Story By: MARCIE BARLOW / RUSH RACING SERIES – PULASKI, PA – This past weekend’s Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants competition provided fans and drivers of all ages with great action as well as memorable moments.
Youngster Blaze Myers was able to “slay the dragon” AKA Chad Ruhlman to score a victory in RUSH Sprint Car action at Sharon Speedway. In addition, veteran Tommy Armel added a RUSH Late Model victory to his resume as he scored his career first win in weekly divisional action at Winchester Speedway, while Brent Trimble ended a six-year RUSH winless drought picking up the win at Tyler County.
The Hill Speedway hosted a City Chevrolet Weekly Series 25-lap $1,000 to-win special event for the Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Late Models on Friday with Rickie Loucks and Brian Knowles leading the field to the green. Loucks grabbed the lead with former divisional champion Chad Homan following in second. Loucks withstood Homan’s challenges until lap six when the former Modified star was able to make the pass and never look back. Homan went on to score the victory, which was his eighth of the season in RUSH Late Model action at five different speedways. Brian Knowles got by Loucks for second with Mike Epler in fourth.
RUSH Late Model competitors at Woodhull Raceway competed in a City Chevrolet Weekly Series 25-lap special event that paid $2,000 to win on Saturday. Rickie Loucks and Steve LeBarron would lead the field to green with LeBarron setting the pace until he tangled with several lapped cars on the 16th circuit and retired from the event. Jason Knowles inherited the top spot with Jeremy Wonderling and Bryce Davis in second and third respectively. On the restart Wonderling clipped Knowles’ rear quarter panel causing him to spin. Wonderling was sent to the rear on the restart thus giving Davis the lead. Davis would lead the remainder of the event to capture his first victory of the season at the speedway. Austin Allen, who started sixth, came home in second. Brett Marlatt, Jason Knowles and Loucks rounded out the top five.
Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Late Model action at Winchester Speedway saw veteran Tommy Armel take the early lead over Mike Franklin and Davin Kaiser. The event’s only caution flew on lap five when Randy Wilkins spun. When the racing action resumed, Armel once again showed his strength and began to pull away from the field as Franklin and Kaiser battled for the second spot. Armel went on to win by a full straightaway and score his first ever RUSH victory and his first victory at Winchester since 2012! Franklin claimed second with Kaiser settling for the third position. Steven Payne and Jeremiah Marshall rounded out the top five.
At Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, the Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Late Models competed in two 20-lap main events each paying $1,010 to-win on Saturday night as part of the inaugural Hindsight Hustle event. Twenty-four competitors took the green in the first event with Ben Policz leading Mike Reft and Nico Dabecco as lap one was scored. Policz weathered two cautions to maintain the lead over Reft as the laps wound down. Mechanical woes forced Reft to retire from the event with Kyle Lukon taking over the second spot and working on getting the lead from Policz. A lapped car held Policz up on lap 16 enabling Lukon to get the top spot. The Burgettstown, Pa. driver led the final three circuits to score his third victory of the season at PPMS. A disappointed Policz came home in the runner-up spot with Dabecco, Cole Petrelle and Brandon Burgoon following.
The hard charger of the first feature event would have the honor of starting on the pole for the second main event and that honor went to Tim Shaffer as he had started 22and and managed to pass 13 cars to finish ninth. The remainder of the starting lineup for the second main event was determined by a redraw of “Invert 8”. With Mike Reft suffering mechanical woes and choosing to start at the tail this meant that Jake Gunn would start next to Shaffer when the racing began. Shaffer quickly took the lead with Logan Zarin and Gunn battling for second. Shaffer weathered several cautions as well as pressure from Lukon to score a very popular victory- his second of the season at PPMS. Zarin, Gunn and Policz completed the top five.
Saturday evening at Genesee Speedway, Paul Grigsby led the first 18 laps of the RUSH Late Model main event before David Pangrazio took the lead on lap 19. Pangrazio led the final six circuits to pick up his second victory of the year at the speedway and third overall in City Chevrolet Weekly Series action. Dave DuBois edged Chad Homan for the second spot with Jon Rivers and Bill Holmes completing the top five
Tyler County Speedway closed out their regular season action on Saturday night with the “Bud Weigle Memorial”. The “Morgantown Missile”, Brent Trimble, made just his second Tyler County appearance of the season and put on a dominating performance to pick up his first RUSH victory since 2017! Donnie Dotson, who was crowned the 2023 track champion was second over Brandon Weigle, Kyle Thomas and Ryan Hare.
Stateline Speedway also closed out their 2023 season on Saturday night. Former UMP Modified competitor Randy Hall led the first 11 laps of the main event before Jason Genco took command and went on to score his fourth win of the season and the track championship at the Busti, New York oval. Hall held on to finish in the second spot, which was a season best. Matt Sipes third was third over Khole Wanzer and veteran Scott Gurdak.
Genco then closed out his weekend by scoring the victory at Eriez Speedway Sunday evening. It was Genco’s third victory at the speedway all coming in the last four events, his second of the weekend and his seventh overall in RUSH Late Model action. Breyton Santee came from the ninth starting spot to finish second for his eighth straight podium finish. David Pangrazio claimed third as he’s finished in the top five in all nine events this season at Eriez. Scott Gurdak and Matt Sipes claimed fourth and fifth to score their second top five finishes of the weekend.
The Wedge Motorsports “Route 7 Rumble” Series for the Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Sportsman Modifieds continued this past weekend. Friday evening at Raceway 7, Rob Kristyak led the entire distance of the 20-lap main event to score his first win at the Conneaut, OH oval since the 2022 season opener! It was Kristyak’s second straight win as he also won the last time out at Sharon Speedway. Kole Holden, Bill Cunningham, Ben Easler and Ayden Cipriano followed.
On Saturday evening at Sharon Speedway, Ben Easler scored the win in a similarfashion as he also led the 20-lap RUSH Sportsman Modified main event for the entire distance. The non-stop event was completed in just over six minutes. It was Easler’s third win of the season at Sharon as he’s the only driver with multiple victories and propelled the defending “Route 7 Rumble” Series Champion back into the points lead with only two weekends remaining. Ayden Cipriano, JC Boyer, Kole Holden and Rob Kristyak completed the top five.
The lone RUSH Sprint Car race of the weekend took place on Saturday at Sharon Speedway and it certainly did not disappoint the fans. Nineteen-year-old Blaze Myers held off veteran Chad Ruhlman to score a well-deserved win in Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Sprint Car action. The 20-lap Terry Bowser Excavating caution free event was competed in just under seven minutes and marked Myer’s first win of the season at Sharon; however, it was Myers’ third straight in Sunbelt Rentals Weekly Series action. Ryan Fraley, John Mollick and Brandon Blackshear followed Ruhlman at the finish line.
RUSH Pro Mod action at Stateline Speedway also concluded this weekend with a great field of 26 cars on hand for “Manufacturers Night” presented by MSD Performance as more than $15,000 in valuable products were give away. The 20-lap main event saw four lead changes among four different competitors. Vaughn Nystrom led the opening lap before Al Brewer took command. Former RUSH Late Model Champion, Damian Bidwell, led laps 3-16 before veteran Dennis Lunger, Jr. wrestled the lead away from him. Lunger then went on to the win, which was his 45th career Stateline RUSH Pro Mod triumph, which moved him into second place in the Hovis Weekly Series points. Bidwell held on for the second spot with Brewer in third. Newly crowned divisional Champion, Steve Dixon, finished fourth with Brendan Warner in fifth.
Cody Rickard picked up the RUSH Stock Car win at Eriez Speedway on Sunday for his fourth triumph at the Erie, Pa. oval. Kaden Michael, William Baker, Jr., Alex Bush and Lane Reinwald completed the top five.
Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Late Model action was rained out at Freedom Motorsports Park. Late Model competitors at Raceway 7, Freedom, Potomac, Delaware International and Bradford Speedways were off.
The Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn’s Tire Tour heads to Eriez Speedway on Sunday for race #17 of the 2023 season. It is also the Series’ annual “Manufacturers Night” presented by MSD Performance. RUSH competitors in attendance will receive more than $27,000 in valuable products.
City Chevrolet Weekly Series RUSH Late Model action is scheduled at McKean County Raceway, Raceway 7, Potomac Speedway, The Hill Speedway, Skyline Raceway Motorsports Park, Genesee Speedway, Marion Center Speedway, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, and Woodhull Raceway. Tyler County, Winchester, and Bradford speedways are off and the 2023 season at Stateline Speedway is complete.
Coming up this weekend the Hovis RUSH Sportsman Modified competitors will be in action on Friday at Raceway 7 and Saturday at Sharon Speedway as the “Route 7 Rumble” Series winds down. Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Sprint Car action will take place at Lernerville Speedway on Saturday and Sunday at Tri-City Raceway Park. The Series’ annual Manufacturers Night presented by MSD Performance will also take place Saturday, while $1,000 will be on the line at Tri-City.
The RUSH Pro Mods will also be at McKean County Raceway on Friday night. The RUSH Stock Cars will be back at Eriez for their “Manufacturers Night” presented by MSD Performance as drivers share in more than $4,000 of valuable product giveaways.
The days are getting shorter and the weekly racing action is entering its final weeks so get out and enjoy the exciting RUSH racing action at a speedway near you.