Latta Takes Home Top Prize In RUSH Late Model Action At Raceway 7

Conneaut, OH (May 31, 2019): Perfect weather greeted fans as they arrived at Raceway 7 Friday night for the RUSH Late Model Topless Challenge. 102 cars had signed in over the five classes, including nineteen in the featured Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models. At the conclusion of the racing Matt Latta collected the $1200 purse for the RUSH Late Model win, Dennis Lunger got his first Bonnell’s Collision Service E-Mod win of the year, Wesley McCray repeated his opening night Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stock win, and defending Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stock champion Dillon Speer got his first win of the season.

Feature racing started with the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks taking to the track with Darr Diegelman and Garrett Calvert leading the way. Yellow flew before one lap was complete when Jesse Brock and Dave Snyder spun in turn four. After green again appeared Calvert took the lead at green with Wesley McCray trying the high side to gain the advantage but was unsuccessful until lap five when he charged low on the inside of turn two, and then holding the lead at the end of the lap. At the halfway point it was McCray leading Calvert, Diegelman, Joe Stajnragh, and Rod Laskey. With only three laps left David Baker spun in turn four for the final caution. Calvert exited the event with two laps left. At the checkers it was McCray, who won his first ever feature opening night this season, Diegelman, Pat Fielding, Stajnragh, and Rod Laskey.

The Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mods were brought to the line by Dennis Lunger and defending champion Troy Johnson with Lunger leading from the start. At four laps complete former track champion Gary Eicher spun in turn two. Mike Kinney spun for the next yellow, collecting Johnson in the process but Johnson continued in second, showing right front damage and an extreme negative camber on the wheel. Mike Potosky was up to third at this point with Casey Bowers fourth and Dan McDonald fifth. With nine laps in the books Brandon Grossman looped his mount in turn four. At halfway the front five were Lunger, Potosky, Bowers, McDonald, and Michael McGee. Over the last half of the race green flew with Bowers getting by Potosky and Gary Eicher in a strong run back up to fifth. The top five were Lunger, Bowers, Potosky, McDonald, and Eicher. A $100 bonus for the ninth place finisher sponsored by J D Diversified and Shetler Construction went to Josh McDonald.

The Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models were the featured class with a $1200 to win, 25-lap Topless Special. Bruce Hordusky and Matt Latta led the race to green with Latta gaining the early lead. Before one lap was in Brandon Porter, Kyle Zimmerman, Chris Withers, Ward Schell, Joe Long, and Jacob Peterson all piled up in turn four, negating that start and ending the race for both Peterson and Long. When the race was again underway Latta led Hordusky, Dave Airgood, defending champion Darrell Bossard, and Breyton Santee. At the halfway point Airgood had displaced Hordusky for second and Santee had got by Bossard. At fourteen laps Airgood was challenging for the lead and got next to the leader. At fifteen laps Airgood spun in turn two. Latta led Hordusky, Santee, Bossard, and Porter back to green with Santee getting by Hordusky at the restart. Dennis Dellinger spun in turn four at eighteen laps. At nineteen laps Zimmerman spun in turn four, collecting Dellinger, Schell, and John Watson in the process. Hordusky was back to second after the green again flew. Over the final five laps the order remained Latta, Hordusky, Santee, Bossard, and Porter.

The Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economods were paced by Justin Sax and Nate Young for their 15 lap, 24 Car feature. Will Pinckney and Mitchell Wright spun in turn one, necessitating a complete restart. Sax then grabbed the early lead but Young came back strong, running side by side with Sax until taking over the top spot at lap three. Ashley Rogers then spun in turn three and J J Bametzrieder came to a stop on the back straight. At four complete it was a three way tussle for second as Sax, Matt Alexander, and Dustin Demattia raced side by side by side until Alexander slid high in turn two and lost several positions. Sax then spun in two at six laps. Young led Demattia, Alan Dellinger, opening night winner Kyle Miller, and Jeremy Double back to green but Double pulled pitside at seven laps, elevating Brian Toto to fifth. Rogers and Mark Titus spun in turn one for the next caution. Then Gary Olson, Judson Fell, Sax, Dellinger, Tyler Davis, and Allen Phillips got together in turn one. Miller got to third with five to go but Eric Reinwald spun in turn four before lap eleven was complete. Demattia made an attempt to grab the lead on the back straight with three to go but Young was again the leader when the pack came to the two lap signal. At the finish it was Young for his first-ever win over Demattia, Miller, Dellinger, and Toto.

The final event of the night was for the Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks with defending champion Dillon Speer and Zach Eller on the front row. Speer led opening night winner Pete Blaczak, Eller, week two winner Mark Lawrence, and 2017 champion Joe Campbell at lap two. Eller and Lawrence were side by side at two laps with Lawrence gaining the position by lap three. Emily Stoyer and Lane Reinwald were side by side at the halfway point for fifth, while up front, Speer was lengthening his lead over Blaczak. With three laps left Blaczak wound up stopped and facing the third turn wall with apparent mechanical ails. Speer went on to his first win of the season over Lawrence, Eller, Stoyer, and Jim Haefke, who got by Reinwald on the final lap.

This week’s race report brought to you by Close Racing Supply:

Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Crate Late Models:
Qualifying: (Top 5) Darrell Bossard (19.256), Matt Latta (19.398), Dave Airgood (19.452), Kyle Zimmerman (19.508), Breyton Santee (19.682)
Heat 1 Sponsored by 955 Automotive: Dave Airgood, Kyle Zimmerman, Breyton Santee, Ron Boardman, Dennis Dellinger, John Oakes, Jacob Peterson
Heat 2 Sponsored by Gary and Bonnie at Amsoil: Bruce Hordusky, Chris Withers, John Watson, Khole Wanzer, Brandon Porter, Zach Downes, Scott Dellahoy
Heat 3 Sponsored by Country Pride Restaurant of Kingsville TA: Matt Latta, Darrell Bossard, Ward Schell, Joe Long, Steve Hollabaugh, Joe Howell (DNS)
Dash 1 Sponsored by RUSH Late Model Series: Bruce Hordusky, Matt Latta, Dave Airgood, Darrell Bossard, Kyle Zimmerman, Chris Withers
Dash 2 Sponsored by McDonald Meats: Breyton Santee, John Watson, Khole Wanzer, Ward Schell, Ron Boardman, Joe Young
Feature: Matt Latta, Bruce Hordusky, Breyton Santee, Darrell Bossard, Brandon Porter, Chris Withers, Khole Wanzer, John Oakes, Steve Hollabaugh, Dave Airgood, Ward Schell, John Watson, Scott Dellahoy, Zach Downes, Kyle Zimmerman, Ron Boardman, Dennis Dellinger, Joe Long, Jacob Peterson, Joe Howell

Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mods:
Heat 1: Dan McDonald, Casey Bowers, Troy Johnson, Mike Potosky, Chuck Steinle Jr, Brandon Grossman, Josh McDonald, Rick Pratschler, Bill Taylor
Heat 2: Dennis Lunger, Mike Kinney, Jesse Gould, Tyler Frankenberry, Mike McGee, Gary Eicher, Alan Atkinson, Hunter Hulley, Percy McDonald
Feature: Dennis Lunger, Casey Bowers, Mike Potosky, Dan McDonald, Gary Eicher, Mike McGee, Percy McDonald, Mike Kinney, Josh McDonald, Troy Johnson, Jesse Gould, Alan Atkinson, Hunter Hulley, Tyler Frankenberry, Brandon Grossman, Bill Taylor, Chuck Steinle Jr, Rick Pratschler (DNS)

Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks:
Heat 1: Larry Kugel, Wesley McCray, Garrett Calvert, Jamie Duncan, Dave Snyder, Jessie Brock, Steve Horvath
Heat 2: Darr Diegelman, Pat Fielding, Rod Laskey, Gary Miller, Tony Spaghetti, Tom Teed
Heat 3: David Baker, Troy Dezarn, Joe Stajnragh, Bill Watson, Douglas Eck, Donald Dezarn
Feature: Wesley McCray, Darr Diegelman, Pat Fielding, Joe Stajnragh, Rod laskey, Bill Watson, Jamie Duncan, Larry Kugel, Gary Miller, Douglas Eck, Tony Spaghetti, Jessie Brock, Tom Teed, Steve Horvath, Garrett Calvert, David Baker, Troy Dezarn, Donald Dezarn, Dave Snyder

Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economods:
Heat 1: Nate Young, Brian Toto, Tyler Davis, Allen Phillips, Eric Reinwald, Mike Harmon, Derek Connors
Heat 2: Mitchell Wright, Justin Sax, Jeremy Double, Jim Muma, Gary Olson, Judson Fell, Dan McEwen
Heat 3: Kyle Miller, Alan Dellinger, Will Pinckney, Mark Titus, Billy Cunningham, Gary Murphy (DNS)
Heat 4: Matt Alexander, Dustin Demattia, Casey Harmon, Ashley Rogers, J J Bametzrieder, Jarrett Young
Feature: Nate Young, Dustin Demattia, Kyle Miller, Alan Dellinger, Brian Toto, Matt Alexander, Mitchell Wright, Will Pinckney, Billy Cunningham, Gary Olson, Casey Harmon, Jarrett Young, Mike Harmon, Gary Murphy, Mark Titus, Ashley Rogers, Eric Reinwald, Allen Phillips, Judson Fell, Justin Sax, Tyler Davis, Jim Muma, Jeremy Double, J J Bametzrieder, Derek Connors (DNS), Dan McEwen (DNS)

Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Joe Campbell, Kevin Watson, Emily Stoyer, Brian McGarvie, Dalton Speer, Ana Vassen, Jessica Harvey
Heat 2: Mark Lawrence, Jim Haefke, Zach Eller, Scott Gill, Corey Wick, Tricia Jacklett, Alan Souza
Heat 3: Dillon Speer, Pete Blaczak, Zoey Gill, Lane Reinwald, Joe Dewoody, Lexi Vogt
Feature: Dillon Speer, Mark Lawrence, Zach Eller, Emily Stoyer, Jim Haefke, Lane Reinwald, Corey Wick, Scott Gill, Zoey Gill, Dalton Speer, Joe Dewoody, Brian McGarvie, Kevin Watson, Alan Souza, Lexi Vogt, Pete Blaczak, Ana Vassen, Jessica Harvey, Tricia Jacklett, Joe Campbell