SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODELS KICKOFF TOURING SERIES SATURDAY AT ROARING KNOB; BAZELL/SUNOCO SOUTHERN TOUR EVENT BEGINS QUEST FOR $4,000 TITLE WITH POSSIBLE $10,000 ON THE LINE

By Mike Leone

April 15, 2015                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Markleysburg, PA)...After a six-month offseason, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series will get things started this Saturday (April 18) with the first of 24 Touring events scheduled.  Saturday's event at the scenic Markleysburg, Pa. oval will be a designated Bazell/Sunoco Race Fuels Southern Touring Series event.  Action begins early with warm-ups at 5 p.m. and racing at 5:30.

New for 2015 is the split Touring Series with the Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels Northern Series and the Bazell/Sunoco Race Fuels Southern Series.  Each region will pay $4,000 to the champion and down 12 positions.  Also, the driver that accumulates the most cumulative points between all Touring events will earn $2,000.  This means it's possible one Touring Series driver could win $10,000!  And the road to the possible $10,000 starts Saturday at Roaring Knob. 

Last Saturday, Roaring Knob was the first track north of the Mason-Dixon Line to complete a Sweeney Weekly Series event thus far in 2015.  Track regular Troy Shields, who won two features in 2014, edged Ohio invader Eric Wilson, who tied for third in the 2014 Sweeney Touring Series points.  Wilson will be one of several drivers hoping to make a run at not only the $4,000 Southern title, but the $10,000 possible sweep.  New York's John Waters came up shy to Ryan Montgomery in the 2014 title chase, but he'll be one of the leading contenders to win both regions as well as Max Blair. 

Blair of Centerville, Pa. was the 2013 Sweeney Weekly Series and Pace Performance "Summer Chase" Champion.  He's been a Touring Series and National Champion in the past, and he'll be focusing more on the RUSH Late Models in 2015 as he tries for the $18,000 sweep of the Series' main championships.  Dozens of racers have already completed their memberships for the 2015 Touring Series with many more expected on Saturday. 

"We're looking forward to kicking off our season Saturday at Roaring Knob," said RUSH Co-Director Vicki Emig.  "It's been a long, cold winter and everyone has been anxious to get the season started.  Roaring Knob had a good show to open their season last Saturday, and we expect a strong car count with it being the opening event and good weather forecasted.  We also have to thank Winchester for giving RUSH up Saturday night to allow their races the opportunity to participate in this event.  The split in the Touring Series, the addition of many new RUSH-sanctioned speedways, and our new Bilstein Bandits program is going to make 2015 a very exciting season."

In 2014, Roaring Knob led the region completing 26 Sweeney RUSH Late Model events.  Track champion and "Futures Cup" champion, Michael Lake, led all racers with seven victories.  Lake pocketed $4,550 in point fund monies at the 2014 banquet thanks to his tie for runner-up in Sweeney Weekly Series points, fourth in the "Summer Chase", and of course his "Futures Cup" crown.  Rick Singleton was the second highest winner at the Knob winning four times in his 10 starts, and is expected to be on hand Saturday. Singleton has had a good winning percentage in the Sweeney Tour events winning four of nine including four of the first five!

The K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will be run paying $100 K&N certificate to win, $50 K&N certificate for second with $25 cash for third and fourth place.  Singleton is the defending K&N Dash Championship.  If enough cars are present, a non-qualifier event will be run.  Tony White was the 2014 "Wheelman" Bonus Event Challenge Series Champion.

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!  

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.

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.

You do not have to be a RUSH member to compete in any RUSH-sanctioned event; only to receive points and the additional $100,000 of participant accident insurance.  There will be a $50 entry fee.  RACEceivers and Yellow Westhold Transponders are mandatory.  Pits open at 3 p.m. with warm-ups at 5 and racing at 5:30.

Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex is a 3/8-mile clay oval located near Markleysburg, Pa. just off of scenic Route 40 at 380 Fearer Road (look for the road sign) just seven miles east of Nemacolin Woodlands on the right, one mile west of Yough Lake on the left.  Check out the website at www.roaringknob.com or call 410-857-3821 (office) or 724-329-0306 on race day.

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 Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Crate Innovations Inc., Moroso Performance Products, 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 [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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