CAREER 1ST SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL WINS FOR TIM SNARE & MIKE FRANKLIN IN TWIN 15S AT PATH VALLEY ALONG WITH CHAD HOMAN AT HUMBERSTONE; DAMIAN BIDWELL & JEREMY WONDERLING KEEP ON WINNING

By Jim Zufall & Mike Leone

 

June 28, 2016            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Pulaski, PA)…Thanks to Mother Nature, it was a full weekend of racing for the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance.  Three RUSH Late Model racers were able to capture their first career RUSH wins in Sweeney Weekly Series action, while the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds also featured a first time winner.   

 

Damian Bidwell was the class of the field in the RUSH Late Models at Delevan, New York's Freedom Motorsports Park on Friday night. Bidwell took an early lead and survived a number of restarts, quickly putting distance between himself and the field each time. Bidwell is the first driver at Freedom in 2016 to win two features with his back-to-back wins.  Second was Adam Sixt followed by Bill Holmes, Andy Michael and Brad Mesler for the top five.  Freedom Motorsports Park returns to action for a special Saturday racing program this weekend.

 

It was another stellar performance by “Pork Chop” Brian Knowles in the RUSH Late Models at Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, New York last Saturday night.  Knowles held off Wayne Robertson, Jason Knowles, John Waters and Bob Buono for the win.  Even though Outlaw Speedway's car count in the RUSH Late Model Division is still slowly growing, Knowles knows he has some stiff competition. People don’t realize that even though our car count is down, they guys that we are racing here at this track are typically the top ten throughout the whole Northeast on the RUSH series.”  The RUSH Late Models will be off this Friday due to the Sweeney Tour event at Lernerville.

 

Twin 15s were on tap for the RUSH Late Models at Path Valley Speedway Park in Spring Run, Pa. on Friday night.  Feature number one saw Tim Snare hold off Kris Eaton, Steve Lowery, John Imler and Timmy Booth for his first career RUSH win.  In the second feature, Mike Franklin joined Snare as first career RUSH Late Model winners taking the victory on the sealed, spec $135 Bilstein Shocks to maintain his point lead in the "Bilstein Bandits" program,  Booth, Imler, Bryan Benton, Brad McGinnis and Eaton were second through fifth.  The next appearance of the RUSH Late Models is July 15.

 

With Fulton Speedway off on Saturday, Brewerton Speedway hosted their annual Sweeney RUSH Late Model Weekly Series event on Friday night.  Fulton regular, Kevan Cook, who has a win at Fulton on May 28 picked up the feature win over Canadian invader Charlie Sandercock- the defending "Bilstein Bandits" champion.  Brandon Ford, Chris Fleming, Alan Fink were third through fifth.  Fulton is back in action this Saturday night featuring the ESS "360" Sprints plus a full show including the RUSH Late Models.

 

Eldred, Pennsylvania's Damian Bidwell took his second winner's trophy of the weekend on Saturday night at Stateline Speedway in Busti, New York.  Bidwell, who started on the front row with Ryan Scott, would stay with leader Scott for the first half of the race.  Through a few caution periods, Bidwell kept his runner-up spot intact until an outside lane pass on the final lap gave him a slim margin victory at the flagstand.  The victory propelled Bidwell into the Sweeney Weekly Series point lead, which will pay the champion $5,000 after the conclusion of September.  Scott would be the runner up by just 18 inches, followed by Dave Lyon, Mike Wonderling and Darrell Bossard.  Lyon has now finished third in all four starts this season at Stateline!

 

Also at Stateline, the RUSH Pro Mods were in action where Jason Covey was the class of the field for the second time this season.  But it wasn't without a challenge from Scott Gurdak who continually pestered Covey through lapped traffic in the 15-lap event.  In the end Gurdak nearly caught Covey, but fell short by under a second. Kelly Frederes, Jeremy Williams and Justin Carlson rounded out the top five. A full card of racing including a Super Late Model special event is on tap for this Saturday, July 2.

 

Corfu, New York's Dave DuBois pulled a double on Saturday night at Genesee Speedway in Batavia, New York.  DuBois led all 20 laps of the RUSH Late Models for his second win of the season besting Bill Holmes, Brad Mesler, Beamer Guzzardi and T.J. Downs.  The win returns DuBois to the top of the leader board in the division. DuBois also took the win in the 360 Late Models. Genesee Speedway returns to action Saturday July 9th after a week off for the holiday weekend.

 

Also on Saturday night, the rapidly growing field of Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sportsman Modifieds headed to Sharon Speedway on Saturday evening for the first of two appearances by the Bicknell Racing Products Touring Series. A record 26 cars were on hand at the Hartford, Ohio oval for "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance where over $17,000 in products were distributed.  On the racing, division rookie Chas Wolbert marched from his 10th place starting spot to slip past Brian Schaffer who had led the distance until the final lap.

 

Wolbert, who had just moved up from the Mod Lites this season was jubilant in victory lane. “I think Brian (Schaffer) thought that white flag was the checkered," explained the 21-year-old Warren, Ohio driver. "He was fast all night.  Everyone is real fast.  I didn't think coming from the 10th position we'd get here.” Wolbert's Bicknell Racing Products Touring Series win puts him in the point lead in the Series. Schaffer, Kyle Martell, Brandon Ritchey and Nick Ritchey completed the top five.

 

The Bicknell Racing Products Touring Series moves to Lernerville Speedway this Friday, racing on a card that includes the RUSH Late Models and the BOSS Sprint Series. Sharon Speedway returns to action with a regular "Steel Valley Thunder" program this Saturday when it is Armed Forces Day with free admission for veteran and active duty military.

 

Sunday night north of the border at Humberstone Speedway it was Tim Gillespie and Chad Homan at the front of the field at the start of the RUSH Late Model feature event.  Homan pulled out to an early lead and with plenty of racing for position going on behind him, pulled away from the field to take his first career win at the Port Colborne, Ontario oval as well as his first in RUSH competition.  Homan bested Sam Pennacchio, Jeff Dayman, Zack Carley and Gillespie. Racing returns to Humberstone on Sunday with a full race program which includes a visit from the Vintage Modifieds and a kids poster contest.

 

Jason Genco continued his winning ways at Eriez Speedway on Sunday.  Genco captured his third win in six races at the Erie, Pa. oval.  After competing in the Sweeney Tour event the Sunday prior at Tri-City Raceway Park, Bruce Hordusky, Jr. and Dave Lyon returned to their home track and finished second and third respectively.  It was Lyon's second third place finish in as many nights.  Ryan Scott and Khole Wanzer completed the top five.  Eriez will have a full show on Sunday plus the Patriot "360" Sprints and fireworks.

 

Sunday at The Old Bradford Speedway heat race winners Andy Michael and Jeremy Wonderling duked it out for the feature win after Wonderling got by brother Mikey for the second spot. The lead was swapped a couple times until lap 13 when Jeremy Wonderling got by Michael for good to go on for his second straight win and fifth overall of the season, which have come at four different tracks.  Rounding out the top five were Jeff Hoffman, Damian Bidwell and Brian Haggerty. Another Five Star Racing event is coming up this Sunday at the Bradford, Pa track.

 

McKean County Raceway will host another Thursday night program.  Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway returns to action this Saturday in a full Action Event which includes the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series. The RUSH Late Models return to action at Potomac Speedway this Sunday for Fireworks Night.  The RUSH Late Models return to Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio this Saturday night as part of a race program that includes the Ohio Sprint Car Series. The RUSH Late Models will be off again at Winchester, but will return on July 9.

 

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 Performance, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, FK Rod Ends, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, Rocket Chassis, Bobby Lake Motorsports 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, Sunoco Race Fuels, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, FK Rod Ends, Sherwood Racing Wheels, Velocita-USA, Precise Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, K&N Filters, TBM Brakes, Lincoln Electric, CrateInsider.com, 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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