“STEEL CITY STAMPEDE” TO CONCLUDE SWEENEY RUSH SERIES SEASON WITH A WEEKEND DOUBLEHEADER AT LERNERVILLE; $2000 TO-WIN FOR LATE MODELS & $500 FOR SPORTSMAN MODS
October 21, 2014
(By Mike Leone)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Sarver, PA)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series is set to conclude the 2014 racing season this weekend at Lernerville Speedway for the “Steel City Stampede” DIRTcar Round-Up. It’ll be a doubleheader for RUSH with the Sweeney Late Model Touring Series along with the final Sweeney Weekly Series event for the new Sportsman Modifieds. Open practice will be held Thursday night (October 23) from 7-9 p.m. with heat races on Friday night beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday will include last chance B mains and features with action getting underway at 6 p.m.
This year’s “Steel City Stampede” will be the sixth edition of the growing event that includes nine of the region’s racing divisions all showcased in this end of the season blowout for the region. There has yet to be a repeat winner in the Crate Late Models; past winners include Josh Holtgraver (2009), Butch Lambert (2010), Bryan Force (2011), Max Blair (2012), and Dennis Lunger, Jr. (2013).
The RUSH Late Models have made two appearances in 2014 at the Sarver, Pa. oval. On May 9, Dan Angelicchio won the $700 Sweeney Weekly Series event, while Chad McClellan captured the $1,500 “Bill Emig Memorial” for the Sweeney Tour back on July 4. Saturday’s feature will pay $2,000 to-win!
Meanwhile the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will be making their fifth appearance of the season at Lernerville this weekend, and first ever as part of the “Steel City Stampede”! Adam Hilton has two victories, while single wins have gone to Dave Conant, Jr. and Jeremy Zufall. Saturday’s feature will pay a season high $500 to-win and will determine the championship. Greg Martin currently leads Hilton by just three points in the $3,000 to-win title that looks at drivers’ best 10 finishes.
“We have to thank Lernerville for allowing RUSH to be part of this great event,” stated RUSH Co-Director Vicki Emig. “The Crate Late Model racers have always been appreciative to be included in this traditional season-ending blockbuster event. Last year during this event we held an informational meeting for the Sportsman Modifieds, now here they are one year later part of the event and set to decide the $3,000 champion! Lernerville has also gone above and beyond to allow our RUSH member racers to receive the DIRTcar pit pass discount.”
There have been 10 different winners in the first 15 Sweeney Late Model Tour events this year. After eight straight new winners, Bryce Davis joined McClellan and Rick Singleton as the Series’ only multiple winners with his $3,000 victory on October 11 at McKean County Raceway.
Ryan Montgomery enters the weekend as the Sweeney Tour point leader in search of his first championship. The 17-year-old Fairmont, West Virginia racer has a 36-point lead and simply needs to attempt to race on Friday to clinch the $5,000 championship. 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. Pegher, who beat out Montgomery last year at Lernerville to win the title, is expected to make his season debut this weekend.
Ever since his first career Sweeney Tour win at Canada’s Humberstone Speedway on July 20, John Waters has outgained Montgomery in six of the last seven events; however, four finishes outside the top 10 this season including a DNQ at Winchester really put Waters behind the eight-ball. Waters just missed his second Series win on October 11 as he was passed by Davis at the finish.
Despite no top five finishes and just one top 10 in the last seven events, Chad McClellan is still hanging on 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 and end the season on a positive note where he won earlier this season.
Cortland, Ohio teen Eric Wilson moved up into the fourth position in points- his highest placing in his career. 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 just 15 behind McClellan for third.
Jason Rider actually led the points early on with three top eight finishes to open up the season; however, has since just managed three ninth place finishes and a 10th in the last 12 events. Rider has dropped to fifth in points and can drop no further, but still is only 16 points out of the third spot.
Rounding out the top 15 points paying positions are Cody Dawson, four-time winner Rick Singleton, W.L. Stile, Andrew Wylie, Ralph Morgan, Jr., Lunger, Rob Marhefka, Davis, Holtgraver, and Blair. Outside looking in are Joe Martin, Chad Ruhlman, John Imler, and Russell Baird, Jr., who still have a shot at moving into the top 15.
Saturday’s winner of the K&N Dash will receive a $100 K&N gift certificate with $50 certificate going to second. The third and fourth place finishers will receive $25 cash. Singleton leads the K&N Dash Championship points by one over Waters. Also, a lucky fan will win a K&N Cold Air Induction System valued at up to $500.
A drawing will be held on Friday amongst all competing drivers with the lucky winner receiving a TurboStart 16-volt racing battery valued at over $250!
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 16th 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 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.
Lernerville Late Model 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. $100 Tow/Non-Qualifier.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Late Model Touring Series DRIVER Points (must be Touring member to receive points): 1. Ryan Montgomery 1376 2. John Waters 1340 3. Chad McClellan 1274 4. Eric Wilson 1259 5. Jason Rider 1258 6. Cody Dawson 1059 7. Rick Singleton 770 8. W.L. Stile 752 9. Andrew Wylie 672 10. Ralph Morgan, Jr. 646 11. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 576 12. Robby Marhefka 559 13. Bryce Davis 554 14. Josh Holtgraver 515 15. Max Blair 473 16. Joe Martin 444 17. Chad Ruhlman 419 18. John Imler & Russell Baird, Jr. 388 20. Reese Masiello 273 21. Josh Double 349 22. Adam Sixt 345 23. Jamie Wrightsman 328 24. Michael Lake 322 25. Jeremy Adamik 293 26. John Over 260 27. Kyle Lukon 220 28. Will Thomas III 182 29. Matt Glanden 164 30. Bob Kish 155 31. Junior Peters 140 32. Jeff Dayman 92 33. Jamie Brown & Nolan Dalton 89 35. Jacob Burdette 78.
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Sportsman Modified Weekly Series Points (must be a member to receive points): 1. Greg Martin 1085 2. Adam Hilton 1082 3. Rocky Kugel 1054 4. Jeremy Zufall 1030 5. Ken Moy, Jr. 1018 6. Will Schaffer 980 7. Jamie Duncan 816 8. Jeremy Paup 815 9. Larry Kugel 609 10. Adam Siegel 581 11. Jerry Schaffer 505 12. Andy Paden 503 13. Josh Deems 201 14. Mike Kiezer 100.
You do not have to be a member of RUSH to compete. There is a $100 entry fee for the Late Models. RACEceivers are mandatory and AMB transponders will be required. On Thursday, pits open at 3 p.m. with practice 7-9. On Friday, pits open at 3 p.m. with racing at 7. On Saturday, pits open at 12 p.m. with racing at 6.
RUSH member racers will be extended the DIRTcar member pit pass discount of $5 each day or $10 for a two-day or a three-day pass. A two-day pit pass is $50 for members and $60 for non-members, while a three-day pit pass is $55 for members and $65 for non-members.
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).
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.