KYLE HARDY EARNS HIS 1ST PACE RUSH LATE MODEL NATIONAL WEEKLY SERIES
CHAMPIONSHIP; CAREER 1ST WIN FOR BILL KESSLER COMES AT PPMS WHILE CHELSIE
KRIEGISCH WINS RUSH MODS TO BECOME 1ST FEMALE RUSH TRACK CHAMPION
By Marcie Barlow
September 30, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...The
2021 racing season is entering the homestretch; however this past weekend’s Pace
Performance RUSH Racing Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC action
featured side-by-side racing which saw third generation competitor Bill Kessler
capture his first career feature victory.
Chelsie Kriegisch also made history by becoming the first female to win a
RUSH track champion following her win in the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.
Levi Crowl also tallied win number six in RUSH Late Model action at
Winchester Speedway, while John Waters ended his more than year Touring Series
winless drought. Congrats to Kyle
Hardy on winning the $5,000 National Weekly Series Championship in his first
year of RUSH Late Model racing.
The Kessler name is very well known and respected in western Pennsylvania as
many long time race fans remember when Pappy Kessler’s Auction Barn sponsored
#09 cars that dominated racing action in the tri-state area.
This past Saturday at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway, another member of
the Kessler Family put his name in the record book as Bill Kessler captured his
first ever feature victory. The
first 18 laps of the event were caution-free with Kessler taking control at the
start with standout Kyle Lukon in second.
Kessler was able to keep a comfortable distance between himself and Lukon
until a caution on lap 18 slowed the field.
The restart gave Lukon the opportunity he needed; however, he was unable
to capitalize on it. Kessler, who
chose the inside lane on the restart was able to pull away and score the popular
victory. Kessler became the amazing
11th different winner in 17 races this season at PPMS and third to score his
first career win! Lukon held on for
the runner-up spot with Logan Zarin, Colton Flinner and Nico Dabecco completing
the top five.
An earlier than expected finish to her work day and a dedicated father, who
installed a borrowed transmission in her ride, meant that Chelsie Kriegisch made
a late day decision to head to Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.
This decision certainly paid off for Chelsie as she scored the victory in
RUSH Sportsman Modified Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Weekly Series action.
Kriegisch led the entire distance of the 18-lap main event to claim the
win, which was the 200th race all-time for the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.
Jacob Jordan and Cole Edwards recorded their career best finishes in
second and third beating Kole Holden.
It was Kreigisch's second career PPMS win, but first in more than three
years and her third overall in RUSH Sportsman Modified competition.
The victory also clinched the divisional championship for Kriegisch at
the speedway, making her the first female to win a RUSH track championship.
Pace Performance RUSH Late Model action at Winchester Speedway on Saturday saw
Levi Crowl take the lead at the start of the main event before the caution flag
waved forcing a complete restart.
When the action resumed Crowl once again pulled away from his fellow competitors
and built up a full straightaway lead by lap six.
Crowl entered lapped traffic on lap 10 which gave Travis Campbell the
opportunity he needed to close the gap on Crowl.
The caution flag would wave again on lap 15 as a rain shower moved in.
After a slight delay the rain ended and the racing action resumed with
Crowl out front and Jeremy Pinkerton in second.
Several late race cautions would slow the field in the final 10 circuits;
however, Pinkerton was unable to capitalize on them and Crowl went on to score
his sixth win of the season on the RUSH circuit.
The $1,200 victory also clinched the $1,000 RUSH “Track Pack”
Championship for Crowl. Pinkerton
came home in second with Campbell in third.
James Lichliter and Josh Williams rounded out the top five.
A strong field of 21 cars were on hand.
The RUSH Late Model Flynn's Tire - Born2Run Lubricants Touring Series and RUSH
Sprint Cars were scheduled for two nights of competition last Friday and
Saturday at Genesee Speedway; however, Mother Nature ended the 2021 season a bit
prematurely at the Batavia, NY track as rain washed out night two of the
"Topless Nationals" as heat race action was getting underway.
Friday night was another thriller for the Late Model Tour as John Waters
out-dueled Joe Martin and Jeremy Wonderling to end more than a three-year Tour
winless drought. Waters earned $2,000 for
his first victory of 2021 and became the seventh different Tour winner of 2021.
Michael Duritsky, Jr. came back from a flat tire to finish fourth.
Jimmy Johnson was fifth for the second straight Genesee Tour race and
also was able to earn the $1,000 "Track Pack" Championship.
The RUSH Sprint Cars meanwhile competed in their richest event of the season and
it was Chad Ruhlman making a last lap pass of Gale Ruth, Jr.
Ruhlman's $1,000 victory was his eighth of the season and moved him to
within three points of Ruth for the $5,000 to-win Equipment Rental Options
Weekly Series Championship. Ruhlman
has now won all four RUSH Sprint races held at Genesee in the four-year history.
Ryan Fraley matched his career best Sprint Car finish in third.
Blaze Myers was fourth over Steve Pedley, who was subbing for Rod George.
After Duritsky set fast time over what would have been a record Genesee RUSH
Late Model Tour field of 30 competitors, the rain set in that would eventually
wash out the show.
During the afternoon, the drawings for the annual Traveling "Manufacturers
Night" presented by MSD Performance took place. Competing drivers that
were in the top 15 in track points at Genesee, Fulton, and Woodhull were
eligible for the more than $13,000 in product giveaways. Each driver ended
up receiving a prize package valued at a minimum of $441. Several drivers
took home multiple prizes including Genesee regular Dave DuBois, who was the big
winner. DuBois was the lucky recipient of the two top prizes; the Lincoln
Electric Multi-Purpose Welder and utility card along with a Velocita-USA Team
Drivers Suit with a total value of $1,875! The complete winners list is
posted below.
The Traveling "Manufacturers Night" will return to the Mid-Atlantic region in
2022. Thank you to the following product contributors on Saturday night:
East Coast Speed, FK Rod Ends, Frankland Racing Supply, Hoosier Tire
Distributors, Insinger Performance, Landrum Performance Spring, Lincoln
Electric, MSD Performance, Performance Bodies, Precise Racing Products, Racing
Electronics, Schoenfeld Headers, Ontime Body & Graphic, Sunoco, Velocita-USA,
TBM Brakes, WraptileShop.com, and Wrisco Industries.
With September now closed out, Kyle Hardy captured the $5,000 Pace Performance
National Weekly Series Championship in his first year of RUSH Late Model racing.
The Linden, Virginia driver had 16 victories to beat out defending
champion Jeremy Wonderling by just one-point.
Hardy now sets his sights on the $12,000 to-win Flynn's Tire/Born2Run
Lubricants Touring Series Championship with three events remaining.
The other Late Model championship that was finalized was the "Futures Cup".
Eighteen-year-old Kassidy Kamicker of Aliquippa, Pa. captured the $500
crown thanks to seven top 10 finishes at Pittsburgh, where she's also third in
RUSH "Track Pack" points with three events remaining.
Last year in her rookie season, Kamicker earned the $300 "Wheelman" Bonus
Event Challenge Series title.
Rookies Logan Jaquay and Zach Crawford finished second and third in the "Futures
Cup" points.
This weekend’s Pace Performance RUSH racing action is highlighted by Flynn’s
Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Late Model Touring Series action at Pittsburgh’s
Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on both Friday and Saturday.
The "Bill Hendren Memorial" presented by FK Rod Ends in conjunction with
Pro Fab will pay $3,000 to win, $275 to-start both nights.
The fourth annual “One to Remember” Non-Winners event presented by
Hendren Racing Engines and CrateInsider.com will take place on Friday with
$1,200 going to the winner. There
will also be a $500 to-win Non-Qualifier event at the end of Saturday night's
program.
Pace Performance RUSH Late Model action is also scheduled at Fulton Speedway
Friday evening with the "Brian Dolbear Tribute" paying $1,200 to-win for the New
York track's final show of 2021 that will end their RUSH "Track Pack" points.
Chad Homan currently leads the points.
Pace Performance RUSH Pro Mod action is on tap at McKean County Raceway on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The
$700 to-win feature event originally scheduled for August 20 is on the Thursday
racing card. Friday’s Pro Mod event
pays a record $2,500 to win, while Saturday’s feature event will pay $500 to
win. This will close out the Weekly
Series Championship points. The Pace
Performance RUSH Late Models will also be in action at McKean County on Friday
($2,500) and Saturday ($1,000). This
will close out the 2021 season at McKean and determine the RUSH Late Model
"Track Pack" $1,000 champion and top six in points.
Delaware International Speedway will have their annual Camp Barnes event as the
RUSH Late Models will be chasing after $1,949 to win!
Potomac Speedway will have their final point event for the RUSH Late
Models on Saturday evening. Jeremy
Pilkerton currently leads the $1,000 RUSH "Track Pack" points.
The Pace Performance RUSH Sprints and Sportsman Modifieds will not be in action
this weekend as both classes will close out the season with their final two
events on October 9 at Pittsburgh and then October 15-16 at Lernerville Speedway
for the "Steel City Stampede".
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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