SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES RESUMES ACTION WITH A WEEKEND DOUBLEHEADER SATURDAY AT STATELINE FOR "BILL LAW MEMORIAL" & SUNDAY AT ERIEZ

By Mike Leone

May 16, 2018             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)...After a successful four-night "Battle of the Bay" Speedweek presented by Pancho's Racing Products last month in the Mid-Atlantic, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series powered by Pace Performance is set to resume action this weekend with a doubleheader.  Saturday night (May 19) at Stateline Speedway in Busti, NY will feature the "Bill Law Memorial" followed by 50 miles west on Sunday evening at Eriez Speedway in Erie, Pa.   Both events are $2,000 to-win "Marquee" Tour distinctions, and due to rain will open the season at both speedways.  The Eriez show has a rain date of June 10, while Stateline will utilize June 23.

The "Bill Law Memorial" returns to Stateline for the second straight year on Saturday night.  In 2011, Law was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and passed away in July 2012.  Law's involvement in racing began in the late 1970s as he loved having muscle cars and going to the drag strip in his high school days.  Even though he never actually raced, he stood behind racing 100%.  In the early 1980s, Law and Leon Szweda put an asphalt car together and raced at New York's Holland Speedway.

Law's taste for racing moved to the dirt tracks in the mid 1980s as he helped Tom Taber for several years.  He met a lot of great people that he became very good friends with; one was Bob "The Bird" Baldwin.  The Law Family traveled with him and his family racing from Pennsylvania to West Virginia to Maryland.

As Bill's son Jon was getting older, they got involved in Go-Kart racing as the family would travel all over New York and Pennsylvania.  Bill was still involved in auto racing as they would race Go-Karts during the day and sell parts and fuel at night at the races.  As Jon got older, Bill bought him an IMCA Modified.  A few seasons later, Jon and Bill bought a Limited Late Model.  That lasted a couple years until Jon was starting his own family and got away from the racing scene.  

Law was the first person to have a Crate Late Model in the region when the class debuted in 2007 in the Northeast.  Law had several drivers over the years behind the wheel of his #14 including Baldwin, Ward Schell, Rich Gardner, Jon Law, Curt VanPelt, David Scott, and Kyle Scott.  Today, Bill's grandson, Kyle Murray, is entering his second year of RUSH Late Model competition, and in fact, won his first career race on May 5 at Genesee Speedway in Sweeney Weekly Series competition!

With the Scott Family owning Stateline, it's fitting the "Bill Law Memorial" takes place at their track as Jean and Jim Scott's son David and grandson Kyle drove for Law.  At last year's inaugural event, Jeremy Wonderling withstood a furious challenge by standout Max Blair to capture the first Sweeney Touring Series event ever held at Stateline.

Blair was the 2017 track champion and RUSH member champion at Stateline where he won six feature events.  Dennis Lunger, Jr. picked up four wins, while David Lyon was the only repeat winner with two.  Single victories in 2017 went to Darrell Bossard, Jason Genco, and Wonderling.

The Sweeney Tour has made five visits over the past three seasons to Eriez Speedway with the Blairs winning all five as Max has four wins and his father, Rob, one in a substitution role at the May 2016 event.  The average car count for the four events has been 33 cars per night.  The Sweeney Tour returns to Eriez for a second appearance on Sunday, July 29.

Mike Knight was the 2017 track champion at Eriez, while Kyle Zimmerman was the top RUSH member point earner.  Blair and Chad Wright were tied atop the win list with three victories apiece.  Andy Boozel won two of the first four feature events in 2017 at the track, while single wins went to Genco, Knight, and Russ King.   

"We have to thank the Rohrer and Scott Families for continuing their support of RUSH," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig.  "They've both fought through a terrible start to the season with Mother Nature so we're hoping the weather this weekend will cooperate.  This will be a great way to kick off the season at both tracks.  We also have to thank them for working with us on make-up dates in the event Mother Nature doesn't cooperate.  Both tracks have tremendous weekly talent and combine that will the bullring-type tracks and it should be an exciting two nights of racing.  Bill was a very important part of Crate Late Model racing from the beginning and we're proud to remember him once again on Saturday night." 

The Sweeney Tour completed all four events as part of the "Battle of the Bay" Speedweek.  Max Blair opened the 2018 season winning his first ever race in the "First State" at Delaware International Speedway.  The following night saw, Ross Robinson, who lives across the street from Georgetown Speedway capture his first career RUSH win.  The third night saw Logan Roberson win at his Friday night home track, Potomac Speedway, for his first career Sweeney Tour win.  Speedweek then wrapped up with Roberson repeating the feat taking the win at his Saturday night home track, Winchester Speedway.

Blair enters the weekend as the Sweeney Tour point leader and will look to build on that lead at his home tracks.  Blair has a 28-point lead on Wonderling, who would love to repeat his 2017 "Bill Law Memorial" win on Saturday night.  Darrell Bossard sits third in his first season on the Tour.  Canadian Charlie Sandercock is currently fourth ahead of 2016 Sweeney Tour Champion, John Waters. 

FK Rod Ends will present the $100 "Shock the Clock" Qualifying award and $25 to each winner each night at Stateline and Eriez.

Precise Racing Products will award a $100 gift card for the "Pedal Down" Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the feature.  The TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night” will award three bottles of Xtreme6 Racing Brake Fluid valued at approximately $45 along with a certificate for a discount off any TBM Brakes purchase.  

RUSH Series Officials will also determine the new Dirt Defender "Defensive Drive" to the driver that best defended his position throughout the night, and will receive a $40 product package.  The award could go to a driver holding off another for the final heat race or B main transfer position, a driver denying a hard charging racer a feature win, a move to stay on the lead lap before a caution, or any such deserving move. 

Feature Payoffs: 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. 

Non-Qualifier Payoffs: 1. $175  2. $150  3. $140  4. $135  5. $130  6. $125  7. $120  8. $115  9. $110  10-24. $105.  Tow $100.

2018 Sweeney RUSH Late Model Touring Series points (only Tour members receive points): 1. Max Blair 382  2. Jeremy Wonderling 354  3. Darrell Bossard 346  4. Charlie Sandercock 335  5. John Waters 332  6. Jason Genco 326  7. Jason Knowles 324  8. Garret Paugh 320  9. Brady Wonderling 318  10. Damian Bidwell 312  11. Cody Dawson 302  12. Adam Ferri 300  13. Bruce Hordusky, Jr. 299  14. J.J. Mazur 295  15. Christian Schneider 292  16. Cory Lawler 287  17. Bill Kessler & Mike Franklin 282  19. Jimmy Johnson, Jr. & Beamer Guzzardi 280  21. Joe Watson 210  22. Braeden Dillinger 160.

For Saturday at Stateline, pit gates open at 4 p.m.  Drivers meeting will be at 6:15 p.m. with warm-ups at 6:45 and qualifying around 7.  Pit passes are $30.  Both the Westhold and AMB/MyLaps transponders can be used.  There is a $100 entry fee.

For Sunday at Eriez, pit gates open at 3:30 p.m.  Drivers meeting will be at 5:35 p.m. with warm-ups at 6 followed by qualifying.  Pit passes are $30.  Eriez will be testing their new transponder system, which is expected to be able to read both Westhold and AMB/MyLaps transponders. There is a $100 entry fee.

Stateline Speedway is located nine miles southwest of Jamestown, NY, south of Busti, NY at 4150 Kortwright Rd., Jamestown, NY 14701. For more information, check out their website at www.newstatelinespeedway.com.  Like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/newstatelinespeedwaybustiny and follow them on Twitter @NewStateline.

Eriez Speedway is a 3/8-mile track located outside of Erie, Pa. in Hammett at 9821 Sampson Rd., Erie, PA 16509.  For more information, check out www.eriez-speedway.com.  Follow them on Twitter @EriezSpeedway1 and like their page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eriezspeedway. 

RUSH Late Model marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, Earl's Performance Plumbing, Quick Fuel Technology, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Racing Electronics, Dirt Defender, Dynamic Drivelines, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Pancho's Racing Products Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA,  Landrum Performance Spring, Schwartzmiller Ground Maintenance, CrateInsider.com, RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions. 

E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at [email protected] 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.

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