6/24/2019
MAX BLAIR PASSES ROSS ROBINSON WITH 5 TO GO TO WIN THE RICHEST CRATE LATE MODEL RACE IN THE HISTORY OF THE NORTHEAST
(Sarver, PA)...The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series presented by Pace Performance was part of the 13th annual "Firecracker 100" weekend at Lernerville Speedway with the Worlds of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models for the first time ever. Preliminary action for RUSH was held on Friday with Saturday's "Bill Emig Memorial" presented by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply being the richest Crate Late Model event in the history of the Northeast! Huge crowds were on hand both nights and it's believed Saturday's crowd was the largest ever to watch a Crate Late Models race. The event attracted 53 RUSH Late Model drivers from seven different states plus Ontario, Canada.
Max Blair has been one of the top Crate Late Model racers in the nation for many years. And even though Blair focuses more on Super Late Model racing in recent years, Blair is always the driver to beat no matter where he goes. Blair will tell you Lernerville has never been one of his best tracks. On Saturday night, Blair didn't have the fastest car for the majority of the "Bill Emig Memorial" feature; in fact, had fell back to seventh during the second half of the 50-lap feature. But Blair benefitted from some others' misfortunes and then came on late to pass Ross Robinson with five laps to go to score the $10,000 victory! For Blair, it was his fourth Sweeney Tour victory in six starts this season boasting his earnings to over $23,000!
In addition to the $10,000 payday, Blair received the Zamp helmet lettered by five-time Lernerville Speedway Super Late Model Champion John Flinner, Jr., the special gold $ sign shoes from Velocita-USA, the sought-after large "Bill Emig Memorial" laser etched hardwood plaque done by Steve Hendren, and a Sunoco 5-Gallon Race Jug. Blair's big night wasn't just the $10,000 "Bill Emig Memorial" victory as he also captured the $3,000 "Uncle Sam 30" for the Super Late Models!
"I can't believe," acknowledged the 29-year-old Centerville, Pa. racer. "Like I've said I struggle here and it's been a few years since I've been here; in fact, before the XR1 Rocket cars. It just all worked out. I thought I was good in the beginning, but a lapped car got crossed up in front of me and I had to check up and lost four or five spots. It cost me so much track position that I didn't think I'd ever get caught back up. Then some cars got bottled up and for whatever reason I decided to try the top that lap and got back by several cars. It was a lot of fun racing with Ross (Robinson). He lit his tires up on that restart and I knew that was my chance. He's a class act and a good buddy of mine."
"It's awesome to win this race," acknowledged Blair. "Mike (Leone) and Vicki (Emig) do an amazing job with this Series- it just keeps getting bigger and better every year. Hopefully this race is an every year thing. It was a great turnout of fans and cars. Hopefully you enjoyed the race. This crate racing is getting tougher and tougher. That had to be a fun race to watch. I've won a lot of races with Vicki and even before the RUSH days. If it wasn't for Mike and Vicki with the crate deal I don't honestly know if I'd even be racing. When this deal came out, I was scraping pennies together just so I could race a Steel-Block Late Model one night a week. Then we put a Crate Late Model together and won some races and kept winning more races each year and upgrading out equipment and here we are."
Kyle Lukon used the outside to race to the early lead getting by defending Series champion and current points leader, Jeremy Wonderling, with John Waters following in third. Russell King and sixth starting Blair moved to fourth and fifth on lap two past Michael Duritsky, Jr. Wonderling closed back in on Lukon on lap 12 and was right on the leader on lap 14 before traffic came into play on the 15th circuit allowing Waters to make it a three-car race for the lead.
Lukon and Wonderling raced side-by-side for the lead on laps 16 and 17 as now King and Blair joined in making it five cars racing for the lead! While Waters was racing hard with Wonderling, King was able to make the pass of Waters for third on lap 20, but Waters would regain the spot six laps later. Ninth starting Chub Frank cracked the top five at the halfway point as he dropped Blair back to sixth and Blair would lose another spot to Ross Robinson. Robinson started eighth and was on the move as he broke into the top five getting by Frank on lap 28.
The event's first caution came when John Waters lost the handle in turn two on lap 30, and even though the caution was called for the first time in the event, Waters was able to keep going without stopping and blended back in the eighth spot. When racing resumed, Robinson moved into third with 12th starting Daryl Charlier entering contention in fourth. Frank and King made contact battling for fifth with King spinning and collecting Eddie Carrier, Jr. with 31 laps completed.
Back under green, Robinson used the inside to make the pass of Wonderling for second on lap 32. Blair, who hadn't been a factor, started to come alive as he passed Frank, Charlier, and then made the move on Wonderling to grab third on lap 35. It was a two-car race up front as Lukon continued to lead over Robinson. A spin by Charlie Sandercock would change the complexity of the race with 36 laps scored. It not only caught Blair up to the lead duo, but allowed Robinson to take the lead on the restart.
Blair would grab second on lap 39 when Lukon, Wonderling, and Waters all got crossed up battling for second as Lukon fell back to sixth. Blair began to reel in Robinson, who was struggling in turn four, and caught the leader on lap 42. The winning move would come on a restart with 44 laps completed as Blair grabbed the top spot from Robinson and led the final six circuits. Blair's all-time leading 25th career Sweeney RUSH Tour win came by 1.670 seconds in his Murphy's Logging/C&J Dairy/Previty's Auto Wrecking/Specialty Products/Moody & Son Welding-sponsored #111.
(Note: Blair's engine was tore down in post-race tech and was found to be 100% legal per the GM 604 Technical Manual, and the win will be official once the results of the fuel and tire samples that were taken are verified to be in compliance. Also, all of Blair's shocks were tested by Robbie Bilbrey of Race Products Inc., who came in from Alabama on RUSH's behalf to check suspension on all race cars, and were found to be compliant per the rules.)
Robinson, who won his first career Sweeney Tour race in 2018 at Georgetown Speedway during the "Battle of the Bay" Speedweek earned $5,000 for a terrific runner-up. "It's hard to swallow to be that close at the end," expressed the 29-year-old Georgetown, DE standout. "When you get beat by him (Blair) up in this crate area you can't hang your head, but man we were close. I can't thank everyone that helped me this weekend. We probably should have just brought the crate, but I wanted to do both. I put my guys through a lot this weekend. It was an entertaining race, I hope you fans enjoyed it."
Charlier would take the $2,500 third place spot in his first RUSH race of 2019 driving his former car that was purchased by Bobby Springer. It was a rough closing laps for front row starters Wonderling and Lukon, who both got caught up in separate accidents in the final laps. Lukon, who led the first 36 laps, was chosen as the TBM Brakes "Tough Brake of the Night" recipient. Eleventh starting Damian Bidwell was fourth for $2,000 ahead of Waters, who earned $1,500.
Kentucky's Grant Garrison was sixth for $1,200. It was an up and down weekend for Canadian Charlie Sandercock, who had a feature spot locked up on Friday before a flat tire. Then on Saturday, Sandercock charged from 10th to win the third last chance B main. He started 21st in the feature and worked his way up before a spin on lap 36. Sandercock went to the tail and charged back forward to a seventh place finish worth $1,000 and earned the $100 Precise Racing Products "Pedal Down" hard charger gift card. David Pangrazio was eighth to earn the "Spoiler Alert" for a $150 spoiler from Ontime Body & Graphic. Completing the top 10 were Carrier and 22nd starting Breyton Santee.
Ryan Frazee was chosen as the Dirt Defender "Defensive Drive of the Night" for holding off fellow Sweeney Tour regular and "Futures Cup" Championship contender, Logan Zarin, to get the final feature transfer spot in the third last chance B main.
Despite coming up just short of making the feature, Zarin ended the weekend picking up the $400 Non-Qualifier victory. Brian Knowles took off in the lead with third starting Zarin taking second on lap two following the event's only caution. By lap four, Knowles and Zarin distanced themselves from the field. The two would race side-by-side on laps 9-11 with Knowles on the outside and Zarin on the inside. Zarin finally made the pass stick on lap 11 and the 16-year-old Moon Twp., Pa. driver went on to win by 1.298 seconds over Knowles in the Zarin's Truck & Auto/Tomei's Towing/Lovell Enterprise/RL Bolea Oil/Wheels, Wings & Wishes Foundation-sponsored #1z. It was Zarin's second career "Wheelman" victory. Sixth starting Jared Kane was third over Josh Stoica and Jamie Wrightsman.
Pangrazio set fast time overall against the 53-car field in $100 FK Rod Ends "Shock the Clock" Qualifying on Friday night with a lap of 17.935. Russell King went out in the last group and was fastest in flight B qualifying with a 18.194. Capturing $25 FK Rod Ends heat races on Friday night were Lukon, Wonderling, Blair, King, Michael Duritsky, Jr., and Waters. Wonderling also won Friday's $100 "John Buzzard Memorial" Dash to earn the feature pole. Carrier, Nico Dabecco, and Sandercock copped the three last chance B mains.
The Zarin Truck & Automotive "$500 Club" random drawings took place for the top 15 drivers in Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway and Dog Hollow Speedway points. Receiving the five $100 drawings were Joe Moyer, Justin Lamb, Nico Dabecco, Bryan Benton, and Breyton Santee.
"We really cannot thank the Tomson Family of Lernerville Speedway, the World of Outlaws, and our sponsor Hovis Auto & Truck Supply enough for making it possible to bring the RUSH Late Models to the 'Firecracker' weekend as part of this crown jewel Super Late Model event," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig. "To be able to put our Series and racers in front of what is thought to be the largest crowd to ever watch Crate Late Models was huge, and the racing was tremendous all weekend."
The Sweeney Tour will resume action this Saturday night (June 29) at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway for the annual "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance. Over $30,000 in product will be distributed to competing racers in addition to the $2,000 to-win, $225 to-start Marquee event. Then on Tuesday, July 2 will be the return to Weedsport (NY) Speedway for the MAVTV broadcast presented by Sunoco Race Fuels/Insinger Performance in a $2,000 to-win, $225 to-start event followed up by back-to-back $4,000 to-win, $400 to-start Platinum events on July 12-13 at Autodrome Granby and Le RPM Speedway in Quebec.
Article Credit: Mike Leone