SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODELS PART OF MCKEAN COUNTY’S “FALL CLASSIC” SATURDAY FOR INSINGER/SUNOCO NORTHERN TOUR
By Mike Leone

October 7, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(East Smethport, PA)...After suffering two straight rainouts and losing three of the last four events, dry weather is predicted for this Saturday (October 10) as the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series heads to McKean County Raceway for an Insinger Performance/Sunoco Racing Fuels Northern Touring Series event as part of the 10th annual “Fall Classic”. Racing begins early with warm-ups slated for 1 p.m. The rain date is October 17.

McKean has been closed all year, but will roar back to life on Saturday in what was scheduled to be the second event; however, rain wiped out the traditional Fair event back on August 20. The Sweeney Tour events in years past at McKean have always drawn strong car counts. Last year’s counts were 38 for the Fair race, 43 for “Manufacturers Night” and 45 for the “Fall Classic”.

“We’re excited to be part of the Fall Classic once again,” stated Series Director Vicki Emig. “This has always been a traditional, season ending event for the northern part of our region and it’s great that Chris Zuver is able to continue the tradition once again. There’s always been a strong base of competitors in this region and our events in the past at McKean have always attracted strong, quality fields. And with nearby Stateline, Eriez, Freedom, Bradford, and Humberstone all under the RUSH weekly banner this year, we except that to continue on Saturday.”

The Sweeney RUSH Series has completed 15 Tour events to date so far with six in the North and nine in the South. Max Blair of Centerville, Pa. leads the way with eight victories including the last three straight as he’s atop the Northern and Bazell/Sunoco Southern Tour points as well as the combined points. He'll look to clinch the $4,000 Northern Tour title on Saturday and can do so by simply finishing 22nd or better in the 25-lap, $1,200 to-win feature event.

Blair leads Bryce Davis by 27 points in the Northern Tour. Davis, who won the $3,000 Pace Performance “Summer Chase” this year in addition to winning last Friday’s $1,000 RUSH race at Fulton Speedway, has been consistent in the Northern Tour races with six to6p 10s in as many races including a win at Freedom and three straight top five finishes! The other Northern Tour winner this year is John Waters, who won $2,000 at Humberstone back on July 19.

The battle for the third position is tight with Randy Hall leading Waters by four points and Jason Knowles by just five. Sixth place point man, Brian Knowles, is 17 points behind Hall. Eric Wilson, who is second in the Southern Tour points, has struggled in the Northern Tour races with just one top 10 finish and is currently seventh in points. Ward Schell, T.J. Downs, Kyle Zimmerman, Joe Martin, and Dennis Lunger, Jr. currently occupy the final points paying positions in eighth through 12th heading into the final Northern Tour event.

The K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will set the two rows after the redraw cars and will award a $100 K&N certificate for first place, $50 K&N certificate for second place, and $25 cash for the third and fourth place finishers. Blair is the current Dash point leader. If enough cars are present, a non-qualifier event will be run paying $125 to-win. Jamie Brown is the current “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series leader.

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!

The driver that finishes last on the lead lap will receive a $25 gift certificate from CrateInsider.com. ARbodies will award a nose kit valued at $260 to the first driver that fails to qualify for the feature.

McKean Feature Payoff: 1. $1,200 2. $700 3. $500 4. $370 5. $350 6. $315 7. $300 8. $270 9. $260 10. $255 11. $230 12. $215 13. $205 14. $200 15. $175 16. $170 17. $165 18-24. $160.

McKean Non-Qualifier: 1. $125 2. $100 3. $90 4. $85 5. $80 6. $75 7. $70 8. $65 9. $60 10-24. $55. Tow $50.

Insinger/Sunoco Northern Late Model Tour Points (Drivers must be Touring member to receive points): 1. Max Blair 588 2. Bryce Davis 561 3. Randy Hall 528 4. John Waters 524 5. Jason Knowles 524 6. Brian Knowles 523 7. Eric Wilson 482 8. Ward Schell 392 9. T.J. Downs 373 10. Kyle Zimmerman 253 11. Joe Martin 252 12. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 190 13. Chad Wright 176 14. Jeff Dayman 163 15. Doug Gavette 158 16. W.L. Stile 154 17. Andrew Wylie 147 18. Jon Rivers 142 19. Jamie Brown & Clay Ruffo 140 21. Phil Potts 98 22. Kyle Lukon 96 23. Rob Marhefka 89 24. Adam Sixt 84 25. Matt Harvey 73 26. Michael Mitchell 70.

Combined Northern/Southern Late Model Tour Points (Drivers must be Touring member to receive points): 1. Max Blair 1512 2. Jason Knowles 1368 3. Brian Knowles 1344 4. Eric Wilson 1334 5. John Waters 1196 6. Steve Lowery 698 7. Randy Hall 617 8. Kyle Lukon 587 9. Bryce Davis 561 10. Rob Marhefka 543 11. W.L. Stile 471 12. Clay Ruffo 455 13. Joe Martin 414 14. Michael Lake 410 15. Ward Schell 392 16. T.J. Downs 373 17. Michael Duritsky, Jr. 352 18. Kyle Zimmerman 341 19. Doug Gavette 316 20. Rick Singleton 273 21. Ryan Montgomery 268 22. Ryan Markham 264 23. Troy Shields 230 24. Reese Masiello & Andrew Wylie 228 26. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 190 27. Chad Wright 176 28. Chad McClellan 174 29. Jeff Dayman 163 30. Russell Baird, Jr. 151 31. Jon Rivers 142 32. Jamie Brown 140 33. Phil Potts 98 34. Adam Sixt 84 35. Matt Harvey 73 36. Nolan Dalton 72 37. Cody Dawson 71 38. Michael Mitchell, Josh Holtgraver & Will Thomas III 70.

You do not have to a member of RUSH to compete. RACEceivers will be mandatory. There will be a $50 entry fee. Pits open at 8 a.m. with registration and pre-race tech beginning at 10:30. A drivers meeting will be held at 12:25 p.m. Pill cutoff and warm-ups will be at 1 p.m. with racing to follow. McKean County Raceway is a 1/3-mile dirt track located at the McKean County Fairgrounds in East Smethport, Pa. at the intersections of Route 6 and 46.

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, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Velocita-USA, High Gear Speed Shop, CrateInsider.com, B.R.A.K.E.S., RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.

E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at info@rushracingseries.com 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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