SWEENEY RUSH SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS SET TO TAKE ON EXPO ON THURSDAY IN A HOVIS TOURING SERIES EVENT PART OF TRUMBULL COUNTY FAIR

By Mike Leone

 

July 9, 2019            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Cortland, OH)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sportsman Modified Series powered by Pace Performance is set to take on the big 5/8-mile Expo Speedway this Thursday (July 11) evening as part of the Trumbull County Fair.  Due to rain, the event will be the 2019 kickoff of the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Touring Series and will pay $800 to-win.  Racing begins early at 6 p.m. due to no lights. 

 

The 173rd annual Trumbull County Fair will feature racing on only one night (Thursday) this year.  This will be the fifth straight year that the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, which compete weekly at nearby Sharon Speedway, will be on the card. 

 

The 2015 event for the Sportsman Modifieds not only marked the first ever race for the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds at Expo, but made history being the first ever Tour event run with Greg Martin earning the top honors.  Chelsie Kriegisch then made more history in 2016 by becoming the first female to ever win at Expo in the track’s history and the first female in the history of crate racing in the Northeast to win a Touring Series event!  Rocky Kugel rebounded from a bad crash to win the 2017 event.  Last year, saw the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds compete on both Wednesday and Thursday with Brandon Ritchey and Garrett Krummert victorious. 

 

Will there be a sixth different winner on Thursday at Expo!?  Two drivers that are considered to be favorites are Chas Wolbert of nearby Warren, Ohio and Rob Kristyak of nearby Bristolville, Ohio.  Both drivers have three total victories in 2019 as they've both won twice at Sharon and once at Raceway 7 in Hovis Weekly Series competition.  Kristyak has a 24-point lead on Kole Holden in the Hovis Weekly Series standings. 

 

There's yet to be a repeat champion in the Tour as Rocky Kugel won the inaugural championship in 2015 followed by Brian Schaffer, Kyle Martell, and Garrett Krummert.  Thursday race will also award Hovis Weekly Series points for Weekly members.  The RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will have a Hovis Weekly Series event on Saturday at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway.

 

“Expo has always been a fun event,” stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig.  “It’s a great atmosphere with the fair going on and the fan support has always been great.  The fans get free admission to the races with their fair admission and the pit pass for the racers gets them into the fair for free.  We have to thank Bud Rodgers and the rest of the fairboard for continuing to allow us to bring our show to the Trumbull County Fair.”

 

Precise Racing Products will award a $100 gift card for the "Pedal Down" Hard Charger that passes the most cars in each Late Model and Sportsman Modified 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.

 

Officials will also determine the new Dirt Defender "Defensive Drive" to the driver that best defended his position throughout the night, and will receive a $40 product package at each Late Model and Sportsman Mod event.  The award could go to a driver holding off another for the final heat race or B main transfer position, a driver denying a hard charging racer a feature win, a move to stay on the lead lap before a caution, or any such deserving move. 

 

RUSH Sportsman Mod 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.  The selected driver will receive a certificate for a free Sherwood Racing Wheel.  The feature winner will also receive a Sunoco 5-Gallon Race Jug.  

 

Expo Sportsman Modified 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.

 

Drivers need to be prepared with their own fuel, tires, etc. ahead of time as there will be no supplier at the track.  You do not have to a member of RUSH to compete.  No transponders will be used.  Driver radios are always mandatory and are channel 454.000.  The entry fee is $35.  Pits open around 3 p.m.  Pre-race tech and registration will begin by 3:30.  A drivers meeting will be around 5:10 p.m. with warm-ups slated for 5:30 followed by racing at 6. 

 

Expo Speedway is a 5/8-mile dirt track located at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds just north of Route 305 on Hoagland-Blackstub Road in Bazetta Township, Cortland, Ohio. Pit access is Gate A right past the church. ATVs and golf carts must be kept in the pits and cannot go outside this area. For more information, check out www.trumbullcountyfair.com or call 330-637-6010.

 

RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC & Pace Performance along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, FK Rod Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Dirt Defender, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Trailer-Alarms.com, Bonnell's Rod Shop, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, CrateInsider.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/rushsportsmanmods and follow us on Twitter @RUSHSportMods.

 

###