SEASON’S RICHEST SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL TOUR EVENT SATURDAY AT MCKEAN WITH $3000 TO-WIN AS PART OF “FALL CLASSIC”
October 7, 2014
(By Mike Leone)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(East Smethport, PA)…After a weekend off, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series returns to action this Saturday night (October 11) in a big way as McKean County Raceway hosts the season’s richest event with $3,000 to-win! Saturday’s event is part of the track’s ninth annual “Fall Classic” weekend, which also includes an open practice on Thursday night, a non-point $800 to-win RUSH Late Model event on Friday night followed by Saturday’s Sweeney Tour event. Racing begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening.
Saturday’s Sweeney Tour “Don Hardy Memorial” will mark the season’s third appearance at the McKean County Fairgrounds oval. Bryce Davis topped a 38-car field on August 14 for the $1,200 Fair event victory and then Joe Martin won his first career Sweeney Tour event beating a season-high 43-car field as part of the $1,500 to-win “Manufacturers Night” on August 30.
The “Fall Classic” always attracts a large field of competitors. That’s expected to be the case this weekend with RUSH Late Model racers having the opportunity at two complete shows, no other Crate Late Model races in the northern part of the region, and dry weather expected. McKean had a strong year with the RUSH Late Models averaging nearly 26 cars per event in 2014 over the course of their 16 completed events.
“We have to thank Chris Zuver for allowing us once again to be a part of this traditional event,” stated RUSH Co-Director Vicki Emig. “Not only did he step up and offer two complete shows for RUSH racers, but will be paying out the season’s richest purse with a one-day format at that. A driver setting fast time, winning his heat, and the feature on Saturday night would be worth $3,125 cash- not bad for a $5,500 engine! Chris also has us first in the agenda on Saturday night, which will be great for our traveling racers and families.”
There have been 10 different winners in the first 14 Sweeney Tour events this year, but more impressively, there has been a new winner each of the past eight events after Chad McClellan and Rick Singleton were the only two winners after the first six events!
Ryan Montgomery enters Saturday night as the Sweeney Tour point leader in search of his first championship. The 17-year-old Fairmont, West Virginia racer has a 47-point lead with just two events remaining. After tying for a Series high five Sweeney Tour victories with champion Mike Pegher, Jr. in 2013, Montgomery has only been able to win one event this year that coming back on July 12 at Pittsburgh.
Ever since his first career Sweeney Tour win at Canada’s Humberstone Speedway on July 20, John Waters has outgained Montgomery in five of the last six events; however, four finishes outside the top 10 including a DNQ at Winchester in addition to losing three other events really put Waters behind the eight-ball. Waters has finished third and fifth in the two Sweeney Tour events this year at McKean and really needs to cut into Montgomery’s lead on Saturday to have any shot at the title heading into the season finale at the end of the month at Lernerville Speedway.
Despite just one top 10 finish in the last six events, Chad McClellan is clinging to the third spot in points. The Stoystown, Pa. driver, who won two of the season’s first five races, is hoping to turn around his luck at the site of his first career Sweeney Tour win last season. Fellow Pa. driver Jason Rider, who led the points after three events, is fourth and trails McClellan by just four points.
Cortland, Ohio teen Eric Wilson joined the Sweeney Tour for the first time in his young career after winning last year’s “Futures Cup” crown. Wilson has missed qualifying for just one feature this year and his five top 10 finishes along with three 11th place finishes has him sitting fifth in points- just 11 behind McClellan for third. Rounding out the top 15 points paying positions are Cody Dawson, W.L. Stile, four-time winner Rick Singleton, Andrew Wylie, Dennis Lunger, Jr., Ralph Morgan, Jr., Rob Marhefka, Bryce Davis, Josh Holtgraver, and Russell Baird, Jr.
Saturday is a Bobby Lake Motorsports “Shock the Clock & Beat the Heat” race format. The fastest qualifier will receive $100 cash, while each of the heat race winners will receive $25 cash. The K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will set the first two rows of the feature line-up with a $100 K&N certificate to win, $50 K&N certificate for second, and $25 cash for third and fourth place. Rick Singleton leads the K&N Dash Championship by five points over Waters.
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 15th place finisher on (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 each night (provided he hasn’t won the award before) 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.
The first driver that fails to qualify for the feature on Saturday night will receive an ARbodies nose kit valued at $245. All of the drivers that fail to qualify for the main event will have the opportunity to run the $200 to-win non-qualifier event. Zack Carley currently leads those “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series points.
McKean Feature Payoff (Saturday): 1. $3,000 2. $1,500 3. $800 4. $600 5. $500 6. $475 7. $450 8. $425 9. $400 10. $350 11. $310 12. $300 13. $275 14. $260 15. $255 16. $250 17. $240 18-24. $230.
Non-Qualifier (Saturday): 1. $200 2. $150 3. $140 4. $135 5. $130 6. $125 7. $120 8. $115 9. $110 10-24. $105. $100 to any driver failing to start either feature.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Touring Series DRIVER Points (must be Touring member to receive points): 1. Ryan Montgomery 1289 2. John Waters 1242 3. Chad McClellan 1189 4. Jason Rider 1185 5. Eric Wilson 1178 6. Cody Dawson 977 7. W.L. Stile 682 8. Rick Singleton 674 9. Andrew Wylie 600 10. Ralph Morgan, Jr. & Dennis Lunger, Jr. 576 12. Robby Marhefka 559 13. Bryce Davis 454 14. Josh Holtgraver 431 15. Russell Baird, Jr. 388 16. Max Blair 384 17. Reese Masiello 373 18. Joe Martin 350 19. Josh Double 349 20. Chad Ruhlman 331 21. Jamie Wrightsman 328 22. Michael Lake 322 23. John Imler 318 24. Jeremy Adamik 293 25. Adam Sixt 269 26. John Over 260 27. Kyle Lukon 220 28. Will Thomas III 182 29. Jeff Dayman 92 30. Jamie Brown & Nolan Dalton 89 32. Matt Glanden 86 33. Bob Kish 85 34. Jacob Burdette 78 35. Junior Peters 70.
You do not have to be a member of RUSH to compete. There is a $100 entry fee on Saturday night. RACEceivers and transponders are required. You will be able to use both the yellow Westhold and the red AMB transponders this weekend. A limited supply of yellow transponders will be available to rent.
Practice is from 7:30-10:30 p.m. on Thursday night. Race time for Friday’s non-point $800 to-win event is 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, RUSH warm-ups/Bobby Lake Motorsports qualifying will get underway at 6 p.m.
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 www.facebook.com/NDRLMckeanCountyRaceway. 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, K&N Filters, Bilstein Shocks, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Driven Racing Oil, Crate Innovations Inc., Moroso Performance Products, 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.