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Ferry earns first RUSH Late Model victory

CONNEAUT, Ohio — After an offseason extended by nearly two months, Raceway 7 finally opened the 2020 season with 101 racers filling the pit for a night of regular-length features.

Two first-time winners and three veterans graced Victory Lane to start their seasons on a high note. Josh Ferry took his first RUSH Late Model win in only his second start in the division. Ferry had multiple wins in the Economod Division and had moved into the highly competitive RUSH Late Models just last week. Brent Rhebergen, a former champion, dominated the opening night feature for the E-Mods. Paul Davis, winner of three Street Stock features in 2019, captured the win in their 15-lap finale. The Economod Division saw Zack Lenart collect his first-ever feature win and Mark Lawrence, winner of the final two Mini-Stock features of 2019 (six total in ’19), extended his streak to three in a row.

The Street Stocks started their feature with Alan Dellinger and Davis on the front row. Davis led from the drop of the green with Dellinger chasing him. At the end of lap one it was Davis leading Dellinger, David Baker, Gary Miller and Jamie Duncan. Curtis Bish got into the guard rail in turns one and two. Under the yellow, second-running Dellinger headed to the pits and Bish began smoking heavily, but remained in contention. At two laps it was Davis leading Miller, Duncan, Baker and Wesley McCray. By lap six, Davis enjoyed a quarter-lap advantage. McCray came to third while Davis was still extending his lead. At halfway it was Davis, Miller, McCray, Duncan and Baker. With five to go McCray, a two-time winner in 2019, was trying both inside and outside to get by Miller, finally succeeding with three laps to go. At the finish Davis had a near half-lap lead over McCray. Miller wound up third with Bish fourth and Duncan fifth.

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The Economod feature started with Billy Cunningham and Lenart leading the way Justin Chaddock spun in turn three for caution No. 1. He needed towed off to the pit, apparently suffering mechanical damage in the incident. At four laps Mike Harmon spun in turn four, collecting Jarrit Young, Jordan Simmons and Kyle Adkins. The red flag was shown for the clean-up as the track was essentially blocked. After green Cunningham continued to lead with Lenart still second, Alexander third, Judson Fell fourth and Dustin Demattia fifth. By halfway Demattia had taken over fourth. With the white flag in the air, Derek Connors spun in turns one and two, setting up a one-lap dash for the win. On the final lap both Lenart and Alexander got around Cunningham. The final order for the top five was Lenart, for his first-ever win, Alexander, Cunningham, Demattia and Nate Young.

RUSH Late Model class rookie Josh Ferry started on the outside of row one with John Watson on the pole. Yellow flew immediately as Billy Henry got into the outside wall on the front straight with one lap complete. Amazingly, Jason Genco had advanced from 17th in the lineup to seventh in just one lap. By five laps the top five were Ferry, Matt Latta (celebrating his 28th birthday), Watson, former champion Kyle Zimmerman and Genco. The order was the same at lap 11 when Jacob Peterson spun in turn four. With seven to go Latta got next to Ferry in turn one but the rookie held the spot as they exited turn two. At 14 laps Jamie Wrightsman got into the main straight retaining wall. Over the remaining laps Ferry and Latta began opening a gap on the rest of the field. They wound up first and second with Watson third, Zimmerman fourth and Genco fifth at the checkers. It was Ferry’s first RUSH Late Model win in only his second start in the class. It was an emotional win for the youngster who had just turned 21 at the end of March.

Rhebergen again showed his mastery of Raceway 7 by leading every lap of the E-Mod feature. At the end of the first lap Rhebergen had taken over at the front with Steve Rex, Mike McGee, Casey Bowers and Dennis Lunger filling out the top five. Many-time class champion Joel Watson entered the top five at lap three and was side by side with Lunger for fourth at six laps. Lunger had control of the spot at lap seven but Watson took it over at nine complete. The top five at halfway were Rhebergen, Rex, McGee, Watson and Lunger. At 11 laps Watson and McGee were near even for third. With eight laps of the scheduled 20 complete, yellow flew when Josh McDonald and Jesse Gould got together in turns three and four, erasing Rhebergen’s now substantial lead. After green reappeared Watson pulled next to the leader in turns one and two but Rhebergen pulled back out to the sole ownership of the lead at the end of 13. At 15 laps Rhebergen was extending his lead with the top five at the checkers being Rhebergen, Watson, Lunger, Rex and McGee.

Dalton Speer and Lawrence, the defending class champion, brought the Mini Stocks to green with Speer leading Lawrence, Jessica Harvey, Chris Bugielski and former champion Brad Cole at the end on one lap. Lawrence took the lead in turn two on lap two. Yellow was flown at the end of lap two when Dillon Speer bounced off Emily Stoyer and ended up in the infield. Stoyer maintained her position, now fifth. At three laps Lawrence led Harvey and Dalton Speer, who were side by side for second, Stoyer and Lane Reinwald. Speer had sole possession of second at four laps. Reinwald then slowed to a halt in turn three while Alan Sousa spun in turn two, Bugielski headed pitside and Corry Wick turned right at the end of the back straight and drove into the turn three guard rails. At halfway it was Lawrence, Dalton Speer, Pat Hanlon and Harvey side by side for third, with Stoyer fifth. Hanlon got into the retaining rail in turn two at six laps. Harvey got to second at seven laps when Dalton Speer went high in turn two. A the finish it was Lawrence, Harvey, Speer, Stoyer and Kevin Watson.

Next Friday Raceway 7 will present another five-star program with regular features in all divisions.

Street Stocks

Heat 1: Jamie Duncan, Alan Dellinger, Curtis Bish, Gary Miller, Ed Bolyard, Jonathan Davis

Heat 2: Paul Davis, David Baker, Joe Stajnrajh, Wesley McCray, Scott Gill

Feature: Paul Davis, Wesley McCray, Gary Miller, Curtis Bish, Jamie Duncan, David Baker, Joe Stajnragh, Ed Bolyard, Jonathan Davis, Scott Gill, Alan Dellinger

Economods

Heat 1: Mike Harmon, Judson Fell. Zack Lenart, Derek Connors, Bobby Vogt, Brandon Grossman (DNS),

Heat 2: Dustin Demattia, Matt Alexander, Billy Cunningham, Jarrit Young, Bill Cunningham, Kevin Vanderhoof

Heat 3: Nate Young, Garrett Calvert, Ty Rhodes, Justin Chaddock, Kyle Adkins, Jordan Simmons, Andrew Piscarchick

Feature: Zack Lenart, Matt Alexander, Billy Cunningham, Dustin Demattia, Nate Young, Judson Fell, Garrett Calvert, Bill Cunningham, Kyle Adkins, Jordan Simmons, Andrew Pisarchick, Derek Connors, Ty Rhoades, Bob Vogt Jr, Mike Harmon, Jarrit Young, Justin Chaddock, Brandon Grossman, Bill Watson (DNS), Kevin Vanderhoof (DNS)

RUSH Late Models

Heat 1: Breyton Santee, Kyle Zimmerman, Jamie Wrightsman, David Parker, Bud Watson, Jacob Peterson, T J Downes

Heat 2: Andy Boozel, John Watson, Jason Genco, Chad Sines, Joe Long, Jon Rivers, Jonathan Stockdale

Heat 3: Matt Latta, Dave Airgood, Josh Ferry, Brandon Porter, Cory Sines, Steve Hollabaugh, Billy Henry (DNS)

Feature: Josh Ferry, Matt Latta, Kyle Zimmerman, John Watson, Breyton Santee, Jason Genco, Chad Sines, Dave Airgood, Joe Long, Andy Boozel, Cory Sines, T J Downes, Brandon Porter, David Parker, John Stockdale, Steve Hollabaugh, Jacob Peterson, Joe Howell, Jamie Wrightsman, Bud Watson, Billy Henry

E-Mods

Heat 1: Brent Rhebergen, Mike McGee, Steve Rex, Eric Reinwald, Tyler Frankenberry

Heat 2: Joel Watson, Dennis Lunger, Eric Reinwald, Alan Atkinson, Mark Titus, Dan McDonald

Heat 3: Casey Bowers, Randy Hall, Mike Kinney, Josh McDonald, Brandon Grossman, Chuck Steinle Jr

Feature: Brent Rhebergen, Joel Watson, Dennis Lunger, Steve Rex, Mike McGee, Casey Bowers, Alan Atkinson, Randy Hall, Dan McDonald, Mike Kinney, Jesse Gould, Mark Titus, Brandon Grossman, Josh McDonald, Tyler Frankenberry, Chuck Steinle Jr., Eric Reinwald

Mini Stocks

Heat 1: Jessica Harvey, Dillon Speer, Zoey Gill, Chris Bugielski, Alan Sousa, Tristan Start,

Heat 2: Dalton Speer, Mark Lawrence, Lane Reinwald, Brad Cole, Mark Braden, Mike Barr, Ana Vassen, 421

Heat 3: Emily Stoyer, Kevin Watson, Pat Hanlon, Jeremy Start, Derek Tuttle, Phil Powell, Corry Wick

Feature: Mark Lawrence, Jessica Harvey, Dalton Speer, Emily Stoyer, Kevin Watson, Brad Cole, Zoey Gill, Alan Sousa, Jeremy Start, Tristan Start, Justin Bailey, Trisha Jacklett, Mark Braden, Chris Bugielski, Ana Vassen, Derek Tuttle, Pat Hanlon, Corry Wick, Lane Reinwald, Mike Barr, Dillon Speer, Phil Powell

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