SWEENEY RUSH SPORTSMAN MODS & RUSH SPRINTS PART OF "APPLE FESTIVAL NATIONALS" AT SHARON; $800 TO-WIN BICKNELL TOUR FOR MODS FRIDAY-SATURDAY WHILE SPRINTS FEATURED IN A COMPLETE SHOW FRIDAY

By Mike Leone

 

September 5, 2018             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Hartford, OH)… The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series powered by Pace Performance is set for a doubleheader of action at Sharon Speedway for the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds and RUSH Sprint Cars as part of the "Apple Festival Nationals" this Friday and Saturday (September 7-8).  The Sportsman Modifieds will be competing in a Bicknell Racing Products Touring Series event on Friday and Saturday, while the Sprint Cars will run their complete Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series event on Friday night.  Action gets underway at 6 p.m. both nights.

 

For the Sportsman Modifieds, Friday will see only heat races contested then on Saturday will be the last chance B main(s) and 25-lap 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.  Chas Wolbert was victorious in the 2016 event, while Justin Shea was last year's winner. 

 

The Sprint Cars will obviously be competing in the "Apple Festival Nationals" for the first time ever highlighted by a 20-lap feature paying $500 to-win.  Back on June 2, the RUSH Sprints made their first ever visit to Sharon with Chad Ruhlman topping what at the time was a record high car count of 14.  The Sprints are coming off their 19th event of the season last Friday at Lernerville Speedway that saw a new high of 16 cars compete for the "Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance.  Brian Woodhall became the 20th different car to compete this season!  Ruhlman leads the $5,000 to-win Bonnell's Rod Shop Weekly Series points by 25 points over Gale Ruth, Jr., who has won five events overall this season.   

 

"This is a big event for our Sportsman Modifieds and Sprints," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig.  "We're appreciative that Sharon has allowed us to continue to be a part of their Apple Festival Nationals for many years even back to our Late Models years ago.  It's great that the Sprint Cars can now be part of this and hopefully for years to come.  While this will be the next-to-last Tour event of the season for the Sportsman Modifieds, we're also thankful that Pittsburgh and Mercer have given the Mods weekly events so they have a full schedule of shows every weekend through our October 13 Tour finale at Lernerville!"

 

This will mark just the fifth Bicknell Touring Series event of the season for the Sportsman Modifieds.  Chas Wolbert enters the weekend as the points leader thanks to four top four finishes in all four events.  Wolbert, who also brings with him a four-race win streak at Sharon, has a four-point lead on 2018 Sharon Champion, Garrett Krummert, who leads the $3,000 to-win Bicknell Weekly Series standings.  Krummert won the July 15 race at Tri-City Raceway Park. 

 

Brandon Ritchey, who won his first career Tour race on July 12 at Expo Speedway, is just six points out of the lead in third.  Defending Tour Champion, Kyle Martell, opened the season victorious at Expo winning on July 11, but hasn't been able to record a podium finish in any of the last three races.  Steve Slater's runner-up finish on August 25 propelled him into fifth in points.  Slater won his first career Tour race last year at Sharon and has a knack for doing well in Tour races at Sharon. 

 

Sharon had a strong year running the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds for the fourth straight year on a weekly basis and averaged 26.6 cars per night.  Besides Wolbert's five wins, Krummert won a pair of races, while Blaze Myers, Jeremy Weaver, and Josh Deems won their first ever Sharon races.

 

RUSH Sportsman Modified 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.  

 

Precise Racing Products will award a $100 gift card for the "Pedal Down" Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the 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.  

 

New this year is the Dirt Defender "Defensive Drive" to the driver that best defended his position throughout the night.  This award chosen by RUSH Sportsman Modified Officials will award a $40 Dirt Defender product package.  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. 

 

Sportsman Modified 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/Non-Qualifier $65.

 

RUSH Sprint Car Payoff: 1. $500  2. $250  3. $225  4. $200  5. $180  6. $170  7. $165  8. $160  9. $155  10. $150  11. $145  12-13. $140  14-15. $135  16-17. $130  18-24. $125.  Tow $50.

 

Bicknell Racing Products Touring Series Points (only Tour members receive points): 1. Chas Wolbert 386  2. Garrett Krummert 382  3. Brandon Ritchey 380  4. Kyle Martell 366  5. Steve Slater 350  6. Kole Holden 346  7. Darin Gallagher 338  8. Jeremy Weaver 334  9. Blaze Myers 328  10. Justin Shea 279  11. Jordan Ehrenberg 245  12. Brian Schaffer 176  13. David Kalb, Jr. 152  14. Jason Hufnagel 148  15. Jacob Jordan 76.

 

You do not have to a member of RUSH to compete.  The AMB/MyLaps transponders are required.  Driver one-way radios are always mandatory- channel 454.000.  The RUSH Mod entry fee is $35.  Pit passes are $35 on Friday and $35 on Saturday or $65 for a two-day.  Pits officially open at 3 p.m. each day.  There will be a drivers meeting at approximately 5:20 p.m. with pill cutoff at 5:30.  Hot laps for the RUSH Sprints will be at 6 p.m.

 

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.

 

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, Sherwood Racing Wheels, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Racing Electronics, Dirt Defender, Dynamic Drivelines, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, TBM Brakes, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, Schwartzmiller Ground Maintenance,CrateInsider.com, RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.

 

RUSH Sprint Car marketing partners include partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bonnell's Rod Shop, Bilstein Shocks, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, Racing Electronics, Dirt Defender, Frankland Racing Supply, Earl's Performance Plumbing, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Precise Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Lincoln Electric, Pancho's Racing Products, Velocita-USA, Classic Ink USA, Landrum Performance Spring, 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.

 

###