FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2010

FASTRAK NORTHEAST LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES HEADS BACK TO OHIO FOR 1ST APPEARANCE AT RACEWAY 7 FRIDAY

By Mike Leone
Conneaut, OH…After heading east last weekend to compete at Hesston and Dog Hollow Speedways, the FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series will trek into Ohio on Friday night at Raceway 7. The 25-lap $1,200 to-win event will mark race #14 on the 20-event Touring slate.

Raceway 7 is under the leadership of brothers Dan and Percy McDonald in 2010. The Conneaut, Ohio oval has been getting a strong weekly car count with 20 cars or more achieved all but two nights in 2010. The story has been Max Blair as he’s won eight of the nine completed features with his father Robbie winning the other.

Max not only leads Raceway 7’s weekly points, but also the National Weekly Series as well as the Northeast Touring Series points. The Centerville, Pa. 20-year-old has Touring victories at Tyler County (WV) and Expo (OH) to date and has a 46-point lead on nemesis Mike Pegher, Jr., who has been on a roll of late. Pegher won the $5,000 National event at Eldora Speedway on July 31, finished second to Joe Martin in last Friday’s Touring event at Dog Hollow, captured the inaugural Touring Series event at Hesston on Saturday, and then completed the weekend with a Weekly Series win at Tri-City Speedway on Sunday.

Ironically Max has never won a Touring Series event at Raceway 7 and Pegher has just one Touring win there. John Lacki has a pair of Touring wins at Raceway 7, while Dick Barton and Dennis Lunger, Jr. have single victories.

“We have to thank the McDonald brothers for supporting FASTRAK in 2010,” stated fourth year Northeast Co-Director Vicki Emig. “They stepped up to allow racing just to happen in 2010 at the Conneaut track. Raceway 7 has been one of the original four tracks they began with FASTRAK in 2007, and we’re really happy they stuck with FASTRAK and offered the races a Touring Series event. We always look forward to going to Raceway 7 and expect a strong field of cars.”

The 2010 Northeast Touring Series has been a very competitive one with nine different winners in 13 races. Pegher’s fourth win of the season on Saturday tied him with Blair atop the all-time win chart at seven. One driver that has yet to win a Touring Series event in 2010 is Butch Lambert. The Mars, Pa. driver has been very consistent after a slow start racking up three runner-ups, a third, and a pair of fourth place finishes, which go along with three other top 10 finishes.

Justin Kreider of Linesville, Pa. is the leader in the new “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series by four points over Jason Stanke. Kreider is a regular at Raceway where he has recorded two top 10 finishes. If 30 or more cars are present, a bonus non-qualifier event is run. Points are being kept with a season ending mini point fund for these racers.

There have been 47 Northeast Touring Series races contested with 22 different winners all-time. Max Blair and Pegher currently sit atop the all-time win list at seven followed by Dick Barton, Bobby Powell, John Lacki, and Davis Scott with four, Alan Dellinger with two, and Todd Andrews, Kyle Drum, Frank Guidace, Butch Lambert, Carl McKinney, Dennis Lunger, Jr., Tom Snyder, Jr., Chris Meadows, Jim Frank, Mike Blose, Josh Holtgraver, Robbie Blair, Jonathan Davenport, Gary Knollinger, and Joe Martin with one victory.

Raceway 7 August 13 payoff: 1. $1,200 2. $650 3. $450 4. $350 5. $325 6. $300 7. $275 8. $260 9. $255 10. $250 11. $225 12. $210 13. $200 14. $175 15. $165 16. $160 17. $155 18-24. $150. Bonus Event for non-qualifiers to be held if 30 or more cars paying $125 to-win, $55 to-start. Tow/Non-qualifiers $50.

Current Northeast Touring Series points (must be a Northeast Touring Series member to receive points): 1. Max Blair 419 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. 373 3. Butch Lambert 357 4. Gary Knollinger 346 5. Josh Holtgraver 334 6. Bud Watson 300 7. Joe Martin 281 8. Dan Angelicchio 247 9. Bryan Force 227 10. Dan Karalagas 203 11. Mike Blose 188 12. Steve Dixon 176 13. Troy Shields 169 14. David Scott 165 15. Ricky Meglaye 125 16. Dwayne Pond 123 17. Kyle Zimmerman 121 18. Kyle Lukon 111 19. Shane Bambarger 107 20. Bob Cossell IV 98 21. Garrett Mott 93 22. Rocky Kugel & Josh Double 86 24. Robbie Blair 84 25. Jamie Brown 75 26. Damian Bidwell 53 27. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 51 28. John Haggerty 41 29. Michael Mitchell 35 30. Chris Force 33 31. John Over 31 32. Ike Fanton & Dave Airgood, Jr. 30 34. John Lacki & Michael Hughes 23 36. Jim Long 20 37. Bob Kish & Mark Moats, Jr., 10 39. Jason Fosnaught 0.

RACEceivers are mandatory at all Northeast Touring Series events. There is a $50 entry fee. Any tech questions or information on the RACEceivers, call Brad Hibbard at 330-540-RACE.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. with racing at 7:30. Raceway 7 is located six miles south of Interstate 90, on Ohio Route 7, just south of Monroe Center (and Bushnell), Ohio. For more information check out www.raceway7.com, call 440-594-2222 on race day