CAREER 1ST HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL WINS FOR TIM SHAFFER, RYAN FRAZEE & DANE KELLER; 16-YEAR-OLD AYDEN CIPRIANO CAPTURES CAREER 1ST RUSH SPORTSMAN MOD VICTORY IN A THRILLER AT RACEWAY 7

By Marcie Barlow

July 15, 2022              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)...An action packed weekend of Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants action saw fans treated to lots of side-by-side racing action in which Joe Martin overtook Michael Norris to score a victory in the second annual "Bill Forney Memorial".  Josh Ferry captured his career first RUSH Late Model Flynn's Tire Touring event win at Eriez Speedway as he and fellow RUSH Late Model competitors also received more than $28,000 in product at the 11^th annual "Manufacturers Night" event presented by MSD Performance.  Veteran Sprint Car driver Tim Shaffer scored a well-deserved career first RUSH Late Model feature victory in weekly Late Model action as did Ryan Frazee and Dane Keller, while youngster Ayden Cipriano garnered a well-earned career first win in Hovis RUSH Sportsman Modified action!   

On Friday night at Raceway 7, Dennis Lunger, Jr. and Billy Henry, Jr. led the RUSH Late Model main event to the green.  Lunger led early with Henry, Jason Genco, Breyton Santee and Chad Sines in tow.  Steve Hollabaugh’s car caught fire on lap seven and resulted in a red flag.  When the action resumed, the running order was Lunger, Henry, Genco, Sines and Josh Ferry.  With six laps remaining Genco began to challenge Lunger and just one lap later he took the top spot.  Genco went on to score the win in his first start of the season at the Conneaut, Ohio oval.  Henry was second.  Sines got by Lunger for third and Ferry rounded out the top five.

RUSH Late Model action at Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday night saw a new face in victory lane as Ryan Frazee made his first visit of the season to the speedway a successful one.  Frazee grabbed the lead at the start of the 20-lap main event with Braeden Dillinger and Michael Duritsky, Jr. following.  Duritsky retired from the event on lap 16 and Frazee went on to lead the final four circuits to score his first career RUSH win.  Mike Laughard, R.J. Dallape, Dillinger and Koenig rounded out the top five.  

Jared Keeney captured his fifth straight win at The Hill Speedway on Friday night and his seventh overall of 2022 in Hovis Weekly Series action.

Dane Keller was also a first time winner as he captured his first career RUSH Late Model win on Saturday night at Skyline Raceway Motorsports Park over Jared Keeney, Alan Chapman, Todd Chapman and Pat Parker 

Delaware invader Ben Scott and Dan Lepro, who making his first start since April 30, led the RUSH Late Model field to the green at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.  Lepro led the first 12 laps holding off National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Tim Shaffer and Mike Reft.  Lepro had to “checkup” in lapped traffic on lap 13 and that proved to be the opportunity that Shaffer needed to take the lead.  The Aliquippa, Pa. veteran went on to lead the remainder of the 25-lap event and score a career first RUSH Late Model victory!  Reft got by Lepro to come home in second with Cole Petrelle and Phillip Bubeck completing the top five.   

Late Model competitors competed in two RUSH Late Model Flynn's Tire Touring Series events this past weekend.  The Series made their only appearance of the 2022 at Sharon Speedway on Saturday in the second annual "Bill Forney Memorial".  Michael Norris and Joe Martin led the field to the green with Will Thomas III and Logan Roberson following closely behind.  By lap three, Daryl Charlier had passed Matt Latta for fifth.  He then drove by Roberson on the next circuit and quickly ran down Thomas and took the third spot.  Martin was able to pull alongside of Norris on lap eight but lapped traffic enabled Norris to hold on to the top spot.  By lap 11, Norris, Martin, Charlier and Roberson were engaged in a four-car battle for the lead.  Martin once again pulled even with Norris on laps 16 through 18, but Norris once again gained a slight lead on lap 19.  The persistent Martin pulled even with Norris on lap 27 and made the winning move by sliding Norris off of turn two.  Martin went on to lead the final three circuits and score the 1.572 second victory and a $3,199 payday.  Norris held on for second with Charlier, Roberson and Latta rounding out the top five.  The 30-lap event went nonstop and was completed in just under ten minutes.  A strong field of 30 cars were on hand. 

RUSH Late Model Tour competitors ventured to Eriez Speedway to compete in the 11^th annual Manufacturers Night presented by MSD Performance on Sunday night.  Thirty-nine competitors from six states and Canada shared in more than $28,000 of product giveaways.   Josh Ferry led the first lap with Genco claiming it on lap two.  The duo then raced side by side until Ferry finally wrestled the top spot away from Genco for good on lap 15.  Ferry began to pull away from the field as Genco battled with Chad Homan for the second spot.  Homan took over second for good on lap 27 and then began to reel in Ferry.  Homan closed the gap but ran out of laps as Ferry scored an emotional first career Tour victory worth $3,503 by 0.978 seconds.  Homan came home in the second position.  After his Friday night win at Raceway 7 and a third on Sunday, Genco took over the lead in the National Weekly Series standings.  Jeremy Wonderling was fourth over Tour points leader Logan Roberson.               

The Hovis Rush Sportsman Modified division began their weekend at Raceway 7 Friday evening.  The main event saw Ayden Cipriano lead the first five laps, spin on the eighth lap and then work his way back through the field to score his first ever victory in the division!  At the checkered flag, Cipriano scored just a 0.018 second win over Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series points leader Ben Easler.  Kole Holden, Rob Kristyak and Cole Edwards completed the first five.

On Saturday, the RUSH Sportsman Modified teams made the short trip south down Route 7 to Sharon Speedway.  Tony Tatgenhorst would lead the first circuit of the main event before veteran Garrett Krummert used the bottom of the speedway to get by Tatgenhorst.  Krummert, aboard Jordan Ehrenberg's #JD57, went on to score a convincing 6.750-second win over Tatgenhorst.  Kole Holden captured his second third place finish of the weekend with Ben Easler and Brandon Ritchey completing the top five.

The lone Equipment Rental Options RUSH Sprint Car event took place at Sharon Speedway.  Veteran Andy Priest led the first four circuits over the 20-car field until the caution waved on lap four as Jarod Larson did a quick 360 after contact with Nolan Groves.  The restart order was Priest, Nolan Groves, Chad Ruhlman, Blaze Myers and Tyler Newhart.  When racing action resumed, Ruhlman slid under Myers to take second and would drive by Priest on lap six.  The Erie, Pa. veteran held a commanding 5.492-second lead at the checkered flag to score his second victory of the season at the Trumbull County, Ohio oval.  Priest captured his season best finish in second with Myers finishing third.  Newhart and Gale Ruth, Jr. finished fourth and fifth respectively.   

Hovis RUSH Pro Mod action at Bradford Speedway saw Steve Dixon score his fourth victory of the season over Al Brewer, C.J. Irons, Tyler Oakes and Josh Wilcox.  The RUSH Pro Mods were not in action at Stateline Speedway last Saturday.

Tim Laughard was the winner in RUSH Stock Car action at Dog Hollow over John Eckenrod.  On Sunday, Cody Rickard picked up his fifth straight Eriez Speedway win over Mikael Beaver as he continues to lead both the Hovis Weekly and Futures Cup points.  The RUSH Stocks also had the night off at Stateline.

Winners in RUSH Karting action at Stateline Speedway were Bexley Smith (Rookie), Emily Heisler (JR-1),  Trenton Curry (JR-2), and Morgan Curry (Adult).

The RUSH Late Model division had the weekend off at Potomac Speedway, Stateline Speedway, Delaware International Speedway, Genesee Speedway, Tyler County Speedway, Woodhull Raceway and Bradford Speedway.  Winchester Speedway racing action was cancelled due to rain.

After racing at the Trumbull County Fair on Thursday, RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will have another Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series event on Friday night at Raceway 7.

Weekly RUSH Late Model action is scheduled at Delaware International Speedway, Raceway 7, Dog Hollow Speedway, the Hill Speedway and Potomac Speedway on Friday night.  Saturday night RUSH Late Model venues include Genesee Speedway, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Skyline Raceway, Stateline Speedway, Tyler County Speedway, Winchester Speedway and Woodhull Raceway.  Eriez Speedway and Bradford Speedway will host the RUSH Late Model competitors on Sunday.

Both the temperatures and the RUSH racing action have been heating up; be sure to visit a track near you to enjoy it.

The RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply together with Born2Run Lubricants along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Waterstone Mortgage Hermitage, Wedge Motorsports, 3C Graphix, D&V Jewelers, DrumPreserve, CrateInsider.com, Marthinsen & Salvitti Insurance Group 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 Racing Series website is www.rushracingseries.com. Like our Facebook page and Twitter pages by searching for each individual RUSH Series.

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