SWEENEY RUSH SPORTSMAN MODS & RUSH SPRINTS PART OF "APPLE FESTIVAL NATIONALS" THIS WEEKEND AT SHARON; HOVIS TOUR RACE FOR MODS WHILE SPRINTS FEATURED IN A COMPLETE BONNELL'S ROD SHOP SHOW FRIDAY
By Mike Leone
September 18, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Hartford, OH)...The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance is set for a doubleheader of action this weekend (September 20-21) at Sharon Speedway for the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds and RUSH Sprint Cars as part of the "Apple Festival Nationals". The Sportsman Modifieds will be competing in a Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Touring Series event on Friday and Saturday, while the Sprint Cars will run their complete Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series event on Friday night and will head to Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Action at Sharon gets underway at 6 p.m. both nights.
For the Sportsman Modifieds, Friday will see only heat races contested then on Saturday will be the last chance B main(s) and 25-lap feature event paying $800 to-win. New York racers Adam Hilton and Greg Martin split wins during the 2014 "Apple Festival Nationals, while Martin won the 2015 event. Chas Wolbert was victorious in the 2016 event, while Justin Shea was the 2017 winner. Last year's Saturday portion was rained out and completed this year on May 11 with Wolbert scoring the victory.
The RUSH Sportsman Modifieds have produced strong car counts all year at Sharon Speedway; in fact, this is the fourth straight year the division's home track has averaged at least a full field of cars! Defending Tour Champion, Garrett Krummert, has won both Tour point races at Sharon this year and has a 14-point lead on Jim Rasey, who is new to the class in 2019. Wolbert, Kole Holden, and Rob Kristyak are third through fifth in points. Overall this year at Sharon, Wolbert leads the way with four wins to Krummert's three, and Kristyak's two. Holden, the 2019 track champion, and Josh Deems have also been victorious. Kristyak and Wolbert meanwhile remain tied for RUSH's $3,000 to-win Weekly Series Championship with Krummert on their heels.
At the end of Saturday night's program, the "Wheelman" Non-Winners race for the Sportsman Modifieds presented by Ohio Intra Express and C&R Tire will take place. There have been seven different winners in 10 races with Tony Tatgenhorst (three) and David Kalb, Jr. (two) being the only repeat winners. This will be the championship event. Tatgenhorst leads the points by six; however, will be ineligible to compete now due to him winning his first career feature at Pittsburgh on September 7. That means most likely the championship will come down between one-time winners Cameron Nastasi and Amelia Clay as just six points separate the two. Clayton Deems and Greg Porter complete the top five points-paying positions.
The RUSH Sprint Cars are meanwhile coming off the "Empire State Classic" weekend where they hit the road for New York for three events; unfortunately, the finale at Genesee was rained out. Brian Woodhall won Friday's first ever show at Ransomville and Chad Ruhlman captured Saturday's "Topless Nationals", while Jeremy Weaver won the overall $300 points title presented by CNC Specialties, Intense Fab & Design, and Pace Performance.
Mother Nature hasn't been kind to the RUSH Sprint Cars at Sharon. At last year's "Apple Festival Nationals" event, their feature was on the track when it rained out with the purse monies being split and that led into 2019 where the second year division has only been able to complete four of the 10 scheduled events. There have been three different winners in those four races; only defending Series Champion, Chad Ruhlman, has been able to repeat. Brian Woodhall and Andy Feil have earned their first career RUSH Series wins at Sharon this year. Feil's came in the last race on August 24 winning a side-by-side thriller over Brian Ruhlman. Zach Morrow, who leads the $5,000 to-win points, has yet to win at Sharon in his career. Woodhall is second in points with fast closing Ruhlman, while Weaver is fourth and has been close to his first Sprint win with four runner-up finishes this year. Chad's son Kevin Ruhlman is fifth in points and leads the "Futures Cup" points.
"We have to thank Sharon Speedway for their continued support of both the RUSH Sportsman Modified and RUSH Sprint Car divisions and to include them in their Apple Festival Nationals," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig. "Sharon has been the home for the RUSH Mods since they debuted in 2014 and have been on their weekly schedule since 2015. Sharon really stepped up and gave the Sprints 11 shows- it's just too bad Mother Nature wasn't cooperative; however, this weekend's forecast looks great. The various points races in both classes are really heating up."
For the Modifieds, Precise Racing Products will award a $100 gift card for the "Pedal Down" Hard Charger that passes the most cars on Saturday night. The TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night” will award three bottles of Xtreme6 Racing Brake Fluid valued at approximately $45 along with a certificate for a discount off any TBM Brakes purchase.
Officials will also determine the new Dirt Defender "Defensive Drive" to the driver that best defended his position throughout the night, and will receive a $40 product package. The award could go to a driver holding off another for the final heat race or B main transfer position, a driver denying a hard charging racer a feature win, a move to stay on the lead lap before a caution, or any such deserving move.
Officials will also determine the Sherwood Racing Wheels "Man of Steel" award winner as one that bounced back from an earlier mishap to finish the event strongly. The selected driver will receive a certificate for a free Sherwood Racing Wheel. The feature winner will also receive a Sunoco 5-Gallon Race Jug.
Sportsman Modified Payoff: 1. $800 2. $500 3. $350 4. $300 5. $250 6. $220 7. $180 8. $175 9. $170 10. $165 11. $160 12. $155 13. $150 14. $145 15. $140 16. $135 17. $130 18-24. $125. Tow/Non-Qualifier $65.
RUSH Sprint Car Payoff: 1. $500 2. $250 3. $225 4. $200 5. $180 6. $170 7. $165 8. $160 9. $155 10. $150 11. $145 12-13. $140 14-15. $135 16-17. $130 18-24. $125. Tow $50.
You do not have to a member of RUSH to compete. The AMB/MyLaps transponders are required. One-way driver radios are always mandatory at 454.000. The entry fee is $35 for the Modifieds. Pit passes are $35 each night. Pits are open throughout the afternoon with pit passes going on sale at 3 p.m. A drivers meeting will be held at approximately 5:20 p.m. with cars on the track at 6.
Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sharonspdwy.
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 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/rushsportsmanmods and follow us on Twitter @RUSHSportMods.
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