Story By: MARCIE BARLOW / RUSH RACING SERIES – PULASKI, PA – It was an action-packed weekend for the various Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants divisions as Mother Nature provided beautiful weather and for the first time this season as all RUSH events that were scheduled were completed.
Brent Trimble, David Parker, A.J. Spagnuolo, Davin Kaiser, Austin Allen and Jon Rivers all tallied their first wins of the season in Hovis RUSH Late Model City Chevrolet Weekly Series action. Larry Mitchell, Jr. won his first career RUSH Pro Mod feature at Bradford. Youngster Kaden Michael scored the win in the special RUSH Stock Car event at Eriez Speedway and Arnie Kent claimed the $800 payday in Hovis RUSH Sprint Car action at Sharon Speedway.
The weekend got started early with a pair of events on Thursday. At Muskingum County Speedway, the RUSH Late Models were part of the annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek show and it was West Virginia driver Brent Trimble victorious in his first MCS start of the season taking the $1,500 City Chevrolet Weekly Series special. 3C Graphix Futures Cup teen Lincoln Smith was second over opening night winner Logan Reed. Larry Holbrook was fourth over central Pa. invader Tyler Horst.
Meanwhile, McKean County Raceway held their first Thursday night show of the year and it was four-time Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series Champion, Jeremy Wonderling, victorious Dusty Waters and Wonderling led the RUSH Late Model field to the green. Waters led down the backstretch but pushed high and out of the racing groove, which allowed Wonderling to take the lead as they completed lap one. The event went non-stop with Wonderling claiming a 7.157 second victory over a season best finish by Waters. Paul Grigsby, Bill Holmes III, and Chuck LaFleur rounded out the top five.
Mike Laughard claimed his third RUSH Late Model victory of the season at Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday night. Colin Casale, Joe Zulisky, Marino Angelicchio and Braeden Dellinger followed.
Like Wonderling, Breyton Santee also led the entire distance of the RUSH Late Model A-main at Raceway 7 to score his second win of the season at the Conneaut Ohio oval. Billy Henry, Jr. came home in second with Jim Rasey scoring another podium finish in third. Brothers Cory and Chad Sines finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
A.J Spagnuolo tallied his first RUSH Late Model win of the season at Tyler County Speedway Saturday evening. Michael Moreland was a season best second. Logan Reed was third. Veteran Donnie Dotson was fourth in his season debut as 3C Graphix Futures Cup racer Allen Clark followed.
Dusted Steak Seasoning-sponsored driver, Davin Kaiser, also scored his first victory of 2024 in RUSH Late Model action at Winchester Speedway. Jeremiah Marshall claimed second with Tyler Hoy, Greg Carrico, and Levi Crowl completing the top five.
Chuck LaFleur led the first six circuits of RUSH Late Model action at Woodhull Raceway before Austin Allen took the top spot. Allen held off a hard charging Brett Marlatt to score his first win of 2024. Rich McNeal, Garrett Heffner and Joe Layfield finished, third through fifth.
Sixth place starter Jon Rivers patiently worked his way to the front Saturday at Genesee Speedway to overtake Doug Ricotta on lap 16 and go on to score his first win in more than a year in RUSH Late Model City Chevrolet Weekly Series action. Ricotta held on to second with Ed Carley finishing third. David Pangrazio and Dave DuBois finished fourth and fifth.
Daryl Charlier and Cole Petrelle led the RUSH Late Model feature to the green at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Charlier led the first six circuits until a caution slowed the field. On the restart, Brandon Burgoon took over the top spot and went on to tally victory number three of the year. Mike Reft had his best finish of the season, coming home in second with last week’s winner, Ben Policz, in third. Tim Shaffer and Kassidy Kamicker rounded out the top five.
David Parker came up short last week at Stateline Speedway, but this week he was determined to get the victory and he did just that. Parker held off Dave Hess, Jr. to score his first RUSH Late Model victory of the season last Saturday. Jake Wilbur, Jason Genco and Scott Gurdak rounded out the top five.
Parker continued his winning ways Sunday at Eriez Speedway. He started in second, motored to the front and went on to score his second win in as many days. Breyton Santee, Chub Frank, Andy Michael, and Khole Wanzer completed the top five.
It was a busy week for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Sprint Cars with three events in five days. They made their first appearance of the 2024 season at Sharon Speedway on Wednesday, June 12 in a special $800 to win Sunbelt Rentals Weekly Series event. John Mollick led the first four circuits of the Billy’s Garage 20-lap feature before fellow veteran racer Arnie Kent used the top side of the speedway to take command on lap five. Kent went on to lead the remainder of the event to score his first career Sharon RUSH Sprint car victory. It was also his first at the speedway in nearly 22 years! Mollick, Brandon Blackshear, Brent Rhebergen and Gale Ruth, Jr. followed.
The RUSH Sprints returned to Sharon Speedway three days later and this time it was 20-year-old Blaze Myers who captured the victory. Myers took the lead on lap five and drove a perfect race to score his third win at the track in the Billy’s Garage feature. John Molick, who leads the $5,000 Sunbelt Rentals Weekly Series points, was the bridesmaid once again. Garrett Krummert was third in his first ever RUSH Sprint race driving a car owned by Arnie Kent. Fourteen-year-old Luke Mulichak was impressive in his RUSH Sprint Car debut as he came home fourth after running at the tail early on. Kent was fifth.
The final stop for the RUSH Sprint Cars was Tri-City Raceway Park on Sunday. As they say, “the third time is the charm” and that proved to be true for John Mollick as he finally tallied a win after two runner-up finishes in the two previous events. Mollick used his front row starting position to take the lead at the start of the event and held off Brent Rhebergen for his ninth career RUSH Sprint win. Arnie Kent, Trent Marshall, and Joe Buccola rounded out the top five. Devon Deeter won the special “Cal Hull Tribute” Dash presented by the Washington House worth $94. Hull, a Tri-City Hall of Famer, was celebrating his 94th birthday at the track.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Sportsman Modified competitors competed in two events this weekend. JC Boyer led the opening lap of feature event action at Raceway 7 before veteran Chas Wolbert took over. Wolbert cruised to his third win of the season in Wedge Motorsports “Route 7 Rumble” action. Boyer came home in second with Jacob Jordan a season best third. Karston King and Jake Rutana completed the top five.
The Modified competitors travelled to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday with Boyer redeeming himself to score the win, which was his first ever at “Dirt’s Monster Half-Mile” oval and third of his career in RUSH Modified action. Kole Holden claimed the runner-up spot. Third generation racer Karston King got a career best third place finish with Logen Lockhart and Brayden Beatty completing the top five.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Mod competitors began their weekend by visiting Freedom Motorsports Park. Eighteen-year-old Zain Harvey led the caution free event from the start to score a convincing win over Joe Chamberlain. Steve Watson, Tyler Oakes, and Josh Canfield.
Harvey visited victory lane again on Saturday evening at Stateline Speedway. Once again, he led every lap of the 20-lap main event to pick up his fourth win of the season. Al Brewer finished in the second position with Josh Wilcox, Vaughn Nystrom and Nick Arnold following.
RUSH Pro Mod action at Bradford Speedway featured two main events. In the makeup from June 9, Larry Mitchell, Jr. scored his first career Series win over Al Brewer, Josh Wilcox, John Woodward, Jr. and Josh Canfield. Woodward was the victor in the regularly scheduled event for his first win of 2024. Brewer once again finished in the runner-up position with Mitchell, Jr., Canfield, and Wilcox rounding out the top five.
2023 3C Graphix Futures Cup Champion, Kaden Michael, once again proved that he is the driver to beat in RUSH Stock Car action as he scored a convincing win when the division visited Freedom Motorsports Park on Friday. Cole Strickland, Alex Bush, Cody Rickard and Raiddan Wilson finished second through fifth.
Michael went on to tally victory number five overall on the season Sunday evening at Eriez Speedway. The 15-lap main event paid $500 to win and Michael took command at the drop of the green flag and went on to pick up the victory. Jim Roberson, Alex Bush, William Baker, Jr., and Gavin Eddy completed the top five.
The RUSH Dirt Late Model Series Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series returns to action this weekend with the “Bill Emig Memorial” at Lernerville Speedway. The event, which pays $20,000 to win, is also presented by Sunoco Race Fuels with additional support from Joseph J. Olivia Attorney at Law and is part of the Big River Steel “Firecracker 100” event for the sixth consecutive year.
RUSH Late Model Weekly Series action is scheduled at Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday. Saturday evening action is scheduled for Stateline Speedway, Winchester Speedway and Woodhull Raceway. Sunday evening the RUSH Late Model action will include Eriez Speedway and Glen Ridge Motorsports Park.
The Hovis RUSH Sprint Cars will compete in two Sunbelt Rentals Weekly Series events this weekend. Saturday they will be in action at Sharon Speedway and on Sunday they will make their first ever appearance at Blanket Hill Speedway as big car racing returns to the Kittanning, Pa. track after a 50-year absence.
Hovis RUSH Pro Mod competitors will compete in a special $1,500 to win event Saturday at Stateline Speedway and then head to Bradford speedway for some Sunday evening action.
The Hovis RUSH Sportsman Modified will join the RUSH Sprint Car teams at Sharon Speedway on Saturday and on Sunday they will be in action at Tri City Raceway Park for the first time in two years for a $600 to-win event.
RUSH Stock Car action is slated for Hummingbird Speedway on Saturday and Eriez Speedway on Sunday.
Hovis Auto and Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants action is at “full throttle” so be sure to catch some at a speedway near you this weekend!