TRANSTAN STONER WINS HIS 1ST OF 2019 IN SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODELS AT WINCHESTER BUT CHAMPIONSHIP GOES TO FORMER "FUTURES CUP" CHAMP DEVIN BRANNON; CAREER 1ST RUSH WIN FOR ANDY FEIL COMES IN SPRINT THRILLER AT SHARON

By Jim Zufall & Mike Leone

August 29, 2019               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)...Some rain, some champions crowned, some first wins all dominate the headlines during last weekend’s race schedule in the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance family of speedways. 

Heavy rains rolled through Southern Maryland on Friday night forcing Potomac Speedway to cancel their race program.  Racing action for the RUSH Late Models returns to Potomac on September 6th. Darren Alvey goes into action that night carrying a 105-point lead over Ben Bowie. 

Friday night’s action on the Erie Lakeshore at Raceway 7 saw Matt Latta pick up his fourth win of the season in the RUSH Late Model division. Latta and Kyle Zimmerman started up front and that’s where they finished also with Latta taking the win, Zimmerman second and Andy Boozel rounding out the podium.  Darrell Bossard and Breyton Santee made up the top five. With his fourth-place finish Bossard clinched his second consecutive championship.  The final night of regular racing is this Friday.

In RUSH Pro Stock action, the curtain came down on Lernerville Speedway’s “Fab Four” weekly racing on Friday night.  A tight point battle would be decided between Tyler Dietz and Corey McPherson.  McPherson would have to finish two positions ahead of Dietz to add another championship to his resume.  But after a hard fought 20 laps, it was Dietz standing in victory lane and accepting his first championship. It was Dietz fourth win of the season and it came with McPherson, Joe Kelley, Ryan Moyer and Joey Zambotti making up the top five.  Lernerville switches to Saturday night racing this week as a special “Sprint Car Spectacular” is on tap for the Sarver, Pennsylvania oval.  The RUSH Sprints will be a part of the racing card on Saturday for their second annual "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance. 

Rice’s Landing, Pennsylvania’s Ben Policz emerged from his #14B RUSH Late Model in victory lane at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday night knowing he’d not only won the race but added some insurance points to his championship lead in the division.  His second win of the season came with John Mollick crossing second, Logan Zarin, Michael Duritsky, Jr. and Ryan Frazee making up the top five.  PPMS’s regular season will continue until September 28 when champs are crowned. 

Saturday night at Virginia’s Winchester Speedway, former RUSH Late Model Future’s Cup champion Devin Brannon put a huge exclamation point on his season by winning his third race of the season. Not only did he win the 20-lap feature event, the high school senior also secured his first track championship at Winchester! Brannon grabbed the lead on lap three from Kyle Lear and took control from there to the checkered flag. "I can't thank my mom, dad and everyone on this team enough, we've had a great season.  The track was in great shape tonight and we were able to get Kyle on the top.”  Lear finished in the runner up spot with Mike Franklin, Steve Lowery and Transtan Stoner rounding out the top five.

Stoner, a former champion himself, finally scored his first win of the season in the 20-lap make up feature earlier in the evening.  Levi Crowl, Jordan Kauffman, Jakob Piper and Ben Bowie made up the top five.

Saturday night in Fulton, New York, Kevan Cook was going away with the 20-lap RUSH Late Model feature at Fulton Speedway.  In fact, by the halfway point he was a full straightaway ahead of second place runner Bret Belden.  Unfortunately, that lead would all be erased on a lap 17 caution that would bunch up the field for a three-lap shootout.  And a shootout it was as it was all Cook could do to hold off Chad Homan, who had moved into second position. In the end, what seemed would be a runaway victory resulted in a win for Cook by a mere 0.069 second victory over Homan!  Belden, Chris Fleming and Sean Beardsley finished third through fifth. Homan holds a 28-point lead in the standings going into this Saturday night’s Championship night at Fulton. 

Saturday night at New York’s Genesee Speedway, "Mr. Excitement", Jeremy Wonderling was behind the wheel of one of his former cars, which had since changed hands to Dennis Cummings.  Wonderling got the call to drive the #74D and was able to score his fourth win in just six tries at Batavia, NY fairground speedway.  With Woodhull Raceway off, both Brian Knowles and John Waters made the trip and challenged Wonderling for the lead, but in the end Wonderling held off all challengers taking the win over Waters, Knowles, Scott Waters and Jon Rivers.  JJ Mazur carries a six-point lead in the season standings going into this Saturday night’s Championship Night. 

A RUSH double-header was on tap for Saturday night at Hartford, Ohio’s Sharon Speedway, as the RUSH Sprints joined the Sportsman Modifieds on the racing card.  In the Sprints, Andy Feil fought the battle of his career to take his first win in the second year division after a classic battle with Brian Ruhlman.  The sole caution on lap four would set up 16 laps of green flag racing that featured two and three-wide battles.  Feil took the win with a last lap pass of Ruhlman in a race that featured seven official lead changes!  Brandon Blackshear and Ryan Fraley passed Brian Woodhall late to finish third and fourth.  Woodhall, who leads the $5,000 Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series Championship points, fell to fifth.

In RUSH Sportsman Modified action, Chas Wolbert picked up his track leading fourth win of the season at Sharon.  Wolbert beat out a field of 24 quality drivers for the win.  Topping that list was runner-up Rob Kristyak, who leads the $3,000 to-win Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Weekly Series points.  Garrett Krummert came from 11th to third over Jim Rasey and Tony Tatgenhorst.  Kole Holden had his worst finish of the year in seventh, but was able to earn his second track championship in the past three years.  Jacob Wolfe became the sixth different winner in nine "Wheelman" Non-Winners races held to earn the $75 prize over Preston Cope.  

The Sportsman Modifieds will race for $600 to-win this Friday night with the World of Outlaws Late Models before moving south just across the border to Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania motor Speedway on Saturday night. 

In RUSH Asphalt Series action at Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway, Barry Awtey picked up his third win of the 2019 campaign in the RUSH Asphalt Late Models over Joe Maruca, point leader Teddy Gibala, Mike Hemminger and Zane Ferrell. 

In the RUSH Asphalt Modifieds, it was Adam Kostelnik scoring not just his first win of the season, but his second as well!  In the 20-lap make up feature Kostelnik earned his first victory of 2019, over the previous week's winner Anthony Aiello, with Jason Busch earning another podium finish in third place.  RJ Dallape crossed the finish line in fourth position, and veteran Tom Golik was the fifth-place finisher. Kostelnik repeated his Victory Lane appearance in the regularly scheduled feature over Dallape who placed second, with Busch finishing third after winning a heat race. Aiello placed fourth and Cindy Shaulis earned fifth place.

In the RUSH Asphalt Street Stocks, point leader Aaron Van Fleet pick u p the win over Casey Fleegle, Mel Wilt, Zac Torado and Jeremy Shaffer. Five division racing continues this Saturday at the Laurel Highlands half-mile. 

Sunday night at Port Colborne, Ontario’s Humberstone Speedway, Adam Ferri and Jeff Dayman started on the front row of the 20-lap RUSH Late Model feature.  While Ferri and Jeff Dayman and leader Rob Pietz were racing for the lead, Chad Homan was making his way forward.  Homan worked his way around the leaders on his way to the apparent win when a lapped car spun in front of him giving the lead and third win of the season to Pietz.  Sam Pennacchio, Colton Ledingham, Ferri and Andy Mayhew made up the top five.  This Sunday is Championship night at Humberstone, where Pietz holds a 17-point lead over Ferri for the 2019 title.  Humberstone has experienced their best average weekly car count in their six-year history under the RUSH banner. 

Sunday night at Eriez Speedway, Max Blair picked up his eighth win of the 2019 season in the RUSH Late Model division at the Erie, Pennsylvania oval.  Dave Lyon, who was making his first Eriez start of the season. and Darrell Bossard brought the field to green with Kyle Zimmerman, Blair and Scott Gurdak making up the top five early on.  Blair survived a series of caution periods that plagued the event to take the win over Lyon, Jason Genco, Bossard and Zimmerman. The final night of regular season racing at Eriez is this Sunday. 

Old Bradford Speedway concluded their 2019 season last Sunday night.  Like Humberstone, Bradford has also experienced its highest average weekly car count for the RUSH Late Model division in its history.  Another good field was on hand for the Mike Reed Memorial and it was Brad Mesler winning the $800 special for his second win of the season.  Damian Bidwell was second for the second time of the season.  Jeff Hoffman was third over track champion, Ward Schell, and John Waters.

In RUSH Pro Mod action, Steve Dixon won his second feature in just his fifth start of the season to go along with a pair of runner-up finishes.  Adam Ashcroft had his best finish of the season in second.  Critter Hemphill recorded his sixth top five in seven starts in third.  Nate Hartzell's fourth place finish gave him a perfect seven-for-seven with top fives for the track champion.  Brian Mohawk was a season best fifth. 

After last week’s Monster Truck show, Delaware International Speedway will get back into action this Saturday night.  After a scheduled week off, Busti, New York’s Stateline Speedway will get back into action this Saturday when all track champions will be crowned.  In the RUSH Late Models, Max Blair holds a 15-point lead over Scott Gurdak.  To no one’s surprise, Dennis Lunger holds a whopping 112-point lead in the RUSH Pro Mods going into Saturday night. 

As mentioned earlier, New York’s Woodhull Raceway gave the RUSH Late Models the night off last Saturday night. Two nights of points remain at the track with Jason Knowles holding a mere one-point lead over Kurt Stebbins in the RUSH Late Models.    

RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC & Pace Performance 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, FK Rod Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, 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, Trailer-Alarms.com, Bonnell's Rod Shop, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, CrateInsider.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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