VALUABLE "WEEKLY" CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAMS- THE
HEART OF THE SWEENEY RUSH RACING SERIES
By Mike Leone
April 25, 2019
(Pulaski, PA)…Sweeney
Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance Series
Directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone are embarking on their 13th season of
developing crate engine racing in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
The heart of the Series continues to be the Weekly Series program amongst
its Late Model, Sprint Car, Sportsman Modified, Pro Mod, and Pro Stock
divisions.
Tens of thousands of dollars in "weekly" series championship cash point funds
have again be posted in 2019, which
does not include the more than $130,000 in valuable product that will be posted
for "Manufacturers Nights" presented by MSD Performance.
Also, the new "$500 Club" (see below) will pump another $7,000 cash to
"weekly" Late Model racers at their Touring venues.
With "Touring" Series monies added all told RUSH is expects to influx
well over $275,000 of cash and valuable product to their racers in 2019!
"There's no doubt that our 'weekly'
championship programs are the driving force behind the success of the entire
RUSH Series," explained Vicki Emig.
"These programs are designed to reward racers who support our weekly-sanctioned
speedways; if our speedways are healthy then so is RUSH.
The dirt Late Model division started it all for RUSH in 2013.
Today, 14 different speedways from Canada into the Mid-Atlantic
run the Chevrolet Performance 604 crate engine division weekly with an
additional 14 hosting either special
Weekly Series of Touring Series events.
Those 14 weekly-sanctioned tracks each allow their top five RUSH member
racers to share in $800 cash, which is part of the "Weekly Track Pack Bonus".
Leading the "weekly" program for the Late Models is the $27,525 "National Weekly
Series" Championship that awards $5,000 to the champion and pays down 40
positions. Member drivers best 12
finishes at any RUSH-sanctioned event from March through September 29 (best two
per weekend) are used.
The third facet to the "weekly" program is the $10,000+ Pace Performance "Summer
Chase". The
top 10 RUSH member drivers at each weekly-sanctioned track & the Touring Series
through June 30 are eligible. The
program is based on drivers' average point finish in
all RUSH-sanctioned events competed in
(minimum 6 races) from July 1 through Labor Day plus 0.5 bonus point per night
competed over the six-race minimum, which adds on to average point score.
This program allows a "fresh start" to eligible racers without changing
the "National Weekly Series" Championship points.
The final facet of the "weekly" program for the Late Models is the "Futures
Cup". Each year, the top 10 eligible
member teenage racers compete for their own championship that pays $500 to-win.
Over the past eight years the
participants in this program and the program itself have not only been
recognized locally, but nationally; and RUSH couldn't be prouder of these kids.
David Pangrazio was the 2018 champion, and appears headed to a lot of
success just as our past "Futures Cup" champions have accomplished.
Though part of the "Touring Series",
the new "500 Club" will allow five Late Model drivers from the host speedway's
top 15 in points (or the closest nearby track if not at a weekly-sanctioned
track) the ability to win an additional $100 cash bonus at Sweeney Touring
Series events! The "500" Club will
influx an additional $7,000 of available cash into the hands of RUSH "weekly"
racers who participate in RUSH Touring events!
The "$500 Club" will take place at all Sweeney Tour events with the
exception of the Pittsburgh "Manufacturers Night" and at the Quebec events,
which will have a separate promotion.
"Over the years we've worked very
hard to diversify how the weekly championship monies are distributed and tweaked
some of the program so that we can maximize the number of racers who can receive
a share," continued Emig. "It would
be very easy to pay $10,000 to our National Weekly Champion and perhaps only 10
positions, but by offering all of the other uniquely designed RUSH 'weekly'
programs, we have found more racers benefit as well as the speedways.
In fact, over the years we've seen racers never leave their home track
and capture several thousand dollars from our program."
The RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will
begin their sixth year of operations on April 27 at Tyler County Speedway.
Member racers compete for the $3,000 to-win Hovis Auto & Truck Supply
"Weekly Series" Championship- the richest of any "weekly" program for RUSH
Sportsman Modifieds. The championship
program utilizes member racers best 12 finishes throughout the season and pays
down 20 positions.
Sharon Speedway continues to be
the home track where the car counts have rose each year.
Sharon
averaged 10.6 cars per night in 2014. That
average grew to 14.3 in 2015 and really jumped in 2016 to 22.5 per night.
The 2017 season saw more growth with 23.9 per night and even more this
past season at 26.8 per night. An
all-time division record 38 cars turned out for "Manufacturers Night" presented
by MSD Performance on August 25.
Only two times in the past three years has the car count dropped below 20 and
not since August 12, 2017. With that
said, a new "Wheelman" Bonus Event Series has been added weekly at Sharon for
non-winners that will have a race purse in addition to a point fund that will
pay the top five racers, including $300 to the champion.
Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway picks up the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds when Sharon
doesn't have them and runs them any opportunity they can.
Their counts have also grown.
Racers will be able to compete at two new venues in 2019 at Tyler County
Speedway in Middlebourne, WV and Dog Hollow Speedway in Northern Cambria, Pa.
plus the first ever Tour race at PPMS for the "Betsy Kriegisch Memorial".
Those events and others will be part of the "Touring" Series that has a
separate point fund. Blaze Myers is
coming off a win in the Touring Series finale at Lernerville that propelled him
to the "Futures Cup" crown.
The RUSH Sprint Cars debuted in 2018 with 21 cars part of the inaugural season.
Thanks to Bonnell's Rod Shop and of course branding sponsor Sweeney
Chevrolet Buick GMC/Pace Performance, over $20,000 is posted for the 20-position
point fund with $5,000 to the champion.
The 2018 champion was Chad Ruhlman, whose best 12 finishes topped all
competitors. Currently, 33 events
are part of the 2019 Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series schedule.
There's also the "Futures Cup" that will crown an inaugural champion in
2019. A minimum of 12 new racers
have been confirmed.
The RUSH Pro Mod division continues its steady growth with weekly car counts at
home tracks Stateline Speedway in Busti, NY and Old Bradford Speedway near
Bradford, Pa. Year number four will
again feature a more than $15,000 Sweeney "Weekly Series" point fund for the top
20 member racers boasting $3,500 to-win plus the "Futures Cup".
Rounding out the RUSH Weekly Series Championship dirt program is the Pro Stock
division that competes weekly at Lernerville Speedway.
RUSH member racers can also compete with the Stock division at other
RUSH-sanctioned speedway and accumulate points toward the championship program.
Last year, Tyler Dietz stopped Corey McPherson's two-year title run
earning the $1,000 championship amongst the more the $5,000 point fund that is
split between the top 15.
RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Sweeney
Chevrolet Buick GMC & Pace Performance along with the support of Hoosier Tire,
Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD
Performance, Holley Performance Products, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, FK Rod
Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing
Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Dirt
Defender, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance
Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Trailer-Alarms.com, Bonnell's Rod Shop, Sherwood
Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric,
Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, CrateInsider.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 Late Model Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.
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