LATE RACE PASS EARNS CHAD MCCLELLAN SEASON OPENING SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODEL TOUR WIN IN 1ST EVER TOUR EVER AT THE RACEY FREEDOM SPEEDWAY IN NY

By Mike Leone

May 30, 2014             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Delevan, NY)…The 2014 Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series kicked off on Friday night at Freedom Speedway.  The event marked the first ever Crate Late Model Touring Series event and just the second race sanctioned by RUSH at the newly reopened track promoted by the Troy Shuknecht Family.  It also was the first ever Sweeney RUSH Tour event held in the state of New York, and of course was the northernmost show for the Series.  The 1/3-mile track was racey from start to finish allowing for passing throughout the night.

Chad McClellan won two of the final four 2013 Sweeney Tour events he competed.  McClellan's plan in 2014 is to run the first six Sweeney Tour events scheduled and evaluate where he sits in the standings before making a full assault on 2014 Sweeney Tour Championship.  On Friday night, McClellan and family made the five-hour tow north a profitable one and one step closer to a run at the championship with an exciting victory in the 25-lap feature.  McClellan ran down race long leader Josh Holtgraver and made the winning move with less than two laps to go.    

In addition to the $1,200 victory, McClellan received the Crate Innovations Performance Plus Award worth an Accelerator-1 Carb Spacer Kit; and also nabbed the Driven Oil "Slick Move of the Night" with a heat race pass of Kyle Lukon with one to go that made him eligible for the feature redraw and earned him a bottle of Driven Racing Oil Race Wax, a can of Driven Racing Oil Speed Clean, and a certificate for $50 off a case of Driven XP Synthetic Racing Oil!

"We moved down on the race track a bit and found the traction down there," explained the 37-year-old Stoystown, Pa. winner.  "I saw Josh was slowing down a bit.  I think he used his tires up a bit, and I still had mine hooked up and we made the pass on the bottom.  I struggled early on with the car tonight.  It's a brand new car for us this year, but I think we're starting to figure things out.  This is a great Series.  We have such fun running with these guys." 

When racing got underway, Holtgraver used the outside to go around Zack Carley for the early lead.  The father-son duo of Ed and Zack Carley battled side-by-side the first two laps for the second spot with Zack getting the nod on lap two.  McClellan started fourth, but dropped back to fifth at the start.  On lap three he regained fourth before the event's first caution for a spin by T.J. Downs. 

When racing resumed, Ed Carley got back by his son Zack on lap four.  Following another restart, Zack slipped high allowing McClellan, Max Blair, and Ryan Montgomery by for positions three through five respectively.  Two more cautions slowed action on laps six through seven before racing settled down with a long run of green flag racing. 

McClellan began pressuring Ed Carley as the two stuck close to Holtgraver.  McClellan and Carley ran side-by-side on laps nine and 10, while Blair was trying to fend off Montgomery.  Holtgraver started opening up his lead on lap 12.  After a side-by-side battle, Montgomery finally took fourth from Blair on lap 13.  By lap 14, McClellan was all over Carley as Holtgraver opened up his biggest lead of the race. 

McClellan used the outside to go around Carley in turn four on lap 15 to take the runner-up spot.  McClellan's deficit was a half-straightaway with 10 laps to go.  As the laps continued to tick off caution-free, Montgomery ran down Carley on lap 19.  It was now a three-car race for second between McClellan, Carley, and Montgomery with five to go.  McClellan started closing the deficit on lap 21, while two laps later Montgomery used the outside to go around Carley for third. 

With every lap, McClellan closed on Holtgraver and on lap 23 was right on the leader.  Holtgraver was running the middle of the track and McClellan really gained running the bottom.  The two were side-by-side on lap 24 and McClellan made the pass stick coming off the inside of turn four with the white flag waving.  Holtgraver shifted to the bottom coming down the frontstretch and didn't realize Montgomery had a run on him.  Montgomery ran out of room and spun in turn one.  That resulted in Montgomery being awarded The Brake Man's "Tough Brake of the Night".

The caution set up a one-lap shootout to the finish.  McClellan went unchallenged in the final lap for his third career win in his Fieg Brothers Coal Company/Mark Smith Shock Therapy, Onetime Body & Graphics-sponsored, Hendren Racing Engines, Lazer Chassis #119.  It was McClellan's third overall win of the season as he has Sweeney Weekly Series victories at both Winchester Speedway and Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex. 

Holtgraver held on to finish second.  "The tires sealed over on the car," stated the 25-year-old Pittsburgh. Pa. driver.  "I tried to move to the inside when Chad got past me and I didn't realize Ryan was there.  I apologize for getting into him.  It was a great run and I'm happy with a second place finish although it would have been better to get the win.  I congratulate Chad on the win."

Carley was third and the 45-year-old Freedom, NY resident said, "Overall we had a great run, but we were a third place car.  I'd like to thank Troy for brining racing back here- it's great to be racing here again.  This is a great series and we enjoy it.  I hope to be back in victory lane."

Blair was fourth over Jason Rider, who started 15th.  Cody Dawson was sixth.  Jamie Brown earned the Precise Racing Products "Pedal Down" $100 Hard Charger gift card for advancing 11 spots to seventh.  Downs came back from his early spin to finish eighth over locals Garret Stephen and Adam Sixt.  John Waters and Blair won the heat races. 

Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series Race #1 (25 laps, $1,200 to-win): 1. CHAD MCCLELLAN (119)  2. Josh Holtgraver (00)  3. Ed Carley (02c)  4. Max Blair (36)  5. Jason Rider (Wade 76)  6. Cody Dawson (36)  7. Jamie Brown (135)  8. T.J. Downs (33)  9. Garret Stephen (79)  10. Adam Sixt (6T)  11. Bob Kish (5)  12. Ward Schell (74)  13. Bruno Mowery (48)  14. Ryan Montgomery (12)  15. John Waters (LeBarron 11)  16. Eric Wilson (27W)  17. Zack Carley (8)  18. Kyle Lukon (1)  19. Jeremy Wonderling (3J).

 Car Count: 19

Feature Lap Leaders: Holtgraver (1-23), McClellan (24-25)

Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down Hard Charger”: Jamie Brown (+11)

The Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night: Ryan Montgomery

Driven Oil "Slick Move of the Night": Chad McClellan

Crate Innovations "Performance Plus" Accelerator-1 Carb Spacer Kit Giveaway: Chad McClellan

Crate Innovations "Ignite" Moroso Custom Fit Plug Wire Set: Bruno Mowery

Heat 1 (10 laps) 1. Waters  2. Holtgraver  3. Dawson  4. Carley  5. Wilson  6. Stephen  7. Sixt  8. Rider  9. Mowery  10. Kish.

Heat 2 (10 laps) 1.  Blair  2. Montgomery  3. Carley  4. McClellan  5. Lukon  6. Wonderling  7. Downs  8. Schell  9.  Brown.

RUSH Late Model marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The Brake Man, K&N Filters, Bilstein Shocks, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Driven Racing Oil, Crate Innovations Inc., Moroso Performance Products, High Gear Speed Shop, CrateInsider.com, Utsinger’s Towing, 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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