1ST CAREER RUSH
LATE MODEL WINS FOR STEVE LEBARRON & KYLE LEE; KEVAN COOK WINS FULTON'S
"TOPLESS" LM RACE FOR 1ST VICTORY OF 2017
By Jim Zufall & Mike Leone
August 1, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...In
yet another weekend of dodging the rain, not all the tracks in the Sweeney
Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance family were
able to get their events in. Rain dominated just about everywhere throughout the
region on Friday, while Saturday saw rain confined to the southern portion of
our area, and despite a dry forecast, Mother Nature even threw some rain at
McKean County on Sunday. Three Late
Model drivers were able to cop their first wins of the season including career
first RUSH wins for Steve LeBarron and Kyle Lee!
In a special
Thursday night "Battle of the Bay" show at
Delaware International Speedway, Matt Glanden made his way to the front in a
25-car feature and in the end held off Joe Warren, who came from the rear of the
field to take the runner up spot. It was
Glanden's second win of the season at Delaware and was worth $1,000.
Sparky White, Chuck Bowie, and Cory Lawler made up the top five. The RUSH
Late Models return to DIS for another
Thursday
Night Thunder night on August 10.
Also
on Thursday, action at McKean County Speedway in East Smethport,
Pa. saw both the RUSH Late Models and RUSH Pro Mods in action.
Vic Vena took off to the early lead in
the Pro Mods but saw it disappear on lap two when Dana Stephens spun in turn
two. Chad Carlson assumed the runner-up
spot when racing resumed. Vena opened his
lead to half a straight by halfway with Dixon back up to second. Vena continued
to lead through to the checkered flag for his second win of the season with
Dixon settling for second over Carlson, Nate Hartzell, and Critter Hemphill.
Andy Michael and Steve LeBarron brought the RUSH Late Models to green with
Michael grabbing the lead and Brad Mesler coming to second.
By halfway, John Waters had moved his way
into the lead only to suffer damage when passing lapped cars late in the event.
After the restart, it was his teammate
LeBarron taking the lead and ultimately winning his first ever in RUSH over
Mesler, Garrett Mott, Jason Tingue, and Andy Michael.
After rain washed out Potomac Speedway on Friday and Winchester Speedway on
Saturday, a few visitors made their way to Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor
Speedway where they were treated to a reward of sorts by Miley Motorsports.
With the RUSH Late Models being the
highest car count on a weekly basis, they were given the opportunity to race in
two 20-lap feature races. The Twin 20s saw a fierce battle between several the
PPMS regulars and a few others for a very exciting event.
Winner Ben Policz took on all comers
including regulars Justin Lamb and Chuck Medved as well as 2016 Lucas Oil Late
Model Series Rookie of the year, Colton Flinner.
Policz took the win by just 0.363 seconds over Flinner, Lamb, Chuck
Medved and Clinton Hersh. As an added
bonus, Policz produced an engagement ring from inside his car and proposed to
his now fiancé in victory lane!
In the second feature, it was visitor Kyle Lee from south-central Pennsylvania
taking the win over Daryl Charlier, Lamb, invader Logan Roberson and Policz.
It was Lee’s first visit to the monster
half-mile and in victory lane announced his desire to come back to PPMS for the
upcoming RUSH Touring Series "Jook George" race coming up on August 12.
Action returns at PPMS
this Saturday.
At Fulton Speedway, the RUSH Late Models went “topless” on Saturday night taking
off their roofs for the 20-lap feature as a season high 18 cars were on hand.
Kevan Cook swapped the lead with Chris
Fleming in the opening laps of the event with furious battles going on behind
them. Cook took the advantage to a five car length over the runner up and never
looked back. Behind him though, the
battles raged on for the top five spots. When
the dust settled, it was Cook with his first win of the season after six podium
finishes. Bret Belden, Chad Homan,
AJ Kingsley and Sean Beardsley came home second through fifth.
The RUSH Late Models will be off this
Saturday night at Fulton, but will be making an appearance at Brewerton Speedway
on Friday night.
Zack Carley claimed his third RUSH Late Model win of the year at the Genesee
Speedway
on Saturday Night, a beautiful evening for racing
which featured all six regular divisions competing on the 1/3-mile oval.
Carley was strong in each element of the
20-lap feature staying up on the cushion with a ton of power that kept his
nearest competitors at bay. Bill Holmes would move up to second but would
have nothing for Carley and would settle for his second runner-up showing of the
year. Brad Mesler was also stout, coming home in third while Jimmy Johnson
and Jon Rivers scored top five finishes. Another
“5 Star” program is on tap for
this Saturday at Genesee.
The RUSH Sportsman Modifieds were back in action at their home track Sharon
Speedway after spending a couple of weeks at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor
Speedway. To simply say that Chas Wolbert
led all 20 laps for the victory is selling the action in the race short.
With several restarts with Rocky Kugel
alongside and a late race charge by Josh Deems, Wolbert had his work cut out for
him. In the end, Wolbert crossed the line
first for his first Sharon win of the season with furious battles going on
behind him for position. Deems settled
for a season best second with Kugel, Chelsie Kriegisch, and Brandon Ritchey
third through fifth. Racing resumes at Sharon Speedway for the RUSH
Sportsman Modifieds
this Saturday
with a regular event along with the several time postponed 2016 "Apple Festival
Nationals" make-up feature paying $800 to-win.
Saturday
at Stateline Speedway, the RUSH Pro Mod special 25-lap event saw a familiar face
in victory lane as Dennis Lunger, Jr. scored the popular win.
Steve Dixon was the leader until lap four
when Lunger took the top spot and never looked back, winning his ninth of the
season. Lunger was followed by Ryan Scott
in second, Chad Carlson was third, Gurdak was fourth and Dixon was fifth.
A season high 16 cars were on hand for
the event, which also included "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD
Performance as over $11,000 in product was distributed to the racers.
In the RUSH Late Model race at Stateline, it was Max Blair taking his fourth
victory of the year at the Busti, NY oval. Lunger
was second missing out on the sweep of the night.
Wyatt Scott beat out his cousin Ryan Scott for third with Scott Gurdak
fifth. The Patriot Sprint Tour will join
the regular divisions at Stateline
this Saturday
night.
On to
Sunday
when Humberstone Speedway was in action with Chad Homan picking up his fourth
win of the season at the Port Colborne, Ontario bullring.
It was no easy task however as he spent a
good deal of the race trying to negotiate his way around leader and pole-sitter
Jeff Dayman. By lap 12, Homan did take the lead with Dayman dropping to third
behind Rob Pietz who pestered Homan for the lead, but just couldn’t pull it off
and settled for second. Dayman held on
for third while Tim Gillespie and Sam Pennacchio were fourth and fifth.
Racing picks up at Humberstone this
Sunday with the annual All-Canadian Nationals with a full card of racing.
Sunday
night at Eriez Speedway, the Sweeney Late Model Touring Series rolled into the
Erie, Pa. oval. Max Blair is a previous RUSH Touring Series champion, but had
only raced one time in the 2017 campaign narrowly getting defeated by Jeremy
Wonderling in the season opening event. On
Sunday, Blair made this start a winning one as he took the lead from Chad Wright
in the early going and held on to best the 31 racers that came from four states.
He had no small amount of competition
behind him though, as he held of some of the heavy hitters in the RUSH ranks
including Russell King, Jason Genco, Bryce Davis and John Waters.
Eriez gets back to regular racing this
Sunday with the annual Relay for Life night. A
full card of racing including the first ever appearance by the RUSH Sportsman
Modifieds will also be in action.
McKean County Raceway held their second program in four days with a rare Sunday
evening program. An expected storm
hit the East Smethport, Pa. track forcing a delay, but it didn't stop the show
from going on. One driver that was
certainly glad the show was completed was Brad Mesler.
Mesler has RUSH wins this season at Genesee and Old Bradford Speedway,
but had never won at McKean. That
changed on Sunday when Mesler scored the Sweeney Weekly Series win over a season
best finish by Garrett Mott. Andy
Michael, Kyle Murray, and Dennis Lunger, Jr. were third through fifth.
Former RUSH Late Model racer, Steve Dixon picked up the ride this season driving
for Kelly Frederes, and on Sunday night scored his second RUSH Pro Mod win in
the last three MCR races. Dennis
Lunger, Jr., Vic Vena, Chad Carlson, and Critter Hemphill were second through
fifth.
Potomac, Lernerville, Winchester, Roaring Knob and Jennerstown Speedways all
fell to the weather. Old Bradford
Speedway was closed on Sunday, but resumes this Sunday night with the RUSH Late
Models and Pro Mods. The RUSH Late
Models had the night off last Friday at Outlaw Speedway as the All Star Circuit
of Champions Sprint Cars sold the Dundee, New York oval out for their
appearance. The RUSH Late Models
will be back on the card this Friday night.
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, Holley Performance Products,
Earl's Performance Plumbing, Quick Fuel Technology, FK Rod Ends, Maxima Racing
Oil, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources,
Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric,
Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, Rocket Chassis, Landrum Performance Spring,
CrateInsider.com, RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.
RUSH Sportsman Modified marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC,
Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks,
Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance,
Holley Performance Products, Earl's Performance Plumbing, Quick Fuel Technology,
FK Rod Ends, Maxima Racing Oil, Sherwood Racing Wheels, Schoenfeld Headers,
Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, TBM
Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA,
CrateInsider.com, RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.
RUSH Pro Mod and Pro Stock marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick
GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell
Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products,
Earl's Performance Plumbing, Quick Fuel Technology, FK Rod Ends, Maxima Racing
Oil, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Precise Racing Products, TBM
Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA,
CrateInsider.com, RockAuto.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.
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