MCKEAN COUNTY FAIR RACE EVENT ON TAP THURSDAY FOR SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES
August 12, 2014
(East Smethport, PA)…After a successful venture into Canada at Humberstone Speedway on July 20, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series returns to the States this Thursday night (August 14) in the first of three appearances of the season at McKean County Raceway. The event is part of the 109th annual McKean County Fair with racing beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday is race #10 of the 2014 Sweeney Tour and marks the halfway point of the season. This will be the fourth straight year being part of the McKean County Fair as past winners include Josh Holtgraver (2011), Max Blair (2012), and Mike Pegher, Jr. (2013). Will there be a fourth different winner on Thursday night!?
After coming up just shy to Pegher after the final event in 2013, Ryan Montgomery has set his sights on winning the 2014 title and has had an extraordinary consistent season to date. Outside of his 14th place finish after a late race spin in the season opening event at Freedom, the West Virginia teen has rallied for eight straight top six finishes including a victory on July 12 at Pittsburgh!
Montgomery has a 64-point lead over John Waters, who just took over the runner-up spot in points following his victory at Humberstone. The $2,000 win was Waters’ first since joining the Sweeney Tour last September. Thursday’s event will be the closest show to his home in Whitesville, New York to date this season.
Despite a pair of victories, it’s been an up and down season for Chad McClellan. The Stoystown, Pa. veteran has slipped to third in points after leading the Sweeney Tour early on, as five finishes of 10th or worse has really hampered his points. McClellan though trails Waters by only four points and will be returning to the track where he won his first career Tour event at last year.
Like McClellan, Jason Rider had a strong start to the season as he recorded three top eight finishes in the first three races, but has hit a slump of late with a ninth place finish being his best finish since. Rider is another driver in his first year of touring action and the western Pa. racer drives the Dave Wade-owned #76.
Following his season best effort in fourth at Humberstone, Ohio’s Eric Wilson has moved into the top five in points. Though it’s hours from home, “The Shark” returns to a track he’s had success at before and will look to improve on his great Humberstone run during “Shark Week”!
Maryland’s Cody Dawson is sixth in points, while Virginia’s Rick Singleton is seventh. Singleton has won four of the five races he’s competed in to go along with a third place finish. Singleton leads the $3,000 to-win Pace Performance “Summer Chase” points. It’s interesting to note that the top seven in points reside in six different states!
McKean boasts the highest average weekly car count average for the Sweeney RUSH Series at over 24 per event, and on two occasions event had over 30 cars for a regular event! It’s been an amazing season for Chad Ruhlman, who has won eight of the 13 shows to put him into the $5,000 to-win Sweeney Weekly Series Championship point lead. Other McKean winners this season include Blair with a pair of wins along with Damian Bidwell, Andy Michael, and Adam Sixt.
“It’s a privilege to again be able to compete at the McKean County Fair event,” stated RUSH Co-Director Vicki Emig. “There’s always a great crowd and atmosphere for this show, and it’s just a two-division show. We always enjoy our trips to McKean and this will serve as a tune-up for the Manufacturers Night coming up at McKean on August 30 where we’ll award over $30,000 in prizes!”
The K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will be run paying $100 K&N certificate to win, $50 K&N certificate for second with $25 cash for third and fourth place. Currently Waters and Singleton are tied for the K&N Dash Championship point lead. If enough cars are present, a non-qualifier event will be run.
Precise Racing Products will award a $100 gift card for the “Pedal Down” Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the feature. The Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night” will award 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.
Driven Racing Oil’s “Slick Move of the Night” winner will receive a bottle of Driven Racing Oil Race Wax, a can of Driven Racing Oil Speed Clean, and a certificate for $50 off a case of Driven XP Synthetic Racing Oil!
Crate Innovations will present both the “Ignite” and “Performance Plus” Awards. The 10th place finisher (provided he hasn’t won the award before) will receive a carb spacer kit that includes one billet aluminum Accelerator-1, one upper and one lower spacer gasket, and four specifically designed washers used for installation, while the driver that finishes last on the lead lap will receive the Moroso Custom Fit Plug Wire Set, which are custom tailored for use with the Chevrolet Performance 602 and 604 circle track engines.
Also, ARbodies will award a nose kit valued at $250 to the first non-qualifier as part of the “Nose Out” program.
McKean Feature Payoff: 1. $1,200 2. $700 3. $500 4. $370 5. $350 6. $315 7. $300 8. $270 9. $260 10. $255 11. $230 12. $215 13. $205 14. $200 15. $175 16. $170 17. $165 18-24. $160.
McKean Non-Qualifier: 1. $125 2. $100 3. $90 4. $85 5. $80 6. $75 7. $70 8. $65 9. $60 10-24. $55. Tow $50.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Touring Series DRIVER Points (must be Touring member to receive points): 1. Ryan Montgomery 852 2. John Waters 788 3. Chad McClellan 784 4. Jason Rider 763 5. Eric Wilson 754 6. Cody Dawson 747 7. Rick Singleton 496 8. Ralph Morgan, Jr. 426 9. W.L. Stile 398 10. Reese Masiello 373 11. Andrew Wylie 356 12. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 333 13. Russell Baird, Jr. & John Imler 318 15. Robby Marhefka 313 16. Josh Holtgraver 272 17. Josh Double 263 18. John Over 260 19. Jamie Wrightsman 250 20. Max Blair 194 21. Bryce Davis 179 22. Joe Martin 161 23. Michael Lake 153 24. Kyle Lukon 150 25. Will Thomas III 94 26. Jeff Dayman 92 27. Jamie Brown & Nolan Dalton 89 29. Chad Ruhlman 88 30. Matt Glanden & Adam Sixt 86 32. Bob Kish 85 33. Jacob Burdette & Jeremy Adamik 78.
You do not have to be a member of RUSH to compete. There is a $50 entry fee. RACEceivers are required. McKean uses the yellow Westhold transponders.
McKean County Raceway is a 1/3-mile dirt track located at the McKean County Fairgrounds in East Smethport, Pa. at the intersections of Route 6 and 46. For more information on McKean County Raceway, check out their website at www.mckeancountyraceway.com. The track number is 814-887-2600.
RUSH Late Model marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The Brake Man, Bilstein Shocks, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Driven Racing Oil, Crate Innovations Inc., Velocita-USA, High Gear Speed Shop, CrateInsider.com, Utsinger’s Towing, B.R.A.K.E.S., 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.