LOGAN ROBERSON ENDS “BATTLE OF THE BAY” SPEEDWEEK PRESENTED BY WEHRS VICTORIOUS
IN THE FINALE AT WINCHESTER FOR 2ND STRAIGHT YEAR; MAX BLAIR TAKES
$1000 SPEEDWEEK TITLE
April 20, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
(Winchester, VA)...The
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series presented by
Pace Performance headed to Winchester Speedway on Saturday night for the finale
of the second annual “Battle of the Bay” Speedweek presented by Wehrs Machine &
Racing Parts. After torrential rains fell
on Friday night that washed out round three of Speedweek at Potomac Speedway,
sunshine and mild conditions returned for Winchester as 44 race teams from seven
different states plus Ontario, Canada participated.
Seven of the eight Speedweek events have now been completed over the two
years with car counts over 40 for every event including a high of 53 on
Wednesday night at Delaware International Speedway.
For the second straight year, Logan Roberson closed
out Speedweek victorious at his home track; however, this year, wasn’t able to
overcome Max Blair for the $1,000 title.
Roberson inherited the lead after race-long leader Ross Robinson lost a
driveshaft, but yielded the lead to Blair when racing resumed on lap 20, then
would out-duel Blair on the following lap to regain the top spot and went on for
his first Sweeney Tour win of the season.
Roberson earned $3,225 for his night’s work along with a Sunoco 5-Gallon
Race Jug plus $500 for his runner-up in Speedweek points.
“We had something in our playbook,” revealed the
21-year-old Waynesboro, Virginia standout when asked if he had anything for
leader Robinson. “My dad was
signaling me to slow down and wait for lapped traffic to hopefully get him.
He (Robinson) was very good.
I hate to see that bad break for him, but we’ll take it any way possible.
We’ve had a great season so far.
We struggled the first two nights of the Battle of the Bay and wasn’t as
good as I wanted to be, but we came home and took the win.
It feels good to win here for me and my family- it’s awesome.”
After passing Roberson to win the dash, Robinson took
off in the lead over Roberson and Blair at the start of the 30-lap feature,
which was initially aborted twice by multi-car accidents.
Following a caution with eight laps scored for Dale Hollidge, Matt Hill
moved past Jeremy Wonderling for fifth.
Robinson had about a half-straightaway lead on Roberson when he caught
lapped traffic on lap 19. That lead
would shrink the following lap until Robinson came up lame in turn three after
losing the driveshaft. Robinson
entered the night just four points behind Blair in both the Speedweek and Tour
point standings, and his misfortune would earn him the TBM Brakes “Tough Brake
of the Night”.
Roberson would then inherit the lead over Blair,
Devin Brannon, Hill, and Wonderling.
Another caution would slow action when Brannon spun and collected Jennae Piper
with still 19 laps scored. When
racing resumed, Roberson and Blair were side-by-side the entire lap with Blair
using the outside to nose ahead to lead the 20th circuit, while
Jeremy Wonderling and Charlie Sandercock passed Hill for third and fourth.
Blair though would be unable to maintain the lead on lap 21 as Roberson
made the inside work to snatch the lead for good.
The last 11 laps would go caution-free as Roberson
pulled away from Blair every lap to take the checkered flag first by 2.051
seconds for his third Winchester win of the season in four starts and fourth
overall in RUSH-sanctioned competition.
The victory was Roberson’s third of his career in Sweeney Tour action and
came in the Dirt Defender/BTS Towing Service/Russ King Racing/Wynbridge/Swift
Springs/Zmax/Virginia Motor Speedway-sponsored #17.
Though Blair was disappointed with his second place
run, he’ll leave the Mid-Atlantic with approximately $9,925 in earnings in just
three nights and will take his Sweeney Tour point lead to his home tracks of
Stateline and Eriez next month.
“We were a little free, but I think it was maybe the
tire difference,” explained Blair. “He
had a different tire on than I did.
We were alright. I think we had a
shot at it if there was a little more room getting off turn two on that last
restart, but it is what it is. Those
guys are always tough here and you know that when you come here so congrats to
them. The points came into it during
the race. I knew when Ross was
leading if I could finish third I’d still win it, but if I got passed I
wouldn’t. He then broke a driveshaft
and it went everywhere. I hit some
pieces and was hoping it didn’t hurt anything under the car.
I knew once that happened I had some breathing room for the points and
could race hard for the win.”
For the second straight year, Wonderling ended
Speedweek with a podium finish and the defending Sweeney Tour champion has now
finished in the top 12 of all seven Speedweek races over the past two years!
Wonderling will also receive the Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert”
$150 rear spoiler.
“I’ve been decent but haven’t had the results,”
stated the Wellsville, NY racer.
“The first couple tracks were difficult for me.
I’m not used to being on stuff like that.
To come down here and finish third with these caliber of racers and the
amount of cars is tough. I have to
thank Jim Stephens. We’ve been
working on this car and getting it better and better.
I didn’t have anything for those two though (Roberson and Blair).”
After a disappointing finish the first two nights of
Speedweek, Sandercock closed out the “Battle of the Bay” with a strong fourth
place effort for his best ever finish in the seven races over the past two
years. Sandercock started 12th
and was halfway to the front before being shuffled back on a restart then
charged back forward. Sandercock
fought for the third position with Wonderling over the final 11 laps, but
couldn’t make the pass. `
Hill was fifth.
After not coming in the first two events of Speedweek, Matt Latta made
the trip down from northeast Ohio and netted a sixth place finish after starting
11th in his season debut.
Jakob Piper raced from 16th to seventh.
After getting caught up in an opening lap accident, Kyle Lukon came all
the way back to finish eighth. Nick
Davis was ninth as 18th starting Braeden Dillinger completed the top
10. After taking a Series
provisional and starting 25th, Michael Duritsky, Jr. made his way to 12th
at the finish to earn the $100 Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger
gift card.
Sam Pennacchio closed out Speedweek by capturing the
Non-Qualifier victory in his Duguay Haulage-sponsored #311.
After finishing a close third in Thursday’s Non-Qualifier at Georgetown,
Pennacchio dominated the 10-lap caution-free affair.
The Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada racer earned $200 and became the 35th
different winner in 41 races run all-time in the “Wheelman” Bonus Event
Challenge Series. Track regular,
Timmy Booth, passed Kyle Murray on lap two to finish second.
Chuck Bowie and Al Shawver, Jr. also got by Murray on lap four to finish
third and fourth respectively.
Murray dropped to fifth in his first ever visit to the track.
After setting a new track record one year ago, Logan
Roberson once again set fast time on Saturday night in $100 FK Rod Ends “Shock
the Clock” Qualifying with a lap of 16.711.
Earning $25 FK Rod Ends heat race victories were Roberson, Robinson,
Lukon, Trevor Feathers, and Blair.
Robinson won the dash, while Tyler Bare and Levi Crowl copped the last chance B
main victories.
ARC Racing and Round Hill Auto Service presented the
“$500 Club” as the five $100 drawings for racers in the top 15 of Winchester
track points went to Roberson, Feathers, Jakob Piper, Booth, and Levi Crowl.
The Sweeney Tour will resume action on Saturday, May 18 at Stateline Speedway in
Busti, NY for the “Bill Law Memorial” followed up on Sunday at Eriez Speedway in
Erie, Pa. Both “Marquee” events will
pay $2,000 to-win, $225 to-start.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Late Model Touring Series “Battle of the Bay”
Speedweek presented by Wehrs Machine & Racing Products Race #3 (30 laps, $3,000
to-win): 1. LOGAN ROBERSON (17) 2.
Max Blair (111) 3. Jeremy Wonderling
(3J) 4. Charlie Sandercock (Crouter
57) 5. Matt Hill (84)
6. Matt Latta (21) 7. Jakob
Piper (21) 8. Kyle Lukon (184)
9. Nick Davis (92) 10.
Braeden Dillinger (14) 11. Darrell
Bossard (Winans 213) 12. Michael
Duritsky, Jr. (90J) 13. Jason Genco
(Craig/Badgley 29J) 14. J.J. Mazur
(13) 15. Billy Beachler (21)
16. Jennae Piper (H1) 17.
Amanda Whaley (4) 18. Jonathan Raley
(05) 19. Levi Crowl (5)
20. Bill Kessler (09) 21.
Devin Brannon (Newcome 37) 22. Ross
Robinson (7) 23. Tyler Bare (30)
24. Steve Lowery (48) 25. Dale
Hollidge (0) 26. Trevor Feathers
(Royston 20). (Note: Michael Duritsky, Jr. took a Series provisional &
Jonathan Raley took a Track provisional.)
Non-Qualifier (10 laps, $200
to-win): 1. Sam Pennacchio (311) 2.
Timmy Booth (95) 3. Chuck Bowie
(14c) 4. Al Shawver, Jr. (215)
5. Kyle Murray (21) 6. Ryan
Frazee (11F) 7. Derek Magee (96)
8. Jeremy Pilkerton (8) 9.
Jamie Wrightsman (21J) 10. Cody
Dawson (36) 11. Joe Pete (8/7)-DNS
12. Billy Thompson (55)-DNS
13. Logan Zarin (1z)-DNS 14. Andy
Michael (17x)-DNS 15. Scott Gunn
(14G)-DNS 16. Chad Sines (15)-DNS
17. Bryan Benton (52)-DSQ (fuel cell)
18. Scott Sweeney, Jr. (40s)-DSQ (seals).
Car Count: 44
Feature Margin of Victory:
2.051 seconds
Feature Lap Leaders: Ross Robinson (1-19), Max Blair (20), Logan Roberson
(21-30).
“$500 Club”
presented by ARC Racing & Round Hill Auto Service: Levi Crowl, Logan Roberson, Trevor Feathers, Jakob Piper & Timmy
Booth
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down Hard Charger”: Michael Duritsky, Jr. (+13)
Dirt Defender “Defensive Drive of the Night”:
Jeremy Wonderling
TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night":
Ross Robinson
Sunoco 5-Gallon Race Jugs:
Logan Roberson
Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert”: Jeremy Wonderling
FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying
($100 for fast time) (Track Record: 15.479 by Logan Roberson
4/21/18): 1. Logan Roberson 16.711
2. Dale Hollidge 16.935 3. Amanda
Whaley 16.942 4. Nick Davis 17.024
5. Darrell Bossard 17.033 6.
Devin Brannon 17.113 7. Ross
Robinson 17.122 8. Kyle Lukon 17.137
9. Trevor Feathers 17.203 10.
Jeremy Wonderling 17.253 11. Jakob
Piper 17.260 12. Matt Hill 17.271
13. Braeden Dillinger 17.271
14. Matt Hill 17.271 15. Max Blair
17.283 16. Matt Latta 17.292
17. Charlie Sandercock 17.318
18. Bill Kessler 17.335 19. Tyler
Bare 17.336 20. Jennae Piper 17.349
21. Billy Thompson 17.415 22.
Steve Lowery 17.447 23. Billy
Beachler 17.464 24. Logan Zarin
17.472 25. Michael Duritsky, Jr.
17.485 26. Chuck Bowie 17.607
27. Scott Gunn 17.682 28.
Jamie Wrightsman 17.700 29. Levi
Crowl 17.817 30. Cody Dawson 17.818
31. Timmy Booth 17.848 32.
J.J. Mazur 17.894 33. Kyle Murray
18.077 34. Sam Pennacchio 18.080
35. Ryan Frazee 18.092 36.
Jeremy Pilkerton 18.146 37. Joe Pete
18.176 38. Chad Sines 18.186
39. Andy Michael 18.203 40.
Derek Magee 18.286 41. Jonathan
Raley NT (light) 42. Al Shawver, Jr.
NT (light) 43. Bryan Benton NT
44. Scott Sweeney, Jr. NT.
FK Rod Ends Heat 1 (8
laps, Top 2 transfer to A, $25 to-win) 1. Roberson
2. Brannon 3. Latta
4. Ja. Piper 5. Thompson
6. Bowie 7. Booth
8. Pilkerton 9. Shawver.
FK Rod Ends Heat 2 (8
laps, Top 2 transfer to A, $25 to-win) 1. Robinson
2. Hollidge 3. Sandercock
4. Genco 5. Lowery
6. Mazur 7. Gunn
8. Raley 9. Pete.
FK Rod Ends Heat 3 (8
laps, Top 2 transfer to A, $25 to-win) 1. Lukon
2. Whaley 3. Beachler 4.
Dillinger 5. Bare
6. Murray 7. Wrightsman
8. Sines 9. Benton.
FK Rod Ends Heat 4
(8 laps, Top 2 transfer to A, $25 to-win) 1. Feathers
2. Hill 3. Davis
4. Je. Piper 5. Crowl
6. Pennacchio 7. Zarin
8. Michael 9. Sweeney-DSQ.
FK Rod Ends Heat 5 (8
laps, Top 2 transfer to A, $25 to-win) 1. Blair
2. Wonderling 3. Bossard
4. Kessler 5. Duritsky
6. Dawson 7. Frazee
8. Magee.
Last Chance B Main 1 (10
laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. Bare
2. Mazur 3. Pennacchio
4. Booth 5. Duritsky
6. Shawver 7. Thompson
8. Frazee 9. Michael
10. Wrightsman 11. Raley
12. Benton-DSQ.
Last Chance B Main 2 (10 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. Crowl
2. Lowery 3. Murray
4. Bowie 5. Pete
6. Pilkerton 7. Magee
8. Zarin 9. Gunn
10. Dawson 11. Sines-DNS
12. Sweeney-DSQ.
Dash (6 laps): 1.
Robinson 2. Roberson
3. Blair 4. Feathers
5. Lukon.
RUSH Racing Series is brought to
you by Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC & Pace Performance 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, FK Rod Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, 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, Trailer-Alarms.com, Bonnell's Rod Shop, Sherwood
Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric,
Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, CrateInsider.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.
###