PEGHER & MONTGOMERY TO BATTLE FOR INAUGURAL SWEENEY RUSH LM TOUR TITLE THIS WEEKEND AT LERNERVILLE’S “STEEL CITY STAMPEDE; 3RD PLACE LAMBERT TO END WHERE IT ALL STARTED
October 22, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Sarver, PA)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series will end its successful inaugural season this weekend at Lernerville Speedway. The “Steel City Stampede” will be the 24th and final Tour event of the season and will determine the top 15 points paying positions. Practice will be Thursday night (October 24) with heat races on Friday night followed by the conclusion of the program on Saturday night. The rain date is Sunday.
This year’s “Steel City Stampede” will be the fifth edition of the growing event that includes 10 of the region’s racing divisions all showcased in this end of the season blowout for the region. Past Crate Late Model winners of the event include Josh Holtgraver (2009), Butch Lambert (2010), Bryan Force (2011), and Max Blair (2012).
The event will mark the second appearance of the season at Lernerville by the Sweeney RUSH Late Model Touring Series as earlier this season Josh Double won the opener for the “Cross the Borders” Speedweek that attracted 37 racers. The May 10 Sweeney Weekly Series event was rained out.
“We’re very appreciative for Lernerville’s support of RUSH,” stated Co-Director Vicki Emig. “It’s a great opportunity for our racers to compete at Lernerville and this popular event, and what a way to end our season! Not only that, but Lernerville is again offering RUSH members the very same pit discount as DIRTcar members! Our racers really appreciated the gesture this summer, and will be able to save $5 per day or $10 off the two or three-day pit passes.”
Every series wants a championship battle right down to the final night and the Sweeney RUSH Tour will be bringing that into Sarver this weekend. What was once a five-man battle at mid-season has whittled down to two; Ryan Montgomery and Mike Pegher, Jr. Both racers are tied for the most wins in the Series at five, but the 16-year-old Montgomery of Fairmont, WV leads 27-year-old Pegher of Wexford, PA by just seven points.
Pegher maintained a fairly steady point lead through most of the season, but had a terrible weekend at Pittsburgh that saw Montgomery go from -18 to +17 after his $4,500+ sweep of the two-day “Pittsburgher”. Pegher bounced back winning last Friday at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex for the first time in 10 races and coupled with Montgomery’s sixth place cut 10 points off Montgomery’s lead.
Pegher now returns to a track he grew up racing Stock Cars at and more recently both Crate and Super Late Models, while the young Montgomery has made only a handful of starts at the fast, high-banked Lernerville clay oval. If Montgomery can finish fourth place or better, something he’s done 15 times in the 23 races to date, the $5,000 title is his!
Butch Lambert has already clinched the third spot in points. The weekend will be a bittersweet one for the Valencia, Pa. resident where he’ll compete in his last event behind the wheel of the Lambert Racing owned #27 RUSH Late Model at the very same track he began his racing career over 20 years ago.
“This decision has not been an easy one,” stated Lambert, a 22-time Lernerville Stock Car winner and three-time Champion, “but we have always said that when it stops being fun, we would stop, and that time has come. Racing has provided us with so many amazing opportunities over the years, and we wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything; however, all good things must come to an end.”
Cody Dawson will make his final trip northwest from his home in Westover, Maryland. The “Futures Cup” racer is coming off a solid season best seventh place Sweeney Tour finish last Friday at Roaring Knob, which propelled him into fourth in points.
Rick Singleton, who has been out of action for the past five events after suffering a concussion on September 20 at McKean County Raceway, has dropped to fifth. Completing the rest of the top 15 are Chad Ruhlman, Joe Martin, Matt Glanden, four-time winner Max Blair, one-time winner and 12-year-old Michael Lake, Andrew Wylie, Canadian Jorden Peters, Dennis Lunger, Jr., and 2012 “Futures Cup” champion Nico Dabecco.
ARbodies will award a nose kit valued at $245 to the first non-qualifier as part of the “Nosed Out” contingency program. Crate Innovations Inc. will give away two Accelerator-1 carb spacer kits valued at $129 each to the second and third non-qualifiers! Also, a random drawing will be held to award a 16-volt TurboStart racing battery valued at $250!
The K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will be run for the four racers after the redraw positions to determine those feature starting spots. The dash will pay $100 K&N certificate for first, $50 K&N certificate for second with $25 cash going to third and fourth. There have been 18 different dash winners in 23 races! Montgomery has already clinched the dash championship via three wins. The only other drivers to repeat are Pegher, Lake, and Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr.
Other programs taking place will be the Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down Hard Charger” as the driver that passes the most cars in the feature will receive $100 Precise certificate. RUSH Officials will choose The Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night” as this driver will receive three bottles of Xtreme6 Racing Brake Fluid valued at approximately $45 along with a certificate good for either $50 off of a purchase of $100 or more or 20% off any The Brake Man purchase.
Feature Payoff: 1. $2,000 2. $1,000 3. $650 4. $550 5. $470 6. $435 7. $410 8. $370 9. $340 10. $310 11. $280 12. $270 13. $260 14. $250 15. $240 16. $230 17. $220 18-24. $210.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Touring Series DRIVER Points (must be Touring member to receive points): 1. Ryan Montgomery 2285 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. 2278 3. Butch Lambert 1880 4. Cody Dawson 1614 5. Rick Singleton 1574 6. Chad Ruhlman 1529 7. Joe Martin 1418 8. Matt Glanden 1322 9. Max Blair 1288 10. Michael Lake 1284 11. Andrew Wylie 1176 12. W.L. Stile 1111 13. Jorden Peters 1026 14. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 999 15. Nico Dabecco 960 16. Matt Latta 887 17. Josh Holtgraver 840 18. John Over 757 19. Josh Double 721 20. Eric Wilson 690 21. Justin Tatlow 638 22. Dan Angelicchio 620 23. Glenn Elliott 617 24. Bryce Davis 597 25. Scott Tessman 524 26. Will Thomas III 505 27. Adam Sixt 488 28. Shane Weaver 467 29. Andrew Satterlee 434 30. Russell Baird, Jr. 368 31. Lauren Longbrake 326 32. D.J. Troutman 304 33. Steve Beatty 236 34. Paul McGinley 217 35. John Imler 173 36. Mike Wharton 151 37. Luke Carleton 143 38. Jamie Brown, Mike Laughard & Junior Peters 140 41. Nolan Dalton 88 42. Darren Peters 87 43. Troy Swindell 85 44. Joe Moyer 82 45. Randy Wible 70.
There is a $100 entry fee for the event. RACEceivers are mandatory and transponders will be required. On Thursday, pits open at 3 p.m. with practice 7-9. On Friday, pits open at 3 with racing at 7. On Saturday, pits open at 12 p.m. with racing at 6.
Lernerville is a 4/10-mile high-banked clay oval located 11 miles southeast of Butler, Pa. on Route 356 at 313 North Pike Road, Sarver, PA 16055. Lernerville is just 30 miles northeast of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. For more information, check out their website at www.lernerville.com or call 724-353-1511 (office) or 724-353-1350 (track).
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.