SWEENEY RUSH’S HISTORY-MAKING “STEEL CITY 100” SUNDAY, JUNE 8 AT PPMS TO FEATURE 1ST EVER 100-LAP NORTHEAST CRATE LM EVENT
December 23, 2013
(By Mike Leone) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Imperial, PA)…It’s already been a busy offseason for the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Series with numerous exciting announcements and forward momentum heading into 2014. Series Directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone are now pleased to reveal a new event coming in 2014. The “Steel City 100” will feature a 100-lap Sweeney Tour event at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway on Sunday, June 8.
The history-making event will be the first ever 100-lap event in what will be the eight-year history of Crate Late Models in the Northeast! The event is expected to be the richest on the 2014 slate with a minimum of $4,000 going to the winner. The race will also feature an expanded starting field of 30 cars on “The Monster Half-Mile”! Numerous other promotional items are being worked on that will be featured not only in conjunction with this event, but the weekend itself; details of these to be released soon.
“We’ve always wanted to do a 100-lap Tour event,” stated Emig. “The logistics and timing just never seemed to work out. It started as a simple mention and days later the ball got rolling, and next thing you know it worked out with what should be a really good date. Pittsburgh won’t host any circle track racing the night before (Saturday, June 7) due to their monster truck show.”
“We couldn’t be more excited about the Steel City 100,” expressed Miley. “We’ve always been known for the 100-lap Pittsburgher for the Super Lates and we’ve established that again as a marquee event thanks to our partnership with NDRL. The RUSH Late Models put on fantastic racing every week and we’ve been fortunate enough to showcase them in some tremendous touring events recently. Teaming up with RUSH to do a 100 lapper should be an awesome show and one that we both can develop into a marquee event for Crate Late Model racers throughout the Northeast.”
One driver that will sure to be chomping at the bit for this event is Ryan Montgomery. The 16-year-old Fairmont, West Virginia star, who finished second in the Sweeney Tour points, took a great liking “The Monster Half-Mile” in 2013. Montgomery swept the “Pittsburgher” weekend in October and finished second in both the July 13 Speedweek and August 31 “Manufacturers Night” events. Montgomery won over $6,000 in those four events alone, which is enough to pay for a brand new GM 604 engine and have money left over!
Track champion Kyle Lukon and Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr. won their first career Sweeney Tour events this past season at Pittsburgh. Defending Sweeney Tour champion Mike Pegher, Jr. and two-time PPMS Sweeney Weekly Series winner, Josh Holtgraver, are always fast at the Allegheny County oval.
“One hundred lap events not only can make for great racing with numerous lead changes, but also offer up different strategies for the teams and the possibility of the unexpected,” stated Leone. “In the end, it wouldn’t surprise us to see a dark hhorse come away with not only the richest victory of the 2014 RUSH season, but the biggest of their career! As the months lead up to the event, both the Mileys and ourselves will be working diligently to make this into an exciting and prestigious event that everyone can look forward to annually.”
The “Steel City 100” show will feature a 6 p.m. start time with the goal to have the show done in a timely fashion to allow travelers to be on their way home at a reasonable hour. Stay tuned for more information on this event and several other upcoming announcements in the coming weeks. Anyone wishing to get involved with this event in any way or by purchasing a lap should contact the RUSH Office at 724-964-9300 or e-mail info@rushracingseries.com.
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway is a ½-mile dirt track with a GPS address of 170 Kelso Rd, Imperial PA 15126, which is located just off the Noblestown exit on Routes 22/30. For more information, check out their website at www.ppms.com or call 412-279-7223. The track number on race day is 724-695-3363 or 724-695-0393. As for their social media outlets, you can like their page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PittsburghsPennsylvaniaMotorSpeedway or
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.