RUSH Dirt Late Model Series
Hagerstown Speedway
April 20, 2013
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RICK SINGLETON WINS INAUGURAL SWEENEY RUSH L.M. TOUR EVENT AT HAGERSTOWN

Hagerstown, MD (April 20) - It was a historic night for the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series on many fronts Saturday night at Hagerstown Speedway. Not only did the event mark the first ever Sweeney Tour event for the new Series, but was the first Crate Late Model event contested at the renowned Hagerstown Speedway. A great field of 36 cars from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Ontario, Canada participated in the RainEater Wiper Blades sponsored event joined with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
 
Rick Singleton will go down in the record books as the very first Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Touring Series winner in a spectacular non-stop 30-lap feature presented by RainEater Wiper Blades. The former NFL Seattle Seahawk started third and passed Chad McClellan on lap 13 then drove a perfect race through lapped traffic to hold off a valiant effort by Glenn Elliott in the $2,500 to-win non-stop affair. All 24 starters finished the feature!
 
"This feels good- I love this crate racing," expressed the jubilant 48-year-old Hesston, Pa. victor. "I don't have the kind of money to run Lucas Oil, but this is good racing for the poor guy. It's good equal racing, it's fair, and everyone has the same thing. I challenge anyone to buy a crate motor in this pit area and we'll see just how good they are!"
 
"This place is awesome," continued Singleton. "I've been coming down here for years. I won a B main in the Hub City 150 15 years ago and that was the only race I've ever one. It's nice to show up at Hagerstown and for once in my life have the same equipment that everyone else does. Great racing tonight; lapped traffic was pretty decent racers and they all did good holding their line. I have to thank the RUSH Series for getting us a show here."
 
By virtue of his K&N "Cold Air Induction" Dash victory, McClellan earned the pole position and raced out to the early lead. McClellan was fresh off a Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Weekly Series victory last Saturday at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex and was looking to make it two-for-two on the early season.
 
Andrew Satterlee, Singleton, Chad Ruhlman, and D.J. Troutman were hot on McClellan's heels after one lap. Satterlee caught McClellan on lap three and raced side-by-side for the lead with Satterlee low and McClellan high on the racy Hagerstown surface. By lap four, the top three of McClellan, Satterlee, and Singleton pulled away while the battle was on for fourth.
 
Singleton made it a three-car race for the lead on lap five as he caught Satterlee then made an inside move off turn four to grab second on the sixth circuit. The battle intensified for fourth with Ruhlman trying to fend off Troutman, Ryan Montgomery, and Elliott.
 
McClellan had opened up some ground before Singleton passed Satterlee for second, but on lap nine Singleton closed in. McClellan then dealt with the lapped car of Darin Henderson on lap 11. One lap later, Singleton ducked low on McClellan to take a peek at the lead. Singleton would make the winning move on lap 13 with an inside move of McClellan off turn four.
 
Meanwhile the battle for fourth continued with Troutman, 12th starting Mike Pegher, Jr., and Montgomery all getting by Ruhlman by lap 14. Pegher continued his forward progression taking fourth from Troutman on lap 16 with an inside move and bringing Elliott with him. Elliott was clearly the fastest car on the speedway just past the halfway mark and made quite the move to get by both Pegher and Satterlee for third on lap 18.
 
Elliott was more than a straightaway back of the leaders as the laps ticked off caution-free. Pegher made the pass of good friend Satterlee for fourth on lap 20. Singleton and McClellan were dealing with heavy lapped traffic as Elliott cut the margin to a half-straightaway with eight laps to go. Now with five laps from the finish, Elliott caught McClellan. Elliott then made the pass for runner-up on lap 26, while one lap later Pegher moved ahead of McClellan for third.
 
Singleton did a masterful job in lapped traffic in the final laps to garner the victory in the Clint Enyeart-owned #99*. After starting sixth, but dropping as far back as ninth, Elliott put on quite a driving display to earn the $1,200 runner-up position without a caution in the event timed in 11:209 minutes.
 
"I kept looking at the scoreboard and thinking we have to be getting close," admitted Elliott. "It felt like we passed 100 cars. I was just hoping the race would go a little longer. We didn't get a good start, but at the end I think the track and tires all came together. I have to thank my crew- those guys put some funds together for me to do some Super & Crate Late Model racing. If it wasn't for those people, none of this would be possible."
 
Pegher, McClellan, and 10th starting Joe Martin completed the top five. Troutman, Satterlee, Montgomery, Darren Peters, and Ruhlman in the RainEater Wiper Blades-sponsored #4s rounded out the top 10th. Josh Double received a $100 certificate from Precise Racing Products after gaining 11 positions in the feature going from 24th to 13th and being named the "Pedal Down Hard Charger."
 
Randy Wible ended the night winning the six-lap Non-Qualifier event as part of the "Wheelman Bonus Event Challenge Series". The Three Springs, Pa. driver led the entire distance to the score the $200 victory. After finishing last in his heat race, Jamie Brown passed four cars in the last chance B main then passed D.J. Macri on lap three to earn the runner-up Non-Qualifier finish. Travis Wilson was third after getting by Macri on lap four. Marci dropped to fourth.
 
In Bobby Lake Motorsports "Shock the Clock Qualifying", New York racer Bryce Davis set fast time over the 36 cars with a best lap of 20.316 to earn $100. Bobby Lake Motorsports $25 "Beat the Heat" non-stop heat race winners were Troutman, Elliott, Ruhlman, and McClellan. Transton Stoner and Josh Holtgraver won the two B mains.
 
McClellan earned a $100 K&N Filter certificate winning the "Cold Air Induction" Dash, while Satterlee received a $50 K&N certificate with $25 cash to Singleton and Lake. Canadian Jorden Peters was determined to be The Brake Man "Tough Brake of the Night". Peters came up light after qualifying then while racing hard in the last chance made contact with Eric Wilson and hit the turn four fence hard.
 
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series Race #1 presented by RainEater Wiper Blades (30 laps, $2,500 to-win): 1. RICK SINGLETON (Enyeart 99*) 2. Glenn Elliott (5E) 3. Mike Pegher, Jr. (Geisler 1c) 4. Chad McClellan (119) 5. Joe Martin (55) 6. D.J. Troutman (7) 7. Andrew Satterlee (2) 8. Ryan Montgomery (12) 9. Darren Peters (1P) 10. Chad Ruhlman (Suppa 4s) 11. Robbie Black (Swindell 21*) 12. Bryce Davis (94) 13. Josh Double (38) 14. John Over (K2) 15. Josh Holtgraver (00) 16. Michael Lake (27) 17. John Imler (63) 18. Justin Tatlow (Kratts 81) 19. Butch Lambert (27) 20. Matt Glanden (01) 21. Joe Warren (11) 22. Transton Stoner (m14) 23. Cody Dawson (36) 24. Darin Henderson (22).
 
Non-Qualifier (6 laps, $200 to-win): 1. Randy Wible (Powell 100) 2. Jamie Brown (135) 3. Travis Wilson (8H) 4. D.J. Macri (28) 5. Mike Wharton (100)-DNS 6. Scott Tessman (19S)-DNS 7. Kelly Putz (59)-DNS 8. Ben Policz (14B)-DNS 9. Jeanne Piper (14)-DNS 10. Eric Wilson (27W)-DNS 11. Shane Weaver (Ruffner 325x)-DNS 12. Jorden Peters (11P)-DNS.
 
Lap Leaders: McClellan (1-12), Singleton (13-30)
Time of the Event: 11:209 (non-stop)
Margin of Victory: 2.341
Precise Racing Products "Pedal Down Hard Charger": Josh Double (+11)
The Brake Man "Tough Brake of the Night: Jorden Peters
 
Fast Qualifier ($100): 1. Bryce Davis 20.316
 
Heat 1 (8 laps/Top 5 transfer/$25 to-win): 1. Troutman 2. Singleton 3. Montgomery 4. Davis 5. Lambert 6. Stoner 7. Weaver 8. Tessman 9. Policz.
 
Heat 2 (8 laps/Top 5 transfer/$25 to-win): 1. Elliott 2. Satterlee 3. Martin 4. Warren 5. Dawson 6. Wible 7. Henderson 8. Macri 9. Piper.
 
Heat 3 (8 laps/Top 5 Transfer/$25 to-win): 1. Ruhlman 2. Lake 3. Swindell 4. Over 5. Glanden 6. Double 7. Wharton 8. Putz 9. T. Wilson.
 
Heat 4 (8 laps/Top 5 Transfer/$25 to-win): 1. McClellan 2. D. Peters 3. Pegher 4. Imler 5. Tatlow 6. Holtgraver 7. J. Peters 8. E. Wilson 9. Brown.
 
Dash (4 laps): 1. Chad McClellan 2. Andrew Satterlee 3. Rick Singleton 4. Michael Lake.
 
Last Chance B Main 1 (8 laps/Top 2 Transfer): 1. Stoner 2. Henderson 3. Wible 4. Macri 5. Tessman 6. Policz 7. Piper 8. Weaver.
 
Last Chance B Main 2 (8 laps/Top 2 Transfer): 1. Holtgraver 2. Double 3. Wharton 4. Brown 5. Putz 6. T. Wilson 7. E. Wilson 8. J. Peters