CHAD RUHLMAN TAKES NIGHT 2 OF THE “EMPIRE STATE CLASSIC” FOR THE SWEENEY RUSH
SPRINT CARS; RUHLMAN NOW 3-FOR-3 IN “BONNELL’S ROD SHOP “TOPLESS NATIONALS”
EVENTS AT GENESEE
By Mike Leone
September 14, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
(Batavia, NY)...The
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sprint Car Series powered by Pace Performance
headed to Genesee Speedway on Saturday for their first appearance of the season.
It was night one of the third annual “Topless Nationals”, which the RUSH
Sprints have now been part of each of the last two years.
Night two of the three-night “Empire State Classic” attracted 17 cars,
which was a record for the state of New York for the second-year division.
Chad Ruhlman got by rookie Matt Sherlock III on the opening lap then withstood a
side-by-side early race battle from fourth starting Brandon Blackshear before
pulling away for the 20-lap feature win.
The $800 victory was Ruhlman’s ninth of the season in Bonnell’s Rod Shop
Weekly Series competition. Ruhlman
is now three-for-three in the “Topless Nationals” events at Genesee and will
look for the sweep for the second straight year on Sunday night.
“It turned out real racey tonight- hats off to the track crew,” acknowledged the
42-year-old Bemus Point, NY native who now calls Erie, Pa. home.
“This is a fun place. It was
a great night and this really helped out our championship efforts.
We turn in our best 12 finishes and this is win number nine so I’d like
to add a few more before the year is over.
Hopefully we can do it again tomorrow.
I couldn’t do this without Shawn and Jenny (Nielson), my girlfriend Jenn,
Kevin’s mom Katrina for putting up with all the travel we do, and my daughter
Katelyn out here pushing us around.”
Brad Blackshear spun on the bottom of turn one on the opening lap to bring out
the only caution of the not only the feature, but the only caution in two nights
of the “Empire State Classic” including warm-ups, four heat races, and two
20-lap features! Once racing got
going, Brad’s brother Brandon made a nice move to go from fourth to second on
the first lap. Blackshear had a good
run on the bottom as he pulled even with Ruhlman, who was running the top.
The two ran side-by-side for two laps before Ruhlman broke free on lap
four.
Sixth starting Jeremy Weaver gained two spots on the first circuit then joined
the battle for second as he got by Kevin Ruhlman for third on lap four.
Weaver hounded Blackshear lap after lap before finally getting under and
by the older Blackshear brother down the backstretch and entering turn three on
lap 11. Two laps later, Kevin
Ruhlman made the pass of Blackshear for third.
Once Weaver got clear of Blackshear, he was able to cut into Chad Ruhlman’s
lead, but without any cautions he’d run out of laps as
Ruhlman’s
Callahan Water Hydraulics/Wicked Wrenches/Kelly Frederes Auto Repair/Close
Racing Supply/North Star Unlimited/5th St. Sunoco/Jen’s Pink Zebra/Ruhlman Race
Cars/Premier Communications-sponsored #87R took his 24th
career RUSH Sprint victory by 2.226 seconds.
Weaver takes over the “Empire State Classic” points lead presented by CNC
Specialties, Intense Fab & Design, and Pace Performance.
Weaver has now finished second four time
this season as he continues to be close at his first career Sprint win.
Chad’s son Kevin Ruhlman, who won the opening heat race, was third for
the third time this season matching his career best Sprint finish.
Blackshear held off a charging Steve Pedley and Zach Morrow for fourth.
Pedley, who started eighth, recorded his first top five of the season as
he entered the night with four seventh place finishes.
Heat two winner, Shawn Smith, finished seventh.
Pole-sitter Sherlock dropped to eighth at the finish.
Friday night’s Ransomville winner, Brian Woodhall, advanced from 12th
to ninth as Andy Feil completed the top 10.
The “Empire State Classic” will wrap up on Sunday with night three right back at
Genesee. Racing is set for 4 p.m.
Next weekend will be a doubleheader of Bonnell’s Rod Shop Weekly Series
action with Friday night (September 20) at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio
followed by Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pa.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sprint Cars Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series
Race #16 (20 laps, $800
to-win): 1. CHAD RUHLMAN (87R) 2.
Jeremy Weaver (Hull 41) 3. Kevin
Ruhlman (23) 4. Brandon Blackshear
(10) 5. Steve Pedley (21)
6. Zach Morrow (27) 7. Shawn
Smith (36) 8. Matt Sherlock III (55)
9. Brian Woodhall (8B) 10.
Andy Feil (Mahoney/Eckart 9J) 11.
Arnie Kent (18) 12.
Brad Church (40) 13. Dave
Hawkins (27) 14. Tyler Powell (35)
15. Nolan Groves (25) 16.
Brian Hartzell (69) 17. Brad
Blackshear (19).
RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC & Pace
Performance 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, FK Rod Ends, Wehrs Machine &
Racing Products, 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, Trailer-Alarms.com, Bonnell's Rod Shop, Zarin Truck & Automotive,
Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln
Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, CrateInsider.com, and Valley Fashions.
E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at [email protected] and
snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. Office phone is 724-964-9300
and fax is 724-964-0604. The RUSH Racing Series website is
www.rushracingseries.com. Like our Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/rushsprintcars and follow us on Twitter @RUSHSprints
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