"BILL EMIG MEMORIAL" RUSH SERIES DOUBLEHEADER SUNDAY AT TRI-CITY WITH SWEENEY
LATE MODEL TOUR & BICKNELL SPORTSMAN MODIFIED TOUR
By Mike Leone
June 16, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Franklin, PA)…The
Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance heads
to Tri-City Raceway Park on Sunday for a doubleheader featuring the Sweeney Late
Model Touring Series and the Bicknell Racing Products Sportsman Modified Series
in the annual "Bill Emig Memorial".
Also, with the Pro Stocks on the schedule, RUSH member racers in that division
have the ability accumulate points.
Racing begins at 6 p.m.
Last year, racing returned to Tri-City for the first time in over four years
under the new ownership of Mark Tatalovic and management by his son Sam along
with Chad Wagner. After a
successful practice on Wednesday night, Sunday will be the season opener at the
beautiful half-mile facility in Venango County.
Sunday will mark the first of two appearances by both divisions' Touring
Series as the Late Models will return for "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD
Performance on August 14, and the Sportsman Modifieds will return on September
18.
For the second straight year, Tri-City will host the annual “Bill Emig
Memorial”. The event will be highlighted by a $2,000 to-win RUSH Late
Model feature along with $100 Bobby Lake Motorsports “Shock the Clock”
Qualifying, and $25 to-win heat races in addition to the $100 to-win K&N Cold
Air Induction “John Buzzard Memorial” Dash. One driver could earn $2,225
with a clean sweep of the night!
The Bicknell RUSH Sportsman Modified Tour meanwhile opens their second season on
Sunday with a $600 to-win feature.
Last year, Larry Kugel was crowned the inaugural champion.
This year's schedule has been expanded to seven events featuring two at
Tri-City, Lernerville, and Sharon Speedways and one again at Expo Speedway
during the Trumbull County Fair on July 13.
Bicknell Weekly Series car counts have been strong this season with
Sharon attracting 23-25 cars for each of their shows along with improved car
counts at Lernerville. Sunday will
wrap up the first ever three-race weekend for the Series as Bicknell Weekly
Series events will take place on Friday at Thunder Mountain Speedway and of
course Saturday at Sharon. The
Thunder Mountain race will be the first ever at the Brookville, Pa. facility and
will pay $500 to-win.
The winner of both feature events 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.
“Bringing my dad's Memorial to Tri-City on Father's Day is really special,”
explained RUSH Co-Director Vicki Emig. “Last year this completed the circle of
regional speedways where his cars competed throughout the years that have hosted
the event. 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.”
Past “Bill Emig Memorial” winners in the Late Models include Max Blair last
season at Tri-City,
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.
Sunday's race is a "Marquee" Tour event for the Late Models.
Mike Pegher, Jr., who won the Wayne County event, currently leads the
Sweeney Tour points by just two over John Waters, who swept the Canadian weekend
at Humberstone and Merrittville Speedways.
Bryce Davis is third in points with Jason and Brian Knowles tied for
fifth. At the last two events, Rob
Blair and Andy Boozel became first time Tour winners, while Matt Latta won the
April 16 event (2015 "Apple Festival Nationals" make-up) at Sharon for his first
career Tour win.
For the Modifieds, the K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will be run paying a $100
K&N certificate to win, $50 K&N certificate for second with $25 cash for third
and fourth place. The dash will set
the line-up for the first five positions outside of the redraw cars.
For both classes, Precise Racing Products will award a $100 gift card for the
"Pedal Down" Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the 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 Officials will choose the "Maxima Performance" Award for a driver that
exhibits a performance worthy of such. The winners will receive a free case of
either Maxima Semi-Syn High Performance Racing Oil or Maxima Performance Racing
Oil of your choice. In addition, the winner will receive 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. The value of this
prize package is $170!
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.
And for the Modifieds, Sherwood Racing
Wheels "Man of Steel" award will see a racer that bounced back from an earlier
mishap earn a free wheel!
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.
Late Model Non-Qualifier payoff: 1. $175
2. $150 3. $140 4. $135 5. $130 6. $125 7. $120
8. $115 9. $110 10-24. $105. Tow $100.
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.
2016 Sweeney Late Model Touring Series Points
(Adjusted on Marquee/Platinum; only Tour members receive points): 1. Mike
Pegher, Jr. 296 2. John Waters 294
3. Bryce Davis 286 4. Jason
Knolwes & Brian Knowles 271 6. Dave
Lyon 266 7. Will Thomas III 264
8. Eric Wilson 257 9. Bruce
Hordusky, Jr. 243 10. Brian Swank
239 11. Randy Hall 175
12. Alan Dellinger 168 13.
Charlie Duncan 166 14. Dennis
Lunger, Jr. 161 15. Tony White 160
16. Clinton Hersh 151 17.
Matt Latta 94 18. Kyle Zimmerman 92
19. Josh Double 89 20.
Damian Bidwell 83.
You do not have to a member of RUSH to compete. The red AMB transponders
are required at Tri-City.
RACEceivers are always mandatory. The entry fee is $100 for Late Models
and $25 for Sportsman Modifieds. Pit passes are $35.
Pits open at 3 p.m. with warm-ups slated for 5:20 followed by Late Model
qualifying at 5:45 and racing at 6.
Tri-City Raceway Park is a ˝-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, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing
Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, TBM
Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, FK Rod Ends, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink
USA, Rocket Chassis, Bobby Lake Motorsports High Gear Speed Shop,
CrateInsider.com, 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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