9/2/2019
ZACH MORROW WINS A THRILLER AT LERNERVILLE DENYING JEREMY WEAVER OF HIS 1ST CAREER SWEENEY RUSH SPRINT CAR WIN
(Sarver, PA)...The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sprint Car Series powered by Pace Performance made their second appearance of the season at Lernerville Speedway on Saturday night as part of the second annual "Sprint Spectacular". The Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series event attracted a record 21 cars for "Manufactures Night" presented by MSD Performance. Year two saw more than $12,000 of valuable and useful product being distributed topping last year's event as each driver left with at least one product package valued at $375. Brandon Blackshear was the grand prize winner of the brake calipers and brake fluid from TBM Brakes valued at $845!
One week after a race-long side-by-side duel for the lead between Andy Feil and Brian Ruhlman at Sharon Speedway that saw Feil make a last lap pass for his first career RUSH win, Saturday's feature at Lernerville may have even been better! Zach Morrow and Jeremy Weaver traded the lead several times officially at the start-finish line and even more times unofficially throughout the event including the last lap when Morrow was able to withstand a turn two slide job and a big run off turn four by Weaver to capture the 20-lap victory. For Morrow, it was his second win of the season in Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series action and fourth of his career.
"That was a lot of fun," expressed the 29-year-old Gibsonia, Pa. racer, who also won a $300 Benic Enterprises gift certificate and a complete front and rear bumper package from Intense Fab & Design. "I'm not good when I get passed so when that yellow came out I sat up in the seat and was determined to get the lead back. That slide job Jeremy did was impressive, but I was able to cross back under him. It's good to win on Manufacturers Night and I have to thank everyone involved with that. I have a lot of family and friends here so it's always nice to win close to home at Lernerville."
Weaver and Morrow led the field to green with Weaver leading the opening lap, but Morrow hit the top just right off turn two to grab the lead on the second circuit, while defending champion Chad Ruhlman took third from Brandon Hawkins. Weaver would keep Morrow in his sights as the laps ticked off caution-free and began to close in at the halfway point. Weaver regained the lead with a slide job in turn two on lap 12 with lapped traffic ahead; meanwhile, Brian Woodhall took over third from Ruhlman on lap 13.
Weaver did a great job maneuvering traffic and appeared as if the former RUSH Sportsman Modified winner and "Futures Cup" champion was headed for his first career Sprint win until a caution for a slowing Nolan Groves with five to go brought action to a halt. When racing resumed on lap 16, Weaver, Morrow, and Woodhall quickly distanced themselves from the pack and put on a great battle for the win over the final five circuits. The trio were three-wide racing off turn two on lap 17 with Morrow on top, Weaver in the middle, and Woodhall on the bottom. Weaver was still able to lead the lap, but on lap 18, Morrow hit the top just right and powered to the lead.
On the final lap, Weaver drove in hard on the bottom of turn one and put a big slider on Morrow taking his line away off the top of turn two; however, Morrow crossed back under and the two were side-by-side to the finish. Weaver tried a big run off the top of turn four, but ran out of room as Morrow's Alternative Power Sources/Generational Dental/ConsumerLaw365.com/Wood's Rod & Customs/FK Rod Ends/Precise Racing Products-sponsored #27 captured his third career Lernerville win by 0.308 of a second!
Weaver settled for his second runner-up finish at Lernerville in as many starts in the Cal Hull-owned #41, and also won a drum of RUSH Methanol, two Sunoco 5-Gallon Race Jugs, and a $100 Ultra-Shield Gift Certificate. Woodhall, who continues to lead the $5,000 to-win Bonnell's Weekly Series points, was a very close third and won a complete set of 4130 black FK Rod Ends and three bottles of TBM Brake Fluid valued at $540. Hawkins and ninth starting Arnie Kent got by Ruhlman late to take fourth and fifth respectively.
Chad Ruhlman dropped to sixth, but was one of three lucky racers to win multiple prizes as he took home $675 in product. Feil and Shawn Smith were seventh and eighth. Dave Hawkins was ninth and won the second biggest prize of the night- the Yamaha Power Washer from Alternative Power Sources valued at $790. Brad Blackshear completed the top 10. Dave Hawkins, Morrow, and Weaver won the heat races over the 21-car field.
"We have to thank the 20 companies that contributed to Manufacturers Night," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig. "These companies allowed us to grow the night for year two, and just as all of our other divisions' Manufacturers Nights do expect continued growth in the future. Thank you also to Lernerville for hosting the night. Lernerville was key last year in giving the RUSH Sprints a home base to help us grow the division so it was fitting that this was a record car count topping the 20-count that had been hit several times this year."
The following companies contributed to "Manufacturers Night": Allegheny Tool & Supply, Alternative Power Sources, Benic Enterprises, Bilstein Shocks, FK Rod Ends, Frankland Racing Supply, Holley Performance Products, Hoosier Tire, Insinger Performance, Intense Fab & Design, Jones Racing Products, MSD Performance, Precise Racing Products, Racing Electronics, Schoenfeld Headers, TBM Brakes, Trailer-Alarms.com, Triple X Race Components, Ultra-Shield Race Products, and Wehrs Machine & Racing Products.
The RUSH Sprint Cars will be at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway next Saturday night (September 7) followed by the second annual "Empire State Classic", which has been expanded to three days this year including the inaugural appearance at Ransomville (NY) Speedway on Friday, September 13 followed by back-to-back events at Genesee Speedway in Batavia, NY on Saturday and Sunday, September 14-15. All three Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series special events will pay $800 to-win, $160 to-start. Stay tuned for details on additional bonus monies.
Article Credit: Mike Leone