PITTSBURGH’S PA MOTOR SPEEDWAY “MONSTER HALF-MILE” JOINS SWEENEY RUSH SERIES FOLD; WEEKLY SATURDAY CRATE LM RACING FEATURED WITH SATURDAY SPEEDWEEK DATE
By Mike Leone
December 11, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Pulaski, PA)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series is thrilled to welcome on board Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway as a 2013 weekly-sanctioned speedway! “The Monster Half-Mile” dirt oval located just west of downtown Pittsburgh in Imperial, Pa. will run the Sweeney Chevrolet RUSH Dirt Late Models on a weekly basis on Saturday nights.
“PPMS has made the decision to join the RUSH Weekly Racing Series program and be part of the 2013 RUSH Speedweek,” announced promoter Matt Miley. “PPMS has supported the Crate Motor concept for many years. We know how hard Vicki Emig and Mike Leone work, and we believe the RUSH Series has the pieces in place to take Crate Racing to the next level in our region.”
Four years after the closure of Heidelberg Speedway in Pittsburgh in 1975, PPMS was born! Most of the old Heidelberg facilities were relocated to PPMS in addition to the famous “Pittsburgher”, which is coming up on 25 years now at its new home! Besides the RUSH Late Models, PPMS features Super Late Models, Sportsman, Hobby Stocks, and Young Guns on Saturday nights April through September.
In recent years, PPMS has become pro-active with new events and promotions bringing back the “410” Sprints and Big-Block Modifieds along figure 8 races, monster truck shows, concerts, petting zoos, free admission nights, and more! NAPA Auto Parts presents several popular nights throughout the season where fans can bring receipts of $25 or more for free admission!
The “Sizzler” was a popular series of increased purse events started this past season for Crate Late Models at PPMS. One of those events was the “Cross the Borders” Speedweek that attracted a PPMS Crate Late Model record 41 cars despite temperatures nearing 100 degrees and thunderstorms around the area. That was an increase from the 33 cars at the inaugural Speedweek event in 2011.
“The Monster Half-Mile” will again feature the Saturday stop during the “Cross the Borders” Speedweek tentatively scheduled for July 13. The event will be under the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Touring Series, which is quickly filling up with events throughout the region.
“I can't tell you how much it means to Mike and I that the Miley Family has chosen to sanction PPMS under RUSH,” expressed Vicki Emig. “In reality, the Mileys were one of the first speedways in our area to spearhead the concept of more affordable Late Model racing with their spec-engine/602 Crate Late Model program. This was before any Crate Late Model sanctioning body came to our region. We look forward to working with them through their alignment with RUSH to continue forward progress and development in a vision they have had for many years.”
Pittsburgh’s weekly RUSH member racers will now be able to take part in all of the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Late Model programs. Drivers will be able to accumulate their best 15 finishes throughout the season as part of the $25,000+ Sweeney Chevrolet “Weekly Series Championship” that will pay $5,000 to-win down 30 positions.
Come July, the top 10 RUSH Weekly members in PPMS points will move on to the $10,000+ Sweeney Chevrolet “Summer Chase”. Drivers can race as many times as they want during July and August at not only PPMS, but any RUSH-sanctioned event. Drivers’ average points (minimum eight events) will determine the $3,000 champion that will pay down 10 positions.
Any RUSH member under the age of 18 will be eligible for the $3,000 “Futures Cup” program. Those 18 and 19 cannot have more than one full season of competition in Crate Late Models or any other higher division. These racers can compete at PPMS and at any other RUSH-sanctioned event to accumulate points. Drivers’ Sweeney Chevrolet “Weekly Series” points will be added to three stand-alone “Futures Cup” events that will be announced.
RUSH member drivers will also be able to count their events at PPMS toward eligibility in a large season ending event with details to be announced.
Pittsburgh becomes the sixth speedway under the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series Weekly banner joining the New Bradford (PA) Speedway, McKean County Raceway (East Smethport, PA), Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex (Markleysburg, PA), Sharon Speedway (Hartford, OH), and The Rock Allegany County Speedway (Cumberland, MD). Negotiations are underway with several other speedways in the Northeast.
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway’s GPS address is 170 Kelso Rd, Imperial PA 15126, which is located just off the Noblestown exit on Routes 22/30. For more information, check out their website at www.ppms.com or call 412-279-7223. The track number on race day is 724-695-3363 or 724-695-0393. As for their social media outlets, you can like their page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PittsburghsPennsylvaniaMotorSpeedway or follow them on Twitter @PAMotorSpeedway.
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.