News Director 
Story By: MIKE LEONE / RUSH RACING SERIES – FRANKLIN, PA – The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance heads to Tri-City Raceway Park this Sunday (June 18) for a doubleheader featuring the Sweeney Late Model Touring Series and the Bicknell Racing Products Sportsman Modified Touring Series in the annual “Bill Emig Memorial”. Racing begins at 6 p.m.
There is a rain date of June 25.
Tri-City is in the third year of ownership by Mark Tatalovic and management by his son Sam along with Chad Wagner. Sunday will be the second race event of the season 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 20, and the Sportsman Modifieds will return on September 10 for the “Apple Fest”.
For the third straight year, Tri-City will host the annual “Bill Emig Memorial”. The “Marquee” Late Model Tour event will be highlighted by a $2,000 to-win 30-lap feature along with $100 FK Rod Ends “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! Meanwhile, the Sportsman Modifieds will battle 20 laps for $600 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 always really special,” explained RUSH Co-Director Vicki Emig. “In 2015, the event at Tri-City 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 Bryce Davis last season at Tri-City, Max Blair (Tri-City) in 2015, 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.
Last year, New York’s Adam Hilton won the “Bill Emig Memorial” for the Modifieds. This year, Josh Seippel won the Bicknell Weekly Series event at Tri-City on Mother’s Day for his first career Modified win.
Four of the six scheduled 2017 Sweeney Tour events for the Late Models have been completed with four different winners. Bryce Davis, who won at Outlaw Speedway on June 2, currently leads the points by 32 over Jason Knowles. Defending Series Champion, John Waters, is coming off a victory at the last event at Genesee Speedway on June 3 and is currently fourth in points. Jeremy Wonderling won the Series’ opening event at Stateline on May 20 and is sixth in points. Charlie Sandercock became the first Canadian to win a Sweeney Tour event when he won in his home country at Merrittville Speedway on May 22.
Meanwhile, the Sportsman Modifieds kicked off their Bicknell Touring Series season last Friday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway for the first time ever. Kyle Martell captured the $800 win for his first career Tour victory to take the early point lead of the eight-race series. Larry Kugel won the 2015 title, while last year Brian Schaffer was the champion.
The “John Buzzard Memorial” K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash will pay $100 cash to win for the Late Models with a $100 K&N certificate for second, $50 K&N certificate for third, and $25 cash for fourth place. The Dash will also set the beginning of the 30-lap feature lineup for the top two finishers in the heat races if there are less than five heats or for the heat winners if there are five or more heats. Buzzard was a former racer for Bill Emig, who tragically lost his life at Expo Speedway.
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 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 each 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 for each division.
RUSH Officials will choose the “Maxima Performance” Award for a driver that exhibits a performance worthy of such. 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!
ARbodies will award a nose kit to the first Late Model non-qualifier part of the “Nosed Out” contingency program. 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.
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.
Non-Qualifier: 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.
Late Model Cumulative Sweeney Touring Series points (only Touring members receive points): 1. Bryce Davis 379 2. Jason Knowles 347 3. J.J. Mazur 341 4. John Waters 340 5. Brian Knowles 333 6. Jeremy Wonderling 276 7. Brian Swank 237 8. Kyle Murray 236 9. Mike Pegher, Jr. 192 10. Bruce Hordusky, Jr. 162 11. Chad Wright 156 12. D.J. Krug 147 13. Max Blair 98 14. Matt Latta 86 15. Jon Rivers 82 16. Jamie Brown & Carl Shetler 81 18. Jamie Wrightsman 76 19. Tony White 70.
Sportsman Modified Cumulative Bicknell Touring Series points (only Touring members receive points): 1. Kyle Martell 100 2. Jeremy Weaver 98 3. Anthony Gillespie 96 4. Shayne Izzo 94 5. Brandon Ritchey 92 6. Nick Ritchey 90 7. Kole Holden 89 8. Steve Slater 88 9. Jonathan Myers 87 10. Brian Schaffer 85 11. Jerry Schaffer 83 12. Jordan Ehrenberg 80 13. Blaze Myers 79 14. Jessica Kriegisch 78 15. Chas Wolbert 77 16. Chelsie Kriegisch 76 17. Justin Shea 75 18. Billy Myers 74 19. Jessica Shea 73.
You do not have to a member of RUSH to compete. The AMB/MyLaps 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 ½-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.
