"BILL EMIG MEMORIAL" RUSH SERIES DOUBLEHEADER SUNDAY ON
THE NEW SURFACE AT TRI-CITY WITH SWEENEY LATE MODEL TOUR FOR $2,000 & NEW RUSH
SPRINTS
By
Mike Leone
June 13, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)…
The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance
heads to Tri-City Raceway Park this Sunday (June 17) for a Father's Day
doubleheader featuring the Sweeney Late Model Touring Series and the new RUSH
Sprint Cars in a Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series event part of the annual "Bill
Emig Memorial". The "410" Sprint
Cars will also be on the program.
Racing begins at 6 p.m. There is a
rain date of June 24.
Tri-City is in the fourth year of ownership by Mark Tatalovic.
While Sunday will be the third race event of the season at the beautiful
half-mile facility in Venango County, it'll be the first on the new surface as
numerous tri-axle loads of red clay was brought in very similar to what
Lernerville and Sharon Speedways have.
Sunday will mark the first of two appearances by both RUSH Late Model
Tour and RUSH Sprint Cars. The Sprints
will return on July 15, while the Late Models will be back for "Manufacturers
Night" presented by MSD Performance on August 19.
For the third straight year,
Tri-City will host the annual “Bill Emig Memorial”. The "Marquee" Late
Model Tour event will be highlighted by a $2,000 to-win 30-lap feature along
with $100 FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying, and $25 to-win heat races in
addition to the $100 to-win “John Buzzard Memorial” Dash. One driver could
earn $2,225 with a clean sweep of the night!
Meanwhile, the RUSH Sprint Cars will battle for $500 to-win, $125
to-start.
The Late Model winner will also receive a natural hardwood "Bill Emig Memorial"
laser etched award by Steve Hendren of Hendren Racing Engines.
Emig was a Semi-Late and Six-Cylinder Modified car owner from 1969 until
his passing in 1990. Emig had
successful drivers pilot the #1 Ford such as Jim Becker, Bob Krauss, Donnie
Martin, John Buzzard, Jerry Lesnak, Butch Haefke, and Lou Gentile.
In later years, Andy Priest, Jimmy Hawley, Frank Guidace, and Rodney
Beltz drove Emig #1 Six-Cylinder and "358" Modified for Bill's daughter Vicki.
Emig's cars won over 300 feature events along with multiple track championships
and several of Walt Wimer's prestigious Cavalcade Championships.
In 1986, his car was featured in a full color article in the special
Christmas issue of Stock Car Racing magazine.
He was one of the original recipients of Lernerville Speedway's
"Milestone in Racing" award in 1988.
Emig was recently inducted into both the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club and
Twin-State Auto Racing Club Hall of Fames.
"It really means a lot to my sister Jody and myself to have the 'Bill Emig
Memorial' held on Father's Day," explained RUSH Director Vicki Emig.
"I always go back to saying that it is because of my dad, Bill Emig, that
I have such a love of racing. My dad
never left me home, even as a very small child, when he went racing- thus my
passion for our sport. I always wish
he was here to see what is truly 'his' legacy- the RUSH Racing Series.
I know he would be so proud of all our
racers and they would have certainly enjoyed him and his full of life
personality!"
Past “Bill Emig Memorial” winners in the Late Models include Jeremy Wonderling
last season at Tri-City, Bryce Davis (Tri-City) in 2016, Max Blair (Tri-City) in
2015,
Chad McClellan (Lernerville) & Rick Singleton (Sharon) in 2014, Mike Pegher, Jr.
(Lernerville) & Ryan Montgomery (Sharon) in 2013, Blair (won bon events at
Sharon) in 2012, and Blair (Lernerville) & Josh Holtgraver (Sharon) in 2011.
“When we brought the Bill Emig Memorial to Tri-City in 2015 it completed the
circle of regional speedways where his cars competed throughout the years that
have hosted the event," continued Emig.
"I know if he was here today he would tell you that some of his greatest
memories as a car owner were watching Lou Gentile battle against the V-8 powered
semi-lates with the six-cylinder on the big half-mile against the likes of Lou
Steadman, Les Myers, Mark Weaver and many more. His cars won numerous feature
events and track championships at Tri-City in both the Semi-Late and
Six-Cylinder Modified divisions with the highlight being 1978 Semi-Late Track
Championship.”
The "John Buzzard Memorial" Dash will pay $100 cash to win for the Late Models.
The Dash will also set the beginning of the 30-lap feature lineup for the top
two finishers in the heat races.
Buzzard was a former racer for Bill Emig, who tragically lost his life at Expo
Speedway.
Sunday will be race #7 of 19 of the Sweeney Late Model Touring Series.
Max Blair joined Logan Roberson as repeat winners this season following
his $2,000 win on Sunday at a rainy Eriez Speedway.
Jeremy Wonderling though leads the Series to Tri-City and would love to
repeat last year's victory to get him his first win of 2018.
The Wellsville, NY driver has a 20-point lead on June 2 Genesee Speedway
winner, Jason Genco, who is in his first year on the Tour.
Another newcomer to the Tour in Brady Wonderling has tied Jason Knowles
for the fourth spot in points.
The new RUSH Sprint Cars have fought Mother Nature from the get-go, but have now
completed five events at four different speedways.
Former RUSH Late Model star, Chad Ruhlman, has competed in three of them
and is a perfect three-for-three in his first season in a Sprint Car.
Arnie Kent and Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series points leader Gale Ruth,
Jr. split the Lernerville Speedway events,
Precise
Racing Products will award a $100 gift card for the "Pedal Down" Hard Charger
that passes the most cars in the Late Model 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 Late
Model Series Officials will also determine the new Dirt Defender "Defensive
Drive" to the driver that best defended his position
throughout the night, and will receive a $40 product package. The award
could go to a driver holding off another for the final heat race or B main
transfer position, a driver denying a hard charging racer a feature win, a move
to stay on the lead lap before a caution, or any such deserving move.
The Sweeney Tour for the Late Models will then be off
until the inaugural event at Weedsport (NY) Speedway on Tuesday, July 3 in a
$2,000 to-win "Marquee" event that will be televised by MAVTV/Speed Sport.
The Sprints next race will be on Wednesday, June 20 at Lernerville
Speedway for a "Wednesday Night Lightning" event.
Late Model Feature payoff:
1. $2,000 2. $1,000 3. $650 4.
$550 5. $470 6. $435 7. $410 8. $370 9. $340
10. $310 11. $280 12. $270 13. $260 14. $250 15. $240
16. $230 17. $220 18-24. $210.
Non-Qualifier: 1. $175 2. $150 3.
$140 4. $135 5. $130 6. $125 7. $120 8. $115
9. $110 10-24. $105. Tow $100.
2018 Sweeney
RUSH Late Model Touring Series points
(only Tour members receive points): 1. Jeremy Wonderling 540
2. Jason Genco 520 3. John
Waters 515 4. Brady Wonderling &
Jason Knowles 506 6. Max Blair 482
7. Adam Ferri469 8. Cory
Lawler 459 9. J.J. Mazur 457
10. Darrell Bossard 442 11.
Bill Kessler 4420 12. Damian Bidwell
400 13. Beamer Guzzardi 376
14. Jimmy Johnson, Jr. 365
15. Charlie Sandercock 335 16.
Garret Paugh 320 17. Cody Dawson 302
18. Bruce Hordusky, Jr. 299
19. Christian Schneider 292 20. Mike
Franklin 282 21. Joe Watson 210
22. Kyle Murray 176 23.
Braeden Dillinger 160 24. Paul
Norman, Jr. 85 25. Chad Sines 80
26. Cory Sines 78 27. Tony
White 77.
For Sunday, pit gates open at 3:00 p.m.
Drivers meeting will be at 4:45 p.m. with warm-ups at 5 followed by
qualifying for the Late Models and racing at 6.
Pit passes are $35. There is
a $100 entry fee for the Late Models.
The AMB/MyLaps transponders will be used.
Tri-City Raceway Park is a ½-mile dirt track located at 3430 Route 417,
Franklin, PA 16323. For more information, check out their website at
www.tricityracewaypark.com
or call 814-676-2894 on race day. Like their Facebook by searching
Tri-City Raceway Park and follow them on Twitter @TriCityRaceway.
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, Holley Performance Products, Earl's Performance Plumbing, Quick Fuel Technology, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Racing Electronics, Dirt Defender, Dynamic Drivelines, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Pancho's Racing Products, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, Landrum Performance Spring, Schwartzmiller Ground Maintenance, CrateInsider.com, RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.
RUSH Sprint Car marketing partners include partners include Sweeney Chevrolet
Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bonnell's Rod Shop, Bilstein Shocks,
Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, Racing
Electronics, Dirt Defender, Frankland Racing Supply, Earl's Performance
Plumbing, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Precise Racing
Products, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Pancho's Racing Products,
Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, Landrum Performance Spring, 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.