DEFENDING CHAMPION GARRETT KRUMMERT POWERS TO 1ST HOVIS RUSH SPORTSMAN MOD TOUR WIN OF 2019 IN 1ST OF 3 VISITS TO SHARON

By Mike Leone

 

August 3, 2019                       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Hartford, OH)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sportsman Modified Series powered by Pace Performance was part the "Super Series" program on Saturday night at Sharon Speedway for the first of three appearances by the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Touring Series at the Hartford, Ohio 3/8-mile oval.  Points race #2 of the 2019 season attracted 28 cars.

 

Making his first Sharon Speedway appearance since winning a Hovis Weekly Series event on June 8, defending Tour Champion, Garrett Krummert, captured the $600 feature win.  Krummert emerged victorious after getting by Chas Wolbert on lap seven and held off Wolbert and Jim Rasey over the final laps of the 25-lap feature presented by C&R Tire.  Krummert becomes the third different Hovis Touring Series winner of the season in as many races including the non-point 2018 make-up event at Sharon back on May 11.  Krummert also received a Sunoco 5-Gallon Race Jug.

 

"I thought it was a heck of a race the first seven or eight laps with Chas (Wolbert) and when Tony (Tatgenhorst) was up there- hopefully the fans enjoyed it," expressed the 31-year-old Ellwood City, Pa. racer after his second career Tour victory.  "The big-block (Modified) is actually a heck of a lot easier to drive than these things.  There's a lot of good cars in this division so if you're off a bit, you can't make up with the motor.  They're fun to drive and a lot of fun.  I have to thank my wife and Jerry Schaffer, who couldn't be here for letting me do this.  I also have to thank my mom and dad, my crew chief Ryan and his wife Amy, my other crew guy Jordan along with the fans and everyone for putting this deal on."    

 

Tony Tatgenhorst drove around Amelia Clay on the opening lap for the lead, while fourth starting Wolbert moved to second as Krummert and Rasey also got around Clay for third and fourth respectively.  Last week's Sharon Weekly Series winner, Kole Holden, started eighth and cracked the top five on lap two when he dropped Clay back another spot.  Wolbert and Tatgenhorst went at it for the lead racing side-by-side on laps four and five with Wolbert sneaking under to lead the fifth circuit. 

 

Krummert moved to the top and drove around Tatgenhorst for second on lap six then made the winning pass one lap later on Wolbert driving around the leader off turn two, while sixth starting Rasey overtook Tatgenhorst for third.  Three cautions slowed action with 12 laps scored with the final one seeing Tatgenhorst and Rasey making contact with Rasey then getting into Tatgenhorst sending Tatgenhorst spinning.  Rasey was put to the tail.

 

That would move ninth starting Deems into third with Holden and Pat Adams in fourth and fifth.  Back under green at the halfway point, it was a three-car race for the lead between Krummert, Wolbert and Deems.  Wolbert pulled alongside Krummert on lap 15, but Krummert maintained his lead.  Rasey meanwhile worked his way back into the top five by passing Connor King on lap 16. 

 

Krummert pulled away on lap 17 and appeared to be on cruise control to the finish, but a spin by rookie Brandon Albert would bunch up the field for a four-lap dash to the finish.  When racing resumed, Rasey made quite the move to pass both Deems and Holden for third as it was nearly three-wide for the lead in turn one, but Krummert would maintain the top spot.  Krummert then quickly pulled away to take his fourth career win in the division at Sharon in the Jerry Schaffer Racing, Turn 4 Toilets-sponsored #10s by a comfortable 2.034 seconds.

 

Wolbert was second to maintain the Hovis Weekly Series points lead.  "It was some pretty good racing," acknowledged the 29-year-old Warren, Ohio racer.  "Garrett had that thing figured out in the middle.  I could roll the bottom good, but I just didn't feel comfortable in the middle to run in there with him.  I have to thank God because without him I wouldn't be here, all of my sponsors, the Sharon crew, and everyone out here."

 

Rasey was third for the second straight Tour race as he trails Krummert by six points in the standings.  Holden edged out King for fourth place by 0.141 of a second and was chosen as the Dirt Defender "Defensive Drive of the Night".  Holden, whose win last Saturday was his first at Sharon win since his 2017 championship season, overtook Rob Kristyak for the track points lead.  After going sixth to first to win the last chance B main, King then charged from 19th to fifth in the feature to earn the $100 Precise Racing Products "Pedal Down" Hard Charger gift card.

 

After going ninth to third early on, Deems faded to sixth at the finish.  Jacob Wolfe was seventh over Adams.  Kyle started 22nd and made his way to ninth just missing out on the hard charger honors, but was selected as the Sherwood Wheels "Man of Steel" recipient.  First year RUSH racer, Greg Porter, completed the top 10. 

 

Rob Kristyak, who has five wins on the circuit, entered the night as the Tour and Sharon points leader, but suffered heavy damage in a heat race accident that ended his night.  Kristyak was selected as the TBM Brakes "Tough Brake of the Night" recipient.  Heat winners over the 28-car field were Wolbert, Deems, and Krummert, while King won the B main. 

 

Cameron Nastasi became the fifth different winner in the six "Wheelman" Non-Winners races that have been contested at Sharon in the inaugural year presented by Ohio Intra Express and C&R Tire.  The 21-year-old Hubbard, Ohio driver led all eight non-stop laps in his #615 and went unchallenged to the $75 victory by 1.873 seconds.  Rookie Clayton Deems passed Porter on lap six to finish second for his best finish.  Sixth starting Wolfe also got by Porter to finish third.  Porter dropped to fourth ahead of Amelia Clay, who continues to lead the points.

 

The Hovis Tour will return to Sharon on Saturday, August 17 in another $600 to-win event as part of the sixth annual "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance with approximately $25,000 in valuable product giveaways for eligible racers.  The Tour's third and final appearance at Sharon will be on September 20-21 for the annual "Apple Festival Nationals" with $800 to-win. 

 

Sweeney RUSH Sportsman Modified Hovis Touring Series Race #2 (25 laps, $600 to-win): 1. GARRETT KRUMMERT (Schaffer 10s)  2. Chas Wolbert (c3)  3. Jim Rasey (32)  4. Kole Holden (2)  5. Connor King (19)  6. Josh Deems (9D)  7. Jacob Wolfe (7)  8. Pat Adams (39)  9. Kyle Martell (8)  10. Greg Porter (25)  11. Cameron Nastasi (615)  12. D.J. Schrader (14S)  13. Brandon Albert (30)  14. Clayton Deems (55R)  15. Jacob Jordan (28J)  16. Tony Tatgenhorst (63T)  17. Gary Haupt (16)  18. David Kalb, Jr. (11J)  19. Preston Cope (24P)  20. Chelsie Kriegisch (10)  21. Calvin Clay (12c)  22. Amelia Clay (16c)  23. Joe Gibson (19)  24. Nathen McDowell (Sarcinella 11G). 

 

DNQ for the feature: Jessica Kriegisch (63), Teddy Williams II (818), Eric Gabany (Schaffer 4S), Rob Kristyak (00). 

 

Car Count: 28

Feature Margin of Victory: 2.034 seconds

Feature Lap Leaders: Tony Tatgenhorst (1-4), Chas Wolbert (5-6), Garrett Krummert (7-25)

Sunoco 5-Gallon Race Jug: Garrett Krummert

Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down Hard Charger”: Connor King (+14)

Sherwood Wheels "Man of Steel": Kyle Martell

TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night": Rob Kristyak

Dirt Defender "Defensive Drive of the Night": Kole Holden

 

Heat 1 (8 laps, top 6 transfer to the feature): 1. Wolbert  2. Nastasi  3. A. Clay  4. Jordan  5. Adams  6. Cope  7. Williams  8. McDowell  9. King-DSQ (light)  10. C. Clay-DSQ (light).

 

Heat 2 (8 laps, top 6 transfer to the feature): 1. J. Deems  2. Holden  3. Haupt  4. Porter  5. C. Deems  6. Albert  7. J. Kriegisch  8. Gibson  9. Kalb-DSQ (light).

 

Heat 3 (8 laps, top 6 transfer to the feature): 1. Krummert  2. Rasey  3. Tatgenhorst  4. C. Kriegisch  5. Schrader  6. Wolfe  7. Martell  8. Kristyak  9. Gabany-DSQ (light).

 

Last Chance B Main (10 laps, top 6 transfer to the feature): 1. King  2. Kalb  3. C. Clay  4. Martell  5. Gibson  6. McDowell  7. J. Kriegisch  8. Williams  9. Gabany-DSQ (light)  10. Kristyak-DNS.

 

Ohio Intra Express/C&R Tire “Wheelman” Non-Winners Race (8 laps, $75 to-win): 1. Cameron Nastasi  2. Clayton Deems  3. Jacob Wolfe  4. Greg Porter  5. Amelia Clay  6. Brandon Albert  7. Teddy Williams II  8. Nathen McDowell  9. Jacob Jordan-DNS  10. Tony Tatgenhorst-DNS  11. D.J. Schrader-DNS  12. Preston Cope-DNS  13. Joe Gibson-DNS  14. David Kalb, Jr.-DNS  15. Calvin Clay-DNS.

 

RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC & Pace Performance along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, FK Rod Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Dirt Defender, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Trailer-Alarms.com, Bonnell's Rod Shop, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, CrateInsider.com, and Valley Fashions. 

 

E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at [email protected] 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/rushsportsmanmods and follow us on Twitter @RUSHSportMods.

 

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