SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES SET FOR RICHEST
SCHEDULE TO DATE; INCREASE IN SPEEDWEEK PAYOFFS; $10,000 TO-WIN "BILL EMIG
MEMORIAL"; BACK-TO-BACK $4000 TO-WIN QUEBEC RACES; MAVTV, MFG NIGHTS, NEW "$500
CLUB" & MORE
By
February 22, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(
All Sweeney Tour events will now pay a minimum of $2,000
to-win, $225 to-start with a $200 to-win non-qualifier, and guaranteed $125 tow
money. All
events will utilize the group qualifying format featuring $100 FK Rod Ends
“Shock the Clock Qualifying” and $25 to-win FK Rod End heat races.
The new "500 Club" will allow five drivers from the host speedway's
top 15 in points (or the closest nearby track if not at a weekly-sanctioned
track) the ability to win an additional $100 cash bonus at Sweeney Touring
Series events! The "500" Club will
influx an additional $7,000 of available cash into the hands of RUSH "weekly"
racers who participate in RUSH Touring events!
The "$500 Club" will take place at all Sweeney Tour events with the
exception of the Lernerville "Bill Emig Memorial" and at the Quebec events,
which will have a separate promotion.
"Our 2019 Touring schedule is just incredible," Series Director Vicki Emig. "To have more than 50% of this year's schedule paying a minimum of $3,000 to-win highlighted of course by Lernerville's $10,000 to win 'Bill Emig Memorial' in conjunction with the 'Firecracker' speaks volumes as to how far Crate Late Model racing has come throughout our region. Couple that with other exciting things like two Manufacturers Nights that will once again distribute over $50,000 of actual product to the racers, our nationally televised MAVTV Weedsport event, back-to back events in the French speaking province of Quebec, DirtonDirt.com coverage, and I'd say it's going to be quite a year! All of the host speedways should be commended for their support of RUSH and our Touring Series."
The 2019 slate will get underway
with the second annual "Battle of the Bay" Speedweek, this year presented by
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, on April 17 and continue through the 20th.
Speedweek will kick-off once again at Delaware International Speedway in
Delmar with this year's event being increased to $4,000 to-win for the inaugural
"Raelyn Huffman Memorial" presented by RJ Poultry.
Not only has the opening event been increased, but thanks to the
promoters of Georgetown, Potomac, and Winchester, those events have now been
increased to $3,000 to-win.
Besides the increase payoffs,
there will again be a $3,000 point fund for the top 10 RUSH members in points
over the four nights with $1,000 going to the champion thanks to Wehrs Machine.
There will also be a $150 travel package for any Tour driver in the top
12 from 2018 that participates. Last
year, saw car counts of 40 or more at all five events with 63 different drivers
participating. Logan Roberson was
the Speedweek champion after winning the Potomac and Winchester events for his
first career Tour wins.
DIS has completed two successful
seasons under the RUSH banner with increasing weekly car counts.
Georgetown meanwhile is located just 20 miles from DIS, and promoter
Brett Deyo will be entering his third season of having RUSH sanction his Crate
Late Model racing. Friday and
Saturday sister speedways, Potomac and Winchester, have led the tremendous
growth of Crate Late Model racing in the Mid-Atlantic as both will embark on
their sixth seasons under the RUSH banner with track
owner Greg Gunter and general manager Denise Hollidge.
After a month off, the Sweeney
Touring Series returns to Stateline Speedway for the third consecutive year for
the "Bill Law Memorial" on May 18.
The 2017 event was the first ever Tour event at the Busti, NY oval in the
10-year history of Crate Late Models in the Northeast as a big crowd watched a
thriller as Jeremy Wonderling held off standout and track dominator Max Blair
for the victory. Last year's event
was just as good as Damian Bidwell made a late race pass of Scott Gurdak for his
first Tour win in more than three years.
The event is held in memory of the late Bill Law, who pioneered the Crate
Late Model concept in the Northeast as a car owner for several racers including
his son Jon. Law's grandson, Kyle
Murray, carries on the family tradition as he currently competes in the RUSH
Late Models.
For the third straight year, Outlaw and Genesee
Speedway in New York have teamed up to host back-to-back $2,000 to-win "Marquee"
Events on Friday and Saturday, May 31 and June 1.
Outlaw's show will again be dubbed as the "Gary Montgomery Memorial".
The last two Outlaw races have been tremendous with former BRP Can-Am
racers Bryce Davis and Jeremy Wonderling winning in memory of Montgomery, while
Jason Genco swept both Tour events last season at Genesee.
Owner Tyler Siri has done a tremendous job at transforming Outlaw
Speedway, while Genesee promoter Jim Johnson hosts a very successful Saturday
night weekly program featuring the RUSH Late Models at the Genesee County
Fairgrounds in Batavia.
The most anticipated Crate Late Model race in the
history of the Northeast will take place at Lernerville Speedway June 20-22 as
part of the track's "Firecracker 100".
The event will feature the $10,000 to-win "Bill Emig Memorial", which
joins the Super Late Model crown jewel event for the World of Outlaws, which
pays $30,000 to-win. This will be
the richest Crate Late Model race in the 13-year history in the Northeast and is
expected to attract racers from all over the East Coast and Canada.
RUSH thanks the Tomson Family at Lernerville and the World of Outlaws for
making this event possible as well the speedways for allowing their racers to
compete in this historic event.
For the first time ever, Pittsburgh's PA Motor
Speedway will host a trio of Sweeney Tour events.
The first show will be on Saturday, June 29 as the "Manufacturers Night"
presented by MSD Performance returns to the "Monster Half-Mile" for the first
time since 2013. Not only will this
be a $2,000 to-win show, but competing racers will share in the $40,000 of
useful product giveaways. The
"traveling" Manufacturers Night will move to the Mid-Atlantic in 2019 and will
be held at Potomac Speedway on Sunday, May 26 in a Weekly Series special; the
two MFG Night events combined are expected to award over $50,000 in usual
product to RUSH racers.
Miley Motorsports, which features the RUSH Late Models
as their headlining division on Saturday nights at PPMS, will also again host
two of the major Tour events. For the
third time, the "Jook George Steel City Classic" will be a Tour event.
The "Jook George" will take place on Saturday, August 10 with the exact
payoff TBA. Last year's event
attracted a record 51 cars and saw Jacob Hawkins take home $5,010 of the record
payoff thanks to the extraordinary efforts by Branden Lockwich .
For the fourth straight year, the Sweeney Tour will be part of the
"Pittsburgher" with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series on October 4-5.
Last year's "Bill Hendren Memorial" increased to $4,000 to-win and also
included a $1,000 to-win Pace Performance non-winners race on Friday night.
One of last year's most anticipated events took place
at Weedsport Speedway for their first ever RUSH-sanctioned event.
John Waters won the $2,000 event that was televised by MAVTV, which was
the first time ever Crate Late Models were televised nationally.
Weedsport has been one of the most requested venues in recent years and
once again this mid-week special on Tuesday, July 2 will allow all teams the
ability to compete without conflicting with any other RUSH-sanctioned events.
A new and exciting weekend takes place on Friday and
Saturday, July 12-13 as RUSH will have back-to-back $4,000 to-win, $400 to-start
Tour events in US funds at Autodrome Granby and Le RPM Speedways.
This "Quebec Invasion" will see RUSH head to the French-speaking province
for the first time ever! It addition
to this great payoff, 20 lucky drivers will win a $100 Sunoco fuel card to help
with travel expenses. Both of these
shows will be under the Platinum designation have attracted a lot of interest
throughout the entire region. Thanks
to so many of the Canadian and New York tracks for their willingness to allow
their racers to compete in these events.
For the first time ever, Dog Hollow Speedway will host
a Sweeney Tour event. The $2,000
to-win "Mole Bassaro Memorial" will
take place on Friday, August 2, and will also include the RUSH Sportsman
Modified Touring Series for the first time ever as well.
The Northern Cambria, Pa. oval became RUSH weekly-sanctioned in 2018 for
the first time, and will continue to be so featuring primarily Saturday night
racing under promoter Dan Savino.
The season will once again conclude with the "Steel
City Stampede" at Lernerville Speedway on October 18-19.
Last year, Colton Flinner became the 10th different winner in as many
"Steel City Stampedes" with his $2,000 victory.
The Sarver, Pa. oval is a great partner with RUSH running the RUSH Pro
Stocks weekly, along with events for the RUSH Sprint Cars and RUSH Sportsman
Modifieds in addition to the previously mentioned $10,000 to-win "Bill Emig
Memorial".
The 2018 season saw 12 different winners in 17 Tour
races. Car counts were up with an
average of more than 32 per night.
Jeremy Wonderling captured the $5,000 championship beating out Jason Genco.
Both New York drivers will return to the Tour full-time in 2019.
Between the new "$500 Club" and the Sunoco gift cards for the "Quebec
Invasion", an additional $9,000 will be influxed to RUSH racers as part of the
Touring Series in 2019. Additional
information on the Touring Series and other RUSH programs will be released
throughout the offseason.
2019 Sweeney RUSH Late Model
Touring Series Schedule*
·
Wed, April 17
Delaware International Speedway (Delmar, DE) - "Battle of the Bay"
Speedweek ("Raelyn Huffman Memorial")- $4,000 to-win (Marquee)
·
Thr, April 18
Georgetown Speedway (Georgetown, DE) - "Battle of the Bay" Speedweek -
$3,000 to-win (Marquee)
·
Fri, April 19
Potomac Speedway (Mechanicsville, MD) - "Battle of the Bay" Speedweek
- $3,000 to-win (Marquee)
·
Sat, April 20
Winchester Speedway (Winchester, VA) - "Battle of the Bay" Speedweek -
$3,000 to-win (Marquee)
·
Saturday, May 18
Stateline Speedway (Busti, NY) -
"Bill Law Memorial" - $2,000 to-win (Marquee)
· Sunday, May 19 Eriez Speedway (Erie, PA) - $2,000 to-win
· Friday, May 31 Outlaw Speedway (Dundee, NY) - "Gary Montgomery Memorial" - $2,000 to-win (Marquee)
·
Saturday, June 1
Genesee Speedway (Batavia, NY) -
$2,000 to-win (Marquee)
· Thr-Sat, June 20-22 Lernerville Speedway (Sarver, PA) - "Bill Emig Memorial” at the "Firecracker 100" - $10,000 to-win (Marquee) - rain date June 23
·
Saturday, June 29
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway (Imperial, PA) -$40,000
"Manufacturers Night” presented by MSD Performance - $2,000 to-win (Marquee)
·
Tuesday, July 2
Weedsport Speedway (Weedsport, NY) -
Televised by MAVTV/Speed Sport - $2,000
to-win (Marquee)
·
Friday, July 12
Autodrome Granby Speedway (Granby, QC) -
"Quebec Invasion" - $4,000 to-win, $400 to-start US (Platinum)
·
Saturday, July 13
Le RPM Speedway (Saint-Marcel-de-Richelieu, QC) -
"Quebec Invasion" - $4,000 to-win, $400
to-start US (Platinum)
· Friday, August 2 Dog Hollow Speedway (Northern Cambria, PA) - “Mole Bassaro Memorial” - $2,000 to-win (Marquee)
· Saturday, August 10 Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway (Imperial, PA) - “Jook George Steel City Classic” - Payoff TBA (Marquee) - rain date August 11
·
Fri & Sat, October 4-5
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway (Imperial, PA) -
“Bill Hendren Memorial” at the
"Pittsburgher" - $4,000 to-win (Marquee) - rain date October 6
·
Fri & Sat, October 18-19
Lernerville Speedway (Sarver, PA) -
“Steel City Stampede” - $2,000 to-win - rain date October 20
*Schedule is subject to
change. Additional date(s) may be added.
RUSH Late Model Series is brought to you by Sweeney Chevrolet Buick
GMC & Pace Performance along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks,
Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance,
Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products,
Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies &
Parts, Racing Electronics, Dirt Defender, Dynamic Drivelines, Wrisco Industries,
Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Trailer-Alarms.com,
Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric,
Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, CrateInsider.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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