RUSH Racing Series
04-10-2015, 10:42 AM
SWEENEY RUSH LM SERIES ANNOUNCES 2015 TOURING SCHEDULE; $10,000 POSSIBLE TO WIN BETWEEN NEW NORTHERN & SOUTHERN TOURS
By Mike Leone
April 10, 2015
(Pulaski, PA)...The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series is excited to release its 2015 Sweeney Touring Series schedule. For the first time, the Series will offer both a Northern and Southern Touring schedule of events. With $4,000 to-win each region and the $2,000 overall bonus, one driver could win $10,000!
Twenty-four events are included on the combined Sweeney Touring Series schedule. The Series will make its only visit to Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex on Saturday, April 18, which will kick-off the 2015 season and begin the points for the Southern Tour. The Markleysburg, Pa. oval, which is just minutes from both West Virginia and Maryland hosts weekly Sweeney RUSH Late Model action. Roaring Knob led all speedways completing 26 RUSH features in 2014. “Futures Cup” Champion Michael Lake was the track champion.
In 2014, Potomac and Winchester Speedways came on board as RUSH weekly-sanctioned speedways and had rousing success doubling car counts. Rick Singleton swept the inaugural “Mid-Atlantic Classic” Sweeney Tour weekend at both speedways. That event is back in 2015 with a pair of $2,000 to-win Tour events on Friday, May 8 at Potomac in Mechanicville, MD and Saturday, May 9 at Virginia’s Winchester.
The first event for the Northern Tour, which will be presented by Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels, will be on Monday, May 18 at Merrittville Speedway. The event will be historic as it’ll be the first ever Crate Late Model event at the Thorold, Ontario oval, and will pay $2,000 to-win. It’ll also be a big night as Canada celebrates Victoria Day and the Sweeney RUSH Late Models join the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series for the first time ever. This traditional event always draws a packed grandstand to watch some of the best Modified racers in the country.
Freedom Motorsports Park has a new owner in Bob Reis, but once again the track will be under the Sweeney RUSH Weekly Series banner. Last year, Freedom held the first ever Crate Late Model Touring event, which won by Chad McClellan. Freedom has a Northern Tour event scheduled in 2015 on Friday, June 5 as the inaugural “Ron Baker Memorial” will kick off the three-night “Triple Crown Weekend”. Baker, who passed away in December, was most recently the car owner for Ward Schell.
The first weekend in June continues on Saturday night the 6th with the first ever Sweeney Tour event at Stateline Speedway. The Busti, NY oval will have a sanction for their Crate Late Models for the first time in the track’s history as promoter Bill Catania chose RUSH so it’s drivers can take advantage of all of the amenities the Sweeney Weekly Series offers. Catania took over Stateline last summer and made numerous improvements. A possible second date at Stateline may be added.
Eriez Speedway will complete the “Triple Crown Weekend” with their first of two Sweeney Tour events. Eriez has been a strong Sunday night Crate Late Model speedway for many years and we’re thrilled to have under the Sweeney Weekly Series banner for the first time. The Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Northern Tour will return to Eriez on Sunday, July 26 for the $30,000 “Manufacturers Night”.
The richest event in the history of RUSH is coming to Winchester Speedway on June 12-13. The inaugural “Crate Racin’ USA Late Model Nationals” will be RUSH’s first ever national event. Friday will feature Bobby Lake Motorsports “Shock the Clock” qualifying that will set the line-ups for the “Bill Hendren Memorial” Twin 20s paying $1,000 to-win each. These qualifiers will then determine the line-up for Saturday’s 50-lap $6,000 to-win feature and last chance B mains. Drivers who fail to qualify for the feature then will be eligible for the $1,500 to-win non-qualifier. Also on Friday night will be a $500 to-win “Miles Traveled” event for drivers traveling 350 miles or further to compete. In addition, Steve Hendren will post thousands of dollars of contingency prizes on Friday in memory of his father.
After being closed for four years, racing will come to life once again at Tri-City Raceway Park under new owner Mark Tatalovic. The Franklin, Pa. half-mile has two Sunday Tour events scheduled. The first will be on June 21 and will be the site of the $2,000 to-win “Bill Emig Memorial” for the first time ever, and a second will take place on August 16. Eriez has worked with Tri-City to drop their RUSH Late Models on these nights so their racers can participate in these events!
Wayne County Speedway has come on board as a Sweeney RUSH weekly-sanctioned speedway making the Orrville, Ohio oval the westernmost facility under the RUSH banner. Last year’s scheduled Sweeney Tour event was rained out the night before Labor Day. This year, the Series will make three appearances with $1,500 to-win events on Monday, June 22, Saturday, July 4, and Sunday, September 6. The first and third events will be part of Tony Stewart’s All Star Sprint Car Series. The July 4 show will see one lucky driver leave with a brand new GM 604 engine valued at over $5,500 thanks to Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC and Pace Performance.
RUSH is proud to continue to have Lernerville Speedway share an alliance. The Sarver, Pa. oval will again hold a Sweeney Weekly Series event on Friday, May 1 with the All Stars then two Sweeney Tour events; one will again be with the BOSS Sprints on Friday, July 3 and the second as part of the annual “Steel City Stampede” for $2,000 to-win October 23-24.
The RUSH Late Models are expected to be part of the traditional racing program at Expo Speedway during the Trumbull County Fair on Wednesday, July 15. The big 5/8-mile oval in Cortland, Ohio always offers a unique challenge to racers.
One of the annual events Series Officials and racers look forward to is the trip to Humberstone Speedway. The 2015 “Canadian National Late Model Championship” will be held on Sunday, July 19 with $2,000 to-win at the Port Colborne, Ontario racey bullring. Humberstone is once again a Sweeney Weekly Series track running on Sunday nights giving Canadian racers the ability to race three nights per week.
McKean County Raceway will be in operation on a very limited scale in 2015. The East Smethport, Pa. oval will host the traditional McKean County Fair race on Thursday, August 20 then return to action for the “Fall Classic” the second weekend in October. Event promoter, Chris Zuver, has announced he’ll hold two Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Tour events with $1,200 to-win each on Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10.
Sharon Speedway will be hosting at least five Sweeney Weekly Series events in 2015 when Wayne County Speedway isn’t running the class. In addition, the Hartford, Ohio showplace will host the $2,000 to-win “Gary Knollinger Memorial” Sweeney Tour event during the “Apple Festival Nationals” on September 11-12.
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway continues their involvement as a strong Sweeney RUSH Weekly Series member track. “The Monster Half-Mile” in Imperial, Pa. will host their Sweeney Tour event on Saturday, September 19.
2015 Touring Series point fund breakdown (Paid out in each Northern & Southern Tours): 1. $4,000 2. $2,000 3. $1,500 4. $1,000 5. $800 6. $700 7. $600 8. $550 9. $525 10. $500 11. $450 12. $400.
2015 Overall Sweeney Touring Series Champion: $2,000
2015 Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Late Model Series Touring Series Schedule*
• Saturday, April 18 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex (S) (Markleysburg, PA) $1,200 to-win
“Mid-Atlantic States Classic”
• Friday, May 8 Potomac Speedway (S) (Mechanicsville, MD) $2,000 to-win
• Saturday, May 9 Winchester Speedway (S) (Winchester, VA) $2,000 to-win
• Monday, May 18 Merrittville Speedway (N) (Thorold, ON, Can.) $2,000 to-win
“Triple Crown Weekend”
• Friday, June 5 Freedom Speedway (N) (Delevan, NY) $1,200 to-win “Ron Baker Memorial”
• Saturday, June 6 Stateline Speedway (N) (Busti, NY) TBA
• Sunday, June 7 Eriez Speedway (N) (Erie, PA) $1,200 to-win
• Friday-Saturday, June 12-13 Winchester Speedway (S – Show-Up) (Winchester, VA) $6,000 to-win
(“Crate Racin’ USA Nat’s – Twin $1,000 to-win Bill Hendren Mem Qualifiers & $500 to-win Miles Traveled race on Friday; $6,000 to-win feature & $1,500 Non-Qualifier on Saturday)
• Sunday, June 21 Tri-City Raceway Park (N) (Franklin, PA) $2,000 to-win “Bill Emig Memorial”
• Monday, June 22 Wayne County Speedway (S) (Orrville, OH) $1,500 to-win
• Friday, July 3 Lernerville Speedway (S) (Sarver, PA) $1,200 to-win
• Saturday, July 4 Wayne County Speedway (S) (Orrville, OH) $1,500 to-win
GM 604 Engine Giveaway presented by Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC/Pace Performance
• Wednesday, July 15 Expo Speedway (S) (Cortland, OH) Fair race
• Sunday, July 19 Humberstone Speedway (N) (Port Colborne, ON, Can) $2,000 to-win
• Saturday, July 25 TBA (N)
• Sunday, July 26 Eriez Speedway (N) (Erie, PA) $1,500 to-win plus $30,000 “Manufacturers Night”
• Sunday, August 16 Tri-City Raceway Park (N) (Franklin, PA) $1,500 to-win
• Thursday, August 20 McKean County Raceway (N) (East Smethport, PA) $1,200 to-win Fair race
• Sunday, September 6 Wayne County Speedway (S) (Orrville, OH) $1,500 to-win
• Friday-Saturday, September 11-12 Sharon Speedway (S) (Hartford, OH) $2,000 to-win
("Apple Festival Nationals" - "Gary Knollinger Memorial")
• Saturday, September 19 Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway (S) (Imperial, PA) $1,200 to-win
• Friday, October 9 McKean County Raceway (N) (East Smethport, PA) $1,200 to-win "Fall Classic"
• Saturday, October 10 McKean County Raceway (N) (East Smethport, PA) $1,200 to-win "Fall Classic"
• Friday & Saturday, October 23-24 Lernerville Speedway (S) (Sarver, PA) $2,000 to-win
By Mike Leone
April 10, 2015
(Pulaski, PA)...The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series is excited to release its 2015 Sweeney Touring Series schedule. For the first time, the Series will offer both a Northern and Southern Touring schedule of events. With $4,000 to-win each region and the $2,000 overall bonus, one driver could win $10,000!
Twenty-four events are included on the combined Sweeney Touring Series schedule. The Series will make its only visit to Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex on Saturday, April 18, which will kick-off the 2015 season and begin the points for the Southern Tour. The Markleysburg, Pa. oval, which is just minutes from both West Virginia and Maryland hosts weekly Sweeney RUSH Late Model action. Roaring Knob led all speedways completing 26 RUSH features in 2014. “Futures Cup” Champion Michael Lake was the track champion.
In 2014, Potomac and Winchester Speedways came on board as RUSH weekly-sanctioned speedways and had rousing success doubling car counts. Rick Singleton swept the inaugural “Mid-Atlantic Classic” Sweeney Tour weekend at both speedways. That event is back in 2015 with a pair of $2,000 to-win Tour events on Friday, May 8 at Potomac in Mechanicville, MD and Saturday, May 9 at Virginia’s Winchester.
The first event for the Northern Tour, which will be presented by Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels, will be on Monday, May 18 at Merrittville Speedway. The event will be historic as it’ll be the first ever Crate Late Model event at the Thorold, Ontario oval, and will pay $2,000 to-win. It’ll also be a big night as Canada celebrates Victoria Day and the Sweeney RUSH Late Models join the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series for the first time ever. This traditional event always draws a packed grandstand to watch some of the best Modified racers in the country.
Freedom Motorsports Park has a new owner in Bob Reis, but once again the track will be under the Sweeney RUSH Weekly Series banner. Last year, Freedom held the first ever Crate Late Model Touring event, which won by Chad McClellan. Freedom has a Northern Tour event scheduled in 2015 on Friday, June 5 as the inaugural “Ron Baker Memorial” will kick off the three-night “Triple Crown Weekend”. Baker, who passed away in December, was most recently the car owner for Ward Schell.
The first weekend in June continues on Saturday night the 6th with the first ever Sweeney Tour event at Stateline Speedway. The Busti, NY oval will have a sanction for their Crate Late Models for the first time in the track’s history as promoter Bill Catania chose RUSH so it’s drivers can take advantage of all of the amenities the Sweeney Weekly Series offers. Catania took over Stateline last summer and made numerous improvements. A possible second date at Stateline may be added.
Eriez Speedway will complete the “Triple Crown Weekend” with their first of two Sweeney Tour events. Eriez has been a strong Sunday night Crate Late Model speedway for many years and we’re thrilled to have under the Sweeney Weekly Series banner for the first time. The Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Northern Tour will return to Eriez on Sunday, July 26 for the $30,000 “Manufacturers Night”.
The richest event in the history of RUSH is coming to Winchester Speedway on June 12-13. The inaugural “Crate Racin’ USA Late Model Nationals” will be RUSH’s first ever national event. Friday will feature Bobby Lake Motorsports “Shock the Clock” qualifying that will set the line-ups for the “Bill Hendren Memorial” Twin 20s paying $1,000 to-win each. These qualifiers will then determine the line-up for Saturday’s 50-lap $6,000 to-win feature and last chance B mains. Drivers who fail to qualify for the feature then will be eligible for the $1,500 to-win non-qualifier. Also on Friday night will be a $500 to-win “Miles Traveled” event for drivers traveling 350 miles or further to compete. In addition, Steve Hendren will post thousands of dollars of contingency prizes on Friday in memory of his father.
After being closed for four years, racing will come to life once again at Tri-City Raceway Park under new owner Mark Tatalovic. The Franklin, Pa. half-mile has two Sunday Tour events scheduled. The first will be on June 21 and will be the site of the $2,000 to-win “Bill Emig Memorial” for the first time ever, and a second will take place on August 16. Eriez has worked with Tri-City to drop their RUSH Late Models on these nights so their racers can participate in these events!
Wayne County Speedway has come on board as a Sweeney RUSH weekly-sanctioned speedway making the Orrville, Ohio oval the westernmost facility under the RUSH banner. Last year’s scheduled Sweeney Tour event was rained out the night before Labor Day. This year, the Series will make three appearances with $1,500 to-win events on Monday, June 22, Saturday, July 4, and Sunday, September 6. The first and third events will be part of Tony Stewart’s All Star Sprint Car Series. The July 4 show will see one lucky driver leave with a brand new GM 604 engine valued at over $5,500 thanks to Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC and Pace Performance.
RUSH is proud to continue to have Lernerville Speedway share an alliance. The Sarver, Pa. oval will again hold a Sweeney Weekly Series event on Friday, May 1 with the All Stars then two Sweeney Tour events; one will again be with the BOSS Sprints on Friday, July 3 and the second as part of the annual “Steel City Stampede” for $2,000 to-win October 23-24.
The RUSH Late Models are expected to be part of the traditional racing program at Expo Speedway during the Trumbull County Fair on Wednesday, July 15. The big 5/8-mile oval in Cortland, Ohio always offers a unique challenge to racers.
One of the annual events Series Officials and racers look forward to is the trip to Humberstone Speedway. The 2015 “Canadian National Late Model Championship” will be held on Sunday, July 19 with $2,000 to-win at the Port Colborne, Ontario racey bullring. Humberstone is once again a Sweeney Weekly Series track running on Sunday nights giving Canadian racers the ability to race three nights per week.
McKean County Raceway will be in operation on a very limited scale in 2015. The East Smethport, Pa. oval will host the traditional McKean County Fair race on Thursday, August 20 then return to action for the “Fall Classic” the second weekend in October. Event promoter, Chris Zuver, has announced he’ll hold two Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Tour events with $1,200 to-win each on Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10.
Sharon Speedway will be hosting at least five Sweeney Weekly Series events in 2015 when Wayne County Speedway isn’t running the class. In addition, the Hartford, Ohio showplace will host the $2,000 to-win “Gary Knollinger Memorial” Sweeney Tour event during the “Apple Festival Nationals” on September 11-12.
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway continues their involvement as a strong Sweeney RUSH Weekly Series member track. “The Monster Half-Mile” in Imperial, Pa. will host their Sweeney Tour event on Saturday, September 19.
2015 Touring Series point fund breakdown (Paid out in each Northern & Southern Tours): 1. $4,000 2. $2,000 3. $1,500 4. $1,000 5. $800 6. $700 7. $600 8. $550 9. $525 10. $500 11. $450 12. $400.
2015 Overall Sweeney Touring Series Champion: $2,000
2015 Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Late Model Series Touring Series Schedule*
• Saturday, April 18 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex (S) (Markleysburg, PA) $1,200 to-win
“Mid-Atlantic States Classic”
• Friday, May 8 Potomac Speedway (S) (Mechanicsville, MD) $2,000 to-win
• Saturday, May 9 Winchester Speedway (S) (Winchester, VA) $2,000 to-win
• Monday, May 18 Merrittville Speedway (N) (Thorold, ON, Can.) $2,000 to-win
“Triple Crown Weekend”
• Friday, June 5 Freedom Speedway (N) (Delevan, NY) $1,200 to-win “Ron Baker Memorial”
• Saturday, June 6 Stateline Speedway (N) (Busti, NY) TBA
• Sunday, June 7 Eriez Speedway (N) (Erie, PA) $1,200 to-win
• Friday-Saturday, June 12-13 Winchester Speedway (S – Show-Up) (Winchester, VA) $6,000 to-win
(“Crate Racin’ USA Nat’s – Twin $1,000 to-win Bill Hendren Mem Qualifiers & $500 to-win Miles Traveled race on Friday; $6,000 to-win feature & $1,500 Non-Qualifier on Saturday)
• Sunday, June 21 Tri-City Raceway Park (N) (Franklin, PA) $2,000 to-win “Bill Emig Memorial”
• Monday, June 22 Wayne County Speedway (S) (Orrville, OH) $1,500 to-win
• Friday, July 3 Lernerville Speedway (S) (Sarver, PA) $1,200 to-win
• Saturday, July 4 Wayne County Speedway (S) (Orrville, OH) $1,500 to-win
GM 604 Engine Giveaway presented by Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC/Pace Performance
• Wednesday, July 15 Expo Speedway (S) (Cortland, OH) Fair race
• Sunday, July 19 Humberstone Speedway (N) (Port Colborne, ON, Can) $2,000 to-win
• Saturday, July 25 TBA (N)
• Sunday, July 26 Eriez Speedway (N) (Erie, PA) $1,500 to-win plus $30,000 “Manufacturers Night”
• Sunday, August 16 Tri-City Raceway Park (N) (Franklin, PA) $1,500 to-win
• Thursday, August 20 McKean County Raceway (N) (East Smethport, PA) $1,200 to-win Fair race
• Sunday, September 6 Wayne County Speedway (S) (Orrville, OH) $1,500 to-win
• Friday-Saturday, September 11-12 Sharon Speedway (S) (Hartford, OH) $2,000 to-win
("Apple Festival Nationals" - "Gary Knollinger Memorial")
• Saturday, September 19 Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway (S) (Imperial, PA) $1,200 to-win
• Friday, October 9 McKean County Raceway (N) (East Smethport, PA) $1,200 to-win "Fall Classic"
• Saturday, October 10 McKean County Raceway (N) (East Smethport, PA) $1,200 to-win "Fall Classic"
• Friday & Saturday, October 23-24 Lernerville Speedway (S) (Sarver, PA) $2,000 to-win