8/18/2021
RUSH Late Model Series
CAREER 1ST PACE RUSH LATE MODEL WIN FOR COLE PETRELLE COMES AT PPMS; JIMMY JOHNSON FINALLY GETS OFF THE SCHNEID AT HIS HOME TRACK GENESEE WITH HIS 1ST
CAREER 1ST PACE RUSH LATE MODEL WIN FOR COLE PETRELLE COMES AT PPMS; JIMMY JOHNSON FINALLY GETS OFF THE SCHNEID AT HIS HOME TRACK GENESEE WITH HIS 1ST LM WIN OF 2021; JAROD LARSON RETURNS TO VICTORY LANE IN SPRINTS AT SHARON FOR THE 1ST TIME IN 15 YEARS
By Marcie Barlow
August 18, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...Pace Performance RUSH Racing Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC action continues to heat up as we enter the “dog days of summer.” Cole Petrelle got a memorable first career RUSH Late Model win at Pittsburgh, while Jimmy Johnson got off the schneid finally winning his first of 2021 at his home track Genesee Speedway. Seven-time Sharon Speedway "410" Sprint Car Champion Jarod Larson won his first of 2021 in RUSH Sprint Car action. Females Emmie Bush and Morgan Curry were among RUSH Karting Series winners at Stateline.
Jimmy Johnson finally got the bad luck monkey off of his back at Genesee Speedway Saturday evening as the defending divisional champion scored his first RUSH Late Model win of the season. Johnson took command at the start of the main event and led the entire 25 laps to pick up the win. The lone caution in the event flew on lap 12 and gave Dave DuBois the opportunity to challenge Johnson, but Johnson pulled away when the action resumed. DuBois held on to the second spot for the second consecutive week. Steve Dixon, Jeremy Wonderling and Bill Holmes completed the top five.
The Pace Performance RUSH Pro Mods made their first appearance of the season at Genesee Speedway on Saturday night. Adam Ashcroft, who had competed at the speedway in the Sportsman Modified division, used his knowledge to lead the event from start-to-finish. Ashcroft used the top of the speedway to hold off “Double Duty” Steve Dixon for the victory. Dixon won the first ever RUSH Pro Mod race at Genesee in 2020. Tyler Sutton, Al Brewer and Brodie Hill were third through fifth.
The RUSH Pro Mods also competed at Bradford Speedway on Sunday. Steve Dixon redeemed himself for his second place run on Friday as he captured his fifth win in the last six races at the Rew, Pa. speedway. Dixon now has 10 overall wins in 2021 including six in the RUSH Pro Mod division and four more in the RUSH Late Models. Al Brewer, Tyler Oakes, Brett Ritter and Josh Wilcox completed the top five.
RUSH Late Model action took place at Woodhull Raceway on Saturday night for just the second time since June 26. In the feature, Darin Horton charged to the lead from the third position. Horton maintained the lead while Brian Knowles methodically worked his way through the field from his 10th starting position. With two laps remaining, Knowles was on Horton’s rear bumper; when the white flag waved Knowles was able to make the pass and went on to score his third victory of the season at the New York oval and his sixth overall in RUSH racing action. A disappointed Horton came home in second just missing out on his first win, and was followed to the finish by Jim Buck, Jason McGregor, and Chuck LaFleur.
Philip Bubeck and Colton Flinner led the Pace Performance RUSH Late Model main event to the green at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Flinner, a former track champion at PPMS, led the first five laps before third place starter Cole Petrelle took command. A caution on lap 12 provided Flinner with an opportunity to regain the lead, but he was unable to overtake Petrelle. The former Mod Lite racer went on to lead the final eight circuits to score his first ever victory at “Dirt’s Monster Half Mile” and first career in a Late Model. Daryl Charlier, who leads the "Track Pack" points at PPMS claimed second. Bubeck recorded his first career top five in third. Ninth place starter Dan Lepro finished in fourth and Tom Klein came home a career best fifth.
Rounding out the Saturday night RUSH Late Model tracks was Winchester Speedway, who was able to survive a rain delay to beat Mother Nature. Levi Crowl used the outside pole to race to the early lead of the feature. Several cautions were all that slowed Crowl to his fourth win of the season at the Virginia track. Crowl's victory was worth $1,000 and kept him atop the "Track Pack" standings at the track. Scott Sweeney, Jr., who won his first career RUSH race the week prior, was second. Tyler Hoy, who made his 2021 RUSH debut the week prior and finished second, was third. Mike Franklin and Jacob Burdette were fourth and fifth respectively.
The RUSH Late Models held their 10th annual “Manufacturers Night” presented by MSD Performance at the Eriez Speedway Sunday night. The 46 teams in attendance shared in more than $28,000 in valuable product contingencies. It was the highest car count at Eriez since the last time "Manufacturers Night" was held there back in 2015.
Jeremy Wonderling, the three time defending Flynn’s Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Tour Champion, led the main event as the green flag waved with Michael Duritsky, Jr., Kyle Hardy, Mike Knight and John Waters in tow. The event’s lone caution flew on lap seven when Knight slowed. When green flag action resumed Wonderling continued to lead as Duritsky and Hardy battled for the second position. Hardy used the low groove to pass Duritsky for good on lap nine. By lap 18 Hardy closed in on Wonderling’s rear bumper. The two raced side-by-side on the next circuit with Wonderling using the top groove to maintain the lead. By lap 22 lapped traffic enabled Hardy to make an excellent move and wrestle the lead away from Wonderling. Hardy maneuvered through heavy lapped traffic as the laps clicked off and held on to claim his 14th RUSH sanctioned victory of 2021. Wonderling had a driveshaft explode on the next-to-last circuit, which enabled Jason Genco to come home in second. Duritsky, Waters and Breyton Santee completed the top five.
The lone Pace Performance RUSH Sprint Car event of the weekend was held at Sharon Speedway on Saturday night. Veteran Jarod Larson scored the win over Gale Ruth, Jr. to prove he can race wingless as well as he did with a wing. The Jefferson, OH driver traded slide jobs early on with Ruth and withstood a final lap shootout to score his first victory at the Hartford, Ohio oval since the 2006 season when he won his seventh and final "410" Sprint Car championship. It was Larson's first RUSH Sprint Car win of 2021 and second of his career overall in Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series action. Ruth withstood the late race challenges of Blaze Myers and Brandon Shughart to finish second as he still searches for his first career Sharon win. Myers came home in third with John Mollick and Tyler Newhart in fourth and fifth respectively. Shughart’s good run came to an end with a final lap spin.
The RUSH Sportsman Modifieds were also in action at Sharon Speedway. Brandon Ritchey led the opening lap of the main event before Tony Tatgenhorst took command. By lap three, fourth place starter Chas Wolbert would use the bottom groove to get by Tatgenhorst for the lead. While Wolbert was pulling away from the field, Tatgenhorst, Ben Easler, Garrett Krummert and Jacob Wolfe were battling for the second position. Krummert took the second spot by lap 11 and a lap 13 caution gave him the opportunity to challenge Wolbert for the top spot; however, Krummert was unable to make a serious bid for the lead. Wolbert went on to score his fourth victory of the season at the Hartford, OH oval. Krummert claimed second with Tatgenhorst finishing third. Fourteen-year-old Easler was fourth for his fourth top five of the season with Wolfe in fifth.
Mikael Beaver won for the seventh time this season at Eriez Speedway on Sunday night in the RUSH Stock Cars. Beaver continues to lead both the Pace Performance Weekly Series and "Futures Cup" Standings.
Wyatt Long (JR-2) and Coty Schauers (Adult) picked up RUSH Karting Series victories on Friday night before the rains came to Race-1 Motor Speedway. The inaugural RUSH Karting "Manufacturers Night" took place at Stateline Speedway Karts on Saturday evening where competing racers shared in more than $2,500 of valuable products. Scoring wins were Emmie Bush (Amateur), Ryan Chase (JR-1), Wyatt Long (JR-2), and another female racer in Morgan Curry (Adult).
Pace Performance RUSH Late Model action on Friday saw Mother Nature take the clean sweep as Raceway 7, Dog Hollow Speedway, Potomac Speedway and The Hill Speedway were all rained out. Rain also won at the Delaware International Speedway once again on Saturday night. Fulton Speedway and Stateline Speedway racers enjoyed a week off as did Bradford Speedway Late Model drivers on Sunday.
Upcoming Pace Performance RUSH Late Model action this weekend includes a second stop at Ransomville Speedway on Friday night with $1,000 on the line. One thousand dollars is also on the line at Dog Hollow in an added event, while typical Pace Performance Weekly Series action is also slated for Raceway 7 and The Hill Speedway on Friday. Saturday racing action includes Winchester Speedway, Delaware International Speedway, Fulton Speedway, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Stateline Speedway, and Genesee Speedway. Sunday racing action is slated at Bradford Speedway. The RUSH Late Models have the evening off at Potomac, Woodhull, and Eriez this weekend.
The RUSH Sprint Cars will make their second and final appearance of the season at Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday night. The event will pay $800 to-win, $160 to start. In addition, the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will join the RUSH Late Models in racing action at both Raceway 7 and Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway this weekend for Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Weekly Series events. Friday's race at Raceway 7 is also part of the Wedge Motorsports "Route 7 Rumble" Series.
The RUSH Pro Mods will be part of the McKean County Fair race on Thursday night then will be part of the program on Saturday night at Stateline and Sunday night at Bradford. The RUSH Stock Cars are on the schedule at Dog Hollow and Stateline Speedways this weekend, but have the night off at Eriez with the World of Outlaws Late Models in town.
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
Submitted By: Mike Leone
