5.5.18 Pittsburgh PA Motor Speedway Results

After a long off season, it was a rainy night at the Monster for the 2018 opening race. There were six classes set to race but mother nature had other ideas. With a light drizzle falling most of the evening, PPMS was forced to postpone the action, but all of the heat races and two of the features were able to run. Brandon Ritchey from Seneca, PA, took the win in the Rush Sportsman Modified feature, and Frank Magill picked up his first career victory in the Young Guns division.
In the RUSH Sportsman Modified fifteen lap feature Alan Dellinger led the first 9 laps after starting fourth when the event’s lone caution slowed the pace. Dellinger chose the inside on the restart when Brandon Ritchey passed him on the outside taking the lead after starting sixth. Dellinger pressed Ritchey for the lead on lap ten before Richiey pulled away, leading the remaining five laps for a 0.934 second win. John Mollick from Toronto, OH, finished in the third spot after starting fifth. 2017 points champion Kole Holden from Tiona, PA, finished fourth after starting eigth and Garrett Krummert fifth. Justin Shea, Chelsie Kriegisch, Kyle Martel, Rocky Kugel, and Steve Slater rounded out the top ten. Heat race winners were Justin Shea, John Mollick, and Brandon Ritchie.
As rain continued to fall, the Diehl Automotive RUSH Late Model feature was lined up and running the track under caution while the infamous pit steward Smokey Schempp was inspecting track conditions. After every Diehl Automotive RUSH Late Model driver gave Smokey the thumbs down, and after viewing the radar, track officals made the decision to postpone the remainder of the evening. The Diehl Automotive RUSH Late Model heat race winners were John Mollick from Toronto, OH, and Mike Duritsky from Masontown, PA.
The rest of the heat race winners were as follows. In the Sunoco Sportsman division Jason Fosnaught from Tarentum, PA, after starting sixth, and Andrew Gordon from DuBois, PA, set a new sportsman track record of 19.617 seconds after starting fifth. 2017 champion Stephen Shelpman from Pleasant Hills, PA, and Adam Ferree from Jefferson Hills, PA, won the Miley Motorhome Rental Hobby Stock heat races after both started second. The Black Label Business Center Open 4s had Okey Howard and Andy Garlinger both from Hopedale, OH, picking up the heat race wins after starting fifth and fourth respectively.