6/8/2022
RUSH Late Model Series
JOSH FERRY, JARED KEENEY, BEN POLICZ, DAVID PARKER & BILLY HENRY JR ALL SCORE 1ST HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL WINS OF 2022; CAREER 1ST RUSH SPRINT WIN FOR R
JOSH FERRY, JARED KEENEY, BEN POLICZ, DAVID PARKER & BILLY HENRY JR ALL SCORE 1ST HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL WINS OF 2022; CAREER 1ST RUSH SPRINT WIN FOR RYAN FRALEY COMES OVER A RECORD 24-CAR FIELD AT SHARON
By Marcie Barlow
June 8, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...The month of June kicked off with a full card of Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants action as David Parker scored his career first victory in the RUSH Late Models. Josh Ferry, Ben Policz, and Billy Henry, Jr. scored their first RUSH Late Model wins of the season, while Jared Keeney swept the weekend at The Hill and Skyline for his season's first wins. Ryan Fraley picked up his first ever RUSH Sprint Car Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series win as an all-time record high car count was established with 24 cars on hand at Sharon.
Jay Watson and Flynn's Tire Touring Series regular Jonathan Stockdale led the RUSH Late Model drivers to the green on Friday night at Raceway 7. Watson weathered several caution to lead the first ten laps followed by Joe Long, Josh Ferry, Breyton Santee and Chad Sines. Santee’s run came to end on lap 12 when he spun on the front stretch. The caution gave Ferry the opportunity he needed as he worked his way around Long and began challenging Watson for the lead on lap 17. Watson withstood the challenges and went on to score what appeared to be a .464 second victory over Ferry. However, it was Joel Watson, not Jay Watson, who emerged from the car. Since this driver change had not been made known to the speedway officials, Watson was disqualified and the win was given to Ferry for his first of 2022. Long, Billy Henry, Sines and Dennis Lunger, Jr. completed the top five.
Michael Duritsky, Jr. made it two-for-two on the year at Dog Hollow Speedway as the Masontown, Pa. driver led the entire distance of the 25 lap main event to score a $1,000 payday. Mike Laughard was second followed by Kyle Hardy in third. Joe Moyer and Zach Morrow completed the top five.
After winning two of the final three races of 2021 at The Hill Speedway, Jared Keeney led the entire 20-lap distance of the RUSH Late Model main event on Friday evening for his first win of 2022. Keeney bested Mike Epler and Rich McNeal.
Keeney was also the victor in RUSH Late Model action at Skyline Raceway Motorsports Park the following evening. Dane Keller claimed the second spot with Rich McNeal scoring another third place finish. Alan Chapman and Mike Kazmierczak completing the top five. A record high car count of RUSH Late Models was recorded.
David Parker got his career first victory at Stateline Speedway Saturday night. The Jamestown, NY driver started in the seventh position and fought a right rear tire that was going flat for the final five laps to score a very memorable first career RUSH Late Model win, and it came over a strong field of 24 competitors. Randy Hall, Jason Genco, Dennis Lunger, Jr. and Khole Wanzer followed.
Tim Shaffer and Philip Bubeck led the RUSH Late Model field to the green Saturday evening at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Shaffer led the first 12 laps while Ben Policz methodically worked his way through the field. Policz wrestled the lead away from Shaffer when the racing action resumed and went on to score his first victory of the season at the Imperial, PA oval. Policz became the impressive fifth different winner in as many races in 2022 at "Dirt's Monster Half-Mile". Daryl Charlier was second in just his second PPMS start of the year. Cole Petrelle was third over Shaffer and Colby Beighey.
Rookie competitor Rickie Loucks led the first 10 laps of the RUSH Late Model feature at Woodhull Raceway. A lap 11 restart saw Loucks good fortune end as both Jason McGregor and Brian Knowles got by take over the top two positions. McGregor led until Knowles made the winning move on lap 17 to take over the top spot and went on to claim his third win of the season. The Knowles brothers have now won five of the six events this season at Woodhull. McGregor was a season best second as Austin Allen, and rookies Aaron Miller and Loucks rounded out the top five.
Jeremy Wonderling led the first 10 laps of the RUSH Late Model main event at Genesee Speedway before a caution slowed the field. On the restart Wonderling chose the inside, which is a rare selection at the Batavia, New York oval, but it provided him with the advantage needed to fend off the challenges of J.J. Mazur and Jimmy Johnson in the closing laps. It was Wonderling's scored Genesee victory of the season. Johnson used the high side of the speedway to pass Mazur in the final corner and claim the second spot. Mazur, Doug Ricotta and Steve LeBarron followed.
Levi Crowl and Brayden Anderson led the 27-car field to the green in RUSH Late Model action at Winchester Speedway Saturday evening. Crowl, the defending RUSH Track Pack Winchester Champion, weathered several cautions and went on to score his first victory of the season at the speedway. Daniel Brown Jr, Justin Weaver, Mike Franklin, and Jeremy Tinsman finished second through fifth. Winchester has averaged 27 RUSH Late Models for their events this season!
Both Eriez Speedway and Bradford Speedway hosted RUSH Late Model action on Sunday. At Eriez, Billy Henry, Jr. and Andy Boozel led the field to the green and Henry used the first place staring position to his advantage as he led the event wire-to-wire to claim his first win of 2022. Sixth place starter Jason Genco worked his way through the field to finish second with Boozel in third. Khole Wanzer and Logan Jaquay followed in fourth and fifth respectively.
Fresh off a $3,000 Flynn's Tire Touring Series victory at Bradford, John Waters returned to the tricky 1/4-mile and made it two in a row in the RUSH Late Model main event. Waters now has the upper-hand on the $1,000 to-win Track Pack points at Bradford. Jeremy Wonderling, Andy Michael, Kurt Stebbins and Chuck LaFleur followed.
The RUSH Sprint Cars saw action on both Saturday and Sunday. Ryan Fraley, who lives right down the road from Sharon Speedway, scored his career first Sprint Car victory Saturday night as the Hartford, Ohio oval. Fraley, who has eight Econo Mod victories at Sharon, passed three-time Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series Champion, Chad Ruhlman, on lap 10, masterfully worked his way through lapped traffic and went on to score a very well deserved victory in the 20-lap Terry Bowser Excavating-sponsored feature. Ruhlman held on for the runner-up position with Brian Hartzell, Blaze Myers and Andy Priest completing the top five.
Gale Ruth, Jr. finished a disappointing seventh at Sharon Speedway Saturday evening and wasted no time in redeeming himself. Ruth started in the second spot of Sunday’s RUSH Sprint Car main event at Tri-City Raceway Park on Sunday and led all the way to become the first repeat winner of 2022. Andy Priest was a season best second. Blaze Myers skipped his high school graduation to compete in the event and came home in third, but was presented his diploma during intermission from his principal. Chad Ruhlman and John Mollick finished in fourth and fifth respectively.
The lone Hovis RUSH Sportsman Modified evert of the weekend was held at Sharon Speedway. Kole Holden and Brandon Ritchey led the 23-car field to the green with Holden grabbing the lead. Cautions on laps five and seven erased Holden’s lead and enabled fifth place starter Justin Shea to methodically work his way into the top three. Shea passed Clayton Deems to move into second on lap nine. Holden continued to lead as the laps wound down. On lap 19, Holden hesitated in traffic and this allowed Shea to slip under him in turn four and score the win by 0.624 seconds. It was Shea's first Sharon win in nearly five years! Holden finished in second with Ritchey, Ben Easler and J.C. Boyer following.
RUSH Pro Mod action at Stateline Speedway saw veteran Dennis Lunger, Jr. add to his career win total as he chalked up his second consecutive victory at the Busti, New York track. Adam Ashcroft, Al Brewer, Chad Carlson and Tyler Oakes followed.
Steve Dixon was the victor in the RUSH Pro Mod feature event for the second straight week at Bradford Speedway on Sunday evening. Veteran Al Brewer scored the second position with Critter Hemphill, Tim Schram and John Cline following.
The Hovis Auto and Truck Supply Weekly Series event that was scheduled at the Georgetown Speedway last Friday was postponed due to the weather. It has been rescheduled for Friday, June 24. Due to the conflict with the $20,000 to win "Bill Emig Memorial" at Lernerville Speedway that weekend, Georgetown is only awarding show up points; 25 points for drivers that race at Georgetown or Lernerville.
Potomac Speedway, Delaware International Speedway and Tyler County Speedway were not in action this past weekend.
Tim Laughard was the winner in RUSH Stock Car action at Dog Hollow Speedway for the second time in three weeks. Cody Rickard scored his third victory of the season at Eriez Speedway Sunday and fifth overall in Hovis Weekly Series competition.
Winners in RUSH Karting action at Stateline Speedway were: Bexley Smith (Rookie), Emily Heiser (JR-1), Julian Hultin (JR-2), and Mike Boardman (Adult).
Weekly Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Late Model racing is scheduled this Friday at The Hill and Delaware International Speedway. Delaware's event will pay $1,000 to-win with possibly $2,000 or $3,000 to-win depending on the gambler's fee. Saturday racing venues for the RUSH Late Model competitors include Genesee Speedway, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Woodhull Raceway, Skyline Raceway, Stateline Speedway, and Tyler County Speedway. Sunday RUSH Late Model action includes both Eriez Speedway and Bradford Speedway where $1,500 will be on the line.
RUSH Late Model competitors will have the weekend off at Raceway 7, Dog Hollow Speedway, Potomac Speedway and Winchester Speedway.
The RUSH Sprint Cars will visit Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday for the first time this season and make a mid-week appearance at Sharon Speedway on Tuesday (June 14) with the All Star Circuit of Champions for Ohio Speedweek, which will be broadcast on Flo Racing. Both events are part of the Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series Championship.
Hovis Auto and Truck Supply Sportsman Modified drivers will be in action at Raceway 7 on Friday for Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series and then travel to Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday.
The RUSH Pro Mods will race at both Stateline and Bradford with Sunday's show paying $1,200 to-win.
The RUSH Racing Series action is heating up in every division so be sure to enjoy the exciting racing action at a track near you this weekend.
The RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply together with Born2Run Lubricants along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Waterstone Mortgage Hermitage, Wedge Motorsports, 3C Graphix, D&V Jewelers, DrumPreserve, CrateInsider.com, Terry Bowser Excavating, and Stop-Fyre.
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 Racing Series website is www.rushracingseries.com. Like our Facebook page and Twitter pages by searching for each individual RUSH Series.
Article Credit: Marcie Barlow
