BRYCE DAVIS HOLDS OFF MAX BLAIR FOR 1ST SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL TOUR WIN OF 2015 IN “RON BAKER MEMORIAL” AT FREEDOM

By Mike Leone

 

June 5, 2015            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Delevan, NY)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series was in action on Friday night at Freedom Speedway in the season’s second Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Northern Touring Series event, and fifth Tour event overall.  Somehow thunderstorms missed Freedom all day and night as a an all-time track record 28 cars turned out for the second ever Crate Late Model Touring Series event at the Delevan, New York oval, which was one of the original tracks that ran crates when they debuted in the Northeast in 2007.  The event was the “Ron Baker Memorial” and despite the threatening conditions, a packed house was on hand.  Special thanks to Dick Demick, who posted a $74 bonus for the winner and $50 bonuses for the fourth and seventh place finishers in memory of Baker’s #74.

 

Bryce Davis survived a caution-plagued event and a late charge by Max Blair, who restarted last after pitting early on, to capture the “Ron Baker Memorial” for his season’s first Tour win.  The victory, which was actually Davis’ second of the season as he won the Sweeney Weekly Series opener at Freedom last month, was worth $1,274 for Davis who led from green to checkered.

 

“The draw was the key tonight and to stay in clean air,” stated the 24-year-old Hornell, New York winner.  “There was a lot of attrition so it was good to stay out of trouble up front.  We’re focusing primarily on the northern region.  I have to thank all of my sponsors and crew that make this possible.”

 

Davis started second and used the outside to race into the lead past Mike Wonderling to lead the opening lap before an eight-car accident clogged the frontstretch.  Blair was one of the victims that got caught up in the accident.  He would pit and restart on the tail along with the other seven accident cars.  When racing resumed, the top three of Davis, Wonderling, and Brian Knowles pulled away from the field by lap three.  The top three were just about to encounter lapped traffic on lap seven when Jon Rivers slowed to bring out the caution.

 

Back under green, Knowles slipped high allowing Bob Kish to take over third.  Brian’s brother Jason Knowles was on the move as he cracked the top five on lap eight taking the spot from Adam Sixt then passed Brian for fourth on lap 10.  Just as Davis was set to enter traffic again, the caution was displayed for Doug Gavette, who spun in turn four with 11 laps scored. 

 

Over the next 10 laps, numerous cautions slowed action.  Several fast running cars suffered tough breaks.  Twelfth starting Randy Hall raced his way to third on lap 14 with a slide job of Kish, but three laps later suffered a broken axle.  Eric Wilson started 22nd and was as high as third place at one point before getting spun in turn three.  And finally, Wonderling, who made his first Tour start, ran second the first 20 laps before being passed by Blair.  Wonderling then had problems on lap 21 ending his night and was awarded the TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night”.

 

Back to Blair.  He slowly picked off cars from the tail and narrowly missed a couple accidents.  He entered the top five on lap 17, was fourth on lap 18, third on lap 19, and as previously mentioned passed Wondering for second on lap 20 before the event’s final caution with 21 laps completed for Wonderling.

 

Blair was all over Davis in the final four laps, but Davis was able to hold on by one car-length for his third career Sweeney Tour win.  He’s now won one Sweeney Tour event in each of the last three seasons in his Griswolds E.T.R Services/Close Racing Supply/Jody’s Hair Design/Lopers Auto Sales/Mike Palmer Heating & Cooling/Bradley Supply-sponsored #94.  The victory moved Davis into second place in the Insinger/Sunoco Northern Tour points.

 

Blair’s second place finish keeps him atop the $4,000 to-win Insinger/Northern Tour points.  Blair has also yet to finish worse than third in any of the five overall Sweeney Tour events, which has him leading the $4,000 to-win Bazell/Sunoco Southern points and the $2,000 to-win overall title.  Blair’s performance Friday night was certainly worthy of the Maxima Racing Oils “Maximum Performance” award. 

 

It was another good night for Jason Knowles as he recorded his third top five finish, fourth top 10, and hasn’t finished worse than 11th in any of the five Sweeney Tour events this season.  Kish stayed in the top five all night long and was rewarded with a fourth place finish in his first Sweeney Tour start of 2015.  The solid effort came on the $135 sealed, spec Bilstein Shocks, and also was worth an extra $50 from Demick.

 

After losing a motor in warmups, John Waters jumped in his brother Dusty’s car and salvaged his night with a fifth place finish after starting 10th.  Steve LeBarron started 15th and finished sixth.  Tim Gillespie raced from 19th to seventh and not only earned the $100 Precise Racing Products Hard Charger certificate, but also received the $50 bonus from Demick.  Steve Watson was eighth.  Mike Robinson finished ninth in his first ever Sweeney Tour start.  Wilson was still able to manage a 10th place finish, but certainly not what it could have been after appearing to have one of the fastest cars on the race track. 

 

Ward Schell, who last drove from Ron Baker before his passing in December, won the first heat race.  Jason Knowles and Blair won the other two heat races.  Jason Genco won the K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash in his first Sweeney Tour start of 2015, and earned a $100 K&N certificate. 

 

The next Tour race will be another Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Northern Series event on Sunday, June 7 at Erie Speedway in Erie, Pa. for $1,200 to-win.  Pits open at 3:30 with racing at 6.

 

Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Northern Touring Series Race #2 “Ron Baker Memorial” (25 laps, $1,274 to-win): 1. BRYCE DAVIS (94)  2. Max Blair (111)  3. Jason Knowles (4)  4. Bob Kish (5)  5. John Waters (14w)  6. Steve LeBarron (29)  7. Tim Gillespie (15)  8. Steve Watson (83)  9. Mike Robinson (32)  10. Eric Wilson (27W)  11. Mike Wonderling (74)  12. Adam Sixt (6T)  13. Randy Hall (Suppa 4s)  14. Brady Raynor (33R)  15. Brad Mesler (24B)  16. Andy Michael (Kratts 17x)  17. T.J. Downs (1)  18. Brian Knowles (7)  19. Jason Genco (Badgley 29J)  20. Ward Schell (Suppa s4)  21. Doug Gavette (9G)  22. Zach Wiech (26)  23. Matt Harvey (F4)  24. Jon Rivers (85)  25. Jim Johnson (93J)-DNS  26. Michael Mitchell (19)-DNS  27. Zack Carley (8)-DNS  28. Dusty Waters (LeBarron 11)-DNS.

 

Car Count: 28
Feature Lap Leaders:
Davis (1-25)

Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down Hard Charger”: Tim Gillespie (+15)

Maxima Oil “Maximum Performance”: Max Blair

TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night: Mike Wonderling

Dick Demick $74 Winner Bonus: Bryce Davis

Dick Demick $50 4th Place Bonus: Bob Kish

Dick Demick $50 7th Place Bonus: Tim Gillespie

 

Heat 1 (10 laps): 1. Schell  2. J. Waters  3. Hall  4. Sixt  5. Bill Mesler  6. Gavette  7. Harvey  8. Mitchell  9. Wilson  10. Wiech.

 

Heat 2 (10 laps): 1. J. Knowles  2. Wonderling  3. Michael  4. Davis  5. Johnson  6. LeBarron  7. Raynor  8. Gillespie  9. Carley-DNS. 

 

Heat 3 (10 laps): 1. Blair  2. B. Knowles  3. Watson  4. Kish  5. Genco  6. Robinson  7. Downs  8. Rivers  9. D. Waters-DNS.

 

K&N "Cold Air Induction" Dash (4 laps): 1. Jason Genco  2. Jim Johnson  3. Bill Mesler-DNS  4. Doug Gavette-DNS.

 

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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