CAREER 1ST WIN FOR HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL WINS FOR DAVIN KAISER & MATT SIPES; BLAZE MYERS TOPS A RECORD 30-CAR HOVIS SPRINT CAR FIELD AT LERNERVILLE FOR 1ST WIN OF 2023

By Marcie Barlow

July 28, 2023              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)...Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants racers and fans were blessed with the nicest weekend in seven weeks.  Davin Kaiser and Matt Sipes captured their first career RUSH Late Model victories, while Jeremy Wonderling swept the Flynn's Tire Touring Series weekend.  Blaze Myers finally broke through with his first win on the season and did it over a record high 30-car field of RUSH Sprint Cars at Lernerville.

Lernerville Speedway hosted the fourth annual "RUSH Summer Showcase" Friday evening as the Late Models, Sprints and Sportsman Modified Divisions were all in action.  Kyle Lukon led the first 27 laps of the Late Model Flynn's Tire Tour main event before Jeremy Wonderling took the top spot following a late race caution.  Wonderling passed Lukon with two laps to score his first ever victory at the Sarver, PA oval, worth $3,000.  Chub Frank and Kurt Stebbins also got by Lukon in the closing laps to take second and third.  For Stebbins, it was his best career Tour finish. Lukon dropped to fourth over David Pangrazio.

Blaze Myers scored his first Hovis RUSH Sprint Car win of the season in the RUSH Sprint Car portion of the Summer Showcase.  The 18-year-old competitor led all 20 laps of the main event to score a convincing win in the 20-lap Sunbelt Rentals Weekly Series event.  Ninth place starter John Mollick, who won the last show at Lernerville, finished in the second spot with Chad Ruhlman third.  Zack Wilson and Arnie Kent rounded out the top five.  Last year, Lernerville set an all-time division-high car count of 28 for the "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance, and was able to beat that mark on Friday with 30 cars in the pits.  The RUSH Sprints will be back at Lernerville for the 2023 "Manufacturers Night" on Saturday, August 26. 

The RUSH Sportsman competitors completed the trio of divisions in competition at “The Action Track.”  Youngster Ayden Cipriano came from the 13^th starting position to score a dramatic late race win.  Cipriano passed Ben Easler on lap 19 following a restart to capture his first Lernerville win of the season and fifth overall to take over the $3,500 to-win Weekly Series Championship.  Jacob Wolfe, Kole Holden, Easler and Jacob Rutana finished second through fifth respectively.

Weekly RUSH Late Model action at Freedom Motorsports Park got off to a bad start as an opening lap crash ended the night for Mark Sundt and Brad Mesler.  When the action resumed Bill Taylor and Bryce Davis battled for the lead until Taylor spun, ending his quest for the victory.  Davis withstood pressure from Chad Homan for several laps but the veteran driver grabbed the lead by the halfway point and went on to score his first win of the season at the speedway.  Paul Grigsby, Chuck LaFleur, Davis and Dave DuBois rounded out the top five.

Alan Chapman scored his fourth feature win of the year at Skyline Raceway Motorsports Park last Friday night to continue to lead the $1,000 City Chevrolet "Track Pack".  Brad Smith was second for the second time in three tries.  Patrick Parker was third over Todd Chapman. 

On Saturday, the RUSH Late Model Flynn's Tire Tour drivers travelled to West Virginia’s Tyler County Speedway for just the second time ever.  Wonderling continued his winning ways as he withstood the challenges of his brother Mike and David Pangrazio as he maneuvered through lapped traffic to score his second victory of the weekend and leading seventh overall in Tour competition.  Pangrazio claimed the second position over Mike Wonderling.  Joe Martin was fourth as Donnie Dotson went 15th to 5th for his career best Tour effort.

The RUSH Late Model event at Stateline Speedway saw Will Pinckney lead the first four laps before a very determined Matt Sipes took command.  Sipes was never seriously challenged for the remainder of the event and would score his career first victory in his seventh season of racing.  David Parker, Jason Genco, Scott Gurdak and Pinckney completed the top five.  Stateline has had at least 20 cars in all nine of their events this season with an average car count of nearly 27 per night!

The RUSH Late Model main event at Winchester Speedway also saw a first-time winner as Davin Kaiser took the early lead and never looked back.  Kaiser, a 16-year-old "Futures Cup" rookie in the class led the entire distance of the event to score his first career RUSH victory by a full straightaway over Tyler Hoy!  It also marked the first career win for car owners Will and Ann Marie Beverlin.  Jeremiah Marshall matched his career best RUSH Late Model finish in third.  Braeson Fulton returned to action for the first time in three months and was fourth as Cameron Campbell rounded out the top five.

Frank Magill and Cole Petrelle led the 20-lap RUSH Late Model feature to the green Saturday evening at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, but it was third place starter Brandon Burgoon who would lead the first 15 laps before a caution bunched up the field.  On the restart Petrelle battled Burgoon for the top spot with the duo racing side-by-side before Petrelle was able to take the top spot and lead laps 16, 17 and 18.  Burgoon wrestled the top spot away from Petrelle on the 19th circuit and went on to lead final two laps to score his third win of the season at the Imperial, Pa. oval.  Ninth place starter Ben Policz got by Petrelle for the second spot with Mike Reft claiming fourth and Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr. finishing fifth.

Brett Marlatt, Brian Knowles, Aaron Miller and John Waters battled for the top spot in the early laps of the RUSH Late Model main event at Woodhull Raceway.  Marlatt was able to put a full straightaway between himself and the competition by lap 15 before a caution erased the advantage.  The final five laps saw Marlatt open up a four-car advantage as he went on to score his third win of the season at the oval.  Knowles came home in second followed by Waters, Miller and Jason Knowles.

Jason Genco was the RUSH Late Model victor at Eriez Speedway on Sunday.  It was Genco’s first win of the season at the Erie, Pa. oval and his third in City Chevrolet Weekly Series action.  Sixth place starter David Pangrazio claimed the second spot as he's finished on the podium for all six races this year.  Breyton Santee advanced 10 spots to finish third as David Parker and Chub Frank completed the top five.  Like Stateline, Eriez has had at least 20 cars at all of their shows in 2023 and have averaged nearly 24 per night!

Sunday evening RUSH Late Model racing action at Bradford Speedway saw Brad Mesler claim the victory over Jacob Tubbs, Ward Schell, Jeremy Wonderling and Kurt Stebbins.  It was Mesler's second win of the season at Bradford.

RUSH Pro Mod competitors started their weekend at the Freedom Motorsports Park on Friday.  Josh Wilcox grabbed the early lead with Tyler Oakes, Adam Ashcroft and Steve Dixon in hot pursuit.  A lap nine restart gave Ashcroft the opportunity he needed to take the lead and go on for his first victory of 2023.  Oakes, Dixon, Al Brewer and Wilcox followed.

Veteran Dennis Lunger, Jr. scored just his third RUSH Pro Mod win of the season Saturday evening at Stateline Speedway.   Lunger led the entire distance and held off a late race challenge by Steve Dixon for his 44th divisional win at the speedway.  Chad Ramsey, Damian Bidwell and Brendan Warner followed.  

On Sunday evening at Bradford Speedway Critter Hemphill picked up his second RUSH Pro Mod victory of the season.  Josh Wilcox, John Woodward, Damian Bidwell and Al Brewer finished second through fifth respectively.

On Saturday, the RUSH Sportsman Modified competitors travelled to Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway and Kole Holden once again scored the win.  It was Holden's third straight PPMS win and leading seventh overall of the season.  Chelsie Kriegisch and Lucas Canon were second and third.

Freedom Motorsports Park hosted a 15-lap RUSH Stock Car feature on Friday night that saw Lane Reinwald score the victory over William Baker, Cody Rickard, Cole Strickland and Kaden Michael.  It was Reinwald's first career Freedom victory and third overall of the season.  Six cars were on hand at Freedom, which was their highest to date.  

In RUSH Stock Car action at Eriez Speedway on Sunday night, Kaden Michael was the winner for the first time at Eriez and third overall of the season. Cody Rickard, Cole Strickland, William Baker and Mark Lawrence were second through fifth..

Weekly Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Late Model action takes place Friday at Freedom Motorsports Park as they are hosting the Firecracker 30 paying $1,500 to win.  Skyline will also be in action on Friday. Saturday evening RUSH Late Model action is scheduled at Marion Center Speedway, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Stateline Speedway, Tyler County Speedway, Winchester Speedway and Woodhull Raceway.  Eriez Speedway and Bradford Speedway will both be in action Sunday evening.

The Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Pro Mod Series will be in action at three venues this weekend.  They start the weekend at Freedom Motorsports Park and then head to Stateline Speedway on Saturday for their annual "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance with more than $15,000 of valuable product giveaways.  Their weekend will conclude at Bradford Speedway on Sunday where a special “King of the Hill” event has been added to the racing card.

This weekend the Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Sprint Cars will be in action Saturday at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway for a Sunbelt Rentals Weekly Series event.  The Sportsman Modifieds will see action both Friday and Saturday as the Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble Series" continues at Raceway 7 (Friday) and Sharon Speedway (Saturday).

Next Thursday night (August 3) will be the return of racing to McKean County Raceway in East Smethport, Pa. as both the RUSH Late Models and Pro Mods will be in action.

It was also announced this week that Glen Ridge Motorsports Park in Fultonville, NY will host their first ever RUSH Late Model event on Sunday, August 13 paying $1,000 to-win, and the RUSH Late Models will run full-time on Sunday nights in 2024!

As the temperatures continue to rise as we near the beginning of August so does the RUSH racing action’ be sure to catch some at a speedway near you this weekend!

The RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply together with Born2Run Lubricants along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Rick Hendrick City Chevrolet, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Flynn's Tire, Sunbelt Rentals, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Bilstein Shocks, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Wieland Metal Services, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Sherwood Wheels, Precise Racing Products, Velocita-USA, Wedge Motorsports, 3C Graphix, D&V Jewelers, CrateInsider.com, and Terry Bowser Excavating.  

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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