FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2011

FASTRAK NORTHEAST LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES TO OPEN SEASON #5 WITH LUCAS OIL LATE MODELS SATURDAY AT ROARING KNOB

By Mike Leone
(Markleysburg, PA)…Fans and racers of the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series are hoping Saturday is finally the day Mother Nature will cooperate and allow season #5 to get underway! After two failed attempts the last two Saturdays at Tyler County Speedway thanks to deluges of rain, the early outlook for Saturday’s opener at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex is for sunny skies and temps in the upper 60s. A rain date of Sunday has been secured.

Saturday’s $1,200 to-win event will be a Late Model fan’s dream! The Late Model doubleheader program will not only feature FASTRAK, but also the Lucas Oil Dirt Series for the “supers” will be making their first ever visit to Roaring Knob for a $10,000 to-win payday! The event marks the first time ever in the Northeast that FASTRAK will race on the same program as the Lucas Oil Series.

With the rainout at Tyler County, 23 events are still on the 2011 Touring Series schedule. In 2010, 20 events were completed as over $25,000 in cash and contingencies were awarded to the top 15 racers in points.

The Utsinger’s Towing “Hoosier Tire Giveaway” program will begin Saturday night awarding a new FASTRAK Hoosier tire to the driver running last on the lead lap at the finish.

The other program that will get underway will be the Original Pizza Logs “Contingency Connection” program where two $1,000 contingency packages will be awarded at each Touring Series event in 2011!

“We sure are looking forward to Saturday,” expressed Northeast co-Director Vicki Emig. “When we heard it was announced that Lucas Oil was coming to Roaring Knob, we really wanted to be part of this event. After some discussions with track owner Rick Jones, we’re excited it’ll be able to happen! Now with it being our opener…it should even be better as guys are just chomping at the bit to get going.”

Blair will lead the charge south to the beautiful Roaring Knob facility as the 21-year-old is set to embark on what he hopes to be his third championship in four seasons. Blair is equipped with a new Rocket Chassis as he’s coming off back-to-back second place finishes in Weekly Series events at Sharon Speedway. Blair is also chasing his third National Weekly Series Championship.

The driver that was able to dethrone Blair twice at Sharon is Joe Martin. The 26-year-old Mayport, Pa. driver is entering his third season in FASTRAK competition. Martin improved from his 14th place Touring Series point finish in his rookie 2009 season to seventh last year, which included his career first Touring Series win at his home track- Dog Hollow Speedway. Martin is now set for his first 100% all-out assault on the Touring Series and is coming into Saturday hotter than any driver in the region.

Mike Pegher, Jr., an eight-time Touring Series winner, is set to try to knock Blair from the top of the standings. The Wexford, Pa. racer, who will also dabble in Super Late Model competition for car owner Lynn Geisler, already has a Weekly Series win on April 9 at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway. The Wexford, Pa. driver finished 14th in the 2008 standings, fourth in 2009, and runner-up last season. Pegher swept both Touring Series event at Roaring Knob in 2010.

The every consistent Butch Lambert, who won his only Touring Series race in 2008 at McKean County Raceway, will start his third season chasing the Touring Series Saturday. Lambert finished eighth in points in 2009 and had a big improvement to third last season and his goal in 2011 is to make a serious run at the championship.

2010 BRP Can-Am 360 Late Model Champion, Wayne Robertson, made the four and a half hour tow last Saturday to Sharon for his FASTRAK debut. Robertson looked strong in his heat and ran up front early on in the feature before carburetor issues and a broken tie-rod relegated him to a 15th place finish. Robertson, who hails from Corning, NY, is expected to be a threat night in and night out. Robertson will be joined by his old fellow BRP Can-Am racers Steve Dixon, who was a two-time Touring Series winner in 2010, and newcomer to FASTRAK Jr. Peters.

Josh Holtgraver and Newt Tackett, who both competed opening night at Sharon Speedway, hit the highway last Friday night in search of dry weather and they found it at Bulls Gap’s Volunteer Speedway in Tennessee. Both drivers made the feature on Saturday night at the high-banked bullring and are excited to get the Touring Series season underway Saturday. Holtgraver looks to improve on his fifth place point finish in 2010 in his first year on the road. Tackett is expected to be one of the top contenders for the “Futures Cup”.

Roaring Knob averaged the highest weekly car count in the nation last season. They have a tough crop of weekly racers like defending champion John Over, Rick Strickler, Cody Hardesty, Garry Sisson, Ricky Meglaye, Bobby Cossell IV, Western PA Rookie-of-the-Year Billy Stile III, Mike Lewis, and Touring regulars Dan Angelicchio and Troy Shields, who call Roaring Knob home when they’re not on the road.

Roaring Knob will be awarding all racers 50 show-up points for their participation Saturday. The 2011 Roaring Knob champion will receive a 2012 Warrior Chassis compliments of Doug Horton so there will be extra incentive for local racers at Roaring Knob this season.

“No matter what sport, the opener is always exciting,” stated Northeast co-Director Mike Leone. “Everyone starts back at zero again and has high hopes and expectations for the new year. The weather has been so bad here in the Northeast that racers just haven’t had hardly any opportunities to shake down their equipment, and in many cases none as only Sharon, Pittsburgh, and Tyler County have been able to race thus far. A lot of racers will be making their season debut Saturday.”

After getting underway in July last season, the “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series returns. If more than 30 cars on hand, a non-qualifiers event is run with a payout allowing drivers to earn more than tow money. A separate point standings is kept and a point fund will be paid at the end of the season. Justin Kreider was last year’s champion earning $500 in cash and contingencies.

Some of the new FASTRAK Northeast apparel is in including two different types of t-shirts, a ladies cut shirt, plus hoodies, embroidered sweatshirts, jackets, and hats. The new 2011 FASTRAK Northeast Fan Guide & Driver Handbook is expected to debut sometime in middle to late May.

There have been 54 Northeast Touring Series races contested with 25 different winners all-time in the Northeast Touring Series meaning nearly a new winner nearly every other event. Blair leads Mike Pegher, Jr. nine to eight followed by Dick Barton, Bobby Powell, John Lacki, and David Scott with four, Alan Dellinger & Steve Dixon 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, Joe Martin, Dusty Hamrick, and Bud Watson with one victory.

FINAL 2010 FASTRAK Northeast Touring Series Top 15: 1. Max Blair 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. 3. Butch Lambert 4. Gary Knollinger 5. Josh Holtgraver 6. Bud Watson 7. Joe Martin 8. Dan Angelicchio 9. Steve Dixon 10. Bryan Force 11. Dan Karalagas 12. Mike Blose 13. Kyle Zimmerman 14. Kyle Lukon 15. Troy Shields.

Roaring Knob April 30 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.

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.

Pit gates open at 1 p.m. on Saturday with hot laps at 6:45 followed by qualifying for the Lucas Oil Series and then heat races. Pit passes are $40. Adult grandstand admission is $30.

Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex is located near Markleysburg, Pa. just off of scenic Route 40 on Fearer Road (look for the new red road sign) seven miles east of Nemacolin Woodlands on the right, one mile west of Yough Lake on the left. For more information check out their website at www.roaringknob.com or call 410-857-3821 (office) or 724-329-0306 on race day.

FASTRAK Northeast’s 2011 marketing partners include Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, The Original Pizza Logs, Bully Dog, Contingency Connection, Utsinger’s Towing, and Hoosier Tire.

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.