Fastrak Northeast
August 16, 2011

FASTRAK TO BE PART OF 106TH ANNUAL MCKEAN COUNTY FAIR FOR THE 1ST TIME EVER; NORTHEAST TOURING SERIES EVENT ON THURSDAY

by Mike Leone
East Smethport, PA…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series will resume this Thursday evening, August 18 at McKean County Raceway. FASTRAK will be part of the 106th annual McKean County Fair race for the first time ever! The scenic McKean County Raceway will host their third of four shows in 2011 as it’ll be Race #15 of the season. The 25-lap feature will pay $1,200 to-win.

“This is a very big deal for FASTRAK,” stated fifth year Northeast Co-Director Vicki Emig. “We have been asked continuously over the past few years by both fans and FASTRAK drivers from the northernmost part of our region to schedule a touring event as part of the fair’s traditional race event. To now be part, shows the stature that FASTRAK has gained in this important part of our region. We have to thank the fair board for giving us a chance to be part of this great fair tradition.”

FASTRAK Northeast Touring Series events have been held the past four seasons with huge success at the Expo Speedway as part of the Trumbull Fair. Big crowds and large car counts have been the norm with exciting racing action. These events always draw in fairgoers and will allow FASTRAK to be showcased to a new audience.

McKean has been the site of 10 Northeast Touring Series events over the past five seasons with an amazing eight different winners. John Lacki and Mike Pegher, Jr. have been the only racers to repeat to date, while Todd Andrews, Max Blair, Kyle Drum, Butch Lambert, Robbie Blair, and Steve Dixon have recorded single victories.

Two-time champion Max Blair leads the Northeast Touring Series to McKean on Thursday with a 27-point lead over Pegher. Blair’s lead has shrunk as Pegher has been able to outgain Blair each of the last four events and five of the last six. During that period, Pegher has two victories, while Blair has been shutout of victory lane since June 25 at Sharon.

Pegher also enters McKean with a streak of his own as he’s won both of this year’s Touring Series events this season. Pegher also was victorious in Saturday’s Weekly Series race at Sharon for the second straight week. Pegher, who finished second to Blair in both the Northeast Touring and National Weekly Series in 2010, would love to cut into that lead a little more as he still has hopes for his first championship. Ironically, both drivers are tied atop the all-time Touring Series win list at 12.

Dan Angelicchio has been the Touring Series’ most improved driver as he’s earned the first two Tour wins of his career, which came at Tyler County and Pittsburgh earlier this season. Angelicchio has a third and a fifth at the McKean events thus far this season and finished second in the $5,000 to-win National Event last season to Robbie Blair. The Greensburg, Pa. driver is a career high third in points despite missing the Humberstone, Canada event back in May.

Hometown racer Steve Dixon is in his second season of FASTRAK and is fourth in points. Dixon won events in his neck of the wood last season at McKean and Woodhull and also has a win this season during Bully Dog Speedweek at Raceway 7. Dixon would love to get his first career McKean Tour win during the Fair on Thursday.

Josh Holtgraver had a close runner-up to George Kowatic’s career first Touring Series win last Saturday at Sharon. Holtgraver finished fifth in 2010 Tour points with one victory at Sharon and once again is fifth this season as he’s ironically added a second victory at Sharon. The Pittsburgh, Pa. driver trails Dixon by just five points.

Butch Lambert is sixth and won his only career Tour race back in 2008. Joe Martin was seventh in 2010 points with a victory at Dog Hollow and like Holtgraver sits in the same position in 2011 with his second career win at Dog Hollow! Damian Bidwell of nearby Eldred, Pa. is hoping to win his career first Tour race in front of his friends and family at the Fair race. Bidwell is in his first season on the Tour and is eighth in points. Bidwell finished a career best fourth at McKean on June 30 and backed that up with another fourth Saturday at Sharon.

John Volpe, who leads Sharon Speedway’s track points, is ninth in points. The Lakewood, New York driver is always fast, but has yet to win a Tour race. Completing the top 10 is Lauren Longbrake, who makes the long tow to all of the events from Columbus, Ohio. The 14-year-old “Futures Cup” contender has a season-best third at Pittsburgh on July 2 and has qualified for seven of the last nine Touring features.

The Utsinger’s Towing “Hoosier Tire Giveaway” program will award a new FASTRAK Hoosier tire to the driver running last on the lead lap at the finish. Longbrake has won two tires this season! The Original Pizza Logs Contingency Connection will again award two $1,000 contingency packages to lucky drivers on Saturday.

The “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series will take place providing there are 30 cars or more. Kyle Zimmerman took the top honors at Roaring Knob, while Brian Lessley swept both events over Memorial Day Weekend at Sharon and Lernerville Speedways. Lauren Longbrake and Rocky Kugel won the other Sharon events, while Justin Tatlow (McKean), Tom Copeland (Raceway 7), and Justin Lamb (Pittsburgh) also have victories. “Futures Cup” driver Shane Weaver currently leads the points by 12 over Lessley.

There have been 68 Northeast Touring Series races contested with 28 different winners all-time in the Northeast Touring Series. Max Blair and Mike Pegher, Jr. are tied with 12 victories apiece followed by Dick Barton, Bobby Powell, John Lacki, and David Scott with four, Steve Dixon at three, Alan Dellinger, Josh Holtgraver, Dan Angelicchio, and Joe Martin 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, Robbie Blair, Jonathan Davenport, Gary Knollinger, Dusty Hamrick, Bud Watson, Russell King, and George Kowatic with one victory.

Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC FASTRAK Northeast Touring Series Points (only Northeast Touring Series members receive points): 1. Max Blair 458 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. 431 3. Dan Angelicchio 399 4. Steve Dixon 363 5. Josh Holtgraver 358 6. Butch Lambert 337 7. Joe Martin 303 8. Damian Bidwell 259 9. John Volpe 226 10. Lauren Longbrake 206 11. George Kowatic 190 12. Josh Double 177 13. Kyle Zimmerman 176 14. Chad Wright 164 15. Jamie Brown 153 16. Andrew Wylie 152 17. Brian Lessley 130 18. Shane Hitt 127 19. Kyle Lukon 104 20. Wayne Robertson 100 21. Robbie Marhefka 96 22. Ryan Montgomery 92 23. Clay Ruffo 89 24. Mike Blose 87 25. Junior Peters 78 26. Robbie Blair 77 27. Adam Sixt 71 28. Mike Laughard 66 29. Troy Shields 62 30. Darren Peters 55 31. Bill Cunningham 50 32. T.J. Downs 47 33. Bobby Rohrer, Jr. 42 34. Bobby Cossell IV 40 35. Billy Cunningham 38 36. Rick Strickler 34 37. Tyler Barris 32 38. Patrick Willar 30 39. Billy Stile II 25 40. Jim Long 23 41. Andrew Satterlee 20 42. Laura Lukon 19 43. Bud Watson 17 44. Joe Long, Matt Bassaro, Michael Hughes, Rich Logan, Jr., Russell Baird, Jr., Scott Beitzel 10.

McKean August 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.

RACEceivers are mandatory. 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 p.m. with racing at 7:30. Admission to the fair for everyone is $8 and an additional $22 to enter the pits.

McKean County Raceway is a 1/3-mile dirt track located at the McKean County Fairgrounds in East Smethport, Pa. at the intersections of Route 6 and 46. For more information on McKean County Raceway, check out their website at www.mckeancountyraceway.com or call 814-362-6909. The track number on race day is 814-887-2600. The fair’s website is http://mckeancountyfair.net.

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.