REGIONAL PRO STOCK RACERS FIND SUCCESS WITH GM CRATE ENGINES; PART OF INAUGURAL SWEENEY RUSH WEEKLY CHAMPIONSHIP
By Doug Kennedy
April 28, 2015
(Pulaski, PA)...For three years now, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Racing Series has been traveling a road paved with success and excitement. The Sweeney RUSH Late Model Series debuted in 2013, a year later Sweeney RUSH Sportsman Modifieds were added, and in 2015 the RUSH Pro Stocks are now making their debut in the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Pro Stock Weekly Series.
The Pro Stock Championship program is available for drivers competing with a GM 602 or 604 engine at any track that sanctions a RUSH event, Late Model or Sportsman Modified, during the 2015 season.
"The main objective of RUSH, regardless of the division we are involved in, is to offer an affordable option to keep racers on the speedway via the crate engine," explained RUSH Co-Director Vicki Emig. "The time frame and introduction of both the RUSH Late Model and Sportsman Modified divisions throughout our region was chosen very carefully, and honestly on instinct, thus the recent development of the RUSH Pro Stock Series pilot program."
"It's no secret that weekly Stock Car counts at many local speedways have been steadily declining and I know that in the long run this concept will also help the Stock Car division stay healthy for many years into the future," continued Emig. The RUSH Pro Stock Series and its racers are going to immediately benefit from all of the great relationships and partnerships we have developed over the years and we are really excited to be announcing several exciting and valuable promotions that will actually take place this year at Lernerville Speedway."
Some of the key players in this the initial season for the RUSH Pro Stocks will be Gary Risch, Jr., promoter at Lernerville, Brighton Speedway’s, Mark Rinaldi, and Mike Ingram, one of the region’s top engine supplier and rebuilder.
Recently Lernerville Speedway made an announcement that in 2016 their DIRTcar Sportsman ”Stock" class would be 100% crate.
As for Risch, Jr., he had this to say, “We made the announcement to have our Sportsmans be exclusive with crate engines for the 2016 season. It’s where this class (Sportsman) needs to go competition and cost wise. We’re out of hand with some of the motor stuff in this class and we think it’s time to streamline that and take the costs away. It’s the direction that racing is going all over the country and Lernerville has always been a leader. Now it’s time to take a step forward with the crate program in that class."
With the crate engine being permitted in the Stock Car division over the past several seasons at some regional speedways, a number of drivers have already experienced success.
Corey McPherson won seven features with his crate engine in 2013 that led to his second Lernerville championship, during that same season, that same year Adam Ashcroft dominated at McKean County Raceway and won also won a track championship, both drivers competed with GM 604's. Prior to that Boardman, Ohio's Steve D’Apolito won track titles at both Sharon Speedway and Mercer Raceway Park.
McPherson will double up this season, running both the RUSH Pro Stocks and the RUSH Late Model divisions. “I’m looking forward to it for sure,” said McPherson the defending RUSH Late Model champion. “I wasn’t going to race my Stock Car this year until the new Series came out. It sounded like something up my alley. I think it’s going to be a great new Series because I think the crate motor is going to be the way of the future.”
McPherson plans on running the Bob Bentz Late Model when he can, but the Stock will be a once a week deal. “We’ll go to a lot of different tracks with the Stock throughout the season, said Corey, who has already captured a feature event at Lernerville on April 24th.
Aaron Easler finished fifth last season in the Sportsman division at Lernerville and won the 2014 "Western Pennsylvania Rookie of the Year". His brother, Ben, also competes in the same division. Easler’s dad, Sylvan, who owns both cars, bought Mike Pegher’s old Crate Late Model car and will also have Aaron run it at both Lernerville and Pittsburgh in RUSH events.
“That’s why I bought the 604 motor so I could move into the Late Model Series next season,” said the 56-year-old, Sylvan, who has been sponsoring a dozen or more different cars since the early to mid-90’s.
“We’ve always liked the idea of the crate stuff,” said 23 year old Aaron. “It will be nice to be able to compete against guys who don’t necessarily run at the tracks all the time.”
Sylvan believes that the Sportsman division at Lernerville is the best class in western Pennsylvania because of the number of cars and the quality of the racers.
“I’m a big supporter of the 604 motor, but not a supporter of eliminating all the open motors,” said Sylvan. He also points to the increase in the number of Crate motors that are popping up Lernerville. “Two years ago, there was one, last year there were six, and now this year there are 10 to 12. It’s a way to get into racing and to be competitive without spending a ton of money.”
Besides his Sharon and Mercer titles, D’Apolito won the prestigious “Applefest 100” at Tri-City Speedway way back in 2007. “That’s when no one was running a Crate,” said D’Apolito.
So far this season, D'Apolito has not committed to running a Crate engine in his Stock but added that he thinks it’s a good way for drivers to save a lot of money.
“When people start getting a Crate motor and start to run it, they will see that it is as competitive as the open motors,” said D’Apolito.
Terry Young is a longtime Lernerville competitor and has successfully run the GM 604 for the past few seasons. “It’s a much better fit for me because it takes the throttle control off of me,” said the 49-year-old Young of Butler, Pa. “It’s a way more forgiving car. The motors are really durable and you’re not blowing up a $7,000 or more motor. You can actually run without worrying about your motor.” Incidentally, Young won the 2015 opener at Lernerville.
Fifty-seven year old Pat Hanley will run both the RUSH Late Models and Pro Stocks at Pittsburgh for 2015. Regarding the Pro Stock RUSH Series, Hanley said, “I think it’s great because it should help promote the Stock Cars. If I can get some help,, I’ll be doing some double duty this year. I think the addition of the GM 604 engine in the Stock Car division will be very good for racing.”
Bob Lambert, father of former Late Model and now Econo Mod driver, Butch Lambert, will have Altoona, PA's Bill Henney in the seat at Lernerville for 2015. Bill is a longtime competitor in Stocks in the central Pennsylvania region. Lambert and his partner, Charlie Neely, bought the car from Henney this past year.
“I think it’s alright,” said the 67-year-old Lambert of the Pro Stock RUSH Series. “Most of the guys at Lernerville are joining in.”
Forty-two year old Canadian driver Doug Anderson will be running his GM 602 at Brighton and Humberstone Speedways for 2015. “I was the first racer to join the RUSH Pro Stock Series,” laughed Anderson. "It’s about time that somebody realizes that for the big series, the small guys put the time and money into racing just like the big guys.”
Anderson was also impressed with how quickly he received a response from Vicki Emig. “Once I found out the Pro Stocks were going to be involved, I called her when she was in Florida and she called me right back. To get somebody to call you from Florida to Canada so quickly was really nice.” Incidentally, Anderson’s #72 yellow Stock is one of the five cars that appear on RUSH’s website.
“I think it’s a good incentive for the guys who usually don’t get a chance to race in a series,” said Rinaldi, Brighton Speedway promoter. “It gives them something then just racing for local track championships. The crate motor in general has saved Street Stock Racing in our region due to the high cost of engine rebuilds. Today 80% of Brighton Speedway's Stock Class competes with the GM 602 motor."
Other GM 604 drivers at Lernerville for 2015 will be Eric Piotrowski, Tony Iarapino, Joey Zambotti, Joe Gombach, and Noah Brunnel. Noah’s dad, Dave, has been around both dirt and asphalt racing for a number of years. Doug Crosby will be a newcomer at Pittsburgh with his GM 604.
“I feel a lot of guys don’t realize that two to three years down the road, it’s saving them money,” said Ingram. “They’re misguided. With the crate, they will run the same carburetor, ignition, and pulley system. The only things they will have to change are the headers and if they run a double or triple disc clutch, then they will have to change the “button.” According to Ingram, the total cost for that would be less than $500.
The initial Sweeney RUSH Pro Stock “Weekly” Championship program will have a points fund of $5,250 that will be divvied up among the first 15 drivers of the legal GM 602 and GM 604 Crate engines. Presently the payouts will range from $1000 for first place, down to $200 for the 15th slot. Member drivers will accrue their points from their best 12 feature finishes, two per weekend through the end of September.
Lernerville Speedway will host the inaugural Sweeney Chevrolet Buck GMC RUSH Pro Stock GM Performance “Sportsman Stock Classic” in conjunction with their traditional “Autumn-Motive Fest” on September 19. It will be the first ever exclusive GM 602 and GM 604 feature event. In addition, the RUSH Pro Stocks will be permitted to compete in the “Automotive Fest, giving the drivers two feature events to compete.
RUSH will honor DIRTcar memberships and those drivers will not have to pay a membership fee. DIRTcar drivers must, however, complete a RUSH form for administrative purposes.
The tracks who are currently eligible to be part of the new program are Brighton (602 only), Can-Am (602 only), Eriez, Freedom (602 only) Humberstone (602 only), Lernerville, Pittsburgh, Potomac, Roaring Knob (no weight limitations), Sharon (602 only), Sportsman’s, Stateline, Wayne County, and Winchester.
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 www.rushracingseries.com.
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Edited by RUSH Racing Series, 28 April 2015 - 07:51 PM.
