CAREER 1ST RUSH SPORTSMAN MOD WIN FOR PRESTON COPE COMES AT RACEWAY
7; FAMILIAR FACES IN VICTORY LANE ACROSS PACE RUSH RACING SERIES INCLUDING CHAD
RUHLMAN’S SPRINT CAR RUN FROM 20TH TO 1ST AT SHARON
By
Marcie Barlow
August 6, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...The
month of July concluded with another action packed weekend of Pace Performance
RUSH Racing Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC action as the Late
Models, Sprint Cars, Sportsman Modifieds, Pro Mods, Stocks, and Karting Series
were all competition. Chas Wolbert
celebrated his birthday a few hours early with a victory at Sharon Speedway in
Sportsman Modified action and $23,000 in products was also distributed to teams
in attendance. Veteran Chad Ruhlman
schooled the RUSH Sprint Car teams on wingless sprint driving as he tallied his
30th divisional win with a run from the 20th starting spot at Sharon
Speedway.
Pace Performance RUSH Sportsman Modified action kicked off a two-race weekend of
Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series competition at Raceway 7 Friday night.
Jacob Jordan and Jake Rutana led the field to the green.
Jordan led the first seven circuits before 10th place starter Preston
Cope nosed ahead on the eighth circuit.
Jordan wrestled the top spot away from Cope on the next circuit and the
duo continued their side-by-side duel for several laps until Cope took the lead
for good on lap 12. The Champion, OH
driver went on to score his first ever RUSH Modified victory by 2.486 second
over Kyle Martell! Kole Holden,
Brandon Richey and Justin Shea completed the top five.
The 20 cars on hand was the highest since 2019.
The
RUSH Mod teams travelled to Sharon Speedway Saturday to compete in a Hovis Auto
& Truck Supply Touring Series event as well the eighth annual "Manufacturers
Night" presented by MSD Performance in which $23,000 of valuable products were
distributed to the divisional drivers in attendance.
A season high 29 cars were on hand topping the previous high of 27 from
the week before. Chas Wolbert
started on the outside of the front row, took command at the green flag and
would weather four late race restarts to score the win on the eve of his 27th
birthday. Jacob Wolfe came in second
and continues to lead the Tour points.
Tony Tatgenhorst was third over a career best finish by JC Boyer in
fourth. Rob Kristyak rallied back
from a flat tire to finish fifth.
An
electrical issue in RUSH Sprint Car heat race action forced veteran Chad Ruhlman
to start in the 20th position Saturday night at Sharon Speedway.
Ruhlman used the top groove to pick off the competition before putting a
slide job on leader Gale Ruth, Jr. on lap 17.
Ruhlman went on to lead the final three laps and score his 30th
career win in Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Car action.
Ruth held off Brian Ruhlman to finish second.
Brian Ruhlman, who finished second in the UMP Mod feature earlier in the
night, claimed third. Jarod Larson
was fourth in his 2021 debut with John Mollick fifth.
Breyton Santee and Chad Sines led the Pace Performance RUSH Late Model field to
the green Friday evening at Raceway 7.
Santee took command with Bud Watson and Joe Long following.
By lap nine, last week’s winner Matt Latta got by Watson for the second
spot and set his sights on Santee.
By lap 13, Latta was on Santee’s bumper.
Latta pressured Santee for the remainder of the event, but Santee
withstood the challenges and went on to score his second victory of the season.
Latta claimed the runner up spot followed by Sines, Long and Watson.
Joe
Martin led the first 15 circuit of the RUSH Late Model main event at Dog Hollow
Speedway on Friday evening before fifth place starter Kyle Hardy took the top
spot. Hardy went on to lead the
final five circuits to pick up his fourth victory in as many tries during the
2021 season at the Indiana County oval.
Martin held on to second with Michael Duritsky, Jr. finishing third.
Levi Crowl and Kyle Smith, Jr. completed the top five.
Jeremy Pilkerton tallied his sixth win of the season at Potomac Speedway Friday
night. Pilkerton led the 20 lap main
event flag-to-flag to score the victory over Delaware's Ben Scott, Bubby Tharp,
Jr., Megan Mann and Mike Raleigh.
RUSH Late Model action at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway saw the
"Steel City Outlaw" Tim Shaffer and Daryl Charlier lead the field to the green.
Charlier took the lead and was followed by sixth place starter Kyle
Lukon. A lap two caution slowed the
field and saw Zach Gunn wrestle the lead away from Charlier when the racing
action resumed. Lukon continued to
chase down the leader and passed Gunn for the top spot on lap seven.
The Burgettstown, Pa. driver went on to open up a full straightaway lead
in route to his second win in three starts this year at the "Monster Half-Mile".
Maryland invader Levi Crowl finished in second for his second top five of
the weekend in western Pa. Zach
Gunn, Charlier and Jake Gunn completed the top five.
Bret Belden and Harry Halliday swapped the lead several times during the first
five laps of RUSH Late Model action at Fulton Speedway Saturday evening.
By lap 10, Chad Homan joined the duo followed closely by Sean Beardsley
and Max Hill. Halliday and Homan
exchanged the lead several times in the closing laps with Homan making the
winning pass on the final lap. Homan
defeated Halliday by a mere 0.157 at the finish line.
Halliday, who got a late start to the season after not even racing in
2020, has reeled off three straight top five finishes.
Belden, Beardsley and Hill completed the top five.
The win was Homan’s sixth at Fulton and his 10th overall in Pace
Performance Weekly Series action.
Bill Holmes outdueled Jimmy Johnson to lead the entire distance of the RUSH Late
Model main event at Genesee Speedway Saturday evening.
Holmes chalked up his fourth victory of the season at the western New
York speedway to maintain the "Track Pack" points lead.
J.J. Mazur, Jeremy Wonderling, Doug Ricotta and Jon Rivers rounded out
the first five.
The
ever improving Jim Buck led the first five circuits of the RUSH Late Model main
event at Woodhull Raceway Saturday night before Jason “The Jet” Knowles took
control. Knowles weathered several
cautions and held off his bother Brian to score his second consecutive win at
the speedway and fourth overall in Pace Performance Weekly Series action.
Chuck LaFleur, Darin Horton and Jason McGregor completed the top five.
RUSH Late Model action took place at Delaware International Speedway on Saturday
night for just the fourth time this season despite scheduling of events back in
April. Joe Warren and Matt Hill battled for the lead while Derek Magee and Ben
Scott dueled for the third position.
Warren and Hill swapped the lead before lapped traffic allowed Hill to distance
himself from his competitors. Warren
was unable to capitalize on a late race caution as Hill went on to score his
second win of the season at Delaware.
Warren claimed the second spot with Magee, Kerry King and Sparky White
rounding out the top five.
Khole Wanzer led the first nine laps of the RUSH Late Model main event at
Stateline Speedway on Saturday night while ninth place started Jason Genco
slowly worked his way through the field.
Genco got by Josh Ferry for the second spot in lap nine and used the top
groove to overtake Wanzer on the next lap.
Genco then held off the late race challenges of veteran Scott Gurdak to
score his first victory of the season at the New York oval.
It was also Genco’s second straight victory as he claimed the RUSH Late
Model win at Eriez the prior Sunday.
Gurdak finished in the second spot to continue his grip on the "Track Pack"
lead. Wanzer,
Ferry, and 15th place
starter Randy Hall rounded out the top five.
The
lone Pace Performance RUSH Pro Mod event of the weekend took place at Stateline
Speedway. Mike Eschrich took command
as the green flag waved and withstood numerous challenges by Adam Ashcroft to
score a very well-deserved win first Stateline win of the year.
Eschrish, who is in his first year of RUSH Pro Mod racing after a
successful career in the E-Mods, also tallied a win this season at Bradford
Speedway. Greg Johnson, Dennis
Lunger, Jr., and Al Brewer completed the top five.
In
RUSH Karting Series action winners at Stateline Speedway Karts were Emmie Bush
(Amateur), Ryan Chase (JR-1), Julian Hultin (JR-2), and Jill Rickard (Adults).
Pace Performance RUSH Stock Car action saw Bob Torquato victorious at Dog Hollow
Speedway on Friday night for the fourth time this season as he chases after
Mikael Beaver in the Weekly Series standings.
Thursday night racing action at McKean County Speedway was rained out.
McKean was scheduled for action on Thursday night (August 5), which
includes the Pace Performance RUSH Late Models and Pro Mods.
In addition, both Bradford Speedway and Eriez Speedway were rained out
Sunday evening. The Hill Speedway
was closed last week for the Troy Fair and the RUSH Late Models were off at
Winchester Speedway.
The
Flynn’s Tire and Born2Run Lubricants RUSH Late Model Tour will stop by
Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday night for the running of
the 32nd annual "Jook George Steel City Classic".
The winner of the 50-lap event will collect a minimum of $6,010 to win,
while $425 will go for last place.
The
RUSH Late Models will make their second appearance of the season at Utica-Rome
Speedway on Friday night in a $1,000 to-win Pace Weekly Series special.
In addition, weekly RUSH Late Model action will take place at Dog Hollow
Speedway, Raceway 7 and the Hill Speedway on Friday.
Bradford Speedway will host both the RUSH Late Models and the RUSH Pro
Mods for a special Friday evening racing card.
Weekly RUSH Late Model action on Saturday includes Delaware International
Speedway, Fulton Speedway, Stateline Speedway, Winchester Speedway and Woodhull
Raceway. Eriez Speedway will be in
action Sunday evening.
Potomac Speedway and Genesee Speedway are off this week.
Pace Performance RUSH Sportsman Modified teams will be in action Friday at
Raceway 7 and also on Saturday at Sharon Speedway for another Wedge Motorsports
“Route 7 Rumble” Series doubleheader weekend.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Weekly Series points will be on the line as
well.
RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Pace Performance together with Sweeney
Chevrolet Buick GMC along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks,
Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance,
Holley Performance Products, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, Born2Run Lubricants,
Flynn's Tire & Auto Service, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing
Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Dirt
Defender, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance
Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels,
Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Stop-Fyre, Lincoln Electric,
Velocita-USA, Waterstone Mortgage Hermitage, CrateInsider.com, and Wedge
Motorsports.
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. The RUSH Late
Model website is www.rushlatemodels.com. Like our Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.
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