CAREER 1ST WIN FOR SOPAZ, WHILE POLICZ, COOK, LEWIS, ZIMMERMAN & PIETZ GARNER 1ST SWEENEY RUSH LM WINS OF 2015; MARTIN SWEEPS RUSH MODS WEEKEND
By Jim Zufall and Mike Leone
May 26, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)…After weeks of on and off weather, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model and Sportsman Modified Series family of racetracks finally enjoyed a great holiday weekend of racing!
Darin Henderson scored his second win in three events at Virginia's Winchester Speedway on Saturday night. Transton Stoner took the early lead in the 20-lap event for the RUSH Late Models from his pole position starting spot. Stoner seemed to be the driver to beat as he held the top spot for most of the race. However, Henderson would catch and pass Stoner by the 16th circuit and the two would put on a show for the remaining laps, swapping the lead several times with Stoner who just fell short at the checkers to Henderson. "I wasn't going to go down with a fight." Henderson stated after his victory. "Transton ran a great race and I knew he wasn't going to give up." Rick Singleton finished third with Kris Eaton and Logan Roberson completing the top five. The first annual “Billy Sonner, Sr. Memorial” for the Four-Cylinder division highlights the action this Saturday at Winchester as the RUSH Late Models will again be on the card.
Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway was the site of the annual PENNational for the RUSH Late Model Division. The 25-lap event featured group qualifying and a six lap helmet dash to determine the start of the main event. The #14B of Ben Policz took the win in the dash and earned the pole position for the PENNational. Marred by a few caution periods, including a dust-up in turn four between Policz and the #00 of Josh Holtgraver, the race was effectively dominated by Policz.
With Holtgraver sent to the rear after the contact and spin between him and Policz, much of the show was watching two-time division winner Holtgraver pick his way through the 19-car field. Policz finished off the 25 laps as the winner of the 2015 PENNational with the number #12 of Daryl Charlier coming across second from his seventh starting position while Kyle Lukon came in third. Holtgraver used the entire second half of the race to return to the top five for a fourth place finish, with New York's Randy Hall taking fifth. Racing returns Saturday to "Dirt’s Monster Half-Mile” for the fourth annual Ed Laboon Memorial, a 20 lap, $2017 to win race for the Sunoco Race Fuels Late Model Sportsman. Joined by the RUSH Late Models and the other regular divisions, Saturday also marks the return of the Super Late Models to PPMS.
A bit of history was made on Saturday night at Ontario’s Brighton Speedway as Kyle Sopaz took home his first career Late Model win in the Sweeney RUSH Weekly Series event. Sopaz, who started on the outside of the front row, took over the lead from pole sitter Adam Turner on lap two. Rookie Tyler Rand moved into second behind Sopaz on lap six. The number 11 of Corey Earl moved into the runner up spot by lap 10 with Sopaz still at the front. In an interesting twist, a medical emergency involving a fan occurred on lap 14, which brought out the red flag for what would be the first of two full stops in the event.
An accident on the 19th lap brought out the other red flag as crews tended to an injured Zeke McKeown, who suffered a broken wrist. Sopaz and Earl brought the field back to speed with 11 laps to go and put on a show well ahead of the rest of the field. Earl made a few good attempts to get by Sopaz, but the #12 Free Flow Petroleum of Sopaz held on for the win. “Corey showed the nose a couple of times, and I thought, there’s no way. Not tonight, I’m winning this,” Sopaz said in victory lane. The win came on his father Rick’s birthday. Earl settled for second with Rand, Phil Potts and Brandon Mowat making up the top five. Action continues at Brighton Speedway this Saturday when Dibbits Excavating and 95.5 Hits FM presents Fan Appreciation night.
Orrville, Ohio’s Wayne County Speedway had five new winners in their seven-division event on Saturday night. The Harriger Towing RUSH Late Model feature saw Alan Dellinger setting the pace first two laps. Dennis Lunger Jr., already a winner this season would take control for four laps only to have Ryan Markham take the spot on the seventh lap. The yellow flew when Lunger and Dellinger tangled on lap eight. Charlie Duncan now in the picture, battled with Markham for the top spot over several laps, allowing Duncan to take the lead for good with four to go. Duncan parked his Hall’s Auto Sales, Kar Connection and Nationwide Vehicle Protection #240 into victory lane for the second time this season. Markham held on for the runner up spot with Justin Chance, Lunger and Alan Dellinger rounding out the top five. The RUSH Late Models return this Saturday as the All Star Circuit of Champions visits WCS for their second appearance.
New York’s Fulton Speedway saw Kevan Cook take the NAPA RUSH Late Model 20-lap feature event on Saturday night. Cook bested a field of 18 Late Models, followed by Chris Fleming, Brandon Ford, Sean Beardsley and Johnny Hill making up the top five. This Saturday, Fulton features regular five division racing, and one-on-one spectator racing.
Stateline Speedway in Busti, NY kicked off Saturday night’s racing with the Shults Auto Group RUSH Crate Late Model pilots Wyatt Scott and Dave Shagla Jr. pacing the field at the drop of the green. Scott took off to an early lead with Scott Gurdak challenging for second. Gurdak took the spot after an early restart. A couple of laps later, it was Max Blair from deep in the field moving into third. Through the rest of the caution plagued feature, Damian Bidwell was making his way to the front, eventually taking the top spot and his second win of the season. "Futures Cup" racer Wyatt Scott, Gurdak, Jason Genco and Kyle Scott following in the top five. Racing continues Saturday at the New York oval with an appearance of the Renegades of Dirt Modified Series featuring NASCAR star Ken Schrader.
Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex, who completed a region high 26 events for the RUSH Late Models in 2014, completed their sixth event already of the 2015 campaign on Saturday night. Former "Futures Cup" racer Dylan Lewis captured his second career win, but first since the 2013 season. The 18-year-old beat another former "Futures Cup" racer Russell Baird, Jr., who finished runner-up, while current "Futures Cup" racer, Michael Duritsky, Jr. was fourth.
Saturday’s action got underway at Hartford, Ohio’s Sharon Speedway which features the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds in Bicknell Racing Products Weekly Series action. An impressive car count is building in the second-year division, with 15 cars taking the green for the feature event for the second straight race. Greg Martin, who tows from Wilson, NY, was on a mission to go two for two. The sixth starting Martin found himself on the front row for a lap two restart alongside leader Chelsie Kriegisch, who charged to the lead in the first two laps from her third starting spot.
Martin powered into the lead on the restart and held the position through four more caution periods covering the final 18 laps of the event. Kriegisch would struggle on a late race restart and fall through the field. Fifteen-year-old "Futures Cup" racer, Kyle Martel, crossed the line in second for the second straight race. Nick Ritchey, Larry Kugel and Jerry Schaffer completed the top five. Racing continues at Sharon this Saturday, May 30 with the ULMS Super Late Models highlighting the card along with the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, Big-Block Modifieds, Econo-Mods and Mini Stocks.
Weekend racing action continued in the RUSH Late Model Series on Sunday at Eriez Speedway located just outside of Erie. The Bonnell Collision Center RUSH Late Model feature was paced by Dave Lyon and Chris Ottaway. Defending champion Kyle Zimmerman came from the second row to the lead from the start, and through a series of yellow flag periods held on for his first ever RUSH-sanctioned victory. Matt Latta was second over Randy Hall, Lyon, and Kyle Scott. The Renegades of Dirt Modifieds and Schrader move to Eriez on Sunday night after their appearance on Saturday at Stateline.
Sunday night at Humberstone Speedway in Port Colborne, Ontario, Rob Pietz started the RUSH Late Model feature event on the front row with Colton Ledingham. Pietz took control with Ledingham falling back allowing Jorden Peters and Dennis Lunger Jr. into the top three. By the fifth lap, Lunger took the runner up spot, looking to track down Pietz. Lunger took the lead for a short time before suffering a flat tire, sending him to the rear. Lunger did manage to get himself back near the top while Peters took the top spot from Pietz for a short time. Pietz then regained the lead and held on the rest of the way for his season's first win. Lunger settled for second with Ledingham, Tim Gillespie and Jeff Dayman rounding out the top five. The RUSH Late Models return to Humberstone’s schedule on June 7 for the first autograph night of the season.
Three tracks in the RUSH family normally are in action on Fridays; one, Freedom Motorsports Park in Delevan, New York had their auto racing program step aside for a three-day holiday motocross event. Racing action returns to Freedom this Friday, May 29th for a full racing program featuring the RUSH Late Models.
The bi-weekly RUSH Late Model division returns to LaFargeville, NY’s Can Am Motorsports Park schedule on this Friday night for Watertown Savings Bank Customer Appreciation Night.
The RUSH Late Models were part of the special Sunday Memorial Day eve program at Potomac Speedway. Seventeen cars were on hand, the highest of the season outside of the Tour event on May 8. Darin Henderson completed the weekend sweep as well as capturing his second win of the year at Potomac. Henderson started on the pole and had to keep youngster Logan Roberson at bay throughout the 20-lap affair. Henderson's win was unofficial as RUSH and Potomac Officials confiscated his engine for further inspection. Third through fifth were Matt Glanden, Ben Bowie, and Darren Alvey. The RUSH Late Models will next appear at Potomac on Friday, June 5.
Sportsman's Speedway in Knox, Pa. completed the RUSH weekend with their second program for Bicknell Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modified Weekly Series action. Greg Martin made his first ever appearance to Sportsman's a successful one as the defending Series champion completed the weekend sweep. Kole Holden was second as he continues to lead both the Bicknell Weekly Series and "Futures Cup" points. Chelsie Kriegisch recorded her third third place finish of the season, with one coming at all three tracks, Lernerville, Sharon, and now Sportsman's. Josh Deems and Will Schaffer completed the top five. A field of 10 cars was on hand improving from six on opening night and eight for last week's rainout.
RUSH Late Model marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Bazell Race Fuels, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The Brake Man, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Crate Innovations Inc., Velocita-USA, 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, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, VP Racing Fuels, FK Rod Ends, Sherwood Racing Wheels, Velocita-USA, Precise Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, K&N Filters, TBM Brakes, Lincoln Electric, Rocket Racing, and B.R.A.K.E.S.
E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at info@rushracingseries.com 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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