RUSH TOURING SERIES TO CLOSE OUT 2017 SEASON THIS WEEKEND AT LERNERVILLE IN "STEEL CITY STAMPEDE" WITH SWEENEY LATE MODEL & BICKNELL SPORTSMAN MOD TOURS

 

(Sarver, PA – October 10, 2017)...The 2017 racing season for the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model and the Sportsman Modified Touring Series powered by Pace Performance will come to a close this weekend at Lernerville Speedway for the annual "Steel City Stampede".  The RUSH Late Models will compete in a Sweeney Marquee Tour event, while the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will battle in a Bicknell Racing Products Touring Series event.  An open practice will be held Thursday night (October 12) with heat races for all divisions on Friday night followed by the last chance B mains, K&N Dashes, and features on Saturday.  Group qualifying for the RUSH Late Models will be at 7 p.m. on Friday with racing starting early at 5 on Saturday.

The $5,000 to-win championship battle has been tight all season long between Bryce Davis and John Waters; however, Davis has opened up a 14-point lead on the defending champion as he's set to earn his first career Tour championship.  Both drivers have a pair of wins in 2017.

Jeremy Wonderling closed in after a fourth place finish last Saturday night as he trails Waters by 14 points.  Brothers Jason and Brian Knowles are still fourth and fifth as the duo complete the all New York top five.  West Virginia's Brian Swank is much improved, and after finishing 13th in the 2016 points, the second year driver sits sixth currently.  Completing the top 12 points paying positions are Mike Pegher, Jr., J.J. Mazur, Tony White, Jamie Wrightsman, Kyle Murray, and Bruce Hordusky, Jr.

This year's "Steel City Stampede" will be the ninth edition of this huge event that includes nine of the region's racing divisions all showcased in this end of the season blowout for the region.  There has yet to be a repeat winner in the Crate Late Models; past winners include Josh Holtgraver (2009), Bryan Force (2010), Butch Lambert (2011), Max Blair (2012), Dennis Lunger, Jr. (2013), Chad Ruhlman (2014), Jacob Hawkins (2015), and John Mollick (2016).  There is a good chance there will be a ninth different winner with most of those racers not expected to be in competition.

Meanwhile, the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will join the "Steel City Stampede" for the fourth consecutive year.  Greg Martin won the inaugural race in 2014, while Nick Ritchey won his first ever at Lernerville in 2015.  Last year, Rocky Kugel topped what was at the time a record field of 29 cars, which included the Series' first ever last chance B main   The Sportsman Mods will complete their third season of Bicknell Touring Series competition and will be featured in an $800 to-win event.

Kyle Martell will capture his first Tour title by simply finishing 23rd or better on Saturday.  Martell has been very consistent with top seven finishes in all seven completed races including wins in the first two races at Thunder Mountain and Tri-City.  Kole Holden, who leads the Bicknell Weekly Series points, is second over Chas Wolbert, who won the last race at Tri-City.  Brandon Ritchey, A.J. Gillespie, Chelsie Kriegisch, Nick Ritchey, defending champion Brian Schaffer, Blaze Myers, and Shayne Izzo complete the top 10.

Meanwhile, the battle for the $3,000 Bicknell Weekly Series Championship is tight.  Kyle Holden has a five-point lead over Rocky Kugel; however, Kugel could win it outright by winning Saturday's feature or by finishing second if Holden doesn't win.  Wolbert is just two points behind Kugel in third and could advance to second, but has no chance of winning the title.  The top 20 in Bicknell Weekly Series points will receive point fund monies in addition to the "Futures Cup" drivers.  Jeremy Weaver, who won his first career feature last Saturday at Mercer Raceway Park, has clinched that title.

Lernerville has already completed five RUSH Sportsman Modified races this season with Kugel winning three, while single victories have gone to Gillespie and Wolbert.  Gillespie's was his first career RUSH Sportsman Modified win and came in a $600 to-win Tour race on June 30.

"This is always a great way to end our season," said RUSH Director Vicki Emig.  "Our Late Model racers are always excited to get the chance to compete at Lernerville.  The car counts have always been strong and the racing at Lernerville is always some of the best of the season.  We have to thank Lernerville for allowing our Sportsman Modifieds the opportunity to race there over the past four seasons.  It's been a great way to continue to grow this division, and we expect a large turnout this weekend."

Lernerville is a 4/10-mile high-banked clay oval located 11 miles southeast of Butler, Pa. on Route 356 at 313 North Pike Road, Sarver, PA 16055.  Lernerville is just 30 miles northeast of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.  For more information, check out their website at http://www.lernerville.com or call 724-353-1511 (office) or 724-353-1350 (track).

E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at info@rushracingseries.com 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 http://www.rushracingseries.com. Like our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.

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 Edited from press release by Mike Leone