ARNIE KENT
CAPTURES INAUGURAL $1000 "WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIGHTNING" SERIES TITLE AT LERNERVILLE
SPEEDWAY FOR SWEENEY RUSH SPRINTS
By Mike Leone
September 25, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)...Not
only will Arnie Kent go down in the record books as the first ever Sweeney
Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sprint Car winner, he'll also be remembered for
capturing the inaugural title for the "Wednesday Night Lightning" Series at
Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.
Kent sealed the $1,000 title last Wednesday night (September 19) in the fifth
and final event for the separate mini series that was part of the Bonnell's
Weekly Series Championship.
After three rainouts to start the season, the RUSH Sprint Cars finally debuted
on May 16 at Lernerville with 12 cars in competition.
The 53-year-old Kent of New Castle, Pa. may have led all 20 laps on that
night, but he had to hold off a furious charge by fifth starting Gale Ruth, Jr.
and young Dalton Daniels. Kent's
margin of victory in his Equipment Rentals-sponsored #18 was by a mere 0.139 of
a second!
While that would be Kent's only win during "Wednesday Night Lightning", he'd
finish the five-night mini series with a perfect five-for-five in top fives
including four podium finishes.
Kent's runner-up after starting seventh on September 19 coupled with Ruth's 10th
place was enough to allow Kent to turn a six-point deficit into a six-point
championship margin.
"Arnie was one of the racers that was part of the original meeting on the
concept of the class and participated in the test sessions at Lernerville and
Stateline Speedways," explained RUSH Direct Vicki Emig.
"We've known Arnie for many years as he came up through the ranks and was
one of the top '410' Sprint Car racers during my tenure when I owned Mercer
Raceway Park. Over the years he was
also very competitive and enjoyed non-wing Sprint Car racing in our region.
It has been great having his support of
the RUSH Sprint Car concept from the beginning."
Ruth meanwhile was able to win the June 20 and August 15 events and had two
other top fives, which allowed the
Culver Motorsports-owned, Wilson Hardwoods/F5 Designs/Adams Family-sponsored #1C
to take the $500 runner-up point money.
Zach Morrow's 10th place finish in the opener put him in a hole; however,
he ended the Series with four straight top fives including wins in two of the
last three events! Morrow will
pocket $350 at the year-end awards banquet in addition to his Bonnell's Rod Shop
Weekly Series Championship monies.
Completing the top 10 in points that will also share in the $3,000 point fund
are Scott Hawkins, Dave Hawkins, Steve Cousins, Brandon Hawkins, Dalton Daniels,
Joe McEwen, and Brad Blackshear. The
complete points and point fund monies are posted below.
Special thanks to rookie Steve Cousins, who made the three-hour tow each
way for all five of the midweek events.
Eighteen of the 21 cars that have competed in 2018 made at least one
start in the "Wednesday Night Lightning" Series.
"We have to thank Lernerville for giving the RUSH Sprints the ability to
headline their new Wednesday night program," stated Emig.
"Lernerville has been an important part of allowing the division to get
off the ground by basically giving the class a home with 10 events.
With them doing the Wednesday programs, we were able to come up with this
additional $3,000 point fund. Ten
other tracks then gave us the balance of the 18 shows.
Also, we have to thank the racers for participating in these shows, and
we were very pleased that 21 different cars have hit the speedway for
competition thus far in the inaugural season."
After the first ever show this Saturday (September 29) at McKean County Family
Raceway in East Smethport, Pa., the RUSH Sprint Cars will close out the
inaugural season at Lernerville as part of the "Steel City Stampede" October
11-13. Open practice will be held on
Thursday the 11th with heat races on the 12th and the $800 to-win, $160 to-start
feature on the 13th. The top 20
spots in the $20,075 Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series Championship will be
decided.
2018 "Wednesday Night Lightning" FINAL Points: 1. Arnie Kent 484 ($1000)
2. Gale Ruth, Jr. 478 ($500)
3. Zach Morrow 474 ($350) 4. Scott
Hawkins 453 ($225) 5. Dave Hawkins
451 ($200) 6. Steve Cousins 436
($180) 7. Brandon Hawkins 352 ($150)
8. Dalton Daniels & Joe McEwen 282 ($135)
10. Brad Blackshear 269 ($125)
11. Shawn Smith 257 12. Phil
Thornton 169 13. Jim Kurpakus 140
14. John Mollick 96 15. Brian
Woodhall 90 16. Tyler Powell 88
17. Mike Lutz 87 18. Darin
Gallagher 84.
RUSH Sprint Car marketing partners include partners include Sweeney Chevrolet
Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bonnell's Rod Shop, Bilstein Shocks,
Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, Racing
Electronics, Dirt Defender, Frankland Racing Supply, Earl's Performance
Plumbing, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Precise Racing
Products, TBM Brakes, Lincoln Electric, Pancho's Racing Products, Velocita-USA,
Classic Ink USA, Landrum Performance Spring, RockAuto.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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