CAREER 1ST RUSH WIN FOR MATT
ABER IN WAYNE COUNTY'S LATE MODELS; ANDY MICHAEL & DAVE LYON'S 1ST SWEENEY RUSH
LATE MODEL WINS OF 2016 COME AT BRADFORD & STATELINE; CHELSIE KRIEGISCH MAKES
HISTORY IN RUSH SPORTSMAN MODS AT EXPO
By
Jim Zufall & Mike Leone
July 20, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)…It was a busy week around the
region for the Sweeney
Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance as midweek
racing took place on both Wednesday and Thursday leading up to weekend action.
Mother Nature was nice again as all scheduled events were completed.
Three drivers picked up their first RUSH Late Model wins, while history
was made in RUSH Sportsman Modified action.
On Wednesday, it was a RUSH doubleheader with Late Models and the Sportsman
Modified Touring Series were part of the 170th annual Trumbull County
Fair at Expo Speedway in Cortland, Ohio. In
the Late Models, John Waters made the 225-mile trek from his home in
Whitesville, NY pay off as he was able to take the win from the pole over a
quality field of cars for the $1,500 victory- his fourth overall in 2016 RUSH
competition.
Waters, who held off the likes of Bryce Davis, Will Thomas III, Jason Knowles
and Alan Dellinger, was lamenting the bad luck he’s had lately in victory lane.
"The guys did a great job on the track with what they had to work with, with
this weather," stated the 35-year-old winner. "This is the third time I've been
here and I was nervous. We haven't had any luck before between motor problems
and hitting a yuke tire. I guess we got the bad luck out of the way as we had a
flat tire on the hauler coming here, which got us here late.”
Quite a bit of history was made at Expo as Chelsie Kriegisch became the first
female to win a race in the three-year history of the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds,
the first female to win at Expo in the 46 years of its existence, and first to
win a tour race in the 10-year history of crate engine racing in the Northeast!
Kriegisch led all 15 laps of the feature
event on the big 5/8-mile besting the likes of Kole Holden, Brandon Ritchey,
Jeremy Weaver and Kyle Martell.
There was quite a celebration in victory lane when it was all settled. "This is
incredible and I'm speechless right now," expressed the 22-year-old Ellwood City
driver. "My dad (Randy Kriegisch) and Darin Gallagher set the car up for me
tonight- I can't thank them enough, and if it wasn't for my car owner Jerry
Schaffer I wouldn't be here. I also have to thank my sponsors and the guys that
help week in and week out."
Thursday
at the McKean County Raceway in East Smethport, Pa., the RUSH Late Models saw
Eric Wilson and Damian Bidwell on the front row to start the feature event.
Throughout the race, which was full of
fireworks, lead changes, cautions and even some trackside discipline, it was
Wilson who came out victorious for the second time.
Paul Grigsby, Breyton Santee, Damian
Bidwell and Max Blair. The RUSH Late
Models return on July 28 for the "Ron Baker Memorial".
Normally a
Saturday
night track, Genesee Speedway held a special $1,000 to win race for the RUSH
Late Models last Thursday as part of their fair.
It was L&L Transmissions Night at the speedway and L&L-sponsored Dave
DuBois delivered for his sponsor in more ways than one, picking up the RUSH Late
Model feature as well as the "360" Late Model race. DuBois, who started in the
10th spot, was up to second by the second lap. After
several laps of pressure from JJ Mazur, Charlie Sandercock moved to the
runner-up spot when Mazur slipped up over the cushion and fell to third.
DuBois held on for his third win in the
past five weeks. Sandercock, Mazur,
Jimmy Johnson, Brad Mesler and Val Stephens made up the top six; however, at
post race inspection, Sandercock was disqualified for an illegal tire, moving
every other driver behind DuBois up a spot. Racing
returns to Genesee Speedway this Saturday (July 23)
The RUSH Late Model Touring Series made another stop that was off the regular
weekly track circuit when they visited Ransomville Speedway
on Friday as race teams from three states and a Canadian
province made their way to the western New York track known for Modified racing.
The red hot Bryce Davis used his pole
position earned with the win in the K&N Dash, to control the race from beginning
to end, but it wasn’t that easy. A number
of early caution periods and plenty of challenges for the lead and racing behind
him was the theme of the race. After the
final caution period with 10 laps to go, it was green to checkered to the end
with Davis stretching out his lead to nearly three seconds over John Waters,
Wayne Robertson, Rob Pietz and Mike Wonderling.
Friday night New York tracks, Freedom Motorsports Park and Outlaw Speedway, both
gave the RUSH Late Models the night off due to the Sweeney Tour race at
Ransomville last Friday, but will both have them on the card this Friday night.
Friday
night in Spring Run, Pa., the RUSH Late Models returned to action at Path Valley
Speedway for Fan Appreciation and Driver Autograph Night.
Brad McGinnis took the victory for the
third time in six tries this season.
Virginia's Logan Roberson made the trip up and placed second over Tim Fedder,
Kris Eaton and Jennae Piper. The RUSH Late Models return to action next at the
1/4-mile on July 29.
Just one week after the doubleheader of the RUSH Late Models and Sportsman
Modifieds, they were back again for a repeat performance.
And once again when the checkered flag
fell over the Late Models, it was Jammin’ John Mollick standing in victory lane
at the end of 20 laps for his third win in the last five races.
Mollick started from the front row and
stayed there to the end, taking the Stan’s Transmission #60M to victory lane. A
hard charging Daryl Charlier had to settle for second with Steve Beatty, Ben
Policz and last week’s winner Justin Lamb in tow.
For the second week in a row, the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds visited the "Monster
Half-Mile". In his first ever start
at the track, Chas Wolbert scored the victory over last week’s winner, Nick
Ritchey. Brian Schaffer, Kole Holden
and Chelsie Kriegisch, who was fresh off her win at Expo on Wednesday, were
third through fifth. The RUSH Sportsman
Modifieds will return to PPMS twice more this season (August 13 and September
3), while regular racing action returns
this Saturday
night featuring the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series in action.
Speaking of the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, they'll be back at Lernerville
Speedway this Friday night for a Bicknell Weekly Series event and then return to
Sharon Speedway on Saturday night after two weeks off.
The RUSH Late Models took to Busti, New York’s Stateline Speedway
on Saturday and the action at the front of the feature was quite
exciting. Damian Bidwell and Dave Lyon
raced away from a first lap skirmish from their front row starting spots.
At the drop of the green for the second
try at a start, Bidwell and Lyon challenged each other for the top spot, but
Lyon crossed the start finish to lead lap one. From
there it was a battle for a time between the two.
By halfway, Lyon had stretched out his lead over Bidwell, who had
Darrell Bossard moving in behind him to challenge for second.
Bossard did catch and pass Bidwell then
made a charge for the lead, but came up a bit short as the #14L of Dave Lyon
took his season's first win with Bossard, Bidwell, Jason Genco and Scott Gurdak
falling in behind.
The RUSH Pro Mods were also in action Saturday night at Stateline, where a dozen
cars lined up for the feature race. Justin
Carlson, looking for his fourth win of the season started on the pole and held
that spot to the end. With one lap to go,
Josh Ferry spun out of his fourth place spot, setting up a one lap dash where
Carlson was able to hold on for the win. After Carlson, it was Frederes, Gurdak,
Jason Covey and Bill Silvis. After a special
Thursday
night tribute to the 60th anniversary of the original owners of the
speedway, Stateline returns to regular racing this Saturday.
Saturday
night at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, Charlie Duncan came into the
feature event with a heat race win already under his belt.
In the feature, however he would not fare
so well. Duncan got caught up in a lap six crash that involved three other cars,
giving the lead to point leader Justin Chance. The
lead didn’t last long for Chance either as Wooster, Ohio’s Matt Aber got
side-by-side with Chance and put a great slide job on Chance for the lead and
would go on for his first career RUSH win. After
Chance had a tire start to go down, Mitch Basich took the second spot. Chance
stayed on the podium for third with Alan Dellinger and Josh Stoica making the
top five. The RUSH Late Models will be off this Saturday, but will return to
racing at WCS on Saturday, July 30.
At New York’s Fulton Speedway, Billy Eisele looked like he would capture his
first win in the RUSH Late Model feature event. Coming
off his heat race win, Eisele started in the third position behind Dave Talbot
and Steve Coit. Eisele took the lead at
the fifth lap with plenty of action for position going on just behind him. With
five to go Eisele was in control when the caution flew, erasing his lead.
The final five laps were as action packed
as you’d want them to be with Eisele running up high and Chris Fleming finding
what he needed in the low groove to take his third win.
Eisele settled for second with Bret
Belden, AJ Kingsley and Kevan Cook rounding out the top five.
RUSH Late Model racing returns to Fulton
this Saturday night.
Sunday’s
action included Dennis Lunger Jr. continuing his dominance in the RUSH Late
Model ranks at Humberstone Speedway. Lunger
took an early lead from John McIntire on the second circuit. Through a series of
cautions and one red flag, Lunger was able to hold off the challenges of Rob
Pietz and pull away for his second straight win and fourth of the season.
Pietz settled for runner up with Tim
Gillespie, Travis Martineau and Colton Ledingham rounding out the top five.
RUSH Late Model racing returns to the
Port Colborne Ontario speedway on Sunday, July 31.
The RUSH Late Models were led to the green flag at the Old Bradford Speedway
on Sunday night by Brian Haggerty and newcomer W.L. Stile.
Stile, who won his heat race, would lead lap one, but relinquished the lead on
lap two to Andy Michael. Michael would
lead the rest of the way to the checkers to pick up his first win on the season.
He was followed by eighth starting and
current point leader Damian Bidwell, with Mikey Wonderling, Brad Mesler, and
Stile rounding out the top five.
It was win number five for Max Blair
on Sunday
night at Eriez Speedway. Jason Genco and
Kyle Zimmerman started on the front row of the RUSH Crate Late Model feature
event. In the early going, with Genco up
front, a three-way battle for second was brewing. Blair, Matt Latta and
Zimmerman were hard at it for a few laps when Blair came out of the tussle to
capture second on lap six. By the 10th
circuit, Blair was putting on the pressure to take the top spot from Genco and
two laps later was solidly in the lead. With
plenty of action, wrecks and spins going on behind him, Blair held on for the
win over Genco, Zimmerman, Andy Boozel, and Mike Knight.
The Sweeney Touring Series will have top
billing this Sunday at Eriez.
After a week off, the RUSH Late Models resume action this Saturday night at
Winchester Speedway, which sister speedway, Potomac, will host the RUSH Late
Models next on Friday, July 29.
Current RUSH Late Model point leaders are Bryce Davis (Tour), Damian Bidwell
(Weekly), Brad McGinnis (Summer Chase), Kris Eaton (Bilstein Bandits), and Wyatt
Scott (Futures Cup).
Current RUSH Sportsman Modified point leaders are Brian Schaffer (Weekly), Chas
Wolbert (Tour), and Kyle Martell (Futures Cup).
Current RUSH Pro Mod point leaders are Kelly Frederes (Weekly) and Brian Mohawk
(Futures Cup), while Corey McPherson leads the Sweeney RUSH Pro Stock Weekly
Series points.
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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