1ST OF 3 PACE RUSH LATE MODEL TOUR RACES FOR 2020 AT PITTSBURGH ON TAP SATURDAY FOR "HERB SCOTT MEMORIAL"; RUSH TRIPLEHEADER TO ALSO INCLUDE SPORTSMAN MODS & SPRINTS
By Mike Leone
July 1, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Imperial, PA)...After finally opening the 2020 season last weekend at Lernerville Speedway as part of the "Firecracker 100" with the World of Outlaws Late Models, the Pace Performance RUSH Dirt Late Model Touring Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC is set to resume action this Saturday night (July 4) at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway for the annual "Herb Scott Memorial". Saturday will be the first of three appearances for the Tour at the "Monster Half-Mile" in 2020 and will be a RUSH tripleheader as Pace Performance Weekly Series events will be on tap for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Sportsman Modifieds and the Equipment Rental Options Sprint Cars. Warm-ups begin at 6 p.m. with heat races at 7.
"The Pittsburgh Tour events are always some of our best and most exciting races of the year," acknowledged RUSH Director Vicki Emig. "We're looking forward to getting back in the groove as this will be the second of our four Tour races in four weeks. Pittsburgh has been a great partner over the years not only on our Late Model side by running them weekly and typically scheduling three Tour events, but also runs our Sportsman Mods and Sprint Cars any chance they get. Saturday will be one of our many RUSH tripleheaders this season in the region. The weather looks good so hopefully everyone comes out and supports Pittsburgh on Independence Day."
Saturday's 30-lap "Herb Scott Memorial" feature will pay $2,000 to-win, $225 to-start with a $200 to-win non-qualifier. Currently, the "Jook George Steel City Classic" on August 8 (rain date August 9) and the "Bill Hendren Memorial" on October 2-3 will each pay a minimum of $5,010 to-win, $325 to-start for the Pace Touring Series.
Herb Scott is one of the most well-known and respected driver who ever raced in western Pa. His side-by-side battles with Joe Mihalic were nothing short of legendary. Ten times during his hall of fame career, Scott won the track championship at Heidelberg (1956-1960, 1962-1965, and 1967). His first win came in his first year of racing at New Kensington Speedway in 1948. His 500th win came at Lernerville Speedway, and his final feature win came at Schmucker’s Speedway in September of 1979. He would go on to win a total of 520 career features!
Last year, Kyle Lukon swept the three Pittsburgh RUSH Late Model Tour events, which nearly propelled him to the Series title as he came up just one-point shy of Jeremy Wonderling. Those three wins were worth a staggering $18,800 much in part thanks to the efforts of "Jook George Steel City Classic" event coordinator Branden Lockwich and Steve Hendren for his father Bill's memorial. Ironically, Lukon's win last year on July 20 at Pittsburgh ended his six-year winless drought with the Series.
Lukon's three wins last year propelled him to the top of the all-time Tour win list at Pittsburgh with four. Other Tour winners at Pittsburgh include Ryan Montgomery with three, Daryl Charlier two, and single victories to Colton Flinner, John Mollick, Mike Pegher, Jr., and Jacob Hawkins.
RUSH was of course part of the "Firecracker 100" for the second straight year featuring the "Bill Emig Memorial" presented by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply. And for the second straight year it was Max Blair taking home the $10,000 top honors. Last year, Blair made only eight Tour starts, but collected $25,500 in those races! Blair is the five-time National Weekly Series Champion.
With the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the start of the season, Pittsburgh has completed only one event this season. On June 20, Christian Schneider picked up a Pace Weekly Series victory over a 20-car field. Also on that night, Chas Wolbert and Zach Morrow won the opening weekly series events for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Sportsman Modifieds and the Equipment Rental Options RUSH Sprint Cars respectively. Pittsburgh was off last weekend due to the "Firecracker 100" at Lernerville.
The Pace RUSH Sprint Cars also raced last Saturday night at Sharon with Jeremy Weaver winning his first ever there. After two Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series races, Weaver leads morrow by four points heading into Saturday night. Meanwhile, the Pace RUSH Sportsman Modifieds have logged three events. Defending two-time champion, Garrett Krummert won last Friday night at Raceway 7, while Wolbert won his second of the year taking the Sharon opener on Saturday night. Wolbert leads Krummert by four points entering this weekend's Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Weekly Series events.
FK Rod Ends "Shock the Clock" Qualifying and $25 heat races will take place on Saturday night for the Late Models. Precise Racing Products will award a $100 gift card for the "Pedal Down" Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the 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. Series Officials will also determine the Dirt Defender "Defensive Drive" to the driver that best defended his position throughout the event, and will receive a $40 product package. The feature winner will receive a Sunoco 5-Gallon Race Jugs. Ontime Body & Graphic's "Spoiler Alert" will award a $150 spoiler to the second place finisher on Saturday.
30-Lap 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. $235 17. $230 18-24 $225.
Late Model Non-Qualifier Payoff: 1. $200 2. $190 3. $185 4. $180 5. $175 6. $170 7. $165 8. $160 9. $155 10-24. $150. Tow $125.
The pits will be open all afternoon on Saturday with the drivers meeting scheduled for 5:35 p.m., warm-ups at 6 followed by qualifying and then racing at 7. You do not have to be a member of RUSH to compete only to receive Weekly and/or Tour points. The entry fee for the event is $100. AMB/MyLaps transponders will be used. Units are available to rent. Driver radio will be channel 454.000.
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway is a ½-mile dirt track with a GPS address of 170 Kelso Rd, Imperial PA 15126, which is located just off the Noblestown exit on Routes 22/30. For more information, check out their website at www.ppms.com or call 412-279-7223. The track number on race day is 724-695-3363 or 724-695-0393. As for their social media outlets, you can like their page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PittsburghsPennsylvaniaMotorSpeedway or follow them on Twitter @PAMotorSpeedway.
RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Pace Performance together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC 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, Equipment Rental Options, 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, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Accu-Force Dynos & Testers, Classic Ink USA, CrateInsider.com, and Wedge Motorsports.
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. Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.
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