9/17/2021
RUSH Late Model Series
ROSS ROBINSON SCORES AN EMOTIONAL 1ST PACE RUSH LATE MODEL WIN OF 2021 AT GEORGETOWN; CHRIS FLEMING MAKES HISTORY BY WINNING THE 1ST EVER RUSH LATE MO
ROSS ROBINSON SCORES AN EMOTIONAL 1ST PACE RUSH LATE MODEL WIN OF 2021 AT GEORGETOWN; CHRIS FLEMING MAKES HISTORY BY WINNING THE 1ST EVER RUSH LATE MODEL RACE AT LAND OF LEGENDS; CHAD RUHLMAN & GALE RUTH JR TRADE RUSH SPRINT WINS IN HUNT OF THE $5000 EQUIPMENT RENTAL OPTIONS WEEKLY SERIES TITLE
By Marcie Barlow
September 17, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...Another action packed weekend of Pace Performance RUSH Racing Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC action saw Ross Robinson scored an emotional first RUSH Late Model win of the season at Georgetown Speedway on Friday night, while Chris Fleming made history by winning the first ever RUSH sanctioned event at Land of Legends on Saturday night. Chad Ruhlman and Gale Ruth, Jr. split RUSH Sprint Cars wins as they fight it out for the $5,000 to-win Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series championship. It was a full complement of RUSH Racing Series divisions throughout the weekend with the exception of the RUSH Pro Mods, who had the weekend off.
An emotional Ross Robinson was victorious at Georgetown Speedway on Friday night. Robinson, who had lost his father just six days earlier, started on the pole and led the 20-lap main event from the start to capture the win. Robinson's first RUSH win of 2021 was worth $1,000. Matt Hill, who started seventh, finished in second and was followed across the line by Trevor Collins, Donald Lingo, Jr. and Joey Warren.
At Dog Hollow Speedway Michael Duritsky, Jr. was the winner in Pace Performance RUSH Late Model action for the second week in a row. The Masontown, Pa. driver led the entire distance of the 20-lap main event to score the victory, which was also his third of the season at the speedway as he looks to clinch the track championship. Overall it was Duritsky’s fourth win on the circuit in 2021. Joe Moyer, newcomer Corey Neal, Mark Rend and Rob Coffaro all recorded their season best finishes in second through fifth.
The Land of The Legends Raceway in Canandaigua, NY hosted a special event for the Pace Performance RUSH Late Models on Saturday evening. Chad Homan, a former champion at the speedway who also has experience in Stocks and Big-Block Modifieds, started on the pole and led the first eight circuits before Sean Beardsley took the lead. Beardsley continued to pull away from the field while Chris Fleming methodically worked his way through the field. Fleming he got by Homan on the 16th circuit and set his sights on Beardsley. A lap 23 caution provided Fleming with the opportunity he needed as he blasted by Beardsley when the action resumed to score a convincing win and a $1,000 payday. Beardsley claimed second with Bret Belden, Homan and Beamer Guzzardi finishing third through fifth.
Flynn’s Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Late Model Touring Series action returned to Sharon Speedway on Saturday as the “Cider Jug 40” was on the card presented by Zarin Truck & Auto and an anonymous donor in honor of Autism Awareness. They say that “turnabout is fair play” and after a heartbreaking loss to Chub Frank just two weeks ago, Joe Martin was not to be denied as he passed Jeremy Wonderling with one lap to go to score the victory and a $4,000 payday.
Martin took the lead over Logan Zarin and Wonderling at the start. As the duo of Martin and Zarin began to distance themselves from the field, Will Thomas III and Kyle Hardy battled Wonderling for third. By lap 13 lapped traffic came into play and Zarin closed the gap on Martin and Thomas while Wonderling and Hardy closed the gap on Zarin. The restart following a lap 26 caution saw Zarin bobble which allowed Wonderling to pass both Zarin and Thomas for the second position. Zarin’s struggle also caused Thomas to drop out of the top five and enabled eighth place starter Russ King to join in the battle for fourth with Hardy. Hardy and King battled for nearly ten laps with Hardy finally getting under King in turn three on lap 37; unfortunately, the two made contact which resulted in a caution, a flat tire for King.
The final two laps of green flag action saw Wonderling use the outside to take the lead away from Martin. Martin then battled back to charge around Wonderling as the white flag waved. Martin fended off Wonderling’s last lap challenge to score the win by 0.430 seconds. The victory ended a seven-year winless drought on the Tour for Martin, whose lone Tour victory came on August 30, 2014 at McKean County Raceway. Wonderling captured the second position followed by Hardy, Zarin and Matt Latta.
Zach Gunn and Cole Petrelle led the Pace Performance RUSH Late Models to the green in their 20-lap main event Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Gunn grabbed the lead; however, a six-car pileup in turn four slowed the field as the first lap was completed. Petrelle overtook Gunn and led lap two before fifth place starter Kyle Lukon took over the top spot on lap three. Lukon weathered a caution on lap six and went on to lead the final 14 circuits to score his third win of the season at the Imperial, Pa. oval. Petrelle held off Zach Gunn for second with Nico Dabecco and Zach Morrow rounding out the top five.
Woodhull Raceway hosted the annual “Lyle Sherwood Memorial” on Saturday night. Newly crowned track champion Brian Knowles visited the speedway’s victory lane for the sixth time and he did it in dramatic style as he nursed a mount with front end suspension damage to the win for the final 13 circuits. It was Knowles fourth straight win at Woodhull and ninth overall on the circuit in 2021 as he moved into third place in the National Weekly Series standings. Chuck LaFleur capitalized on a final lap miscue by Steve LeBarron to finish second over Jason McGregor, Tony Kelley and Jared Keeney.
The Pace Performance RUSH Late Models competed in the “Lee Stultz Memorial” at Winchester Speedway Saturday evening. Levi Crowl scored his fifth victory of the season at the Virginia oval. Chuck Bowie made his first visit in more than two months and was a season best second. Tanner Kerr was third in just his fourth race of the year. Devin Brannon returned after missing the past three races and his fourth place was his ninth top five in nine starts! Megan Mann was fifth.
The Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Cars were in action both Friday and Saturday for Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series events. The two days of racing action took place along the Route 7 corridor at Raceway 7 and Sharon Speedway. Friday’s action took place at Sharon Speedway as the division headlined night one of the “Apple Festival Nationals”. An invert 0 saw RUSH Sprint stars Gale Ruth, Jr. and Chad Ruhlman lead the field to green. Ruhlman took the lead with Ruth staying in striking distance of the leader and Jarod Larson following closely in third should Ruhlman or Ruth bobble. The leaders hit lapped traffic on the 11th circuit but Ruth was unable to make up any ground on Ruhlman as the Erie, Pa. resident went on to score his season’s seventh victory by 4.399 second. The caution-free 20-lap event was completed in just 6:51 minutes. Ruth came home in the second spot for the third time in the last four races at the Hartford, Ohio oval. Finishing Larson picked up another top five finish. Brian Hartzell was a season best Sharon fourth with Ryan Fraley fifth.
On Saturday evening the wingless warriors made the short trip north to compete in Raceway 7’s “September Shootout” for their first appearance of the season at the Conneaut, Ohio oval. The main event had John Mollick joining Ruhlman on the front row to start the event. Ruhlman led the first three circuits before Mollick pulled even with Ruhlman on lap four. By lap five, sixth place starter Gale Ruth, Jr. joined in the battle for the top spot. The trio engaged in a heated battle and swapped the lead several times during the next two laps before Ruth gained a small advantage and the lead on lap eight. By the midway point Ruth found a little breathing room, and went on to lead the remaining laps to score his first ever Raceway 7 victory and eighth overall of 2021, worth $800. Ruhlman finished in the runner-up position with Mollick claiming third. Rod George finished fourth with Tyler Newhart fifth.
The lone Pace Performance RUSH Sportsman Modified event took place at Sharon Speedway on Saturday also part of the “Apple Festival Nationals”. Chas Wolbert passed J.C. Boyer at the start of the feature event and was never challenged to capture his fifth Sharon Speedway win of the season, which came in the $800 to-win Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Touring Series event. Wolbert, the newly crowned $3500 Hovis Weekly Series Champion, was followed by Rob Kristyak, Boyer, Tony Tatgenhorst and Clayton Deems at the checkered flag.
Jeremy Zufall was the winner in RUSH Stock Car action at Dog Hollow Speedway. It was Zufall’s eighth of the year at Dog Hollow and ninth overall in Pace Performance Weekly Series action, which propelled him into the Weekly Series points lead. Bob Torquato was runner-up for the second straight week. Tim Laughard’s third was his worst finish since debuting on August 6.
The RUSH Karting Series held both afternoon and evening races last Saturday to end the season at Stateline Speedway Karts. Scoring wins were Bexley Smith and Emmie Bush (Amateur); Ethan Arnone swept both JR-1 events, Cody Rickard and Wyatt Long (JR-2), and Mike Boardman and Morgan Curry (Adults).
Pace Performance RUSH competitors at Potomac Speedway, Delaware International Speedway, Genesee Speedway, Bradford Speedway and Eriez Speedway had the week off. Potomac, Delaware, and Genesee will also be dark this weekend.
Weekly Pace Performance RUSH Late Model action begins this weekend on Friday evening at Dog Hollow Speedway. Eriez Speedway is hosting the ninth annual “September Sweeps” on both Friday and Saturday with the RUSH Late Models competing for $2,000 to-win. Saturday evening’s RUSH racing action includes Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway where the Late Models, Sprints and Sportsman Modifieds will all be in action. The RUSH Late Models will also be in action at Winchester Speedway and Woodhull Raceway on Saturday. Bradford Speedway hosts the “Jim Torrence Memorial” on Sunday with the RUSH Late Models and Pro Mods in action.
The RUSH Sprint Cars will complete their doubleheader weekend on Sunday at Tri-City Raceway. The final race at the Franklin, Pa. oval in 2021 will pay $800 to-win thanks to sponsorship from Ted Whitney Heating & AC.
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
