Kyle Lukon Wins The Jook George Steel City Classic At PA Motor Speedway

IMPERIAL, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Kyle Lukon is the 2019 RUSH Late Models “Jook George Steel City Classic” champion after winning Saturday night’s feature at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.

Lukon got around leader Logan Roberson on lap 46 of the 50-lap main event and held on for the final four laps to take home the $11,010 grand prize, the richest RUSH Late Model race in history.

“On the last restart I was a little surprised to see Logan take the bottom,” said Lukon.  “I had a big run on the frontstretch, and I figured if I didn’t get him going into one, I wasn’t going to get him.”

Roberson, who started 18^th, finished second and did not want to see that final caution period.

“Second is like kissing your sister,” said Roberson, of Waynesboro, VA.  “That caution killed me.  I think we had a really good race car.  Good job by Kyle.  I just wish that caution wouldn’t have come out.  I was a sitting duck.”

John Mollick started on the pole with Lukon on the outside with his teammate Alex Feree on the inside of row 2 with Ross Robinson on the outside of row 2.

Lukon and Feree split Mollick going into turn 1 on the first lap with Lukon taking the lead, Feree moving into second and Mollick falling to third.

Mollick got back around Feree on lap 2 and set his sights on Lukon.  Two laps later Mollick got back Lukon to take the lead.  Mollick held the lead for 34-laps when disaster struck.

Mollick got into the turn 2 wall and Roberson, who had moved into second place, took over the top spot with followed by Lukon who had slipped to third.

The caution flag flew for Mollick on lap 44, who suffered damage from getting into the wall, and set up a six-lap showdown between Roberson, Lukon, Ross Robinson who was third and Eddie Carrier Jr. who was fourth.

Robinson ended up finishing third followed by Carrier and Garrett Paugh, who rounded out the top 5.

Ryan Moyer held off Jeff Broniszewski to grab the checkered flag in the PPMS Pro Stocks feature.  The last two laps were epic after Danny Rich brought out the caution on lap 10 when he spun in the middle of turns 3 and 4.  The restart saw Broniszewski try to make a move on the high side but Moyer dove low and rocketed off turn 4 and down the frontstretch to maintain his lead.  Broniszewski passed Moyer on the backstretch on the next to last lap but Moyer again dove inside and was in front as the white flag waved.  Broniszewski used the high side in turn 1 and 2 and again passed Moyer on the backstretch.  The pair went into turn 3 side-by-side, but the Moyer got the bite down low and beat Broniszewski to the checkered flag.

In the Keystone Coach Works Hobbystock feature, Tyler Fox cruised to victory followed by Stephen Shelpman and Adam Ferree.

“We’ve had a rough season so far,” said Fox.  “We’ve had engine trouble and transmission trouble, so this feels good tonight.”

The race was slowed by a lap 4 caution when Marcus Simmons spun in turn 2 and Kayla McManus didn’t have anywhere to go and made contact with Simmons’ driver’s door.  Neither driver was injured.

Andy Garlinger won the Four Cylinders feature with John Gill in second place and Craig Rudolph in third. Jason Romine came home fourth and Tanya Charlier finished fifth after cutting a tire.

Susie Rudolph picked up the win in the Young Guns division taking the lead on lap 1 and never looking back.  Kyle Janas finished second followed by Toy Magill and Cameron Hollister.

Next week at PPMS is the Ed Laboon Memorial and the Wee Willy White Memorial Race featuring the Penn Ohio Pro Stock Series.