Eldora Speedway
Johnny Appleseed gives Schlenk two in a row
Winner Rusty Schlenk fights off Kent Robinson (7r). (Jim DenHamer)
ROSSBURG, Ohio (May 30) — Two out of three ain't bad, especially when one of them comes at Eldora Speedway. Two-time Sunoco American Late Model Series champion Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., completed a 2-for-3 weekend on Sunday at Eldora with a $2,000 triumph in the Johnny Appleseed Classic. | Slideshow
Schlenk started on the pole of the 22-car field and outran fellow front-row starter Curtis Roberts of Coleman, Mich., for his ninth career ALMS victory. Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich., was third followed by Frank Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park, Ill., and 12th-starting Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio.
Schlenk won the previous ALMS event Saturday at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, after posting a fifth-place finish Friday at Mount Pleasant (Mich.) Speedway in the opener of the Memorial Day weekend tripleheader.
Notes: Schlenk's Rayburn Race Car is sponsored by Time Out Bar & Grill and Main & Company Inc. ... The race was sponsored by Miller Lite. ... Schlenk is leading the overall UMP DIRTcar point standings. ... J.R. Hotovy of Covert, Mich., set fast time in a Bloomquist Race Car he purchased from Wisconsin driver Brady Smith. ... Champion drag racer Cruz Pedregon finished eighth in a tuneup for June 7's Gillette Prelude to the Dream. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: Jason Jameson, John Lawhorn, Ron Perrine Jr., Wayne Chinn, Casey Noonan and Andrew Reaume. ... Next up for ALMS competitors is a June 18-19 weekend in Ohio at Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg and Oakshade.
Johnny Appleseed Classic: (1) Rusty Schlenk, (2) Curtis Roberts, (3) Brian Ruhlman, (4) Frank Heckenast Jr., (5) Matt Miller, (6) Jeep Van Wormer, (7) Duane Chamberlain, (8) Cruz Pedregon, (9) Jerry Bowersock, (10) Lee Devasier, (11) Keith Berner, (12) Dusty Moore, (13) Rick Delong, (14) Phil Ausra, (15) Scott Orr, (16) Rich Neiser, (17) Jon Henry, (18) Kent Robinson, (19) Tom Sprague, (20) J.R. Hotovy, (21) Josh Williams, (22) Ryan Vanderveen. Fast qualifier (among 36 cars): Hotovy, 16.210 seconds. Heat race winners: Devasier, Williams, Pedregon, Robinson. Consolation winners: Delong, Orr. Provisional starters: Vanderveen, Ausra.
