WAYNE ROBERTSON MAKES HIS 1ST EVER SWEENEY TOUR START & BECOMES 8TH STRAIGHT DIFFERENT WINNER IN 1ST EVER WOODHULL RUSH LATE MODEL RACE
September 27, 2014
(By Mike Leone)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Woodhull, NY)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series headed north to the high-banks of Woodhull Raceway on a summer-like Saturday for the first ever appearance as part of the track’s two-day “Bullring Challenge”. It marked just the second ever Sweeney Tour event in the state of New York as drivers from four states plus Canada battled.
Making his first ever Sweeney RUSH Touring Series start and just sixth race of the year, Wayne Robertson returned home to his old stomping grounds and put on a dominating performance in the 25-lap, $1,500 to-win feature to become the Series’ eighth straight different winner! Robertson also is the Series’ 10th different winner in 14 races in 2014 after Chad McClellan and Rick Singleton won the first six races!
“First off thanks to all of the fans for coming out and supporting dirt track racing,” acknowledged the 32-year-old Avoca, New York resident. “This is just race number six and we haven’t finished out of the top five yet. We’ve been real close, but this keeps my streak of winning a race every year going. Things changes- new house, new career, and a little one on the way, but life doesn’t get much better than this! It’s a lot of hard work and I’d like to thank everyone that’s involved here- you can see them all here on the frontstretch; friends, family, and everyone that comes out and gives me a hand because this is a second job. It’s been one of those years I can’t get everyone’s name out that helps me, but I’m glad we put it together tonight. I’d also like to thank the RUSH Series and Woodhull for supporting them.”
Dusty Waters used the momentum off the outside of the high-banked 1/3-mile to power past pole-sitter Brad Mesler to lead lap one. Robertson started fourth, but was able to pass both Bryce Davis and Mesler on the opening lap for second before a spin by Jason Knowles on lap two. It was a big move for Robertson, which put him alongside Waters for the restart, and would earn him the Driven Oil “Slick Move of the Night”.
When green replaced yellow, Robertson also used the outside to take the lead, while Davis and Jason Rider moved into third and fourth past Mesler. On lap three, eighth starting Jeremy Wonderling passed Rider for fourth. On lap seven, Davis was trying to make the pass of Waters and the two got together off turn four. Davis kept going to grab second, while Waters stopped to bring out the caution.
Back under green, Davis really put the pressure on Robertson and was all over the leader on lap nine as he was looking for his second win of the season; meanwhile, Wonderling closed in on lap 11 making it a three-car race for the lead. Brian Knowles started in ninth and was able to crack the top five on lap 13 when he got by Rider.
McClellan’s tough luck continued when he spun off turn four bringing out the event’s final caution with 14 laps scored. McClellan used the outside to move from the 13th starting spot into the top five and spun while running seventh amidst a six-car battle for the fourth spot.
The caution apparently wasn’t what Davis or Wonderling needed as Robertson pulled away every lap and wasn’t challenged over the last 11 non-stop laps. Robertson disposed of two lapped cars in the closing laps before taking the checkered flag in his Conklin Solutions/Wilkins RV/Joe Wilcox Performance Automatics/Dick Wallace Trucking-sponsored, TNT Race Cars #20. Robertson became the Series’ 16th different winner in the two-year history of the Sweeney RUSH Tour!
“It’s good to be back- I love this place,” continued Robertson. “I knew when we were pacing around I was going to win. When this car is on, it’s on. When it’s dry, slick this thing is amazing. It got better as the race went on. I got nervous when Bryce (Davis) was alongside of me. He’s got a good ride and thought he might pull me, but it all worked out and we’re standing here.”
Davis’ third top seven finish of the season moved him into 13th place in the standings. Wonderling improved on his season’s best fourth place finish from the August 14 McKean County Fair event with a solid third place finish. Ward Schell also improved on his August 14 M.C.R. sixth place finish with a career best Sweeney Tour finish of fourth in the Ron Baker-owned #74.
Jason Knowles beat his brother Brian across the line to finish fifth. Brian, who won a non-sanctioned Crate Late Model race under RUSH rules on August 9 at Woodhull, improved from his 15th starting spot to sixth to earn the $100 Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger gift card.
After dropping to the back of the field on the opening lap with mechanical issues, John Waters battled back to finish seventh to beat Series point leader Ryan Montgomery for the sixth time in the past eight races; however, Montgomery still holds a 47-point advantage with just two events remaining. Rider finished ninth for the second straight event and his season’s eighth top 10 finish came for the first time on the $135 Bilstein “sealed” spec shocks. Doug Ricotta completed the top 10 after starting the event from 17th.
Canada Tim Gillespie, who made his second Sweeney Tour start of the season, received an Accelerator-1 Carb Spacer Kit compliments of Crate Innovations for finishing 13th. McClellan was the final car on the lead lap in 14th and received the Moroso Custom Fit Plug Wire set compliments of Crate Innovations for the first time this season. Steve Watson was awarded the TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night” after rear-end problems in the heat race allowed him to make only one lap in his first career Sweeney Tour feature start.
Heat winners were Davis and Dusty Waters. Brian Knowles won his first K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash and received a $100 K&N certificate for beating John Waters, who received a $50 K&N certificate. Montgomery and Gillespie earned an extra $25 cash for finishing third and fourth.
Besides Robertson, Doug Gavette and Steve LeBarron also made their first Sweeney Tour starts of the season bringing the count to 148 different drivers in the 14 events to date! The Sweeney Tour will be in action next on Saturday, October 11 at the season’s third and final visit to McKean County Raceway as part of the traditional “Fall Classic” paying $3,000 to-win.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series Race #14 (25 laps, $1,500 to-win): 1. WAYNE ROBERTSON (20) 2. Bryce Davis (94) 3. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 4. Ward Schell (Baker 74) 5. Brian Knowles (7) 6. Jason Knowles (4) 7. John Waters (LeBarron 11) 8. Ryan Montgomery (12) 9. Jason Rider (Wade 76) 10. Doug Ricotta (01) 11. Eric Wilson (27W) 12. Dusty Waters (14) 13. Tim Gillespie (15) 14. Chad McClellan (119) 15. Doug Gavette (9G) 16. Steve LeBarron (50) 17. Brad Mesler (24B) 18. Brady Wonderling (10) 19. John Haggerty (49) 20. Steve Watson (83).
Car Count: 20
Feature Lap Leaders: Dusty Waters (1), Wayne Robertson (2-25)
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down Hard Charger”: Jason Knowles (+9)
TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night: Steve Watson
Driven Oil “Slick Move of the Night”: Wayne Robertson
Crate Innovations “Performance Plus” Accelerator-1 Carb Spacer: Tim Gillespie
Crate Innovations “Ignite” Moroso Custom Fit Plug Wire Set: Chad McClellan
Heat 1 (10 laps):1. Davis 2. B. Wonderling 3. Robertson 4. Schell 5. J. Knowles 6. Montgomery 7. McClellan 8. B. Knowles 9. Ricotta 10. Watson.
Heat 2 (10 laps):1. D. Waters 2. Rider 3. J. Wonderling 4. Mesler 5. J. Waters 6. Gillespie 7. Wilson 8. Haggerty 9. Gavette 10. LeBarron-DNS.
K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash (4 laps): 1. Brian Knowles 2. John Waters 3. Ryan Montgomery 4. Tim Gillespie.
RUSH Late Model marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The Brake Man, K&N Filters, Bilstein Shocks, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Driven Racing Oil, Crate Innovations Inc., Moroso Performance Products, Velocita-USA, High Gear Speed Shop, CrateInsider.com, Utsinger’s Towing, B.R.A.K.E.S., RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.
E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at info@rushracingseries.com 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.