By Brian Liskai
FREMONT, Ohio — Rusty Schlenk nervously paced around Fremont Speedway prior to Saturday's True Value Hardware of Woodville American Late Model Series (ALMS) Late Model feature.
He knew he had a fast car, but he was afraid the track was going to be a one-lane affair, and starting 16th, he wouldn't be able to get to the front. However, he carefully picked his way forward and grabbed the lead on a restart with 10 laps remaining and went on to score his first career ALMS victory.
"I thought the track would slick off and be one lane, but it stayed racey. I was so nervous I almost made myself sick," said Schlenk beside his Tres Amigos sponsored Rayburn. "I've run a bunch of seconds in these, but finally, we got one. I have to thank my crew and all my sponsors for their patience."
At the start of the 30-lap feature, Lima's Ronnie Perrin Jr. jumped into the early lead with Jerry Bowersock, Brian Ruhlman and Duane Chamberlain in tow. The yellow would slow action after one lap, with Schlenk already up to 8th.
On the restart, Perrin would continue to lead, with Bowersock, Ruhlman and Aaron Scott in tow. Bowersock would take the top spot on lap nine in heavy lapped traffic, with Scott moving into the third spot with Chamberlain and now Schlenk rounding out the top five.
Just past the half-way mark, Bowersock and Perrin would stage a great battle for the top spot, with Scott and Schlenk right on their bumper. Perrin would regain the top position on lap 17, with Bowersock and now Schlenk in the top three.The yellow would fly again on lap 18 with Perrin, Bowersock, Scott and Chamberlain the running order.
The final caution would fall on lap 20, with the running order Perrin, Bowersock, Schlenk, Chamberlain, and Matt Lux.The the restart, Schlenk would slingshot around Bowersock for second entering turn one and then fly around the outside of Perrin to grab the top spot exiting turn 2.
Schlenk would edge Perrin for the victory, with Lux, Chamberlain and Bowersock rounding out the five.
Heat 1 (10 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main) 1. 49R-Brian Ruhlman; 2. 1C-Duane Chamberlain; 3. 21L-Matt Lux; 4. B4U-Brad Eitniear; 5. O5J-Joel Weldeman; 6. 53-Hillard Miller; 7. 35-Ron Miller; 8. 29-Rocky Owens; 9. 101-Chester Fitch; 10. 11P-Ron Price; 11. 3-Rick Delong; 12. 45-Mike Marteney
Heat 2 (10 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main) 1. OJ-Ronnie Perrine Jr.; 2. 5M-Ryan Markahm; 3. 23-Ryan Gorey; 4. 15B-Mike Bores; 5. 72-Mike Miller; 6. 21K-Larry Kingseed; 7. 34H-Ky Harper; 8. 5-Mike Harger; 9. 1F-Jim Fleming; 10. 77C-Craig Corfman; 11. 26R-Scott Runion; 12. 7A-Scott Gonion
Heat 3 (10 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main) 1. OO7-Rick Bond; 2. O2-Jeff Mccoy; 3. 48B-John Bores; 4. 50-Ryan Missler; 5. O3-Clint Jamison; 6. 3AM-Dean Anderson; 7. 27-Bill Hahn; 8. 47-Jeremy Grover; 9. 1R-Chad Ruhlman; 10. 34P-Justin Paxton; 11. 49-George Lindsey
Heat 4 (10 laps, top 4 transfer to A-Main) 1. 1S-Aaron Scott; 2. 11J-Jerry Bowersox; 3. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.; 4. 91-Rusty Schlenk; 5. 21H-David Hilliker; 6. 117-Kevin Reeve; 7. 25-Chuck Hummer; 8. 23C-Jeremy Canada; 9. 71-Dave Hornikel; 10. 41-Randy Pollock; 11. 4U-Jeff Clapp
B1-Main (10 laps, top 2 transfer to A-main) 1. 53-Hillard Miller; 2. 45-Mike Marteney; 3. 5-Mike Harger; 4. 77C-Craig Corfman; 5. 35-Ron Miller; 6. O5J-Joel Weldeman; 7. 101-Chester Fitch; 8. 11P-Ron Price; 9. 26R-Scott Runion; 10. 7A-Scott Gonion; 11. 72-Mike Miller; 12. 21K-Larry Kingseed; 13. 34H-Ky Harper; 14. 29-Rocky Owens; 15. 3-Rick Delong
B2-main (10 laps, top 2 transfer to A-Main) 1. 34P-Justin Paxton; 2. 25-Chuck Hummer; 3. O3-Clint Jamison; 4. 49-George Lindsey; 5. 23C-Jeremy Canada; 6. 3AM-Dean Anderson; 7. 41-Randy Pollock; 8. 4U-Jeff Clapp; 9. 47-Jeremy Grover; 10. 71-Dave Hornikel; 11. 21H-David Hilliker; 12. 117-Kevin Reeve; 13. 1R-Chad Ruhlman
A-main (30 laps) Starting Position [] 1. 91-Rusty Schlenk[16]; 2. OJ-Ronnie Perrine Jr.[1]; 3. 21L-Matt Lux[9]; 4. 1C-Duane Chamberlain[4]; 5. 11J-Jerry Bowersox[2]; 6. 34P-Justin Paxton[18]; 7. 40-Wayne Maffett Jr.[12]; 8. 50-Ryan Missler[15]; 9. 3-Rick Delong[21]; 10. 1S-Aaron Scott[6]; 11. 49R-Brian Ruhlman[3]; 12. 53-Hillard Miller[17]; 13. B4U-Brad Eitniear[13]; 14. 5M-Ryan Markahm[5]; 15. 48B-John Bores[11]; 16. O5J-Joel Weldeman[22]; 17. 15B-Mike Bores[14]; 18. 45-Mike Marteney[19]; 19. OO7-Rick Bond[8]; 20. 25-Chuck Hummer[20]; 21. O2-Jeff Mccoy[7]; 22. 23-Ryan Gorey[10]