9/23/2021
RUSH Late Model Series
CAREER 1ST RUSH SPRINT CAR WIN FOR BLAZE MYERS COMES AT PITTSBURGH WHILE GARRET PAUGH WINS HIS 1ST OF 2021 IN A LATE MODEL; FAMILIAR FACES WONDERLING,
CAREER 1ST RUSH SPRINT CAR WIN FOR BLAZE MYERS COMES AT PITTSBURGH WHILE GARRET PAUGH WINS HIS 1ST OF 2021 IN A LATE MODEL; FAMILIAR FACES WONDERLING, HARDY, LUNGER, WOLBERT & RUTH KEEP ON WINNING
By Marcie Barlow
September 23, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...Pace Performance RUSH Racing Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC action this past weekend saw Blaze Myers tally his first career RUSH Sprint Car win at “Dirt’s Monster Half Mile”. Several familiar faces also visited victory lane in their respective divisions as Jeremy Wonderling scored a pair of wins in Late Model action at both Woodhall Raceway and Bradford Speedway to keep alive for the National Weekly Series championship, while standouts Kyle Hardy, Dennis Lunger, Jr., Gale Ruth, Jr. and Chas Wolbert continued their winning ways in their respective RUSH divisions.
The Pace Performance RUSH Late Models brought down the curtain at Dog Hollow Speedway on year one for new promoters Mark McClellan and Kyle Smith. Maryland competitor Chuck Bowie led the first two circuits of the feature before Michael Duritsky, Jr. took over. Duritsky led laps 3-10 with Joe Martin getting the top spot on lap 11. A caution on lap 18 slowed the field and gave Duritsky a final opportunity at retaking the lead. On lap 19, Duritsky went low as the duo entered turn one; this caused Martin to push up in turn two and Duritsky powered by to score his third consecutive victory and fourth of the season at the Strongstown, PA oval! Duritsky not only captured his first ever Dog Hollow track championship, but also the $1,000 RUSH "Track Pack" title to go with it. Martin held on for second over Joe Moyer. Bowie dropped to fourth in his first appearance ahead of fellow Maryland racer Levi Crowl.
After a rain out at Eriez Speedway, Jeremy Wonderling used a week off from the Flynn’s Tire/Born2Run Lubricants RUSH Late Model Touring Series to stop by Woodhull Raceway Saturday night. Wonderling, who had not visited the speedway since the opener in April, lined up in the second starting position for the 20-lap feature. He went on to lead the caution-free event from start-to-finish to score the victory by a full straight away. While it was Wonderling’s 15th victory in RUSH action this year, amazingly it was his first ever RUSH victory at Woodhull- a track just 30 miles from his Wellsville, NY home. Brian Knowles, the newly crowned track champion as well as the $1,000 RUSH "Track Pack" champion, finished second over his brother Jason. Steve LeBarron and Jim Buck rounded out the top five.
Wonderling capped off the weekend with victory #16 of the year in the "Jim Torrence Memorial" in the Bradford Speedway finale Sunday night. Kurt Stebbins finished second followed by Steve Dixon and brothers John and Dusty Waters. While Wonderling copped the track title, Dixon was the $1,000 RUSH "Track Pack" Champion.
Dennis Lunger, Jr. claimed the RUSH Pro Mod portion of the "Jim Torrence Memorial" at Bradford to add to his points total in the 2021 Pace Performance Weekly Series chase. Lunger has already clinched his fifth straight championship worth $3,500. After competing at Eriez Speedway earlier in the evening, Lunger made the 100-mile drive, started last and picked up just his second Bradford win of 2021. Track champion Steve Dixon followed in second as he's just two points behind Al Brewer in the battle for second in the Weekly Series points. Brewer, CJ Irons and Nathan Hill completed the top five.
Eriez Speedway concluded their season last weekend with the ninth annual "September Sweeps" event. Preliminary action was contested on Friday night, but due to rain, Saturday's scheduled finale was pushed to Sunday. Andy Boozel and Darrell Bossard led the field to the green at the start of the 25-lap RUSH Late Model main event. Bossard and Boozel battled for the top spot during the early stages of the event, while eighth place starter Jason Genco slowly worked his way through the field. As Bossard entered lapped traffic Genco used the slower cars to his advantage to close in and overtake Bossard. Genco pulled away from the field and went on to score the $2,000 win, and captured the $1,000 RUSH "Track Pack" Championship. After four second place finishes in the first eight races, Genco ended the season winning two of the last four shows including a runner-up. Boozel held on to the second spot with Bossard claiming third over Chub Frank and Scott Gurdak.
Pace Performance RUSH Late Model action at Winchester Speedway on Saturday night saw Jacob Burdette and Kyle Hardy lead the 20-car field to the green. Hardy took command with Burdette in second. By lap seven Hardy had a straightaway advantage over Burdette and Levi Crowl. Crowl got by Burdette for the second position on lap 12 and set his sights on Hardy, who was battling heavy lapped traffic. At the checkered it was Hardy scoring his seventh victory of the season in as many starts at the Virginia facility. His 16th overall victory of 2021 allowed him to maintain a one-point lead in the National Weekly Series Championship with one week to go. Crowl, Burdette, Devin Brannon and Steven Payne finished second through fifth.
Garret Paugh picked up his first Pace Performance RUSH Late Model win of the season at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The West Virginia driver ran second for the first 18 circuits before passing Joe Martin to score a 0.997 victory in just his third appearance of the season and first in a non-Tour event. Martin was second after leading until late for the second straight night. Daryl Charlier, Philip Bubeck and Tim Shaffer were third through fifth.
The lone Pace Performance RUSH Sportsman Modified event of the week took place on Saturday night at “Dirt’s Monster Half Mile". Justin Shea and Tony Tatgenhorst led the field to the green, but it was fourth place starter Chas Wolbert who led the first lap. Tatgenhorst grabbed the top spot from Wolbert on the next circuit and stayed out front until “Lady Luck” intervened on lap 12 allowing Wolbert to take the lead. Wolbert then led the final three circuits to score claim his third win of the season at the Imperial, Pa. track. Shea was second. Chelsie Kriegisch recorded her best finish of the season in third with Tatgenhorst and Jacob Jordan completing the top five.
The Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Cars kicked off another two-race weekend on Saturday night at Pittsburgh for their second of three appearances of 2021. Second place starter Blaze Myers took the lead when the green flag waved and led the entire way in the 15-lap event to score his first career Sprint Car win for the former RUSH Sportsman Modified winner and "Futures Cup" Champion. Myers took the win by a 1.988 second victory over seventh place starter Gale Ruth, Jr. Fifth place starter Chad Ruhlman ran sixth in the early part of the race before moving up to fourth on lap nine and then overtaking John Mollick on the 12th circuit to come home in third. Jarod Larson made his first ever RUSH Sprint start at Pittsburgh and was fourth with Zach Morrow fifth.
The RUSH Sprint Cars wrapped up their two-race weekend on Sunday at Tri-City Raceway Park in their sixth and final appearance of the season at the Franklin, Pa. oval. After a runner-up finish on Saturday night, Gale Ruth, Jr. led from start-to-finish in the 20-lap feature scoring his fourth win in six tries this season at Tri-City. Ruth pocketed $800 in a race sponsored by Ted Whitney Heating & AC for the McConnell Family Racing team as their ninth overall win has him atop the $5,000 to-win Equipment Rental Options Weekly Championship. Rod George edged out eighth starting John Mollick for his first runner-up finish of the season. Myers completed an excellent weekend in fourth. After winning his first career heat race, Brian Cressley, recorded his first career top five finish in fifth.
Tim Laughard was the victor in RUSH Stock Car action at Dog Hollow for his second win in his last three tries. Jeremy Zufall was second and captured the inaugural $2,000 Pace Performance Weekly Series Championship! Track champion Bob Torquato was third. Thomas Arzenti made his first start and the 14-year-old came home fourth.
Genesee Speedway hosts the Flynn’s Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Late Model Touring Series on both Friday and Saturday this weekend with the “Topless Nationals”. Each main event pays $2,000 to win. In addition, Saturday’s event is the “Traveling Manufacturers Night” presented by MSD Performance. More than $13,000 in products will be given away to the divisional competitors who are in the top 15 in track points at Genesee, Fulton and Woodhull Speedways. The RUSH Sprint Cars will also be in action both Friday and Saturday at Genesee racing for $1,000 to-win each night.
Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Speedway will host both the RUSH Late Models and Sportsman Modifieds on Saturday evening. The RUSH Late Models will be back at Winchester on Saturday night. The race will pay $1,200 to-win if there are 20 or more cars. The remainder of the RUSH Racing Series tracks are either closed for the year, off this weekend, or not running the RUSH Late Models.
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
