7/21/2022
RUSH Late Model Series
A BEVY OF NEW HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL WINNERS INCLUDE JIM RASEY, JON LEE, RICH MCNEAL, DEREK MAGEE, PAUL GRIGSBY & DAMIAN BIDWELL; BREAKOUT WEEKEND FOR
A BEVY OF NEW HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL WINNERS INCLUDE JIM RASEY, JON LEE, RICH MCNEAL, DEREK MAGEE, PAUL GRIGSBY & DAMIAN BIDWELL; BREAKOUT WEEKEND FOR KOLE HOLDEN IN RUSH MODS WITH A PAIR OF VICTORIES
By Marcie Barlow
July 21, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...First time winners dominated the 2022 Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants action this past weekend as Jim Rasey, Jon Lee, Rich McNeal, Derek Magee, Paul Grigsby and Damian Bidwell all visited victory lane for the first time this season in their RUSH Late Models. In addition, Kole Holden doubled up with his first RUSH Sportsman Modified victories of the season including a career first in Flynn's Tire Touring Series action.
Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Late Model action at Raceway 7 saw veteran Jay Watson lead the first circuit of the 20-lap main event with Josh Ferry, Jim Rasey, and Billy Henry, Jr. following. A caution on lap three slowed the field, but Watson retained the top spot when the action resumed. By the halfway point of the main event Watson still led with Rasey, Ferry, Henry, and Jonathan Stockdale battling for second through fifth. Watson lost the handle and spun with two laps to go and Rasey inherited the lead. The veteran Modified and Super Late Model competitor went on to lead the final two circuits to capture his first ever RUSH Late Model main event in his second year of driving for Jim Wrightsman. Ferry came home in second with Henry in third. Stockdale and Gary Youngs completed the top five. For Stockdale and Youngs, it was their first top five of the season.
Weekly RUSH Late Model action at Dog Hollow Speedway saw Michael Duritsky, Jr. and newcomer Jon Lee lead the field to the green. Lee was able to take the lead with Duritsky in tow. The duo pulled away from the pack while Tim Snare, Jr. and Colin Casale battled for third. Duritsky kept Lee in sight through two cautions but was unable to mount a pass for the lead. Lee, a Super Late Model racer, held on to win in his first RUSH Late Model start aboard his own #5L. Duritsky, who leads the "Track Pack" was second. First time West Virginia visitors Donnie Dotson and Ryan Hare accounted for themselves nicely finishing third and fourth respectively. R.J. Dallape was fifth.
RUSH Late Model action at The Hill Speedway on Friday saw Rich McNeal capture his career first divisional victory over Mike Epler and Jared Keeney. McNeal became the fourth different winner of the season at The Hill.
Derek Magee was another driver that captured his first victory of the 2022 season this past weekend. Magee started on the pole and went on to lead the entire 20-lap distance of the feature event at Delaware International Speedway on Friday night for the $1,000 win. Trevor Collins, Matt Hill, Austin Hubbard, and Nick Davis completed the top five.
Kyle Hardy visited victory lane at Potomac Speedway for the fourth time in six tries this season in RUSH Late Model action on Friday night. Hardy withstood the late race challenges of Megan Mann to pick up the win. Mann settled for a season best second with Joey Love finishing third. Jeremy Pilkerton and Ed Pope, Jr. completed the top five.
On Saturday night, Paul Grigsby also visited victory lane for the first time in 2022 last weekend. Grigsby and Bill Holmes lead the field to the green flag last Saturday at Genesee Speedway. Grigsby took the lead and never looked back in the 25-lap main event. Holmes held on for the runner-up spot with Jeremy Wonderling, Doug Ricotta and David Pangrazio finishing third through fifth.
Damian Bidwell continued the parade of first-time winners as the Eldred, PA driver was victorious at Stateline Speedway Saturday night. Former E-Mod competitor Randy Hall led the first several laps as Rodney Houser, Scott Gurdak, and David Parker battled for second. By lap four, Bidwell, who had started in sixth, moved into the third position. By lap 10, Bidwell was glued to Hall’s rear bumper and just one lap later the duo were side by side as they crossed the start-finish line. Bidwell wrestled the top spot from Hall on lap 12 and went on to the win. Bidwell returned to RUSH competition this summer after several seasons off. Hovis National Weekly Series points leader, Jason Genco, got by Hall for the second spot to also maintain the "Track Pack" point lead at Stateline. Hall was third. David Parker and Scott Gurdak completed the top five.
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway held the Topless 25 for RUSH Late Model weekly competitors on Saturday. Two cautions slowed the initial start but when the green finally waved it was Daryl Charler who would lead the four circuits, while Ben Policz methodically worked his way into second. Charlier and Policz waged a side-by-side battle with Charlier continuing to lead through lap 19. Policz took the top spot on lap 20 and went on to lead the final five laps to become just the second repeat winner in 2022 RUSH Late Model action at the speedway joining Michael Norris. The win was worth $1,500 for Policz. Charlier had to settle for second. Brandon Burgoon was a season best aboard Ken Chernik's #5x. Cole Petrelle and Dan Lepro completed the top five.
Brian “Pork Chop” Knowles led the entire distance of the RUSH Late Model main event Saturday at Woodhull Raceway to score his fifth victory at the New York oval this season. Steve LeBarron had a solid run to finish second with Brett Marlatt, Austin Allen and Jason McGregor rounding out the top five.
The Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Sportsman Modified Series competed in two events last week. The first was held on Thursday, July 14 at Expo Speedway as part of the 175th Annual Trumbull County Fair. Tiona, PA resident Kole Holden led the entire distance of the 20-lap event to score his first ever Flynn’s Tire Touring Series victory worth $800. It was also Holden’s first victory of the 2022 season. Ayden Cipriano, Tour points leader Garrett Krummert, Preston Cope and Rob Kristyak rounded out the top five.
RUSH Modified competitors travelled the short distance north to Raceway 7 to compete the next evening for a Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series event, but the result was the same. Holden once again led the entire distance of the feature event to score the win by 1.415 seconds with Cipriano once again bringing home the second position. Kristyak came in third followed by Ben Easler and Jacob Wolfe. Holden continues to lead the Hovis Weekly Series standings.
The lone RUSH Pro Mod event of the weekend was held at Stateline Speedway. Chad Carlson and Zain Harvey battled for the lead on laps one and two before veteran Dennis Lunger, Jr., who started sixth, took over on lap three. Another veteran, Al Brewer, got by Carlson for second on lap four but was unable to wrestle the lead away from Lunger. It was Lunger’s sixth victory in 2022 as he remains perfect at the New York oval. Brewer would come home in second. Harvey, who leads the "Futures Cup" points was third over Carslon and Brian Mohawk.
Making just his second start of the season at Stateline, last year's "Futures Cup" Champion, Mikael Beaver, was the winner in RUSH Stock Car action at Stateline Speedway. It was Beaver's third overall win of 2022.
Winners in RUSH Karting Series action at Stateline Speedway on Saturday afternoon were Emmie Bush (Rookie), Ethan Arnone (JR-1), Trenton Curry (JR-2), and Morgan Curry (Adult).
Weekly RUSH Late Model action was rained out at Skyline Raceway Motorsports Park, Winchester, Bradford Speedway and Eriez Speedway. RUSH Late Model drivers had the night off at Tyler County Speedway.
The Flynn's Tire Touring Series for both the RUSH Late Models and RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will be at Lernerville Speedway on Friday night for the "RUSH Summer Showcase, which will also include the RUSH Sprint Cars in an Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series event. The Flynn's Tire Touring Series for the Late Models then heads to Tyler County Speedway on Saturday night for the first time ever. Meanwhile, the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will be at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway on Saturday night, while the RUSH Sprint Cars will return to Knox Raceway on Sunday for another Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series event.
In addition, weekly RUSH Late Model action is on tap at The Hill Speedway, Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway, Skyline Raceway, Stateline Speedway, Winchester Speedway ($1,215 to-win), Eriez Speedway and Bradford Speedway for $2,500 to-win. RUSH Late Model competitors have the weekend off at Raceway 7, Dog Hollow Speedway, Delaware International Speedway, Genesee Speedway, Woodhull Raceway and Potomac Speedway.
The temperatures are heating up and so is the RUSH racing action so be sure to add a little RUSH racing to your weekend plans.
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, Marthinsen & Salvitti Insurance Group and Terry Bowser Excavating.
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: Mike Leone
Submitted By: Mike Leone
