INSINGER/SUNOCO NORTHERN TOUR DOUBLEHEADER AT FREEDOM & ERIEZ THIS WEEKEND FOR SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODELS

By Mike Leone

June 3, 2015             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)…After kicking off the Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Northern Touring Series across the border in Canada at Merrittville Speedway, the cars and stars of the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series will return to the States with a pair of events this weekend.  Friday night will feature the season’s only appearance at Freedom Speedway in Delevan, NY, while Sunday will be the first of two visits at Eriez Speedway in Erie, Pa.

Friday’s event at Freedom will be the inaugural “Rob Baker Memorial” event with $1,200 on the line.  Baker was a longtime driver and car owner throughout western New York and northwest Pennsylvania.  Most recently, Ward Schell drove the #74 RUSH Late Model before Baker’s passing at age 78 last December.  The duo won several feature events as well as the 2013 RUSH track championship at Bradford Speedway.  Last year, Schell finished 16th in the Sweeney Weekly Series standings and eighth in the Pace "Summer Chase".  Schell will be in action Friday as a teammate to Randy Hall in the Terry Suppa-owned #s4.

Freedom has completed three Sweeney Weekly Series events this season with three different winners, all from New York.  Bryce Davis won the opener on May 8, while John Waters and Randy Hall have won the last two events.  Last year, Freedom held its first ever Crate Late Model Touring Series event and it was Pennsylvania racer Chad McClellan capturing the victory.

On Sunday, Eriez will hold their first ever RUSH Touring Series event with $1,200 on the line to win.  Eriez is in its first year as being a Sweeney Weekly Series track, as Max Blair and Kyle Zimmerman have won the only two events completed to date.  Eriez will hold a second Insinger/Bazell Northern Touring Series event on Sunday, July 26.  The $1,500 to-win event will be the popular $30,000 "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Ignition held at Eriez for the first time!

"We have to thank Freedom and Eriez for hosting these events," stated RUSH Co-Director Vicki Emig.  "The Freedom race was a very good one last year, and we know new promoter Bob Reis is really looking forward to this event as he's done a fantastic job with the facility and surface.  We're excited to go to Eriez for the first time and thankful that Bobby Rohrer gave us two Tour events including the prestigious Manufacturers Night event.  Racers can make a weekend out of it by competing in the Sweeney Weekly Series events on Saturday night at either Stateline, Fulton, or Brighton."

Max Blair won the opening $2,000 Insinger/Sunoco Northern Touring Series event on May 18 at Merrittville.  Not only does Blair have the early lead in the $4,000 to-win Northern Tour points, but Blair also leads the $4,000 to-win Southern points via three top three finishes at Roaring Knob, Potomac, and Winchester, and also his four top three finishes this year puts him atop the $2,000 to-win combined points! 

The K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will be run each night paying a $100 K&N certificate to win, $50 K&N certificate for second with $25 cash for third and fourth place.  The K&N Dash will also set the first two rows of the 30-lap feature both nights.  Blair also currently leads the K&N Dash points.

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 Officials will choose the "Maxima Performance" Award for a driver that exhibits a performance worthy of such.  The winner will receive a free case of either Maxima Semi-Syn High Performance Racing Oil or Maxima Performance Racing Oil of your choice.  In addition, the winner will receive one can of SC-1 clear coat, one 16-oz bottle of Maxima Cool-Aide concentrate, one 32-oz quart of Maxima PSF power steering fluid, and a Maxima t-shirt.  The value of this prize package is $170!  

Friday is also one of the eight selected events for the ARbodies "Nosed Out" program.  The first non-qualifier will receive an ARbodies nose kit valued at nearly $260!  If enough cars are present, a non-qualifier event will be run.  Tony White was the 2014 "Wheelman" Bonus Event Challenge Series Champion.

Feature Payoff for both Freedom & Eriez: 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.

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.

Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Northern Touring Series Points (Driver must be a Tour member to receive points): 1. Max Blair 100  2. Phil Potts 98  3. Brian Knowles 96  4. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 94  5. Jason Knowles 89  6. Jeff Dayman 87  7. Bryce Davis 86  8. Eric Wilson 85  9. Randy Hall 84  10. Doug Gavette 83  11. T.J. Downs 82  12. John Waters 70.

Combined Sweeney Touring Series Points (Driver must be a Tour member to receive points): 1. Max Blair 394  2. Brian & Jason Knowles 362  4. Eric Wilson 340  5. John Waters 320  6. Rick Singleton 273  7. Kyle Lukon 246  8. Doug Gavette 241  9. Steve Lowery 234  10. Michael Lake 181  11. Chad McClellan 174  12. Randy Hall 173  13. Rob Marhefka 168  14. Reese Masiello 158  15. Michael Duritsky, Jr. 140  16. Ryan Montgomery & Phil Potts 98  18. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 94  19. Joe Martin 92  20. Jeff Dayman 87  21. Bryce Davis 86  22. T.J. Downs 82  23. Russell Baird, Jr. 81  24. Troy Shields 75  25. Nolan Dalton 72.

You do not have to be a member of RUSH to compete.  There is a $50 entry fee each night.  RACEceivers are required.  Transponders will not be required at either event.  Gates open at 5 p.m. on Friday night with warm-ups at 7:15 and racing at 7:30.  Gates open at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon with warm-ups at 5:45 and racing at 6.

Freedom is located at 11099 Bixby Hill Road, Delevan, New York 14042.  Their website is www.freedommotorsportspark.com.  Like them on Facebook by searching for Freedom Motorsports Park.  Any questions on Freedom can be e-mailed to [email protected]. 

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, Insinger Performance, Bazell Race Fuels, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The Brake Man, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Crate Innovations Inc., Velocita-USA, High Gear Speed Shop, CrateInsider.com, B.R.A.K.E.S., 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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