SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL SERIES UNVEILS SPECTACULAR INAUGURAL 26-EVENT TOURNG SERIES SCHEDULE: SEASON TO KICK-OFF APRIL 19TH
By Mike Leone
February 25, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series is set to embark on its inaugural season beginning April 19 at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex. In just a short three-month period, Series Directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leones have worked diligently with regional promoters to present a stellar schedule of events. The 26-event slate will take race teams and fans to 11 different speedways throughout the Northeast culminating at Lernerville Speedway on October 25-26.
“We couldn’t have asked for anything more,” stated Emig. “To have these speedways step up and allow us to put a schedule together like we have in such a short period of time means a lot. Some of the most recognizable speedways in the East are included, and to be able to be part of so many regional “signature” events is just amazing! Twenty of our 26 events pay a minimum of $1,500 to-win and over half of the schedule is $2,000 or more to win! We cannot emphasize enough how much we appreciate the promoter’s support and belief in the RUSH Dirt Late Model Series.”
The 2013 Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Tour will kickoff with a bang as RUSH joins the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for two big events at Roaring Knob and Hagerstown (MD) Speedway April 19-20. The “Battle Down the National Pike” will feature a $2,000 to-win event on Friday night and $2,500 to-win, $250 to-start on Saturday night in the first ever Crate Late Model event in the history of Hagerstown. There will also be $1,200 up for grabs in travel money over the weekend!
After a month off, the Memorial Day Weekend will be a huge one for the Series featuring three $1,500 to-win shows. McKean County Raceway in East Smethport, Pa. will hold their first of five events on Thursday, May 23 followed by a two-day event at Sharon Speedway. The Hartford, Ohio oval will feature a pair of complete shows both Saturday and Sunday as part of the Bill Emig Memorial. The “Wild Card Weekend” at Sharon will also feature a $1,500 point fund with the infamous card draws as an added bonus!
Teams will have another month break before things really heat up with 10 events from the end of June through late July. The “Mid-Atlantic Triple Crown” June 21-23 is a weekend many teams will have their eyes on and has drawn interest from all over the Northeast, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic. Three $2,000 to-win shows will be highlighted beginning on Friday night at Hagerstown, followed by Roaring Knob on Saturday night, and concluding with the first ever Crate Late Model Tour event at “The Rock” – Allegany County Speedway.
The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Tour will join up with the BOSS Sprint Car Series three times in 2013. Two of those events will be on back-to-back nights at Lernerville and Sharon Speedways July 5-6. The BOSS Series features non-wing Sprint Car racing so to join the theme, the RUSH events will be “topless” and run under the moniker “Off with the Tops”! The Sharon event will be Sweeney Night as not only will $2,000 be on the line to the winner, but one lucky racer will go home with a GM 604 engine valued at more than $5,000!
The “Cross the Borders” Speedweek will be four straight nights of action July 10-13 featuring a $3,000 point fund with $1,000 going to the champion! The annual Trumbull County Fair race will get things started with $2,000 to-win on Wednesday followed by events at McKean, Bradford, and Pittsburgh. The Bradford show will mark the first ever Crate Late Model Tour event at the racey quarter-mile!
One week later, the cars and stars of RUSH will head to central Pennsylvania and attract a new audience of fans at America’s Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 20. The quarter-mile Clearfield oval formerly known as Hidden Valley and Gambler’s was recently purchased by former Washington Redskin and Sprint Car racer Jeff Taylor, who has done a phenomenal job resurrecting the run-down and thought to be dead speedway. The $1,500 to-win event will be the first time Crate Late Models have ever raced at the speedway!
Racers will have another month break to recover from those 10 events before heading back to McKean County Raceway as part of the 108th annual McKean County fair. The annual fair race event always creates a great atmosphere for both fans and drivers and draws a huge crowd!
Two days later, Sharon Speedway will host the third annual “Gary Knollinger Memorial”. The $2,000 to-win event will be run in memory of one of the original Crate Late Model racers in Northeast and Mid-Ohio Valley, who lost his life on Christmas Day 2010 from injuries suffered from being struck by an automobile. Sharon was considered to be Gary’s favorite track and RUSH is appreciative to be able to recognize this great man, who was a friend to so many. RUSH will join up with the BOSS Non-Wing Sprint Series on this night as well.
Labor Day Weekend has been titled the $50,000 “End of Summer Blowout”! Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway will host their second and final Tour event on Saturday night, August 31. “Manufacturers Night” will include a $1,500 to-win event in addition to over $30,000 in product contingencies being awarded to the racers. Then on Labor Day, RUSH will be part of the $20,000 to-win NDRL “Kings of Dirt” Late Model event at Roaring Knob. A nice $2,000 check will be awarded to the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Tour winner!
Aligned with Hartford, Ohio’s annual community fall festivities, the “Apple Festival Nationals” will be the next event on the slate with qualifying events on Friday night, September 13 and then $2,000 to-win on Saturday night! It’ll be the fifth and final event at Sharon in 2013.
RUSH will be also be part of McKean’s annual season finale and most spectacular event the “Fall Classic”. Details of this event will be released soon. The event is traditionally held over the third weekend in September.
The first of two fall events at Roaring Knob will be on September 27-28 at the Markleysburg, Pa. oval. Qualifying events will be contested on Friday night with another $2,000 to-win prize on Saturday night as part of the “Big Kahuna” weekend.
The 11th different speedway to host a Tour event in 2013 will be Hesston Speedway on October 11-12. The second event in central Pennsylvania will be a big one as part of “The Ultimate”. The purse will mirror the opening Hagerstown event with $2,500 to-win, $250 to-start. There will also be increased tow money for this event, which will include open practice Thursday, qualifying events on Friday, and main events on Saturday.
Roaring Knob’s finale will be on October 18-19 as they will host RUSH’s grand daddy national championship event, the “Northern States Classic”. More details on the event’s unique formatting and purse structures will be released soon.
The 2013 season will wrap up and crown the inaugural Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series Champion at Lernerville Speedway on October 25-26. The “Steel City Stampede” features some 10 different divisions from the region and RUSH is thrilled to be able to participate in this event that will include practice on Thursday, qualifying events on Friday night and the $2,000 to-win main event on Saturday!
“Our goal has not only been to present a substantial and quality schedule of events to our RUSH racers, but also give them the opportunity to be on the card with other exciting series such as Lucas Oil Late Models, NDRL “Kings of Dirt” Late Models, and others plus the historic RUSH events that will take place at Hagerstown,” explained Leone. “Other promotional events such as the Bill Emig Memorial “Wild Card Weekend”, “Mid-Atlantic Triple Crown”, Cross the Borders” Speedweek, Sweeney engine giveaway night, and $50,000 “End of Summer Blowout” Weekend, which includes the $30,000 “Mfg. Night” all help to create additional excitement and add even more incentive and value to the Touring Series schedule.”
In addition to the Touring slate and Weekly Series action at Allegheny Mountain, Bradford, McKean County, Pittsburgh, Roaring Knob, Sharon, and The Rock – Allegany County, four other speedways have stepped up to offer Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Weekly Series events; Lernerville Speedway (May 10), Sportsman’s Speedway (June 2 and August 11), and two speedways, whose locations and dates will soon be announced. These additional events will allow competitors to earn Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC “Weekly Series” points and Pace Performance “Summer Chase” and “Futures Cup” points when applicable.
2013 RUSH marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Precise Racing Products, The Brake Man, K1 RaceGear, K&N Motorsports, and Wrisco Aluminum.
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/
2013 Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series Touring Series Schedule*
“BATTLE DOWN THE NATIONAL PIKE” with Lucas Oil Late Models
• Friday, April 19 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex Markleysburg, PA $2,000 to-win
• Saturday, April 20 Hagerstown Speedway Hagerstown, MD $2,500 to-win
Plus $1,200 travel money
• Thursday, May 23 McKean County Raceway East Smethport, PA $1,500 to-win
BILL EMIG MEMORIAL “WILD CARD WEEKEND”
• Saturday, May 25 Sharon Speedway Hartford, OH $1,500 to-win
• Sunday, May 26 Sharon Speedway Hartford, OH $1,500 to-win
Plus $1,500 “Wildcard Weekend” point fund
“MID-ATLANTIC TRIPLE CROWN”
• Friday, June 21 Hagerstown Speedway Hagerstown, MD $2,000 to-win
• Saturday, June 22 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex Markleysburg, PA $2,000 to-win
• Sunday, June 23 The Rock – Allegany Co. Speedway Cumberland, MD $2,000 to-win
“OFF WITH THE TOPS” – Topless with BOSS Non-Wing Sprints
• Friday, July 5 Lernerville Speedway Sarver, PA $1,200 to-win
• Saturday, July 6 Sharon Speedway Hartford, OH $2,000 to-win
“CROSS THE BORDERS” SPEEDWEEK
• Wednesday, July 10 Expo Speedway (Trumbull County Fair Race) Cortland, OH $2,000 to-win
• Thursday, July 11 McKean County Raceway East Smethport, PA $1,200 to-win
• Friday, July 12 Bradford Speedway Bradford (Rew), PA $1,200 to-win
• Saturday, July 13 Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway Imperial, PA $1,200 to-win
Plus $3,000 Speedweek Point Fund
• Saturday, July 20 America’s Motorsports Park Clearfield, PA $1,500 to-win
• Thursday, August 15 McKean County Raceway (Fair race) East Smethport, PA $1,200 to-win
• Saturday, August 17 Sharon Speedway (Gary Knollinger Memorial) Hartford, OH $2,000 to-win
• Saturday, August 31 Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway Imperial, PA $1,500 to-win
• Monday, September 2 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex Markleysburg, PA $2,000 to-win
• Fri & Sat, September 13-14 Sharon Speedway Hartford, OH $2,000 to-win
(“Apple Festival Nationals” with qualifying & heats Friday & main events Saturday)
“FALL CLASSIC WEEKEND”
• Friday, September 20 McKean County Raceway East Smethport, PA TBA
• Saturday, September 21 McKean County Raceway East Smethport, PA TBA
• Fri & Sat, September 27-28 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex Markleysburg, PA $2,000 to-win
(“Big Kahuna” with qualifying & heats Friday & main events Saturday)
• Fri & Sat, October 11-12 Hesston Speedway Huntingdon, PA $2,500 to-win
(“The Ultimate” with qualifying & heats Friday & main events Saturday)
• Fri & Sat, October 18-19 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex Markleysburg, PA TBA
(“Northern States Classic” – National Championship)
• Fri & Sat, October 25-26 Lernerville Speedway Sarver, PA $2,000 to-win
(“Steel City Stampede” with heats Friday & main events Saturday)
*Schedule subject to change.