CAREER 1^ST RUSH SPORTSMAN MOD WIN FOR PRESTON COPE COMES AT RACEWAY 7; FAMILIAR FACES IN VICTORY LANE ACROSS PACE RUSH RACING SERIES INCLUDING CHAD RUHLMAN’S SPRINT CAR RUN FROM 20^TH TO 1^ST AT SHARON

By Marcie Barlow

August 6, 2021           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)...The month of July concluded with another action packed weekend of Pace Performance RUSH Racing Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC action as the Late Models, Sprint Cars, Sportsman Modifieds, Pro Mods, Stocks, and Karting Series were all competition.  Chas Wolbert celebrated his birthday a few hours early with a victory at Sharon Speedway in Sportsman Modified action and $23,000 in products was also distributed to teams in attendance.  Veteran Chad Ruhlman schooled the RUSH Sprint Car teams on wingless sprint driving as he tallied his 30^th divisional win with a run from the 20th starting spot at Sharon Speedway.

Pace Performance RUSH Sportsman Modified action kicked off a two-race weekend of Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series competition at Raceway 7 Friday night.  Jacob Jordan and Jake Rutana led the field to the green.  Jordan led the first seven circuits before 10th place starter Preston Cope nosed ahead on the eighth circuit.  Jordan wrestled the top spot away from Cope on the next circuit and the duo continued their side-by-side duel for several laps until Cope took the lead for good on lap 12.  The Champion, OH driver went on to score his first ever RUSH Modified victory by 2.486 second over Kyle Martell!  Kole Holden, Brandon Richey and Justin Shea completed the top five.  The 20 cars on hand was the highest since 2019.

The RUSH Mod teams travelled to Sharon Speedway Saturday to compete in a Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Touring Series event as well the eighth annual "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance in which $23,000 of valuable products were distributed to the divisional drivers in attendance.  A season high 29 cars were on hand topping the previous high of 27 from the week before.  Chas Wolbert started on the outside of the front row, took command at the green flag and would weather four late race restarts to score the win on the eve of his 27^th birthday.  Jacob Wolfe came in second and continues to lead the Tour points.  Tony Tatgenhorst was third over a career best finish by JC Boyer in fourth.  Rob Kristyak rallied back from a flat tire to finish fifth.   

An electrical issue in RUSH Sprint Car heat race action forced veteran Chad Ruhlman to start in the 20^th position Saturday night at Sharon Speedway.  Ruhlman used the top groove to pick off the competition before putting a slide job on leader Gale Ruth, Jr. on lap 17.  Ruhlman went on to lead the final three laps and score his 30^th career win in Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Car action.  Ruth held off Brian Ruhlman to finish second.  Brian Ruhlman, who finished second in the UMP Mod feature earlier in the night, claimed third.  Jarod Larson was fourth in his 2021 debut with John Mollick fifth.

Breyton Santee and Chad Sines led the Pace Performance RUSH Late Model field to the green Friday evening at Raceway 7.  Santee took command with Bud Watson and Joe Long following.  By lap nine, last week’s winner Matt Latta got by Watson for the second spot and set his sights on Santee.  By lap 13, Latta was on Santee’s bumper.  Latta pressured Santee for the remainder of the event, but Santee withstood the challenges and went on to score his second victory of the season.  Latta claimed the runner up spot followed by Sines, Long and Watson.       

Joe Martin led the first 15 circuit of the RUSH Late Model main event at Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday evening before fifth place starter Kyle Hardy took the top spot.  Hardy went on to lead the final five circuits to pick up his fourth victory in as many tries during the 2021 season at the Indiana County oval.  Martin held on to second with Michael Duritsky, Jr. finishing third.  Levi Crowl and Kyle Smith, Jr. completed the top five. 

Jeremy Pilkerton tallied his sixth win of the season at Potomac Speedway Friday night.  Pilkerton led the 20 lap main event flag-to-flag to score the victory over Delaware's Ben Scott, Bubby Tharp, Jr., Megan Mann and Mike Raleigh.

RUSH Late Model action at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway saw the "Steel City Outlaw" Tim Shaffer and Daryl Charlier lead the field to the green.  Charlier took the lead and was followed by sixth place starter Kyle Lukon.  A lap two caution slowed the field and saw Zach Gunn wrestle the lead away from Charlier when the racing action resumed.  Lukon continued to chase down the leader and passed Gunn for the top spot on lap seven.  The Burgettstown, Pa. driver went on to open up a full straightaway lead in route to his second win in three starts this year at the "Monster Half-Mile".  Maryland invader Levi Crowl finished in second for his second top five of the weekend in western Pa.  Zach Gunn, Charlier and Jake Gunn completed the top five.   

Bret Belden and Harry Halliday swapped the lead several times during the first five laps of RUSH Late Model action at Fulton Speedway Saturday evening.  By lap 10, Chad Homan joined the duo followed closely by Sean Beardsley and Max Hill.  Halliday and Homan exchanged the lead several times in the closing laps with Homan making the winning pass on the final lap.  Homan defeated Halliday by a mere 0.157 at the finish line.  Halliday, who got a late start to the season after not even racing in 2020, has reeled off three straight top five finishes.  Belden, Beardsley and Hill completed the top five.  The win was Homan’s sixth at Fulton and his 10th overall in Pace Performance Weekly Series action.

Bill Holmes outdueled Jimmy Johnson to lead the entire distance of the RUSH Late Model main event at Genesee Speedway Saturday evening.  Holmes chalked up his fourth victory of the season at the western New York speedway to maintain the "Track Pack" points lead.  J.J. Mazur, Jeremy Wonderling, Doug Ricotta and Jon Rivers rounded out the first five.

The ever improving Jim Buck led the first five circuits of the RUSH Late Model main event at Woodhull Raceway Saturday night before Jason “The Jet” Knowles took control.  Knowles weathered several cautions and held off his bother Brian to score his second consecutive win at the speedway and fourth overall in Pace Performance Weekly Series action.  Chuck LaFleur, Darin Horton and Jason McGregor completed the top five.    

RUSH Late Model action took place at Delaware International Speedway on Saturday night for just the fourth time this season despite scheduling of events back in April. Joe Warren and Matt Hill battled for the lead while Derek Magee and Ben Scott dueled for the third position.  Warren and Hill swapped the lead before lapped traffic allowed Hill to distance himself from his competitors.  Warren was unable to capitalize on a late race caution as Hill went on to score his second win of the season at Delaware.  Warren claimed the second spot with Magee, Kerry King and Sparky White rounding out the top five.

Khole Wanzer led the first nine laps of the RUSH Late Model main event at Stateline Speedway on Saturday night while ninth place started Jason Genco slowly worked his way through the field.  Genco got by Josh Ferry for the second spot in lap nine and used the top groove to overtake Wanzer on the next lap.  Genco then held off the late race challenges of veteran Scott Gurdak to score his first victory of the season at the New York oval.  It was also Genco’s second straight victory as he claimed the RUSH Late Model win at Eriez the prior Sunday.  Gurdak finished in the second spot to continue his grip on the "Track Pack" lead.  Wanzer, Ferry, and 15^th place starter Randy Hall rounded out the top five.  

The lone Pace Performance RUSH Pro Mod event of the weekend took place at Stateline Speedway.  Mike Eschrich took command as the green flag waved and withstood numerous challenges by Adam Ashcroft to score a very well-deserved win first Stateline win of the year.  Eschrish, who is in his first year of RUSH Pro Mod racing after a successful career in the E-Mods, also tallied a win this season at Bradford Speedway.  Greg Johnson, Dennis Lunger, Jr., and Al Brewer completed the top five.

In RUSH Karting Series action winners at Stateline Speedway Karts were Emmie Bush (Amateur), Ryan Chase (JR-1), Julian Hultin (JR-2), and Jill Rickard (Adults).

Pace Performance RUSH Stock Car action saw Bob Torquato victorious at Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday night for the fourth time this season as he chases after Mikael Beaver in the Weekly Series standings.

Thursday night racing action at McKean County Speedway was rained out.  McKean was scheduled for action on Thursday night (August 5), which includes the Pace Performance RUSH Late Models and Pro Mods.  In addition, both Bradford Speedway and Eriez Speedway were rained out Sunday evening.  The Hill Speedway was closed last week for the Troy Fair and the RUSH Late Models were off at Winchester Speedway.

The Flynn’s Tire and Born2Run Lubricants RUSH Late Model Tour will stop by Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday night for the running of the 32nd annual "Jook George Steel City Classic".  The winner of the 50-lap event will collect a minimum of $6,010 to win, while $425 will go for last place.

The RUSH Late Models will make their second appearance of the season at Utica-Rome Speedway on Friday night in a $1,000 to-win Pace Weekly Series special.  In addition, weekly RUSH Late Model action will take place at Dog Hollow Speedway, Raceway 7 and the Hill Speedway on Friday.  Bradford Speedway will host both the RUSH Late Models and the RUSH Pro Mods for a special Friday evening racing card.  Weekly RUSH Late Model action on Saturday includes Delaware International Speedway, Fulton Speedway, Stateline Speedway, Winchester Speedway and Woodhull Raceway.  Eriez Speedway will be in action Sunday evening.  

Potomac Speedway and Genesee Speedway are off this week. 

Pace Performance RUSH Sportsman Modified teams will be in action Friday at Raceway 7 and also on Saturday at Sharon Speedway for another Wedge Motorsports “Route 7 Rumble” Series doubleheader weekend.  Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Weekly Series points will be on the line as well. 

RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Pace Performance together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC 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, Born2Run Lubricants, Flynn's Tire & Auto Service, FK Rod Ends, 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, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Stop-Fyre, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Waterstone Mortgage Hermitage, CrateInsider.com, and Wedge Motorsports.

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 Late Model website is www.rushlatemodels.com. Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.

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