SWEENEY RUSH SPORTSMAN MODS SET FOR A BUSY WEEKEND OF BICKNELL TOUR ACTION; SHARON ON FRIDAY & SATURDAY FOLLOWED BY TRI-CITY SUNDAY

By Mike Leone

 

September 6, 2017             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)… The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sportsman Modified Series powered by Pace Performance is set for a busy weekend of action as two Bicknell Racing Products Touring Series events will be spread over three days.  Sharon Speedway's "Apple Festival Nationals" will be held on Friday and Saturday (September 8-9), while Tri-City Raceway Park's "Applefest" will close out the weekend on Sunday (September 10).  Racing starts early all three nights with 6 p.m. start times Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday.  Tri-City has a rain date of September 17. 

 

Friday at Sharon will see only heat races contested then on Saturday will be the last chance B main, K&N Dash, and feature event paying $800 to-win.  Adam Hilton and Greg Martin split wins during the 2014 "Apple Festival Nationals, while Martin won the 2015 event, and Chas Wolbert was victorious in the 2016 event.  Sunday at Tri-City will be a complete program for $600 to-win.  Rocky Kugel won the 2015 "Applefest", while last year's show was rained out.    

 

"This is a big weekend for our Sportsman Modifieds," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig.  "We're appreciative that both Sharon and Tri-City have allowed us to continue to be a part of their Apple Fest events.  While these will be two of our final three Tour events for the season, we're also thankful that Lernerville, Pittsburgh, and Mercer have given the Mods weekly events so they have a full schedule and shows every weekend through our October 14 Tour finale at Lernerville.  Mother Nature hasn't been real kind to us so hopefully the weather will cooperate in September and October."

 

The Sportsman Modifieds kicked off their Bicknell Touring Series season on June 9 at Thunder Mountain Speedway for the first time ever as Kyle Martell captured the $800 win for his first career Tour victory.  Martell made it two-for-two when he won at Tri-City Raceway Park on June 26.  Anthony Gillespie captured his first career win when he scored the upset at Lernerville Speedway on June 30.  Rocky Kugel won the annual race at Expo Speedway part of the Trumbull County Fair on July 12.  Sharon actually hosted the last event for the Series on August 26 when Steve Slater upset the field for his first career win part of "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance.

 

Martell's perfect five-for-five top seven finishes has allowed the 2016 "Futures Cup" Champion to open up a 19-point lead on Gillespie in the Bicknell Tour standings.  Brandon Ritchey, the 2016 track champion at Sharon, has been consistent with all top nine finishes as he's just two points behind Gillespie.  After a slow start, Holden has rattled off three straight top five finishes to move into fourth in points, just five behind Gillespie for second.  Last year's champion, Brian Schaffer, is fifth.

 

Sharon is in its fourth year of running the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds and third on a weekly basis as Kole Holden is coming off his first career track championship.  The Hartford, Ohio 3/8-mile track's counts have increased each year as they averaged 24 cars per event this season.  Holden and Kugel tied for the most wins at three, while two-time winner, Chas Wolbert, won the $800 2016 "Apple Festival Nationals" make-up run last month.    

 

Tri-City meanwhile has run only monthly special events once again.  Sunday will be their season finale event at the half-mile Franklin, Pa. oval owned by Mark Tatalovic.  Besides the June 26 Tour event, Tri-City also hosted a Bicknell Weekly Series event back on Mother's Day when Josh Seippel captured his first career RUSH win.

  

The K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will be run each night 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 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 both features.  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 in both events.

 

RUSH Officials will choose the "Maxima Performance" Award for a driver that exhibits a performance worthy of such in all three features.  The winner 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!  

 

RUSH Series 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 each night.  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. 

 

Sharon Feature Payoff: 1. $800  2. $500  3. $350  4. $300  5. $250  6. $220  7. $180  8. $175  9. $170  10. $165  11. $160  12. $155  13. $150  14. $145  15. $140  16. $135  17. $130  18-24. $125.  Tow $50.

 

Tri-City 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.

 

Sportsman Modified Bicknell Touring Series points (only Touring members receive points): 1. Kyle Martell 472  2. Anthony Gillespie 453  3. Brandon Ritchey 451  4. Kole Holden 448  5. Brian Schaffer 437  6. Jeremy Weaver &. Chelsie Kriegisch 435  8. Chas Wolbert 430  9. Nick Ritchey 429  10. Shayne Izzo 428  11. Blaze Myers 400  12. Jessica Kriegisch 343  13. Billy Myers 315  14. Preston Cope 314  15. Jacob Jordan 313  16. Steve Slater 263  17. Jonathan Myers 249  18. Tiffany Williams 244  19. Jordan Ehrenberg 235  20. David Kalb, Jr. 231  21. Justin Shea 173  22. Jerry Schaffer 166  23. Jessica Shea 143  24. Josh Seippel 78.

 

You do not have to a member of RUSH to compete.  The AMB/MyLaps transponders are required at both tracks.  RACEceivers are always mandatory.  The entry fee is $35 for Sharon and $25 for Tri-City.  Pit passes are $30 on Friday and $35 on Saturday or $60 for a two-day at Sharon.  Pit passes are $35 Sunday at Tri-City.  Pits officially open at 3 p.m. each day at Sharon and 1 p.m. at Tri-City.

 

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sharonspdwy.

 

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 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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