9/2/2021
RUSH Late Model Series
BREYTON SANTEE CAPS OFF RACEWAY 7 RUSH LATE MODEL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A WIN; LAST LAP PASS NETS VETERAN JAROD LARSON HIS 2ND STRAIGHT RUSH SPRINT VICTOR
BREYTON SANTEE CAPS OFF RACEWAY 7 RUSH LATE MODEL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A WIN; LAST LAP PASS NETS VETERAN JAROD LARSON HIS 2ND STRAIGHT RUSH SPRINT VICTORY AT SHARON; STEVE DIXON REMAINS RED HOT IN RUSH PRO MODS AT BRADFORD
By Marcie Barlow
September 2, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...Mother Nature tried to play havoc last weekend with threatening weather throughout the region each night of the weekend claiming some events each night. Pace Performance RUSH Racing Series action featured two last laps passes as Chub Frank (RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Born2 Run Lubricants Touring Series) and Jarod Larson (RUSH Sprint Cars) kept the fans on the edge of their seats at Sharon Speedway this past weekend. Weekly RUSH Late Model action also saw Breyton Santee, Daryl Charlier, Brian Knowles, Jeremy Wonderling, and Chad Homan score victories. Steve Dixon remained red hot in the RUSH Pro Mods.
Raceway 7 ran their final RUSH Late Model race of the year last Friday night, and the Conneaut, Ohio oval was the only RUSH track able to complete their show. Track champion Breyton Santee led from start-to-finish despite early challenges from brothers Chad and Cory Sines. For Santee it was his third win of the year at Raceway 7, and never finished worse than sixth all season. Santee also claimed the $1,000 "Track Pack" championship. Darrell Bossard made just his fourth start of the season and was a season best runner-up. Bud Watson, who won the previous two shows, was third over Chad Sines and Billy Henry, Jr.
Pace Performance RUSH Late Model action at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway was led to the green flag by Dan Lepro and Daryl Charlier. Charlier led the initial lap before a caution slowed the field. Charlier went on to weather several cautions that slowed the field, but he never relinquished the lead and would go on to score his third victory of the season at the Imperial, Pa. oval. Eighth place starter Ben Policz came home in second with Cole Petrelle, Mike Reft and Lepro completing the top five.
Woodhull Raceway RUSH Late Model action saw points leader Brian Knowles line up seventh as the green flag waved. Knowles methodically worked his way through the field and passed Joe Layfield for the lead on lap three. Knowles cruised to his fourth Woodhull win of 2021 while Layfield, Jim Buck and Jason McGregor battled for positions two through four. Layfield finished in the runner-up position for a season best effort with Buck, McGregor and Tony Kelley rounding out the top five.
Chad Homan took advantage of a night off at Fulton Speedway to visit Genesee Speedway on Saturday night. The 25-lap main event saw Homan lead the first four laps before Bill Holmes took over and led laps five through 20. Homan was able to use the top side of the speedway to get by Holmes on lap 21 and drove off to score the win, which was his 13 of the season on the RUSH circuit. Holmes held off the late race charge of Doug Ricotta to finish second and also claim his first track championship at the speedway. Ricotta, Dave DuBois and Paul Grigsby followed.
The Pace Performance Flynn’s Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Touring Series made their first appearance in nearly five years at Sharon Speedway on Saturday night. The action featured side-by-side battles for the lead and throughout the field as veteran Chub Frank made a last lap pass of Joe Martin to score the victory in the inaugural "Bill Forney Memorial". It was Frank’s first career victory in RUSH Touring Series action and he also scored a $3,199 payday for his efforts. By virtue of his win in the dash, Michael Duritsky, Jr. led the event at the start with Frank and Jeremy Wonderling following. A caution on lap six slowed the field. On the ensuing restart eighth place starter Joe Martin began his charge to the front using the high side of the track. Duritsky, Frank, Wonderling, David Pangrazio and Martin distanced themselves from the rest of the field and at times battled three wide for the top five positions. Duritsky took the top spot on lap 21 and unfortunately heartbreak struck on the next circuit when he made contact with a slower competitor and suffered a flat tire.
Frank and Martin battled for the final eight laps; Frank ran the bottom and Martin the top. Martin was able to pull even with Frank on lap 27 and grabbed the lead on the following circuit. The duo raced side-by-side for the final two circuits with Martin changing lanes on the final lap in an attempt to prevent Frank from regaining the lead. Martin washed across the track in turn four and Frank won the sprint to the checkered flag. Martin came home in second with Kyle Hardy, who had competed in the Lucas Oil Late Model events at Port Royal Speedway the prior two nights, claiming third. Pangrazio finished fourth. Cory Sines, who started 14th, came home in fifth for a career best Tour finish. The RUSH Tour returns to Sharon on September 10-11 for the "Cider Jug 40" paying $4,000 to-win.
The Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Cars were also in action at Sharon Speedway. Blaze Myers led the first two laps before Zach Morrow took the lead. Tenth place starter Jared Larson moved into third by lap three and battled Myers for two laps before gaining the position and setting his sights on Morrow. Larson used a slider to get by Morrow for the lead on lap seven, but Myers nipped Larson at the line to lead on the 12th lap. The two battled side-by-side for several laps with Myers finally getting the upper hand and appearing to be on his way to capturing his first career Sprint Car victory, but a last lap crash by Nolan Groves intervened. The crash gave Larson the opportunity that he needed as he drove by Myers on the outside to score a 0.321 second victory. A disappointed Myers scored his third second place finish of the season in Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series at Sharon. Chad Ruhlman, John Mollick and Brandon Shughart rounded out the top five
RUSH Sportsman Modified action was up next for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Weekly Series and Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series event. Ben Easler grabbed the lead from Jordan Ehrenberg at the start with Garrett Krummert, Rob Kristyak, Chas Wolbert and Tony Tatgenhorst following. Wolbert slipped under Krummert on lap five and was all over Easler when the caution waved on lap seven. Wolbert snuck by Easler on the restart and Krummert did the same on lap ten. Following two mid-race cautions, the final 10 laps were caution free. Wolbert was never challenged and scored an apparent commanding 3.851 victory over Krummert; however, Wolbert's win and Tatgenhorst's third place finish are on hold until further tech inspection. Easler was fourth with Ehrenberg fifth.
Bradford Speedway was able to defeat Mother Nature on Sunday evening as Pace Performance RUSH Late Model Weekly Series action saw Jeremy Wonderling score his sixth victory in seven tries of the season at the speedway. Kurt Stebbins came home in second with Steve Dixon, Andy Michael and Jason Dobson finishing third, fourth and fifth respectively.
The lone RUSH Pro Mod event of the weekend took place at Bradford Speedway. Steve Dixon continued his dominance winning for the seventh time in the last eight races. Al Brewer tallied the second position with Mike Eschrich, Duane Powers and Critter Hemphill completing the top five.
Winners in RUSH Karting action at Stateline Speedway Kart on Saturday were Bexley Smith (Amateur), Ethan Arnone (JR-1), Cody Rickard (JR-1), and Jill Rickard (Adult). The Karts will be in action on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend at Stateline.
Mother Nature scored the win several times this weekend as Dog Hollow Speedway, Potomac Speedway and the Hill Speedway all fell victim to the weather on Friday. Saturday evening Winchester Speedway fell victim to rain as did Eriez Speedway on Sunday. RUSH racing competitors had the weekend off at Delaware International Speedway, Fulton Speedway and Stateline Speedway.
Pace Performance RUSH racing action for the Labor Day weekend will take place at Dog Hollow Speedway and the Hill Speedway Friday evening. Stateline will have heats on Friday night for the Late Models and Pro Mods followed by $2,000 and $1,000 to-win main events respectively on Saturday night. Saturday night's RUSH action is on tap at Delaware International Speedway, Fulton Speedway, Genesee Speedway, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway ($2,000 to-win for the "Red Miley Rumble") and Woodhull Raceways. Bradford Speedway has the fifth Annual Jim Torrence Memorial scheduled on Sunday with both the RUSH Late Models and Pro Mods on the card.
The RUSH Sprint Cars will have a doubleheader weekend of $600 to-win Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series events on both Saturday and Sunday night. Raceway 7 has rescheduled their June 25 rained out RUSH Sprint Car event to next Saturday, September 11 for $800 to-win, $160 to-start, which will follow the Friday night show at Raceway 7.
Raceway 7, Potomac Speedway, Sharon Speedway, Winchester Speedway and Eriez Speedway RUSH competitors can enjoy the weekend off.
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 info@rushracingseries.com 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.
Article Credit: Marcie Barlow