KOLE HOLDEN BECOMES 1ST REPEAT HOVIS RUSH SPORTSMAN MODIFIED WINNER IN 9 RACES AT EXPO AS PART OF TRUMBULL COUNTY FAIR
By Mike Leone
July 13, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Cortland, OH)...The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Sportsman Modified Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants competed at the huge 5/8-mile Expo Speedway in a Weekly Series special event presented by Flynn's Tire on Thursday night as part of the 176th annual Trumbull County Fair. It marked the eighth straight year and ninth time the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds have been part of the annual races at the Fair. A large crowd turned out on a beautiful evening after nearly three inches of rain hit the Fairgrounds the night prior.
Kole Holden led all 15 caution-free laps putting on a dominating performance in the Flynn's Tire-sponsored feature to become the first repeat winner in 9 events run all-time at Expo. Holden's division-leading sixth victory of the season was worth $800 as he maintains the points lead in the $3,500 to-win Weekly Series Championship. Holden has already matched his career best win total of six victories from 2017 with more than half of the season remaining.
"We struggled in practice with the setup but really nailed it for the feature," explained the 24-year-old Tiona, Pa. driver who also has wins at Raceway 7, Pittsburgh, and Lernerville this season. "I just kept a nice calm line around the track. I have to thank the crew for a perfect setup. It definitely helps running at Pittsburgh as the steering in the turns is similar even though Pittsburgh is more banked. We need to continue to make the right adjustments and for me not to make any mistakes on the track for the rest of the season to maintain this points leas."
Holden, who won last year's Expo event, used the outside to take the lead from pole-sitter Todd English and quickly distanced himself from the field by lap two. It was a four-car race for second on lap three with English trying to fend off Chelsie Kriegisch, Jordan Ehrenberg, and Ayden Cipriano. Cipriano kept working the outside and finally passed Ehrenberg for fourth on lap 12.
When the checkered flag waved, Holden took the Dana Holden-owned, Holden Resources/Blackhawk Energy/Car-Go Auto Parts-sponsored #2 to his 25th career RUSH Sportsman Modified victory by a whopping 11.328 seconds! Holden now trails Garrett Krummert, who won the BRP Tour Big-Block Modified feature, by just one victory for second on the division's all-time win list.
In his first start of the season, English won the heat race then held off Kriegisch for his best career RUSH Sportsman Modified finish in runner-up. Kriegisch's third place marked her fourth podium finish in just seven starts this year for the 2016 Expo winner! Cipriano was fourth over Ehrenberg.
The RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will compete in a Weekly Series event at Sharon Speedway this Saturday night (July 15).
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Sportsman Modified Weekly Series presented by Flynn's Tire (15 laps, $800 to-win): 1. KOLE HOLDEN (2) 2. Todd English (01) 3. Chelsie Kriegisch (10) 4. Ayden Cipriano (5c) 5. Jordan Ehrenberg (JD57) 6. Jeff Watson (1*). DNS: Ben Easler (02).
The RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply together with Born2Run Lubricants along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Rick Hendrick City Chevrolet, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Flynn's Tire, Sunbelt Rentals, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Bilstein Shocks, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Wieland Metal Services, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Sherwood Wheels, Precise Racing Products, Velocita-USA, Wedge Motorsports, 3C Graphix, D&V Jewelers, CrateInsider.com, and Terry Bowser Excavating.
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. The RUSH Racing Series website is www.rushracingseries.com. Like the Sportsman Modified Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rushsportsmanmods and follow us on Twitter @RUSHSportMods.
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