BICKNELL RACING PRODUCTS BECOMES MAJOR PARTNER OF SWEENEY RUSH SPORTSMAN MODS; WILL PRESENT WEEKLY, TOURING & FUTURES CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Mike Leone

March 19, 2015               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)…Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sportsman Modified Series Directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone are proud to announce Bicknell Racing Products as a major partner of the Series beginning in 2015.  Bicknell Racing Products will present the Series’ three major championships including the Weekly, Touring, and Futures Cup. 

“Over the past few years I have really paid attention to what the RUSH Series has been doing throughout the Northeast,” stated co-owner Pete Bicknell.  “We are looking forward to hosting our first ever RUSH Late Model Tour Event at our annual Victoria Day event at Merrittville Speedway, which will include a 100-lap event for the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series.  We have been pleased to see all of our sister Canadian and New York tracks that run Crate Late Models join together under the RUSH sanction.” 

“I attended the RUSH Authorized Engine Rebuilders Seminar in December and was very impressed at how they work as a team with many of the country's most respected crate engine authorities, series, and crate engine rebuilders to preserve the integrity of both their Late Model and Sportsman Modified programs,” continued Bicknell.  We are really looking forward to helping them develop and grow Modified racing throughout their region through our sponsorship of their championship programs.”

In 2014, the Sweeney RUSH Sportsman Modified division was introduced in the western Pennsylvania/eastern Ohio region featuring Northeast-style, center-steer Modifieds utilizing the mandated GM 602 crate engine, $135 Bilstein sealed spec shocks, steel wheels on spec Hoosier Tires.  Twenty-six different drivers competed in 18 different cars during the 19 completed events.

The 2015 sophomore season has seen the Series grow in leaps and bounds.  Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio and Sportsman’s Speedway in Knox, Pa. will run the Sweeney RUSH Sportsman Modifieds on a weekly basis on Saturday and Sunday nights respectively in 2015.  Tracks such as Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pa., and Tri-City Raceway Park in Franklin, Pa. will also host events.  Over a dozen new racers will be participating in the class.   

Returning is the $10,000+ Weekly Series Championship now presented by Bicknell Racing Products.  Drivers can compete at any RUSH-sanctioned event during 2015 and accumulate their best 12 finishes, which will pay the champion $3,000 and pay down 15 positions.

New in 2015 is the Bicknell Racing Products Touring Series.  Currently five events are scheduled with the possibility of a couple more dates.  These events will have a higher purse structure with a minimum of $600 to-win up to $1,000 to-win.  A separate point fund will be created for these events, which will be announced at a later date.

Current events include the July 24 GM 602 Engine Giveaway Night at Lernerville on Friday, July 24, the “Sam and Bonnie Colwell” Memorial $10,000 Manufacturers Night on Sunday, August 9 at Sportsman’s, the “Apple Festival Nationals” at Sharon on Friday-Saturday, September 11-12, the “Apple Fest” at Tri-City on Sunday, September 13, and the “Steel City Stampede” at Lernerville on Friday-Saturday, October 23-24.   

The final program for the Sweeney RUSH Sportsman Modifieds is also new in 2015 and will be known as the Bicknell Racing Products “Futures Cup”.  Modeled after the wildly successful Sweeney RUSH Late Model program, the “Futures Cup” will also be a separate point fund for eligible teenage racers.  The Bicknell Weekly Series points will be utilized.  In the future, a possible stand alone race(s) may be added if participation is high enough. 

“The addition of Bicknell Racing Products as the presenting sponsor of all three of the Sweeney RUSH Sportsman Modifieds’ Championship programs adds a huge amount of credibility to our Series,” stated Emig.  “In just a very short period of time, the relationship between our two companies has grown tremendously.  Pete Bicknell, Randy Williamson, and Bobby Slack have all been there from the beginning to lend advice and help in any way possible to develop the class.  They share the same vision as we do of building an entirely new generation of Modified racers via the GM 602 crate engine Sportsmen throughout our region and are going to be valuable partners into the future.”

“I am personally very excited to have our company present the championship RUSH Sportsman Modified programs,” expressed Bicknell co-owner Bob Slack.  “The crate motor divisions in any form of racing are amongst my favorites.  They mean a lot to me because so many of the drivers come from karting which is where my manufacturing career began when I started Slack Performance Karting.  I have since sold that business, and it is in very good hands with the new owners and my son now races karts manufactured by them.”

“Although I have been a partner with Randy and Pete in BRP for the last eight years, I have always stayed close to the karting side of things.  I support a few different karting series because this is where the future of racing is,” continued Slack.  “Without these Sportsman classes, a lot of these karters wouldn’t have a chance to move up.  The racing in these classes with the tight tech on the motors is really some of the best racing a person will ever see for their admission price!  Good luck to all drivers and I will make a point to get to as many of the races as I can this year!”

The first event of the 2015 season will be a Bicknell Racing Products Weekly Series show at Sharon on Saturday, April 25.  Bicknell Weekly Series openers will also take place at Lernerville on Friday, May 1 and at Sportsman’s on Sunday, May 10. 

While membership is not mandatory to compete in any Sweeney RUSH Sportsman Modified event, membership does come with several perks.  The membership makes drivers eligible for point fund monies, an additional $100,000 in excess participant accident insurance, and also $10 pit pass discounts at Lernerville’s RUSH events.  Membership cost is $125 to join the Bicknell Weekly or Bicknell Touring Series or $225 for both.  “Futures Cup” racers need to be Weekly Series members.

Bicknell Racing Products is also a supplier of both the Sweeney RUSH Late Model and Sportsman Modified spec Hoosier Tires and Bilstein sealed spec shocks.  Bicknell’s have two locations one at 1733 Maryland Ave in Niagara Falls, NY (716-285-7502) and the other at 117 Cushman Rd. in St. Catharines, Ontario (905-685-7223).  For more information, check out their website at www.bicknellracingproducts.com.  Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bicknellracing and follow them on Twitter @bicknellracing.

RUSH Sportsman Modified marketing partners: Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Bicknell Racing Products, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, VP Racing Fuels, FK Rod Ends, AERO Race Wheels, Velocita-USA, Precise Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, K&N Filters, Rocket Racing, and B.R.A.K.E.S.

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 pages at www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and www.facebook.com/rushsportsmanmods or follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM and @RUSHSportMods.
 

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