SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL SERIES CONTINUES STRONG FORWARD MOMENTUM; BEST STILL TO COME WITH MANY MAJOR EVENTS THRU SEASON’S END ALONG WITH $50K OF CONTINGENCY AWARDS
By Mike Leone

July 23, 2013                          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)…After a successful five-night “Cross the Borders” Speedweek in which 77 different racers competed as Max Blair captured the $1,000 championship, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series surges into the second half of the season with major events and over $70,000 of point championship monies to be determined and $50,000+ of contingencies to be awarded.

 

Weekly television coverage, multiple national sponsors, a mobile app- the first of its kind for the region, along with a strong Sweeney Touring schedule and competitive racing at RUSH weekly sanctioned speedways have all created exciting forward momentum for the Series in its breakthrough inaugural season; but the best is yet to come as the majority of the Series’ major race events and valuable promotions are all scheduled to take place over the next few months.

 

Eleven of the 25 Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Touring Series events have been completed to date, and excluding the rescheduled event at Expo Speedway, over full field have been at every event with an average car count of 32 per event.  The season high was at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway for stop number three of Speedweek when 40 cars signed in.  Competition has also been excellent as the Touring series events have provided eight different winners and racers participating from seven states and Canada.  

 

Most of the season’s big Sweeney Touring Series events are now on the radar including Friday’s $2,000 to-win event with Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Roaring Knob with an additional $1,200 to be made out in travel money for the two-night “Battle Down the National Pike” with Hagerstown Speedway originally scheduled for back in April. 

 

The Sweeney Tour will play to a packed house for the traditional fair event at McKean County Raceway on August 15 followed up by the $2,000 to-win “Gary Knollinger Memorial” two days later. 

 

Labor Day Weekend will be huge with over $50,000 in cash and contingencies up for grabs between Pittsburgh and Roaring Knob!  The $30,000 “Manufactures Night” will take place on Saturday at Pittsburgh followed by a $2,000 to-win event with the $20,000 NDRL “Kings of Dirt” Super Late Models on Monday! 

The big weekends continue through the fall with the “Apple Festival Nationals” at Sharon Speedway paying $2,000 to-win September 13-14, the two-day “Fall Classic” at McKean County Raceway September 20-21, the “Bill Hendren Memorial” paying $2,000 to-win along with tens of thousands of valuable contingencies at Roaring Knob September 27-28, the $2,500 to-win “Ultimate” at Hesston Speedway October 4-5, two complete shows at the “Pittsburgher” with NDRL paying $1,500 and $3,000 on October 11-12, the huge “Northern States Classic” at Roaring Knob with up to $5,000 possible to-win, and finally the $2,000 to-win “Steel City Stampede” at Lernerville October 25-26!

 

While lots of dollars will be up for grabs in both purse money and of course the top 15 Sweeney Touring Series point fund payout ($25,000), it doesn’t stop there as three other point series will be coming down to the wire over the next couple months.

 

Nearly 200 different racers have already competed at a Sweeney RUSH-sanctioned event this season at many of the region’s premier speedways throughout the region including: Allegheny Mountain Raceway, Bradford Speedway, Expo Speedway, Hagerstown Speedway, Lernerville Speedway, McKean County Raceway, Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway, Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex, Sharon Speedway, Sportsman’s Speedway, and The Rock.

 

The top 30 drivers in the Sweeney Weekly Series points will share in the $25,000+ point fund with $5,000 going to the champion!  Currently, Mike Pegher, Jr. leads Rick Singleton.  These points will continue through the end of September.  

 

The Pace Performance “Summer Chase” got underway on July 1 and will continue through Labor Day.  The top 10 drivers at each of the weekly-sanctioned speedway and Sweeney Tour points are eligible for this $10,000+ point fund, which will pay the top 10 drivers based on their point averages in a minimum of eight events completed.  Ken Herman has the early lead over Kyle Lukon. 

 

Ten young racers from the age of 12-19 are currently battling for the “Futures Cup” Championship.  These racers will share in a $3,000 point fund with $1,000 going to the champion.  Via his fifth place finish last Saturday in the Sweeney Tour event at Sharon, Eric Wilson has taken over the point lead.  Michael Lake, a winner earlier this year at Roaring Knob, is second with Pittsburgh “Trifecta” race winner, Jorden Peters, third. 

 

Several other point funds and programs have already seen numerous dollars distributed to RUSH racers including the $3,000 Speedweek point fund, the $1,500 Bill Emig Memorial “Wild Card Weekend”, the $1,200 “Battle Down the National Pike” travel money, and over $2,500 in the Bobby Lake Motorsports “Shock the Clock & Beat the Heat”.  Additional sponsorship program point funds will also be disbursed at season’s end for the “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series and K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash Championship.  All points are up to date available on the RUSH website under Points at www.rushracingseries.com.  

 

Sponsorship support has been tremendous for the inaugural season.  Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC came on board to brand the Series and present the Touring and Weekly Series Championships.  Sweeney’s associate, Pace Performance, presents the exciting “Summer Chase”.  Both Sweeney and Pace awarded a brand new GM 604 engine valued at over $5,500 at Sharon on July 20 to lucky recipient Bobby Whitling!

 

RainEater Wiper Blades based in Erie, Pa. made it possible to be included on the television show “Open Throttle 360” every week and also is the presenter of several Sweeney Touring events. 

 

Sunoco/Bazell Race Fuels recently partnered in a major way to be the official fuel of the Series.  Kyle Lukon became the first driver to win a Touring Series event on the Sunoco 260 GT Plus and earned a $500 bonus!  The first 50 drivers that show proof of purchase of the product will receive 5 gallons free!  Pittsburgh has recently seen a spike in sales and interest since the program has been announced and the success by the brother-sister combo of Kyle and Laura Lukon.  Sunoco will also be the presenting sponsor of the “Northern State Classic” at Roaring Knob October 18-19.

 

Precise Racing Products awards a $100 gift card at every Sweeney Touring event for the “Pedal Down” Hard Charger, while The Brake Man offers product and certificates to the driver selected as the “Tough Brake of the Night”.  K&N Filters awards $150 in certificates at each Sweeney Tour event as well as additional giveaways for the fans and season ending point fund.  An additional $1,250 in cash will be paid out by the Series to the third and fourth place dash finishers!

 

ARbodies is one of the Series’ largest contingency sponsors as they’ll award 15 nose kits throughout the year valued at approximately $250 each plus additional certificates for the speedways.  TurboStart will award 10 16-volt racing batteries throughout the season as each is valued at approximately $250. 

 

Companies such as Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, K1 Race Gear, and Wrisco Industries have already signed on to be major players of the $30,000 “Manufacturers Night”.  Hoosier Tire is a big supporter of the Series as is High Gear Speed Shop, Utsinger’s Towing, RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.

 

Media presence has been strong during this inaugural season.  Every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and Friday at 1:30 a.m., the Sweeney RUSH Series is part of the weekly “Open Throttle 360” motorsports show with the “Talkin” segment presented by RainEater Wiper Blades.  “Open Throttle 360” airs in the Pittsburgh television market on PCNC.  The show in its entirety along with the individual RUSH driver segments are archived and available on the internet through the RUSH website via the “Open Throttle 360” front page icon.  

 

The Sweeney RUSH Series was the first in the region and one of a select few in grassroots racing that has a Mobile App.   Currently the “RUSH Racing Series” is available on the Android Google Play market and work continues on the Apple operating systems App.

 

The Sweeney RUSH Series is proud to be partnered with the NeSmith Series on the “Race Report” show every Tuesday night hosted by Webb Dillard.  The show details the latest from both Series, and each week at least one RUSH driver that starred during the past weekend is featured.   NeSmith Racing Series founder Mike Vaughn has proved, as he vowed from the beginning, to be a great sister series to work side-by-side with to achieve greater goals into the future for Crate Late Model racing.

 

“Mike and I cannot thank the speedways, drivers, sponsors, and fans enough for their tremendous support they have shown us during the inaugural season of the Sweeney RUSH Dirt Late Model Series,” stated Series director Vicki Emig.  “Absolutely none of the great things that have happened to the Series would have been possible without their support, and we will never forget that through their support they have helped us lay a strong foundation that can be beneficial to all into the future.     


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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