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[FASTRAK]

NORTHEAST CLAIMS FASTRAK’S CROWN JEWEL FOR 2ND STRAIGHT YEAR & SWEEPS TOP 4 SPOTS AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AS MAX BLAIR LEADS CONTINGENT WINNING OVER $23,000 AT BECKLEY By Mike Leone October 11, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Pulaski, PA)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Pace Performance FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series had this past weekend off so it’s racers could participate in the World Championship Weekend at Beckley Motorsports Park in Prosperity, West Virginia. Twenty-five teams made the pilgrimage south and joined with racers from all over the country for FASTRAK’s crown jewel event, which drew a record car count of some 85 cars. The event was also filmed for a tape-delayed four-segment television broadcast on FOX Sports. For the second straight year, FASTRAK’s biggest prize came home to the Northeast. Last season, Mike Pegher, Jr. won his first FASTRAK Championship of any kind winning the $30,000 Grand Nationals. This year’s “Grand Nationals” was reformatted and turned into the “World Championship” and now one of FASTRAK’s all-time greats has the title he’s so yearned for so many years. Max Blair is the 2012 FASTRAK World Champion! The 22-year-old Centerville, Pa. third generation racer has lit up FASTRAK records scoring wins and titles on an annual basis over the past five years. He’s a three-time $10,000 National Weekly Series Champion and now has won the $5,000 Northeast Touring title four out of five years! On Saturday night, Blair nailed down the one big title that has always eluded him- the World Championship (formerly known as the “Grand Nationals”). Blair earned a spot in the World Championship by virtue of his $1,000 runner-up finish in one of Friday’s 40-lap “topless” mains. He then went on to win Saturday’s 75-lap $2,000 to-win championship feature that earned him the $20,000 title! Blair didn’t do as well in the World Challenge (National Weekly) event finishing 24th to earn start money on top of the $500 point money. Blair though will also receive $1,200 for FASTRAK Weekly point money for winning the titles at McKean County Raceway and Eriez Speedway and finishing third at Raceway 7. Not only did Blair win the World Championship crown, but Northeast racers swept the top four positions! Fresh off his September 29 $2,000 Northeast Touring victory at Roaring Knob’s “Big Kahuna” Weekend, Joe Martin carried that momentum south where he had a huge weekend! A flat tire on Friday resulted in a disappointing 13th place finish for Martin, but that qualified the Mayport, Pa. driver for Saturday’s World Championship where he finished second to Blair for $1,000 plus $10,000 in point fund monies! Martin also had a strong performance in the World Challenge where he finished fifth to earn not only race winnings, but another $1,200 in point monies. Martin recorded a best ever finish for a Wylie Race Car in a National Event. Wylie Race Cars signed on as Major Contingency Sponsor of FASTRAK Northeast in 2012. While the 2012 season probably wasn’t what Billy Henry, Jr. had hoped for scoring just one victory on opening night at Eriez Speedway, the Conneautville, Pa. racer saved the best for last. He finished fifth in one of the Friday night 40-lap “topless” races to qualify for Saturday’s “World Championship”. He then was the third driver across the finish line in Saturday’s 75-lap championship feature! Henry earned $6,500 in point fund monies plus his race earnings for his two feature events! Wayne Robertson doesn’t compete as much as he’d probably like to; however, when he does- he makes it count. Robertson made the longest tow of the entire Northeast contingent to Beckley from his home in Corning, New York. The $3,000 Black Rock Speedway August 18 “Empire State Classic” Northeast Touring winner finished third in one of the 40-lap qualifying events on Friday night. Robertson then battled his way from the 21st starting spot into the lead on Saturday night on Saturday night with his sights on the $22,000 prize; however, disaster struck as he tangled with Chris Ferguson. Robertson didn’t give up and battled his way back to a fine fourth place finish for the $4,000 point fund prize plus race earnings. Making his FASTRAK debut in 2012 was Chad Ruhlman. The Bemus Point, NY former Super Late Model driver hooked up with longtime E-Mod car count Terry Suppa and has been fast all season. Ruhlman won a thrilling Northeast Touring event during Speedweek at Pittsburgh on July 7. At Beckley, Ruhlman finished 15th on Friday night and improved that with a ninth on Saturday night. The highlight though was his runner-up in the Weekly World Challenge event to local standout Chris Meadows. Ruhlman earned $4,500 in point fund monies for the two events plus another $1,610 in race earnings! Ruhlman also finished runner-up in the FASTRAK Weekly points for an additional $300. Third year FASTRAK teenage racer Chad Wright was fast all weekend with a seventh on Friday and an 11th in the World Championship on Saturday. It was the Springboro, Pa. driver’s first ever appearance in the former “Grand Nationals”. It’s been quite the year for Wright, who captured his first career win at Eriez Speedway on their final night, won three features at Raceway 7, and recorded his first career Northeast Touring win on September 15 at Sharon Speedway. Ryan Montgomery made a return trip south for the second consecutive year. The 2011 Pace Performance “Futures Cup” Champion from Fairmont, WV had another strong showing with a third on Friday night and a 20th in Saturday’s “World Championship”. In his first full season on the Northeast Tour, Montgomery has one victory and is currently fourth in points. The World Championship weekend pretty much summed up Pegher’s season. The 2011 Grand National Champion has been fast all season, but just hasn’t been able to parlay his speed into victories. A sixth place finish on Friday night and a pole position start had Pegher’s eyes on the $22,000 prize, but a mid-race spin running in the top five ruined his chances and resulted in a 23rd place finish. Bobby Rohrer, whose father owns Sunday night FASTRAK-sanctioned Eriez Speedway, made his second straight venture south and had a much improved performance. After not qualifying for either feature in 2011, Rohrer finished 20th on Friday night to qualify for Saturday where he raced his way into the feature and finished 24th in the “World Championship”. The Waterford, Pa. second year FASTRAK racer earned $1,050 in point fund monies plus race winnings. Josh Holtgraver is another driver that hasn’t had the year he had envisioned after coming off a career best 2011 season. The Pittsburgh driver didn’t qualify for the feature on Friday or Saturday’s “World Championship,” but had a strong showing in the $7,000 to-win “World Challenge”. Holtgraver took the lead early on in the 50 lapper and appeared primed for the big payday, but backpedaled in the closing laps where he finished fourth to earn $1,500 in point money plus race earnings. Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway FASTRAK Champion Kyle Lukon finished 17th in Friday’s qualifying event and recorded an eighth in the “World Challenge”. The Burgettstown, Pa. driver earned $850 in point money on top of race winnings plus another $500 for the PPMS title. John Over was always a Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex regular. In the 2012, the Uniontown, Pa. driver decided to follow the Northeast Touring Series for the first time where he currently sits fifth in points with a career best runner-up finish last month at Sharon Speedway. Over also decided to head south for the first time where he finished 14th on Friday then came home 10th in Saturday’s “World Challenge”. Second year FASTRAK racer Matt Latta has been impressive this year. He finished second in the weekly points at both Raceway 7 and Sharon Speedway and won his first career Northeast Touring event- a $2,000 victory at Eriez Speedway’s Speedweek finale. The 20-year-old Conneaut Lake, Pa. driver is also ninth in Tour points. Latta went to great lengths to make it to the World Championship Weekend as he had to be flown from Erie to Beckley in order to make it on Friday due to school commitments. The weekend didn’t go quite as Latta had hoped for failing to qualify for either feature on Friday or Saturday’s “World Championship,” but he did rebound for a 12th in the “World Challenge” to earn $725 in point fund monies in addition to his race earnings plus the $600 FASTRAK weekly track monies from Raceway 7 and Sharon. Two other drivers, Dan Angelicchio and Michael Mitchell, qualified for Saturday’s “World Challenge,” where they finished 15th and 21st respectively. Other Northeast drivers participating during the weekend included Jamie Brown, Nolan Dalton, Lauren Longbrake, Joe Moyer, Joel Prosser, Troy Shields, Rick Singleton, Justin Tatlow, Shane Weaver, and Bobby Whitling. “We couldn’t be prouder of our racers,” stated sixth year Northeast Co-Director Vicki Emig. “They put on great racing week in and week out and have come a long way since our first season back in 2007. Their performance in recent years at the Nationals shows the caliber of drivers we now have.” Two big Northeast Touring events remain for 2012 season with the “Super Nationals II” at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex October 19-20 and the “Steel City Stampede” at Lernerville Speedway October 26-27. 2012 FASTRAK Northeast marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tires, Original Pizza Logs, K&N Filters, The Brake Man, Utsinger’s Towing, Precise Racing Products, Genesis Shocks, VP Fuels, Beyea Custom Headers, H&H Racing Equipment, High Gear Speed Shop, Hyperco, Jake’s Golf Carts, Lincoln Electric, Wrisco Aluminum, and Wylie Race Cars. You can reach co-directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone at the FASTRAK Northeast office at 724-964-9300. E-mail to info@fastraknortheast.com and snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. The office is open daily late mornings and after 1:30 p.m. For more information, check out the FASTRAK Northeast website at www.fastraknortheast.com. Become our fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fastraknortheast. ###

Edited by FASTRAK, 11 October 2012 - 07:14 PM.