POTOMAC & WINCHESTER SPEEDWAYS COMMIT TO 3-YEAR AGREEMENTS TO HAVE SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL SERIES PART OF WEEKLY PROGRAM BEGINNING IN 2014
November 2, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)…With the inaugural season of the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series just concluding last weekend, directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone are thrilled to announce the addition of Potomac and Winchester Speedways to the Series. Under the leadership of Greg Gunter and Denise Hollidge, both Mid-Atlantic speedways have committed to three-year agreements to have their Crate Late Model division sanctioned under the RUSH banner beginning in 2014!
Both speedways added the Crate Late Models on a bi-weekly basis in 2013 with Potomac Speedway (Budds Creek, MD) running on alternating Friday nights and Winchester (VA) Speedway running on alternating Saturday nights. John Imler captured the Potomac title, while Jonathan DeHaven was the Winchester champion. Imler made five Sweeney RUSH Tour appearances between Hagerstown Speedway and Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex with a season’s best fourth at the Knob on September 28.
With both speedways under the Sweeney RUSH banner for 2014, member racers will be able to compete toward the Sweeney Weekly Series Championship, Pace Performance “Summer Chase”, and the eligible teenage racers toward the “Futures Cup” championship. Though the $125 membership is not required, member racers in 2014 will also now be afforded $100,000 in additional driver medical insurance over and above driver’s heath insurance and speedway insurance. Additional insurance information will be released soon!
“We cannot express how excited we are to have Winchester and Potomac Speedways part of RUSH,” stated Emig. “I’ve talked to Denise in recent years about the possibility of bringing Crate Late Models to both speedways. We believe that the addition of these two well known speedways will be a tremendous boost to the continual growth of Crate Late Model racing throughout the eastern corridor of our region.”
Throughout 2013, RUSH was blessed with many Mid-Atlantic racers competing on the Sweeney Tour. Westover, Maryland’s Cody Dawson fared the best finishing fourth in the season ending points, while Preston, Maryland’s Matt Glanden was eighth. Also, Dawson finished third in the “Futures Cup”, while Glanden was sixth.
Several other Maryland racers made numerous starts on the Tour like Glenn Elliott, Scott Tessman, Paul McGinley, and Imler. These racers, who all made long distance tows to the northwest, will now be able to participate in RUSH-sanctioned events much closer to home and have a greater opportunity to excel in the Sweeney RUSH “Weekly” programs and point funds.
“With the Mid-Atlantic and East’s strong Late Model history, we’ve always believed that these areas have been prime for the development of Crate Late Model racing,” explained Leone. “It’s taken time, but racers and tracks are starting to see that the entire package that the RUSH Late Model Series offers is a viable and exciting option for them to consider. The addition of strong partners like Potomac and Winchester Speedways, and the events that were held at Hagerstown and The Rock are a great step in that direction.”
Both Gunter and Hollidge along with RUSH Series will also look at the possibility of a Mid-Atlantic Sweeney Tour weekend featuring Potomac and Winchester and possibly a third speedway, if it is felt to be in the best interest of all concerned parties.
Potomac and Winchester racers will have the ability to use their 2013 tire selections through the first four completed events at each speedway in 2014. Informational seminars for racers, speedway tech officials, and engine rebuilders will be scheduled prior to the start of the season.
Potomac Speedway is a high-banked 3/8-mile dirt track located on Route 234 at27963 Budds Creek Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659. The track first opened in 1973 and ironically its first Late Model race was won by Rick Jones, who would later become a promoter at the speedway (2003-2008) and today has become a great partner of RUSH at Roaring Knob. Gunter has promoter the speedway, which is located about an hour south of Washington D.C and Baltimore, since 2009. For information, check out their website at www.potomacspeedway.com or call 301-481-8855.
Winchester Speedway is also a high-banked 3/8-mile dirt track located just off Route 50 at 950 Airport Road Winchester, VA 22604. The track first opened in 1936 under the name of Airport Speedway. It was purchased in 2009 by Gunter. The track has been home to the Winchester 200, a major Super Late Model event, since 1963! The track hosts major events for the World of Outlaw Late Models, ARDC Midgets, URC Sprints, and the Appalachian Mountain Late Model Speedweek. For more information, check out their website at www.winchestervaspeedway.com or call 301-481-8855.
2013 RUSH marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, RainEater Wiper Blades, Hoosier Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The -Brake Man, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, K1 RaceGear, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Wrisco Industries, High Gear Speed Shop, Utsinger’s Towing, RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.
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 www.rushracingseries.com. Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.