BRADFORD’S 3-YEAR COMMITMENT TO RUSH GIVES RACERS 3 NIGHTS OF RACING; OPENER SET FOR SATURDAY
By Mike Leone                       

 

April 30, 2013                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Pulaski, PA)…With the inaugural Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series season now underway, Bradford Speedway is one of two additional speedways set to get their season kicked off this weekend.  The 2013 season will begin this Saturday, May 4 at 7 p.m. at the ¼-mile dirt oval located just outside of Bradford, Pa. near Rew.

 

With McKean County Raceway competing now nearly on a weekly basis, Bradford recently decided to go to weekly Saturday night racing.  This will give RUSH race teams the opportunity most weekends throughout the spring and summer to race three nights a week at McKean, Bradford, and Allegheny Mountain Raceway!  Bradford was the first speedway to sign a three-year commitment to RUSH.

 

“I’m really looking forward to my second season at Bradford and being able to have RUSH part of our program,” expressed Andrulonis.  “Last year was a good learning experience and gave me a taste, now I’m ready for the new season!  We just need the weather to cooperate for us now.  The ability to have RUSH sanction our Crate Late Models really brings a lot of credibility to not only the division, but to the facility itself.  Our drivers can now take part in all of the Series’ exciting programs, and I’m really hoping we see some new faces try out Bradford now that we’re sanctioned” 

 

 

Bradford has a long history of stock car racing dating back to 1954.  In 1958, noted legend Junior Johnson won a NASCAR Grand National Series event at the speedway.  New owner Jeff Andrulonis brought the speedway back from the dead last summer opening up to a packed house and continued with successful events through early September.  Andrulonis has put a five-year plan in place with a goal of making his facility one of the region’s most exciting venues for exciting grassroots racing and affordable family entertainment. 

 

Andrulonis has already been busy in the offseason making many improvements to the track, pits, and facility in general.  During the Bradford Speedway’s heyday in the 1980s and 1990s, racers were able to run two-deep and even three-deep through the turns.  But, over time, some of the clay was pushed to the outside walls. 

Last fall, Steve Andrulonis, owner of S Andrulonis Trucking and Excavating of Troy, PA, and his crew spent several days re-grading the track back to its original contours as they existed during the 1980s and 1990s.  The clay against the outside walls and on the infield was brought to the apron and then the corners were re-graded.  This will allow for two and even three-wide racing this season.

 

The corners at the Bradford are not only wide, but they’re also now at a very-favorable banking of 16 degrees.  The natural clay at Bradford runs as much as 18-feet deep!   Below that natural clay is some of the highest-grade oil deposits on the face of the earth.  It’s called “Penn Grade” oil and its superior lubricating qualities made the Bradford Oil Fields the richest in the country back in the 1870s and 1880s.  At the Bradford Speedway, the clay is there because of the track’s elevation.  At 2,160 feet above sea level, it’s the highest-elevation track east of the Rocky Mountains!

 

Garrett Mott of Smethport, Pa. was the inaugural Crate Late Model Champion in 2012 at Bradford.  The Smethport, Pa. racer also captured the first two wins of his career including the season finale on September 7 that clinched the title.  It was a wide open five-man battle for the title that saw Brad Mesler, Justin Tatlow, Ward Schell, and Bob Kish finish a close two through five in points.  Rounding out the top 10 of Bradford’s points were Dave Norton, Jr., Tim Schram, Chad Silleman, Matt Cobb, and Derek Frank.  All of those racers and several others are expected to return for weekly competition.

 

Bradford’s weekly RUSH member racers will be able to take part in all of the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Late Model programs.  It’s quite possible that one Bradford regular racer could win $8,000 in point money excluding any Touring or “Futures Cup” point funds! 

 

Drivers will be able to accumulate their best 15 finishes (two per week) throughout the season as part of the $25,000+ Sweeney “Weekly Series Championship” that will pay $5,000 to-win down 30 positions. 

 

Come July, the top 10 Sweeney RUSH Weekly members in Bradford points under the RUSH system will move on to the $10,000+ Pace Performance “Summer Chase”.  Drivers can race as many times as they want from July through Labor Day at not only Bradford, but any RUSH-sanctioned event.  Drivers’ average points (minimum eight events) will determine the $3,000 champion that will pay down 10 positions. 

 

Any RUSH member under the age of 18 will also be eligible for the $3,000 “Futures Cup” program.  Those 18 and 19 cannot have more than one full season of competition in Crate Late Models or any other higher division.  These racers can compete at Bradford and at any other RUSH-sanctioned event to accumulate points.  Drivers’ Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC “Weekly Series” points will be added to three stand-alone “Futures Cup” events that will be announced. 

 

“In today’s world you’re mostly only hearing about tracks closing so it’s always good news when a speedway reopens,” said Emig.  “Jeff, his wife Christy, and crew have already done a wonderful job in a very short period of time in bringing racing back to Bradford.  It’s great to see their enthusiasm for both racing and their facility.  We are looking forward to working with Jeff, as he brings a new and unique perspective to the speedway promoting business through his radio broadcasting and television background.”  

 

Not only is Jeff Andrulonis the owner of Bradford Speedway, but he also owns Colonial Media and Entertainment, which owns/operates a 1 TV/8 FM Broadcast group in the Twin Tiers of New York and Pennsylvania. 

 

Along with Bradford’s RUSH Late Models, the speedway will also campaign the E-Mods, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Mini Stocks on a weekly basis.  On a normal night, gates open at 5 p.m. with racing at 7. 

 

There will be a fan promotion every night at Bradford.  Besides the Sweeney RUSH Speedweek Tour event, another big night at Bradford will be on Saturday, May 25 when the Patriot “360” Sprint Group makes their second ever appearance and first since 2006!  Along with the regular divisions, fireworks will cap the show!

 

Bradford will also be having monthly Go-Kart races at 1 p.m. beginning on May 11 followed by June 15, July 13, and August 10.

 

The New Bradford Speedway is located at 330 Summit Road, Bradford, PA 16701.  For more information, check out their website at www.bradfordspeedway.com or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bradfordspeedway or call 814-465-3542.

 

2013 RUSH weekly-sanctioned speedways include Allegheny Mountain Raceway (Kane, PA), Bradford (PA) Speedway, McKean County Raceway (East Smethport, PA), Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway (Imperial, PA), Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex (Markleysburg, PA), Sharon Speedway (Hartford, OH), and The Rock – Allegany County Speedway (Cumberland, MD).

 

2013 RUSH marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, RainEater Wiper Blades, Hoosier Tire, Precise Racing Products, The Brake Man, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, K1 RaceGear, TurboStart, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Wrisco Aluminum, 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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