FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2012
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$2,000 ON THE LINE FOR FASTRAK NE LATE MODEL TOUR SATURDAY AT SHARON FOR SWEENEY CHEVY NIGHT; RANDOM DRAWING FOR GM 604 ENGINE

by Mike Leone
(Hartford, OH)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Pace Performance FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series returns to action this Saturday night (July 21) with a big event planned at Sharon Speedway. The second-half of the season is well underway as Saturday’s event marks the 15th of the record 25-event 2012 slate. The beautiful Hartford, Ohio facility will host their third of six events of the season.

Saturday night is Sweeney Chevrolet Night. The second annual event will not only pay $2,000 to-win for the 30-lap feature, but will also award a brand new GM 604 engine (valued at over $5,000) to one lucky participant! Each competing driver will receive one chance with additional chances being given for being a FASTRAK Weekly Member and Touring Member. In essence, drivers will receive 1-3 chances at the engine on Saturday night. Last year, track regular Ben Black was the recipient with only once chance. Sweeney rep Matt Fullerton will pull the lucky winner in victory lane.

“We cannot thank Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC enough for their support of FASTRAK Northeast,” stated sixth year Northeast Co-Director Vicki Emig. “They have been a great partner over the past two years, and their generosity of giving away an engine is just awesome! I don’t know of any other area speedways or series that have done such a promotion, and for us to be able to do it two years in a row is just tremendous. Sharon is close to their Boardman facility so it works out well. We had a great turnout last year with 45 cars before the event was rained out and finished a few weeks later. Overall, 48 different drivers competed! The weather is looking good so hopefully a lot of racers support this event once again.”

Saturday will be under the special event format where the heat race invert will determine who runs the K&N Dash. That dash will pay $100 K&N certificate to the winner, $50 K&N certificate to runner-up with $25 cash going to the remaining starters. The dash will determine the first four starting spots of the feature (five if five heats are run). With his runner-up dash finish last Saturday at Mercer, Mike Pegher, Jr. has taken over the K&N Dash Championship point lead by two over Joe Martin.

Max Blair enters Saturday night with a commanding 59-point lead in search of his fourth championship. The 22-year-old Centerville, Pa. driver has set an all-time single season win record with seven victories!

Will Thomas III is a driver all eyes will be on. The Sharon Speedway point leader and three-time winner is the Series’ top point getter since he returned to the Tour over the past seven events. During that stretch, the Sharpsville, Pa. racer has finished in the top nine at all events including his first two career Tour wins at Expo Speedway on July 4 and most recently last Saturday at Mercer Raceway Park. Thomas finished second in Speedweek points and has worked his way up to seventh in Series points.

Behind Blair in the standings is Pegher, who has just one win this season back on April 20 at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex. Chad Ruhlman is only two points behind Pegher in third. Ruhlman recently won his first career Tour feature at Pittsburgh during Speedweek. Ryan Montgomery is fourth, while Dan Angelicchio is now fifth. Angelicchio has moved up the point ladder with three runner-up finishes in the past five races!

The Northeast Touring Series has been featured 11 times at Sharon over the past three seasons with seven different winners. Blair, who won the Bill Emig Memorial Night 1 on May 26, is a three-time winner, while Josh Holtgraver and Martin are the only other repeat winners. Other Touring winners at Sharon include Pegher, David Scott, the late Gary Knollinger, George Kowatic, and Montgomery.

The “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series for non-qualifiers will be held in addition. Jason Genco (two), Louie Krushansky, Bob Dorman, Junior Peters, Kyle Wiser, Joel Prosser, and Jamie Brown have picked up the non-qualifier wins to date, while W.L. Stile leads the points. An amazing 22 different drivers have scored victories in the 28 races run all-time.

Of course all of the great contingency programs will be in full force. Besides the K&N “Cold Air Induction Dash” and fan giveaway, the Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night”, Genesis Shocks “Top Dog of the Night”, Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger, and the Utsinger’s Towing Hoosier Tire Giveaway will also take place.

There have been 87 Northeast Touring Series races contested with 33 different winners all-time. Max Blair leads nemesis Mike Pegher, Jr. 19 to 14 followed by Dick Barton, Bobby Powell, John Lacki, and David Scott with four, Steve Dixon, Josh Holtgraver and Joe Martin at three, Alan Dellinger, Dan Angelicchio, Robbie Blair, Ryan Montgomery, and Will Thomas III 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, Jonathan Davenport, Gary Knollinger, Dusty Hamrick, Bud Watson, Russell King, George Kowatic, Wayne Robertson, Chad Ruhlman & Matt Latta with one victory.

Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Northeast Touring Series Driver Points (must be Touring member to receive points): 1. Max Blair 475 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. 416 3. Chad Ruhlman 414 3. Ryan Montgomery 393 5. Dan Angelicchio 359 6. John Over 349 7. Will Thomas III 330 8. Butch Lambert 325 9. Matt Latta 259 10. Shane Weaver 255 11. Chad Wright 252 12. Joe Martin 237 13. Brad Kling 215 14. Lauren Longbrake 206 15. Bobby Rohrer 200 16. Jamie Brown 195 17. Josh Holtgraver 186 18. Steve Dixon 185 19. Nolan Dalton 163 20. Andrew Wylie 134 21. Eric Wilson 122 22. Justin Tatlow 114 23. Andrew Satterlee 101 24. Ricky Meglaye 99 25. Wayne Robertson 89 26. George Kowatic 88 27. Damian Bidwell & Jason Knowles 79 29. Adam Sixt 78 30. Junior Peters 69 31. Billy Henry, Jr. 65 32. Shane Bambarger 63 33. Rick Singleton 52 34. Tim Sears, Jr. 48 35. Brian Booher 45 36. Billy Stile III. 44 37. John Lacki 43 38. Mike Laughard 38 39. Steve Beatty 36 40. David Scott 33 41. Jorden Peters 32 4 2. Pat Willar 29 43. Jon Lichy 28 44. Shane Hitt 21 45. Doug Horton & Robbie Blair 11 47. Scott Smith, Cody Dawson & Jason Stetson 10.

Sharon A Feature Payoff: 1. $2,000 2. $1,000 3. $625 4. $525 5. $450 6. $425 7. $400 8. $350 9. $325 10. $300 11. $275 12. $265 13. $250 14. $225 15. $215 16. $210 17. $205 18-24. $200.

Non-Qualifier B Feature Payoff: 1. $175 2. $150 3. $140 4. $135 5. $130 6. $125 7. $120 8. $115 9. $110 10-24. $105. $100 to any driver failing to start either feature.

Be sure to stop by the FASTRAK Northeast Apparel Trailer and Travel Boutique for all of the latest apparel, merchandise, and novelties. The new 2012 Fan Guide & Driver Handbook will also be on sale.

Pit gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at approximately 6:40 and racing at 7. Pit passes are $30. There is a $100 entry fee. RACEceivers and transponders are required for this event.