FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14, 2010

FASTRAK NORTHEAST LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES SET TO MAKE 1ST OF 2 APPEARANCES AT TRI-CITY SUNDAY

By Mike Leone
Franklin, PA…The FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series will continue its busy stretch of racing in July as action shifts to Tri-City Speedway this Sunday evening, July 18 for race #10 of 20 on the 2010 slate. It’ll be the first of two races in 2010 at the always well-maintained facility located just north of Franklin, Pa.

Sunday’s event will be highlighted by a 25-lap feature paying $1,200 to-win. Provided there are 30 cars or more, the “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series program will continue with a non-qualifiers race paying added money and points. Last Saturday at West Virginia Motor Speedway, Butch Lambert captured the victory and took the early point lead in the new series.

“We always look forward to going to Tri-City,” stated fourth year Northeast Co-Director Vicki Emig. “Tri-City always offers a racy, wide surface that’s conducive to good FASTRAK racing. The last three events have been nothing short of spectacular all going non-stop with different winners! Tri-City has been a strong supporter of FASTRAK and we’re glad owners Roy Hall and Rich Hetrick allow us the opportunity to showcase our Touring Series. It should be a great show for the fans too with the All Star Sprints and United E-Mod Series.”

Sunday will be the fourth Northeast Touring Series event held at Tri-City and ironically Tri-City’s top racers and all-time top two Touring winners, Max Blair and Mike Pegher, Jr. have yet to win one. Bobby Powell, Carl McKinney, and Jim Frank have won the non-stop events in the past two seasons as all 85 laps of racing has gone green-to-checkered.

With the midpoint of the season upon us, there have been six different winners in nine events. Blair enters Sunday not only leading the Northeast Touring Series, but also the National Weekly Series and Tri-City’s points. The Centerville, Pa. 20-year-old is fresh off a solid third place effort last Saturday at West Virginia, which was worth $3,000 in the $10,000 event won by Georgia’s Jonathan Davenport.

Blair has a 33-point lead on Mike Pegher, Jr., who has won three of the past five Touring events after going winless for over one year on the Tour. West Virginia’s Gary Knollinger has used consistency to move into third place in points with four top five finishes and has qualified for all but one Touring Series feature.

There have been 43 Northeast Touring Series races contested with 20 different winners all-time in the Northeast Touring Series. Blair currently sits atop the all-time win list at seven followed by Pegher with six, Dick Barton, Powell, and John Lacki with four, David Scott with three, Alan Dellinger with two, and Todd Andrews, Kyle Drum, Frank Guidace, Butch Lambert, McKinney, Dennis Lunger, Jr., Tom Snyder, Jr., Chris Meadows, Frank, Mike Blose, Holtgraver, Robbie Blair, and Jonathan Davenport with one victory.

Tri-City Speedway July 18 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 284 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. 251 3. Gary Knollinger 223 4. Butch Lambert 222 5. Josh Holtgraver 219 6. Bud Watson 199 7. Joe Martin 176 8. Dan Angelicchio 148 9. Bryan Force 138 10. Mike Blose 120 11. Steve Dixon 112 12. David Scott 108 13. Dan Karalagas 106 14. Ricky Meglaye 103 15. Troy Shields 96 16. Dwayne Pond 93 17. Kyle Zimmerman 82 18. Kyle Lukon 78 19. Garrett Mott 76 20. Shane Bambarger 70 21. Robbie Blair 69 22. Rocky Kugel & Josh Double 66 24. Bob Cossell IV 54 25. Dennis Lunger, Jr. 51 26. Jamie Brown 45 27. John Haggerty 41 28. Damian Bidwell 32 29. John Over 31 30. Ike Fanton & Dave Airgood, Jr. 30 32. John Lacki 23 33. Jim Long 20 34. Chris Force 18 35. Bob Kish & Mark Moats, Jr., 10 37. Jason Fosnaught & Michael Hughes 0.

RACEceivers are mandatory at all Northeast and Mid-Ohio Valley Touring Series events. Any tech questions or information on the RACEceivers, call Brad Hibbard at 330-540-RACE.

Gates open at 4 p.m. with racing at 6. There is a $50 entry fee for the event. Tri-City Speedway is a half-mile oval located seven miles north of Franklin, Pa. off Route 417. For more information, call 814-676-0477 (office) or 814-676-1681 (track) or check out their website at www.tricityspeedway.com.

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.