FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2010

HUGE HOLIDAY WEEK FINDS FASTRAK NORTHEAST LATE MODEL TOUR AT EXPO WEDNESDAY FOR $2,000 TO-WIN & MERCER SATURDAY FOR $6,000 TO-WIN

By Mike Leone
Pulaski, PA…The FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series is set for huge holiday weekend with rich, prestigious races at Expo Speedway in Cortland, Ohio on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Mercer Raceway Park in Mercer, Pa. on Saturday at 7 p.m. Event’s #7 and 8 could allow one driver to walk away with $8,000!

Wednesday at Expo marks the return of racing to the Trumbull County Fairgrounds for FASTRAK for the third straight year with $2,000 again on the line in the 30-lap feature. The 2008 event was one of the season’s most exciting with Bobby Powell holding off a hard-charging Mike Pegher, Jr. in front of a huge crowd that were on its feet at the finish. Last year, Max Blair won a wild feature over David Scott, who went on to win the Touring Series championship. After nearly 40 cars showed on Wednesday, the event was run on Sunday afternoon in front of a mammoth, standing-room-only crowd.

“It’s quite an honor to be included in the racing card at Expo,” stated Northeast Co-Director Vicki Emig. “There is a lot racing history and tradition at Expo and a lot of Late Model fans in the area. We couldn’t ask for better racing for the past two seasons. We’re thrilled Bud Rodgers and the fairboard once again voted to have us as part of the fair week and pay the $2,000 to-win purse.”

Pegher of Wexford, Pa. became the Series’ first repeat winner of the season last Saturday and will look to make it three-in-a-row on Wednesday. Pegher has quickly climbed the point ladder and now trails Blair by just 16 points. Gary Knollinger, Josh Holtgraver, and Butch Lambert aren’t far behind as just six points separate those three racers.

The richest Northeast Touring Series event to date will take place on Saturday at Mercer Raceway Park. The $6,000 to-win 40-lap event has been delegated as a National Event. Mercer actually held a National Event back in 2007 with Dick Barton taking the $5,000 honors.

“We’re really excited about the event on Saturday,” stated Northeast Co-Director Mike Leone. “We’ve received a lot of inquires from drivers from all over including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland along with racers that are already expected from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and West Virginia. The early weather outlook is calling for sunny skies and 80 degrees. This should be a real showcase of talent at Mercer’s tricky 3/8-mile oval. We have to thank new Mercer owner Bill Altman and FASTRAK founder Stan Lester for making this event possible.”

Mercer has held six weekly events to date in 2010 with Blair winning three, while Dwayne Pond, Tyler Dietz, and Brian Booher have single victories. One driver anxious for Saturday is current Mercer point leader Kyle Zimmerman, who has finished runner-up four times this season and would love for his first career Mercer win to be a $6,000 payday!

While the Expo event will use the Northeast Touring Series’ standard draw/top 12 redraw, the Mercer event will use one-lap qualifying to determine heat race line-ups. Drivers have the opportunity to race into the determined redraw depending on the number of heats run.

There have been 40 Touring Series races contested with an amazing 19 different winners all-time in the Northeast Touring Series meaning nearly a new winner every other event! Max Blair currently sits atop the all-time win list at six followed by Pegher with five, Dick Barton, Bobby Powell, and John Lacki with four, David Scott with three, 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, Blose, Holtgraver, and Robbie Blair with one victory.

Current FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series points (must be a Northeast Touring Series member to receive points): 1. Max Blair 183 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. 167 3. Gary Knollinger 158 4. Josh Holtgraver 157 5. Butch Lambert 152 6. Bud Watson 142 7. Dan Angelicchio 122 8. Joe Martin 102 9. Steve Dixon 96 10. Ricky Meglaye 93 11. Mike Blose 88 12. Dwayne Pond 83 13. Dan Karalagas 71 14. Robbie Blair 69 15. Troy Shields 65 16. Bryan Force 64 17. Kyle Lukon 63 18. David Scott 60 19. Kyle Zimmerman 57 20. Garrett Mott 55 21. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 51 22. Rocky Kugel 43 23. Josh Double 42 24. John Haggerty 41 25. Jamie Brown 35 26. Damian Bidwell 32 27. John Over 31 28. Dave Airgood, Jr. 30 29. Shane Bambarger 27 30. Bobby Cossell 26 31. John Lacki 23 32. Ike Fanton 20 33. Bob Kish & Mark Moats, Jr., 10 34. Bob Cossell, Jason Fosnaught, Chris Force, Jim Long, Michael Hughes 0.