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By James A. Ellis/For The Leader-Herald
Glen Ridge Motorsports Park recently announced a change to its schedule and the addition of another division being added to its regular Sunday night schedule for the 2024 season.
Presented by Yurkewecz Auto Crushers and Northeast Paving & Sealcoat, the Pennsylvania-based RUSH Racing Series Crate Late Models will compete at the fast quarter-mile for the first time on Aug. 13. RUSH member racers will be able to participate at Glen Ridge on a weekly basis in 2024 and be eligible for all the programs including the City Chevrolet National Weekly Series Championship, City Chevrolet “Track Pack Bonus” program, and the “Futures Cup” for those eligible racers.
“Recently, we have noticed an uptick of interest for Late Models in our region, but there are no tracks close to our area that runs this class,” Glen Ridge officials Jay Fitzgerald and Alicia Hughes said. “Once we started looking into all of our options, we thought RUSH would be a great sanction for a Late Model-type division. It’s a class where people can save money, while at the same time gain notoriety and be able to be part of their valuable championship programs. This will be a huge change in the racing world in upstate New York, and we look forward to growing the division into the future.”
Sunday, Demetrios Drellos was on hand at The Ridge with his RUSH Late Model to run hot laps and give fans a look at the car.
Drellos and former Glen Ridge regular Brock “Bam Bam” Pinkerous are regulars on the RUSH Late Model circuit and have both taken home victories this season.
In a press release for the event, RUSH Director Vicki Emig said, “This will be a completely new area to grow the RUSH brand and Late Model racing in general. With Brock Pinkerous and Demetrios Drellos getting involved in RUSH Late Model racing this season it opened some eyes in the eastern New York area and we can’t thank them enough for getting the ball rolling. The event on August 13 will be a great opportunity to get the RUSH Late Models in front of a new audience.”
WILLIX, DUNN SHARE 358 HONORS AT THE RIDGE
Lance Willix and Billy Dunn shared honors with victories in the 358-modified features Sunday night at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park.
Willix packed up his third win of the season in the regularly scheduled feature, while Dunn collected his second win of the season in the 35-lap feature held over from May 7.
Andrew Buff picked up his second-straight DIRTCar Sportsman feature win, while Luke Horning took home top honors in the Pro Stock feature and Mike Arnold won his second Limited Sportsman feature in as many appearances this year at The Ridge. Jason Samrov claimed the Street Stock victory, while Jay Ingersoll won the Dual Cam Mini Stock feature and Daniel Joubert won the single cam main.
A.J. Albreada returned to Victory Lane in the All-Star Slingshot feature, and Bodie Marks was first under the checkers in the Junior Slingshot feature, though the official results are still under review.
Garrett Poland set the early pace in the opening 35-lap small block modified feature, with Billy August and Willix a distant second and third.
A lap eight caution brought Poland back to the pack. Poland held off August on the restart before August took over the point a lap later, bringing Willix to the front with him.
August and Willix exchanged leads four times over the next five laps before Willix gained control, leading the final 22 laps to get the win. Jordan McCreadie rallied to finish second, followed by Dunn, August and Brian Calabrese. Poland, C.J. Castelletti, Tucker O’Connor, Carter Gibbons and Jim Becker rounded out the top 10.
After a reshuffled line-up for the May 7 feature, Dunn and Willix made up the front row of the nine car field of returning qualified cars.
Dunn jumped into the early lead and never looked back as he led all 35 laps of the caution free feature.
Glen Ridge will be back in action Sunday on NYSSCA Night, featuring the VanAernam Street Stock Classic.
GLEN RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK RESULTS
Sunday
DIRTCAR 358 MODIFIEDS (35 laps) — Lance Willix, Jordan McCreadie, Billy Dunn, Bill August, Brian Calabrese, Garrett Poland, C.J. Castelletti, Tucker O’Connor, Carter Gibbons, Jim Becker, Brian Pessolano, Dale Gray, Brett Graham, Richie Price, Montgomery Tremont, Robert Bublak.
DIRTCAR 358 MODIFIEDS (HELD OVER FROM May 7) (35 laps) — Billy Dunn, Lance Willix, Garrett Poland, Jordan McCreadie, Tucker O’Connor, C.J. Castelletti, Carter Gibbons, Richie Price, Bill August, Chris Bisson (DNS), Chris Raabe (DNS), Jeff Gallup (DNS), Corey Cormier (DNS), Brock Pinkerous (DNS).
CLASSIC MUSCLE PARTS DIRTCAR SPORTSMAN (30 laps) — Andrew Buff, Cody Ochs, Ricky Quick, Zach Buff, Tavien Blowers, Butchie Irwin, Brendan Gibbons, Kadon Hohensheldt, Derrick McGrew, Jr., Floyd Billington, E.J. Gallup, Tony Farone, Kearra Backus, Al McCoy
YURKEWECZ AUTO CRUSHERS DIRTCAR PRO STOCKS (25 laps) — Luke Horning, Johnny Rivers, Slater Baker, Ivan Joslin, Steve Cosselman, Dom Denue, Shawn Perez, Jr., Chuck McSpirit, Richard Spencer.
LIMITED SPORTSMAN (20 laps) — Michael Arnold, Kirsten Swartz, Craig Coons, Adam Fusco, Mat LaValley, James Hinman, Jr., Lucas Duncan, Zach Graham, Sloan Cherko, Zach McSpirit, Colton Emigh, Connor Hearn, Tyler Bobar (DQ – Weight).
STREET STOCKS (10 laps) — Jason Samrov, Josh Samrov, Matt Mosher.
LEATHERSTOCKING CREDIT UNION DIRTCAR MINI STOCKS (30 laps) — Jay Ingersol (D), Damien Ward (D), DANIEL JOUBERT (S), Todd Morey (D), Bruce Liddle (S), Jordan Ryder (D), Brian Blanck (D), Jamie Warner (S), Nicholas Bunn (D), Ken Bunn (S), Ulysses Taylor, Jr. (D), Stephan Burka (S), T.J. Marlitt (S).
NORTHEAST PAVING & SEALCOAT ALL-STAR SLINGSHOTS (15 laps) — A.J. Albreada, Danny Ballard, T.J. Hughes, Alex Boisvert, Gina Voris, Scott Sprague.
NORTHEAST PAVING & SEALCOAT JUNIOR SLINGSHOTS (12 laps) — TBA.
PIT NOTES
It will be a double dose of sprint cars this weekend at Utica-Rome and Fonda Speedways.
The 360 Empire Super Sprints (ESS) are scheduled to run at Utica-Rome Speedway Friday as part of its regular weekly program. It is the third time this season the ESS have run at U-R with Paulie Colagiovanni and Danny Varin getting the wins.
Saturday, the ESS will join the full regular race card at Fonda Speedway for the running of the Earl Halaquist Memorial. Shawn Donath edged Danny Varin for the ESS victory when the ESS raced at Fonda on May 5.
Lebanon Valley Speedway is hosting two nights of Monster Truck Madness with the Muddy Megas and Tuff Trucks Friday and Saturday night.
Albany-Saratoga Speedway is scheduled to host the annual John Grady Memorial/Nostalgia Night featuring a 43-lap, $3,500-to-win modified feature in a full regular race program plus the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series.
