CAREER 1ST SWEENEY RUSH SPORTSMAN MOD WIN FOR CHAS WOLBERT COMES IN BICKNELL TOUR OVER RECORD 26-CAR FIELD AT SHARON; OVER $17,000 IN PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTED FOR "MFG NIGHT" PRESENTED BY MSD

By Mike Leone

June 25, 2016               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Hartford, OH)...The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sportsman Modified Series headed to Sharon Speedway on Saturday evening for the first of two appearances by the Bicknell Racing Products Touring Series.  A record 26 cars turned out for the third annual "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance as more than $17,000 in products were distributed.  Every racer received at least one product valued at a minimum $300 with several winning multiple prizes.  A complete list of product winners will be posted at a later date.

Chas Wolbert made the move up this season to "big cars" after a successful career running Mod Lites throughout the region.  Wolbert has been fast all year recording top eight finishes in all six Bicknell Weekly Series events to date at Sharon, and was fresh off a third place finish last Sunday at Tri-City Raceway Park in the Bicknell Tour opener.  On Saturday night, Wolbert charged from the 10th starting spot to run down race-long leader Brian Schaffer then got past the slowing leader on the final lap for the $600 win.  Wolbert, who now takes over the Bicknell Tour point lead, was also awarded the Maxima Racing Oil "Maximum Performance" award.

"I think Brian (Schaffer) thought that white flag was the checkered," explained the 21-year-old Warren, Ohio driver.  "He was fast all night.  Everyone is real fast.  I didn't think coming from the 10th position we'd get here.  It's an honor to be here.  This is awesome- I can't even believe this and it'll probably hit me tomorrow morning.  Vicki (Emig from RUSH) and Sharon run a great program.  I'd like thank God first off for allowing us to be here financially and giving me the physical strength to do this...it's a hot day.  I want to thank Russ King and all of my sponsors, my lovely wife, my dad for helping me to get the car together , and everyone that came out here tonight."

From the pole position, Schaffer raced into the lead, while Tiffany Williams passed fellow female racer Chelsie Kriegisch for second.  Fifth starting Justin Shea drove by Kriegisch going down the backstretch for third on lap two.  Schaffer stretched his lead out on lap four, while Shea closed in on Williams in the race for second on lap five.  A spin by Jessica Kriegisch slowed action for the first time with six laps scored.

When racing resumed, Shea continued his march forward taking second from Williams before a caution for Steve Slater.  Positions really swapped over the ensuing laps as when green flag racing resumed, Kriegisch had an excellent restart going from fourth to second, but her night came to a heartbreaking end when rear-end problems caused her to spin in front of the field in turn two.  Thankfully everyone missed her, but her night ended prematurely and was awarded the TBM Brakes "Tough Brake of the Night" distinction.

Wolbert had been moving his way forward and the three cautions were a big help before the final 11 laps went green-to-checkered.  Back under green at the halfway point, Wolbert got past Jerry Schaffer for second and brought Kyle Martell and Brandon Ritchey with him.  Brian Schaffer and Wolbert began to distance themselves from the field as the laps wore on.  Schaffer caught Craig Wimer and slipped high trying to lap him, which allowed Wolbert to close in on lap 18.  Schaffer, who won his first career feature in a Bicknell Weekly Series event on May 13 at Lernerville Speedway, was able to protect the bottom and looked like he was headed to victory, but slowed on the final lap.

Wolbert seized the opportunity as he darted by and drove away on the final lap to win by a misleading 2.369 second advantage in the C.T. Wolbert Trucking/Roberts Unlimited/Russ King Racing/Ohio Intra Express/Crooked Pine Woodworking/Ohio Intra Logistics/955 Automotive/Thompson Campers-sponsored #C3.  Wolbert became the sixth different winner in seven races this season at Sharon!

Schaffer, who regained power, was able to hold off Martell for second.  The 14th starting Martell was the Precise Racing Products "Pedal Down" Hard Charger and earned a $100 gift card.  Ritchey, the Sharon point leader, was fourth after starting eighth beating out his cousin Nick Ritchey, who started one spot behind him.  Shea dropped to sixth over Jeremy Weaver, Michael Kristyak, Josh Deems, and Jeremy Zufall.

After rebounding from a poor pill draw and a sixth place heat finish, Weaver battled from 16th to seventh and was selected as the Sherwood Wheels "Man of Steel" recipient.  Jordan Ehrenberg was the last car on the lead lap and received the $25 CrateInsider.com certificate. 

Slater, Shea, and Nick Ritchey won the heat races.  Wolbert raced from fourth to win the K&N "Cold Air Induction" Dash, which improved his feature starting spot to 10th and received a $100 K&N certificate.  Seippel was second for a $50 K&N certificate, while Kristyak and Kole Holden received an extra $25 cash. 

Two of the female racers won the night's two biggest prizes part of the "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance drawings.  Amelia Clay won two TBM Brakes F1 Tornado Calipers and two F3 Tornado Calipers along with three bottles of TBM Brake Fluid worth over $1,400, while Jessica Shea won the custom drivers suit from Velocita-USA valued at $1,000!

The Bicknell Tour returns to action this Friday night for the first of two appearances at Lernerville.  It'll be a RUSH doubleheader with the Sweeney RUSH Late Model Tour also in action.  The Modifieds will be racing for $600 to-win. 

Sweeney RUSH Sportsman Modified Bicknell Touring Series Race #2 (20 laps, $600 to-win): 1. CHAS WOLBERT (C3)  2. Brian Schaffer (41)  3. Kyle Martell (8)  4. Brandon Ritchey (17)  5. Nick Ritchey (77N)  6. Justin Shea (14s)  7. Jeremy Weaver (35W)  8. Michael Kristyak (404)  9. Josh Deems (9D)  10. Jeremy Zufall (20)  11. Kole Holden (2)  12. Tiffany Williams (58)  13. Jessica Shea (24s)  14. Calvin Clay (21)  15. Josh Seippel (84)  16. Steve Slater (35)  17. Jonathan Myers (11)  18. Preston Cope (24P)  19. Jessica Kriegisch (63)  20. Amelia Clay (12)  21. Jordan Ehrenberg (JD57)  22. Craig Wimer (Schaffer 4)  23. Jerry Schaffer (14)  24. Chelsie Kriegisch (10)  25. Mike Sparks (Smith 3G)  26. Jacob Jordan (28J)-DSQ.

Car Count: 26

Feature Lap Leaders: Brian Schaffer (1-19), Chas Wolbert (20)

Margin of Victory: 2.369 seconds

Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down Hard Charger”: Kyle Martell (+11)

Maxima Oil “Maximum Performance: Chas Wolbert

Sherwood Wheels "Man of Steel": Jeremy Weaver

TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night": Chelsie Kriegisch

CrateInsider.com "Last Car on Lead Lap": Jordan Ehrenberg

Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. Slater  2. Williams  3. J. Schaffer  4. Seippel  5. Wolbert  6. Weaver  7. Sparks  8. Myers  9. Cope.

Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. Ju. Shea  2. B. Ritchey  3. C. Clay  4. Kristyak  5. Martell  6. Je. Shea  7. A. Clay  8. Wimer  9. Jordan-DSQ.

Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. N. Ritchey  2. B. Schaffer  3. C. Kriegisch  4. Holden  5. Deems  6. J. Kriegisch  7. Ehrenberg  8. Zufall.

K&N "Cold Air Induction" Dash (4 laps, $100 K&N certificate to-win): 1. Chas Wolbert  2. Josh Seippel  3. Michael Kristyak  4. Kole Holden.

RUSH Sportsman Modified marketing partners: Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Bicknell Racing Products, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, FK Rod Ends, Sherwood Racing Wheels, Velocita-USA, Precise Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, K&N Filters, TBM Brakes, Lincoln Electric, Classic Ink USA., CrateInsider.com, and B.R.A.K.E.S.

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/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.
 

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