. Mazur 17.275
35. Beamer Gizzardi 17.298
36. Ronnie Martin, Jr. 17.306 37.
Jason Genco 17.401 38. Corey
McPherson 17.431 39. Jason Knowles
17.534 40. Bill Kessler 17.708
41. Chuck Bowie 17.942 42.
Charlie Sandercock DSQ (light) 43.
Cody Dawson DSQ (light) 44. Scott
Gunn DSQ (light).
FK Rod Ends Heat 1
(8 laps, $25 to-win, Top 4 transfer) 1. Roberson
2. Robinson 3. B. Wonderling
4. Bowie 5. Schwartzmiller
6. Martin 7. Jesmer
8. Collins 9. Glanden.
FK Rod Ends Heat 2
(8 laps, $25 to-win, Top 4 transfer): 1. J. Wonderling
2. Brannon 3. Ferri
4. Sandercock 5. Johnson
6. Lawler 7. Hill
8. Genco 9. Franklin-DSQ
(light).
FK Rod Ends Heat 3
(8 laps, $25 to-win, Top 4 transfer): 1. Kerr
2. Crowl 3. Thompson
4. Lowery 5. Warren
6. Bidwell 7. Dawson
8. McPherson 9. Piper.
FK Rod Ends Heat 4
(8 laps, $25 to-win, Top 4 transfer): 1. Waters
2. Bossard 3. Dillinger
4. Paugh 5. Knowles
6. Mazur 7. Sweeney
8. Gunn 9. Schneider.
FK Rod Ends Heat 5
(8 laps, $25 to-win, Top 4 transfer): 1. Whaley
2. Blair 3. Beachler
4. Hordusky 5. Dehaven
6. Hawkins 7. Kessler
8. Guzzardi.
Last Chance B Main 1
(10 laps, Top 2 transfer): 1. Warren
2. Dehaven 3. Gunn
4. Mazur 5. Schwartzmiller
6. Lawler 7. Piper
8. Genco 9. Glanden
10. Kessler 11. Jesmer-DNS
12. Dawson-DNS.
Last Chance B Main 2
(10 laps, Top 2 transfer): 1. Knowles
2. Bidwell 3. Franklin
4. Martin 5. Schneider
6. Hawkins 7. Collins
8. Sweeney 9. McPherson
10. Johnson 11. Hill
12. Guzzardi-DNS.
K&N "Cold Air Induction" Dash
(4 laps): 1. Roberson 2. J. Wonderling
3. Kerr 4. Whaley
5. Waters.
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, Holley
Performance Products, Earl's Performance Plumbing, Quick Fuel Technology, FK Rod
Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Racing Electronics, Dirt
Defender, Dynamic Drivelines, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply,
Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters,
Lincoln Electric, Pancho's Racing Products Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA,
Landrum Performance Spring, Schwartzmiller Ground Maintenance,
CrateInsider.com, 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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