SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES RETURNS TO ACTION SUNDAY WITH $2,000 TO-WIN MARQUEE EVENT AT ERIEZ

By Mike Leone

July 27, 2017             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Erie, PA)…After more than two weeks off, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series powered by Pace Performance will resume action this Sunday (July 30) with an appearance at Eriez Speedway.  The 3/8-mile Erie, Pa. facility owned by the Rohrer Family was scheduled to host an event on May 28, but that was lost to rain shortly after the gates open.  Sunday will be Tour race #9 of the season featuring a $2,000 to-win Marquee event.  Warm-ups are slated for approximately 6 p.m.

The 2017 season marks the third consecutive year under the Sweeney RUSH Weekly Series banner for Eriez.  Eriez has had strong car counts all season averaging 20 per night.  In fact, their lowest car count has been 18.  Eriez is coming off a season-high 26-car field last Friday night for the "I-79 Summer Shootout" that saw Chad Wright win his second feature in the past two events.  Max Blair and Andy Boozel also have a pair of wins this season, while Jason Genco won the season opener. 

The Sweeney Tour has made a pair of visits each of the past two seasons with the Blairs winning all four as Max has three 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 just over 33 cars per night.

"We have to thank the Rohrer Family for their continued support of RUSH," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig.  "Obviously we were heartbroken with the passing of Bob Rohrer recently, who has done so much for not only our Series, but racing as a whole in the region.  Eriez has been big proponent of RUSH, and this year are also bringing in our RUSH Sportsman Modifieds for the first time ever next Sunday.  Last year Eriez averaged over 20 cars per weekly event and are right on track with the same number again this year.  The Rohrers have done a tremendous job with the facility and racing surface, and continually receive rave reviews.  We always enjoy our Touring Series events at Eriez as their tough weekly field always poses a challenge to our Touring stars and other invaders.  The weather is also looking great!"

Bryce Davis leads the Sweeney Tour to Eriez on Sunday.  Despite being very consistent with four straight top five finishes and just one finish worse than fifth all season, a ninth at Genesee, Davis holds just an eight-point lead over defending champion, John Waters.  After struggling out of the box in the first three shows, Waters has come on strong reeling off five straight top five finishes including win at Genesee.  Jeremy Wonderling is running the Tour for the first time ever and he's right in the championship hunt only four points behind Waters with two victories.

Brothers Jason and Brian Knowles are fourth and fifth in points ahead of J.J. Mazur, who gives New York drivers a clean sweep of the top six in points.  West Virginia's Brian Swank is seventh ahead of his car driven by Mike Pegher, Jr., who has yet to finish worse than third in his five Tour starts despite still being winless.  Completing the top 10 points paying positions are Jamie Wrightsman, Kyle Murray, Bruce Hordusky, Jr., and Tony White.  Other winners this season include Russell King with two and Charlie Sandercock with one.

FK Rod Ends "Shock the Clock Qualifying and Beat the Heat" will be utilized meaning the fastest qualifier will receive $100 and all heat race winners will earn $25.  The K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will be run 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 beginning of the 30-lap feature lineup for the top two finishers in the heat races if there are less than five heats or for the heat winners if there are five or more heats. 

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!  

ARbodies will award a nose kit to the first non-qualifier part of the "Nosed Out" contingency program.  Also, CrateInsider.com will award a $25 gift certificate to the driver that finishes last on the lead lap at the finish. 

Feature 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. 

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

2017 Sweeney Late Model Touring Series Points (Adjusted on Marquee/Platinum; only Tour members receive points): 1. Bryce Davis 580  2. John Waters 572  3. Jeremy Wonderling 568  4. Jason Knowles 531  5. Brian Knowles 528  6. J.J. Mazur 507  7. Brian Swank 485  8. Mike Pegher, Jr. 390  9. Jamie Wrightsman 331  10. Kyle Murray 323  11. Bruce Hordusky, Jr. 313  12. Tony White 312  13. Eric Wilson 175  14. Jon Rivers 171  15. Chad Wright 156  16. Bill Kessler 149  17. D.J. Krug 147  18. Max Blair 98  19. Matt Latta 86  20. Jamie Brown & Carl Shetler 81  22. Greg Beach 76.

You do not have to a member of RUSH to compete.  The yellow Westhold transponders will be used.  RACEceivers are always mandatory on the default 454.000 channel.  There will be a $100 entry fee.  Pit passes are $30.  Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m.  Drivers meeting is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. with warm-ups at 6:00 followed by qualifying and racing and racing at 6:30. 

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, Maxima Racing Oil, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, Rocket Chassis, Landrum Performance Spring, 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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