SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL & SPORTSMAN MOD WEEKLY SERIES FINALLY UP TO SPEED; 9 LM WINNERS IN 10 RACES

By Jim Zufall

 

By Jim Zufall

 

May 5, 2015             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Pulaski, PA)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Weekly Series for the RUSH Late Models and RUSH Sportsman Modifieds is finally in full swing thanks to one of the nicest weekends throughout the Northeast in recent memory to open up the month of May.

 

The action got started on Friday night when Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. played host to the RUSH Late Models in a Sweeney Weekly Series event and RUSH Sportsman Modifieds in a Bicknell Racing Products formatted event.  Both RUSH divisions joined the newly reformed All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars at the legendary oval. In the RUSH Late Model portion of the card, Super Late Model standout Jared Miley from Pittsburgh took the 20-lap feature event over Will Thomas, New York racers Randy Hall and John Waters and Russ Byler. Miley talked about his new experiences in the RUSH Late Model in victory lane.

 

“There are a lot of good drivers in the crate class; a lot of good cars and a lot of good competition,” expressed Miley.  “It’s looking like crates is where everything is headed, and I feel they will also make me a better Super Late Model driver.  My Lernerville experience certainly helped tonight and the track came to me for the feature.”  

 

The RUSH Sportsman Modified feature saw Buffalo New York’s Adam Hilton take the win, holding off Larry Kugel, Chelsie Kriegisch, Jerry Shaffer Kole, Holden and Will Shaffer. Both the RUSH Lates and Mods will return on Friday, July 3 joining the BOSS Wingless Sprints.  The Late Model portion will be a Bazell/Sunoco Race Fuels Southern Tour event.

 

Friday night also saw racing action at Can Am Speedway in LaFargeville NY.  The RUSH Late Models in their first appearance at the speedway were the first to take the track.  Phil Potts started his number 29 on the pole at the drop of the green and broke away from the pack early on.  Charlie Sandercock moved up to challenge Potts and took the top position by lap eight. Sandercock pulled away and took the win over Potts, David McDonald, Elmer Stevenson and Tyler Rand.  Ironically both Sandercock and Potts were competing on the $135 Bilstein sealed, spec shocks.  Racing resumes this Friday and the RUSH Late Models return to action on May 15.

 

Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, it was the first RUSH Late Model “Sizzler” of the new season, and coming out on top for the second time in as many races was the number 00 of Josh Holtgraver.  The 25-lap event saw the four cars of Holtgraver, Kyle Lukon, Randy Hall and Daryl Charlier mix it up, all vying for the top spot for most of the race. Mark Moats was fifth.  This Saturday, PPMS will play host to the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series in their westernmost venue, along with a full card of four division racing including the RUSH Late Models.

 

Brighton Speedway in Brighton, Ontario kicked off their season and their maiden voyage into the RUSH family on Saturday night.  Brighton runs a weekly four-division show with the RUSH Late Models as their headline class.  Opening night action saw Picton, Ontario’s Corey Earl take the inaugural win over Steve Baldwin and Phil Potts. Adam Turner and Kyle Sopaz rounded out the top five.  Racing action continues this Saturday as Breeze 107.9 presents Dollar Dog Night.

 

Wayne County Speedway got their second week of racing in the books on Saturday night.  Back on April 18, the Crate Late Models ran their first ever event at the Orrville, Ohio oval.  Race #2 for RUSH featured a spirited early race battle between Justin Chance and Charlie Duncan. The door-to-door action continued for the opening five laps until Duncan pulled away in his number 240 to take the win. Ryan Markham passed Chance on the 16th circuit and finished in the runner up spot. Behind him were Chance, opening night winner Dennis Lunger Jr. and Brandon Gardner rounding out the top five. The RUSH Late Models get a week off and then return to action at WCS on Saturday, May 16.

 

Saturday night also saw Late Model action at Fulton, New York’s Fulton Speedway for the first time ever under the RUSH banner.  Alan Fink was the man to beat, but it seemed no one was up to the challenge. The 20-lap feature saw Fink take off and build a huge lead, only to see it erased for a lap 17 caution. When the green waved, Fink went back on the attack and secured his wire to wire win. Sean Beardsley, AJ Kingsley, Johnny Hill and Jason Occhino finished second through fifth.  Racing continues this and every Saturday at 7 PM at Fulton Speedway.

 

Another new addition to the Sweeney RUSH Weekly Racing Series family is Stateline Speedway in Busti, NY.  The RUSH Lates took the green with Dave Shagla and Dustin Waters leading the field into turn one. Shagla pulled into the lead and by lap two Mike Knight had passed Waters for second.  By the halfway point, Knight had taken the lead and a hard charging Max Blair closing in. Knight got a flat right rear tire in the late stages of the race giving the lead to Blair. Blair went on for the win over Dave Lyon, Jason Genco, Bob Dorman and Shagla.  Racing resumes this Saturday with the “Lloyd Moore Memorial” for the Super Late Models. All other divisions including the RUSH Crate Late Models will be in competition as well.

 

RUSH Late Model action at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex had Dylan Lewis starting on the pole for the 20-lap feature event. At the drop of the green, outside pole sitter Garrett Paugh got around Lewis for the lead. Gary Dalton, who started third, watched the battle for the lead from his position. By lap five Dalton made a move that would get him to the second spot and giving him a shot at Paugh. A mid-race pass in turns one and two gave Dalton the lead. Starting first in a single file restart, Dalton was able to stretch his lead over the final ten laps to score his first ever RUSH win.  Dalton dedicated the win to his mother-in-law, who passed away during the week.  It was a big night for Dalton, who also captured the Super Late Models winning in two divisions for the first time in his career.  Paugh was second followed by Russell Baird, Lewis and Vince Masi, Jr. Regular Saturday night racing returns this week at “The Knob.”  

 

On the Sportsman Modified side, Sharon Speedway kicked off their 86th anniversary season with the Mods part of the weekly program for the first time.  A Series record 15 cars turned out for the Bicknell Racing Products Weekly Series event.  Defending Series Champion, Greg Martin, raced to the lead on lap one from his fourth starting spot, and a mid-race caution was all that slowed the Wilson, New York driver.  Kyle Martell, a newcomer to the division, was second in his first race.  Chelsie Kriegisch recorded her second third place finish in as many nights to take over the early B.R.P. Weekly Series point lead.  Rocky Kugel and Kole Holden completed the top five.

 

This Saturday, Sharon will host a RUSH doubleheader as not only do the Sportsman Modifieds return, but the RUSH Late Models will make their first of several appearances during the 2015 season in Sweeney Weekly Series action.  With the new surface, Sharon has eliminated the mandatory Crate Racin’ Hoosier 55 Tire rule.  Sharon will pay $1,000 to-win Saturday if 24 or more cars are on hand.  Race time is 7 p.m.

 

Sunday night action in the RUSH Late Models included opening night at Humberstone Speedway in Port Colborne Ontario.  In the Late Models, Jorden Peters and Colton Ledingham took the field to the green for the 20 lap event. Dennis Lunger Jr. pulled into second place early on and was quickly overtaken by John Waters. Waters had the lead by lap four and after a couple of caution periods, Lunger and Adam Sixt restarted on the front row.  Lunger pulled away from Sixt and Peters on the final restart and take the win to kickoff year number two under the RUSH banner.  Sixt, Peters, Rob Pietz and Luke Carleton made up the balance of the top five. The RUSH Late Models return to action at Humberstone on Sunday May 10th for a regular five division show.

 

The final new addition to the RUSH family is Eriez Speedway located just outside of Erie in Hammet, Pa.  Eriez runs a Sunday night show and opening night racing for 2015 saw Max Blair and Mike Mitchell lead the field to the green to kick off RUSH sanctioning for the speedway.  Chad Wright had taken the second spot by lap two, while Mitchell pulled into the pits for the night during an early race caution. By the halfway point of the race, Kyle Zimmerman raced into third and began a charge on Blair and Wright.  In the closing laps, Wright made it interesting for Blair coming alongside of him for the lead.  Blair, however, held off the challenge and went on to win the feature putting him in the books as the first RUSH sanctioned Late Model winner at Eriez Speedway.  It was Blair’s second win in as many nights and third in RUSH action this season.  This Sunday, regular racing continues at Eriez with a special treat for the moms for Mother’s Day! 

 

Freedom Motorsports Park in Delevan, New York held a practice last Friday night, but will get action underway officially this Friday night with Sweeney RUSH Late Model Weekly Series action under the new ownership of Bob Reis.

 

Two other tracks that didn’t have RUSH part of their program last weekend were Potomac and Winchester Speedways.  That won’t be the case this weekend as the race #2 and 3 for the Bazell/Sunoco Race Fuels Southern Touring Series will make visits at the Mid-Atlantic bullrings this Friday and Saturday for $2,000 to-win each night.

 

And finally, RUSH Sportsman Modified weekly track, Sportsman’s Speedway, will start their season hosting Bicknell Racing Products Weekly Series action beginning this Sunday evening.  The 5 p.m. program will feature the first ever RUSH Sportsman Modified event.  Several racers tested out the 1/3-mile oval in Knox, Pa. last Sunday at their practice including a few that didn’t compete at Lernerville or Sharon Speedway last weekend.


RUSH Late Model marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Bazell Race Fuels, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The Brake Man, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Crate Innovations Inc., Velocita-USA, 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, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, VP Racing Fuels, FK Rod Ends, Sherwood Racing Wheels, Velocita-USA, Precise Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, K&N Filters, TBM Brakes, Lincoln Electric, 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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