RUSH SERIES DOUBLEHEADER WEDNESDAY AT EXPO WITH SWEENEY LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES & BICKNELL SPORTSMAN MODIFIED TOURING SERIES PART OF TRUMBULL COUNTY FAIR

By Mike Leone

July 10, 2017            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Cortland, OH)…After a weekend off, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance is set for a doubleheader this Wednesday evening (July 12) as Expo Speedway hosts the Sweeney Late Model Touring Series and the Bicknell Racing Products Sportsman Modified Touring Series as part of the Trumbull County Fair.  Racing begins early on Wednesday at 6 p.m. due to no lights.

The 171st annual Trumbull County Fair will again include racing on Wednesday night featuring the RUSH Late Models for $1,500 to-win in a “Platinum” event and for the third straight year the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds for $600 to-win.  Though these are Touring Series shows, Weekly Series points will also be on the line for both divisions including Pace "Summer Chase" points for eligible Late Model racers.  "Futures Cup" and “Bilstein Bandit” racers in both classes can also use Expo to add points to their tally.

It's been typical for the Late Model races to come right down to the wire with exciting finishes in front of the huge crowd in the covered grandstands.  Past winners include Bobby Powell (2008), Russell King (2011 & 2013), Will Thomas III (2012), Max Blair (2009-2010, 2014-2015), and John Waters, who went on to win the title last year. 

Meanwhile, the 2015 event for the Sportsman Modifieds not only marked the first ever race for them at Expo, but made history being the first ever Bicknell Tour event run with Greg Martin earning the top honors.  Then last year, Chelsie Kriegisch made more history by becoming the first female to ever win at Expo in the track’s 46-year history and the first female in the 10-year-history of crate racing in the Northeast to win a Touring Series event!

“Expo has always been a fun event,” stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig.  “It’s a great atmosphere with the fair going on and the fan support has always been great.  The fans get free admission to the races with their fair admission and the $20 pit pass for the racers gets them into the fair for free.  We have to thank Bud Rogers and the rest of the fairboard for continuing to allow us to bring our show to the Trumbull County Fair and once again giving the Sportsman Modifieds the opportunity to also race at a different venue.”

Fresh off his big $3,000 victory on July 2 at Old Bradford Speedway, Bryce Davis leads the Sweeney Late Model Tour points.  Davis, who also won at Outlaw Speedway last month, is in search of his first Series title after losing last year on the final night to Waters.  After failing to record a top five in the first three races, Waters has been very consistent with four straight podium finishes including a win last month at Genesee Speedway.  Jeremy Wonderling is in his first season on the Tour and has a pair of victories, but two finishes outside the top 10 has him in third in points.  Brothers Brian and Jason Knowles are fourth and fifth respectively in the points as they are still in search of their first career Tour wins. 

Eric Wilson and Jamie Wrightsman live very close to the fairgrounds and both would love to earn their first career Tour wins.  Super Late Model racers and part-time RUSH Crate Late Model competitors, Russell King and Mike Pegher, Jr., are expected to contend for the win.     

Wednesday will mark the fourth Bicknell Sportsman Modified Touring Series event of eight scheduled this season.  Kyle Martell won the first two events at Thunder Mountain Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park, but has just a four-point lead on Anthony Gillespie, who is coming off his first career RUSH win in general on June 30 at Lernerville Speedway.  Cousins Brandon and Nick Ritchey are third and fourth in points.  “Futures Cup” point leader, Jeremy Weaver, is fifth as he his eyes set on getting over the hump for his first career win.

For both classes, the K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will pay a $100 K&N certificate to win, $50 K&N certificate for second, and $25 cash for third and fourth place.  The Dash will also set the line-up for the first four positions outside of the redraw cars.

Precise Racing Products will award a $100 gift card for the "Pedal Down" Hard Charger that passes the most cars in each 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 for each division.

RUSH Officials will choose the "Maxima Performance" Award for a driver that exhibits a performance worthy of such.  The winner will receive a $50 certificate, 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.   

RUSH Sportsman Mod Officials will determine the Sherwood Racing Wheels "Man of Steel" award winner as one that bounced back from an earlier mishap to finish the event strongly.  The selected driver will receive a certificate for a free Sherwood Racing Wheel.  Also, CrateInsider.com will award a $25 gift certificate to the driver that finishes last on the lead lap at the finish of each feature. 

Expo Late Model Feature Payoff : 1. $1,500  2. $800  3. $550  4. $410  5. $375  6. $340  7. $325  8. $295  9. $285  10. $280  11. $255  12. $250  13. $230  14. $225  15. $200  16. $195  17. $190  18-24. $185. 

Expo Late Model Non-Qualifier Payoff: 1. $150  2. $125  3. $115  4. $110  5. $105  6. $100  7. $95  8. $90  9. $85  10-24. $80. Tow $75.

Expo Sportsman Modified Feature Payoff: 1. $600  2. $400  3. $300  4. $250  5. $225  6. $200  7. $170  8. $165  9. $160  10. $150  11. $140  12. $135  13. $130  14. $125  15. $120  16. $115  17. $110  18-24. $100.  Tow $50.

2017 Sweeney Late Model Touring Series Points (Adjusted on Marquee/Platinum; only Tour members receive points): 1. Bryce Davis 578  2. John Waters 558  3. Jeremy Wonderling 553  4. Brian Knowles 525  5. Jason Knowles 522  6. J.J. Mazur 507  7. Brian Swank 397  8. Mike Pegher, Jr. 388  9. Kyle Murray 323  10. Bruce Hordusky, Jr. 313  11. Jamie Wrightsman 247  12. Tony White 232  13. Jon Rivers 171  14. Chad Wright 156  15. Bill Kessler 149  16. D.J. Krug 147  17. Max Blair 98  18. Eric Wilson & Matt Latta 86  20. Jamie Brown & Carl Shetler 81  22. Greg Beach 76.

2017 Bicknell Sportsman Modified Touring Series Points (only Tour members receive points): 1. Kyle Martell 289  2. Anthony Gillespie 285  3. Brandon Ritchey 277  4. Nick Ritchey 272  5. Jeremy Weaver 267  6. Brian Schaffer & Chas Wolbert 263  8. Kole Holden 258  9. Shayne Izzo 254  10. Chelsie Kriegisch 253  11. Jonathan Myers 249  12. Blaze Myers 240  13. Billy Myers 231  14. Jerry Schaffer 166  15. Jessica Kriegisch 164  16. Steve Slater & Jacob Jordan 163  18. Jordan Ehrenberg 162  19. Preston Cope 158  20. David Kalb, Jr. 153  21. Tiffany Williams 82  22. Josh Seppel 78  23. Justin Shea 75  24. Jessica Shea 73. 

Drivers need to be prepared with fuel, tires, etc. ahead of time as there will be no supplier at the track.  You do not have to a member of RUSH to compete.  No transponders will be used.  RACEceivers are always mandatory.  The entry fee is $75 for Late Models and $25 for Sportsman Modifieds.  Pits open at 3 p.m. with warm-ups slated for 5:30 followed by racing at 6.  Pit passes are $20.

Expo Speedway is a 5/8-mile dirt track located at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds just north of Route 305 on Hoagland-Blackstub Road in Bazetta Township, Cortland, Ohio. Pit access is Gate A right past the church. ATVs and golf carts must be kept in the pits and cannot go outside this area. For more information, check out www.trumbullcountyfair.com or call 330-637-6010.

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, Maxima Racing Oil, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, Rocket Chassis, Landrum Performance Spring, CrateInsider.com, RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.

RUSH Sportsman Modified marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bicknell Racing Products, 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, Maxima Racing Oil, Sherwood Racing Wheels, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, CrateInsider.com, 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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