MAX BLAIR HOLDS OFF DEFENDING SERIES CHAMP JOHN WATERS TO WIN HIS ALL-TIME LEADING 18TH CAREER SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL TOUR VICTORY IN THE "JASON DUNHAM MEMORIAL" AT MCKEAN'S "FALL CLASSIC"

 (East Smethport, PA – September 20, 2017)...The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series powered by Pace Performance participated in the 12th annual "Fall Classic" at McKean County Raceway.  Thursday's $1,000 to-win Sweeney Weekly Series "Ron Baker Memorial" event went to John Waters, while rain on Friday condensed the Sweeney Tour portion of the event to a one-day program on Saturday.  The "Jason Dunham Memorial" Sweeney Tour race #13 on Saturday attracted 27 drivers from all over Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Making just his third Sweeney Tour start of 2017, Max Blair, the 2015 Series Champion, took the lead from Brad Mesler on lap two and held off defending Series Champion, John Waters, through lapped traffic for his second win of the season.  For Blair, the $1,500 victory came in the 25-lap "Jason Dunham" Memorial feature event.

Blair earned the pole position following his K&N Dash win, but it was track champion, Brad Mesler, using the outside to power into the lead.  Mesler's lead though would only last one lap as Blair found traction on the inside to lead lap two, while Eric Wilson passed Dennis Lunger, Jr. for fourth.  Waters started fourth and began to challenge Mesler for runner-up on lap four.  Waters was able to get under Mesler to take the second spot on lap five as Wilson followed behind in third.

Blair had opened up a half-straightaway lead when he caught traffic on lap six; however five cautions plagued action between laps 7-13.  The final caution was when the fourth place car of Mesler got too low in turn four and caught the piled up infield mud that had been scraped off the track from Friday's rain.  That caused damage and had the field scattering.  Point leader Bryce Davis and Tour regular Jason Knowles made contact and got caught up in the fray ending the night for all three drivers.  Mesler was awarded the TBM Brakes "Tough Brake of the Night".

When racing resumed for the final time, Blair had just enough to maintain the lead from Waters, while Paul Grigsby cracked the top five moving past Lunger.  Some late race drama occurred when Blair caught lapped traffic beginning on lap 21.  On lap 23, Blair struggled to lap Darin Horton, who was making his first ever Tour start.  This allowed Waters to close and actually pulled alongside for a brief time before Blair made the right moves on the final two laps.  Blair's all-time leading 18th career Sweeney Tour victory came in his Murphy's Logging/C&J Dairy/Previty's Auto Wrecking/Specialty Products/Sons of American Legion-sponsored #111.

Waters' runner-up finish allowed him to unofficially tie Davis for the point lead with just two events remaining.  Wilson's third place finish was his best Tour performance since a runner-up at the 2015 "Fall Classic" event at McKean.  For that, Wilson was selected as the Maxima Racing Oils "Maximum Performance" award winner.  Mike Pegher, Jr. was fourth for his ninth top four finish in 10 Tour starts this season!  After coming up light at the scales during qualifying that put him in the hole for the night, Grigsby bounced back to finish fifth after starting 12th in the feature for his career best Tour finish.

Jason Dunham was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions while serving with 3rd Battalion 7th Marines during the Iraq War.  While on a patrol in Husaybah, his unit was attacked and he deliberately covered an enemy grenade to save nearby Marines.  When it exploded Dunham was gravely injured and died eight days later.

The Sweeney Tour resumes action this coming Friday and Saturday night (October 6-7) for the "Bill Hendren Memorial" as part of the "Pittsburgher 100" with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pa.  Friday will feature $100 FK Rod Ends "Shock the Clock Qualifying" and $25 FK Rod Ends heat races.  Saturday will be the K&N Dash, last chance B main(s), 30-lap $2,500 to-win feature, and the $200 to-win Non-Qualifier.  There will also be $3,000 in bonus monies with $100 per lap in the feature going to a random running car.  Pits open at 2 p.m. with warm-ups both nights at 6 p.m.

Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Late Model Touring Series Race #13 "Jason Dunham Memorial" (25 laps, $1,500 to-win): 1. MAX BLAIR (111)  2. John Waters (LeBarron 11)  3. Eric Wilson (27W)  4. Mike Pegher, Jr. (Swank RJ1)  5. Paul Grigsby (24)  6. Dennis Lunger, Jr. (Schwartz 71L)  7. Brian Knowles (7)  8. Brian Swank (12s)  9. Steve LeBarron (29)  10. Mike Wonderling, Jr. (18)  11. Jeff Hoffman (32)  12. Erin Peters (06)  13. Greg Beach (33x)  14. Kyle Murray (21)  15. Paul Norman (6)  16. Andy Michael (17x)  17. Darin Horton (66)  18. Tony White (27T)  19. Brad Mesler (24B)  20. Jason Knowles (4)  21. Bryce Davis (94)  22. Jason Harmon (521)  23. D.J. Krug (83)  24. Jeremy Wonderling (3J).

E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at info@rushracingseries.com 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 http://www.rushracingseries.com. Like our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.

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By Mike Leone