Local Racing
Rudolph Caps perfect Weekend with 358 Mod Tour Win at Tri-City Raceway Park; Flick, Bish and Lawrence also Victors
FRANKLIN, PA (July 25, 2020 – Pittsburgh Racing Now): Erick Rudolph completed a Western Pennsylvania hat trick Sunday at Tri-City Raceway Park. His victory came in the first race of the year for the Outlaw Small Block Modified Tour. Also taking wins were A.J. Flick in the 410 Sprint Cars, Curtis J. Bish in the Pro Stocks, and Mark Lawrence in the Mini Stocks.
Gary Kriess, Jr. and Dan Kuriger paced the field for the start of the 25 lap Sprint Car feature event. Jeremy Kornbau and Leyton Wagner were in row two, George Hobaugh and Brandon Spithaler in row three, and Flick and Carl Bowser in row four.
Kriess jumped out to the early lead, followed by Kuriger, Kornbau, Wagner, and Flick. Flick worked his way into second by lap seven. He took aim on Kriess and the two popular drivers traded the lead several times over the next several laps. Flick set a pick in turn four and pinned Kriess behind a slower car. That enabled Flick to pull away from the veteran. Kriess got another shot at the lead on a lap 17 restart, but Flick was up to the task.
Several drivers made advances in the final laps. Sye Lynch raced into second. Bowser took third on lap 20 and Brandon Spithaer moved to fifth on the same lap.
At the checkers, it was Flick, Lynch, Bowser, Kriess, and Spithaler. Kornbau was sixth, followed by Jack Sodeman, Jr. Sodeman was the hard charger, passing ten cars during the race. Kuriger, Darin Gallagher, and Michael Bauer completed the top ten.
Spithaler, Wagner, and Kornbau were the heat winners. There was no B Main.
Kyle Fink and Jeremiah Shingledecker brought the 358 Modifieds to the green flag. Kevin Hoffman and Tom Holden were in the second row, with Dave Schrader, Jr. and Lonnie Riggs in the third stanza. Rudolph and Max Smoker held row four.
Fink and Shingledecker battled for the early lead, while Rudolph steadily moved forward. Rudolph took command in turn one with seven laps complete. Hoffman climbed into second following the second caution in the 20 lapper, but he could not mount a challenge on the fleet New Yorker.
At the finish, it was Rudolph, Hoffman, Shingledecker, Fink, and Riggs. Jimmy Holden, Rick Regalski, Jeff Schaffer, Jr., Andy Jankowiak, and Tom Holden completed the top ten.
Riggs and Rudolph took heat wins. There was no B Main.
In the Pro Stocks, Curtis J. Bish fought off challenges from his borther, Curt Bish for most of the race. However, it was Jackson Humanic who charged into second and chased him home. Curt Bish held on for third. Rod Laskey was fourth, but he was close enough to the front that he could have capitalized on the slightest mistake of any of the leaders. Blaze Myers was fifth. Then came Randy Wyant, Tyler Wyant, Pat Fielding, Brett McDonald, and Wesley McCray. Laskey and Curtis J. Bish took the preliminaries. There was no B Main.
In the Mini Stock nightcap, Mark Lawrence held off Chad Greeley. Dalton Speer and Jim Buchanan were third and fourth. It was an eventful night for Dillon Speer, who won the three previous races. He lost his primary car in heat racing, went home for his spare, and started at the tail of the field. While moving forward in the feature, his car caught fire, but it was safe to resume racing, and he brought it home in fifth. Heat winners were Lawrence and Patrick Hanlon.
Tri-City Raceway Park will be back in action next Sunday with the Penn-Ohio Pro Stocks presenting “Ray’s Race,” held in memory of R.K. Virgile. Mr. Virgile was a long-time supporter of the class and the speedway. Also in action will be the 410 Sprints, 358 Modifieds and the Mini Stocks.
PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – A full weekend of racing both locally and nationally and Pittsburgh Racing Now has a sneak peek of the action on the track.
Fab 4 Racing Friday Night At Lernerville:
- All Fab 4 Racing Divisions are racing tonight at Lernerville. Carl Bowser leads the Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprints standings with an 18-point over AJ Flick. Colton Flinner leads the Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Model standings by 11-points over Tyler Dietz. In the Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified division Garrett Krummert leads John Mollick and Brian Swartzlander by 12-points. Tyler Dietz holds a 9-point lead over Corey McPherson in the Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stocks division. Gates open at 5 p.m. and tonight is “Big Rig Night” sponsored by Trans Edge Trucking.
Williams Grove Postpones Billy Kimmel Memorial:
- Williams Grove Speedway has cancelled tonight’s racing program due to rain and the forecast for more rain throughout the evening. Williams Grove will be back in action next week with the Lawrence Chevrolet 410 Sprint Cars, USAC East Coast, 358 Sprints. The Billy Kimmel Memorial has been added to next week’s program.
The Billy Kimmel Memorial has been added to the August 14th racing program.#KimmelMemorial pic.twitter.com/FO3tB4t1LH
— Williams Grove (@WilliamsGrove) August 7, 2020
Jook George Steel City Classic Saturday At PPMS:
- The annual “Jook George Steel City Classic” for the RUSH Late Model Touring Division takes place on Saturday at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (PPMS). The track and sanctioning body are expecting between 40-and-50-entries for the event, which will pay a minimum of $6,010 to the winner with an additional $1,000-bonus to a driver/team who contributes to the purse. Check out our preview here.
Motor Mountain Masters Saturday at Jennerstown:
- The biggest event of the year for Jennerstown Raceway’s Martella’s Pharmacies Late Model division takes place with the third annual Motor Mountain Masters Saturday. The crown jewel event will bring drivers from the New England states, the South and from the Midwest to battle the area’s regional stars in a 150-lap race. The Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified division will also compete. “The Masters” has quickly become one of the most talked about races in the United States. Last year, Todd Stone of Middlebury, Vermont, wore the red sport coat in Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane.
Hank Gentzler Memorial Saturday At Lincoln Speedway:
- Lincoln Speedway hosts the Hank Gentzler Memorial Manufacturer’s Appreciation Night. Gentzler was a speed shop owner who started the Manufacturers’ Night and always got parts and gift certificates to pass out to the racers. Gentzler’s widow continued things until she sold the business to Pancho Lawlor, who puts the show on in Gentzler’s memory. Saturday night’s program will include the 410 and 358-Sprints and the Vintage Outlaw Series. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m.
“Tribute to Curt Hershey” Along With Salute to the Military Night At Port Royal:
- Port Royal Speedway on Saturday will host a Salute to the Military Night along with a “Tribute to Curt Hershey”. Hershey was an engine builder in Central PA that passed away in June. Saturday night’s schedule includes a Pre-race concert along with 410 Sprints, Late Models and the PASS/IMCA 305 Sprints. Admission is $20, $10 for students, pits $30 and the racing starts at 7:00 p.m.
Michaels Memorial Saturday At Mercer:
- Saturday at Mercer it’s the Michaels Memorial Show featuring the BRP Big Block Modifieds $ 5,000-to-win; 410-Sprint Cars $2,000-to-win, the 305 sprints, FASTRAK modified and the mighty Mercer mini stocks.
Grandstand Admission is $20 for adults and $17 for seniors. Pit Passes are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m., Grandstands at 5 p.m. with the racing starting at 7 p.m.
Sunday Thunder At Tri-City Raceway Park:
- Sunday at Tri-City Raceway Park it’s the Shawgo Real Estate Sprint Cars, Modifieds (358 cubic inch engines), 4-Your-Car-Connection Mini Stocks, Modified Lites, and Non-Wing Crate-Engine Sprint Cars. Adult General Admission is $15. The gates open at 4pm with racing at 6pm
USAC Sprints At Selinsgrove Speedway:
- Selinsgrove Speedway on Sunday plays host to the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series in the Bill Holland Classic. Holland was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1949 and finished second in 1947, 1948 and 1950. He also won the first-ever event at Selinsgrove. Racing starts at 7:00 p.m.
IMPERIAL, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – The “Jook George Steel City Classic” presented by Zarin Truck and Auto for the RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series roars into Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway this Saturday night.
The $6,010-to-win and $400-to-start event also features a $1,000-bonus to the winning driver and team who has contributed to the event. Miley Motor Sports and race coordinator Branden Lockwich came up with the idea for the bonus last year, which has helped the event continue to grow.
The “Jook George Steel City Classic” became a RUSH Tour race for the first time in 2017 and drew 43 cars with Mike Pegher Jr capturing the $4,010 win. In 2018, a record 51 cars were on hand with Jacob Hawkins scoring the $5,010 win. Last year’s event was the richest in RUSH history as Kyle Lukon (pictured above) scored the $10,010 win and the extra $1,000 contributor bonus!
“Miley Motor Sports is ecstatic about the 31st edition of the RUSH Dirt Late Model Series ‘Jook George Classic’ to honor our great friend of racing, Jook George,” expressed PPMS promoter Matt Miley. “We can’t thank Brandon, the RUSH Team, and all who have contributed enough. It’s a win, win, win, win for racers, fans, sponsors, and the Speedway.”
“It’s really amazing how this event has grown and how so many people have gotten behind it to make this all possible,” expressed RUSH Director Vicki Emig. “Branden has led the efforts of transforming this from a special weekly event to what was a record breaking major Touring Series show last year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic that set back Branden’s efforts, it’s unbelievable how this event is still going to turn out. We can’t thank the George Family, Miley Motor Sports, Branden and so many others for their amazing contributions, while allowing us to present this as RUSH Late Model Touring Series event.”
Lockwich is still soliciting contributions from any driver that still would like to expand the purse and be eligible for the bonus as well as contributions from individuals or business. You can contact Branden at 412-639-3723 or see him at the track on Saturday.
William Thomas “Jook” George had a brief driving career himself, but as he turned to car owner he chose, and had for most of his racing career, the #10 and that was in honor of his racing hero Lou Blaney. Blaney drove his car on a couple occasions. George’s most dominant stretch as a car owner came in the late ’70s when Earl Teeters was his driver. In 1990 George captured the track championship at PPMS in with John Beatty behind the wheel. In 1993 George won the Fall Classic in with Bill Yakin. George was also nominated as the Sportsman of the Year at PPMS and nominated into the Pittsburgh Circle Track Hall of Fame.
PPMS will also be featuring the Keystone Coach Works Hobby Stocks, the PPMS Pro Stocks, the Four Cylinders, and the Young Guns. Gates Open at 5 p.m., hot laps begin at 6 p.m., immediately followed by the RUSH Late Model Dirt Series qualifying. For more information visit ppms.com.
PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – The weekend winners from around the world of motorsports including Local tracks plus the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions, and IMSA.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All-Star Circuit of Champions Weekend:
- Cory Eliason picked up his first Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions victory Sunday night at the reopening of Huset Speedway. Dominic Scelzi finished second and Kerry Madsen rounded out the podium.
- Kyle Larson won his seventh straight Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 feature on Saturday night at Knoxville Raceway, setting a record with the series. Rico Abreu finished second and Gio Scelzi rounded out the podium.
- Larson also picked up the win in Friday night’s feature at 34 Raceway. Eliason finished second and Tucker Klaasmeyer finished third.
Acura, Corvette, Lexus Claim IMSA Wins At Road America:
- Helio Castroneves found traction with his Acura ARX-05 where others could not, as he and his Acura Team Penske co-driver Ricky Taylor prevailed in monsoon-like conditions in the final hour to win in the Daytona Prototype International Class in Sunday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Road America.
- DragonSpeed USA’s Ben Hanley and Henrik Heeman took home the victory in LMP2. Hanley switched from slick tires to rain tires as the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA, which was leading went off course due to the wet conditions. They rallied to finish fourth behind the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports ORECA and the No. 18 Era Motorsports ORECA.
- Corvette Racing scored a 1-2 finish at Road America in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. The No. 3 Vette with Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia finished first with the No. 4 of Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner coming home in second place.
- Frankie Montecalvo and Townsend Bell parked the AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus in victory lane in the GT Daytona (GTD) class. The victory was the third straight for the team. Mario Farnbacher and Matt McMurry finished second in their Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo.
Mother Nature Wins At Tri-City, PPMS, Jennerstown and Port Royal:
- Rains throughout Western Pennsylvania forced several area race tracks to cancel their programs. Tri-City cancelled their Sunday program while Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (PPMS) and Port Royal had to throw the red flag on their programs Saturday night.
Norris, Flick, King Jr & Schneider Win At Lernerville:
Weekend Racing Preview: Fab 4 at Lernerville; RUSH Late Models at PPMS and more
Racing Notebook: Erik Jones Out At JGR; NASCAR Sets Playoff Schedule and more
The “Jook George Steel City Classic” Roaring Into Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway
Racing Notebook: Crew Chief Change On Ganassi’s No. 42; Leavine Sells NASCAR Team;
INDYCAR Community Reacts To No Fans At Indy 500
Felix Rosenqvist Wins First INDYCAR Race At Road America As Chip Ganassi Racing Sweeps The Weekend
Chip Ganassi Racing Completes Extreme E Lineup By Signing Kyle LeDuc
The Pittsburgh Racing Now Podcast – Episode 14 – Matt Kenseth, Jack Harvey and Garrett Krummert
Donny Schatz Wins 4th Don Martin Memorial At Lernerville in Thrilling Fashion
