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DIEHL AUTOMOTIVE LATE MODELS RETURN, ALL STARS ON DECK AT PPMS

DIEHL AUTOMOTIVE LATE MODELS RETURN, ALL STAR SPRINTS ON DECK AT PPMS

Imperial, PA (July 20, 2016) Racing action continues on Saturday, July 23 at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway as the Diehl Automotive Super Late Models will return to highlight the racing program with seven racing divisions in competition.  The Alternative Power Sources Laurel Highlands Sprint Series Race Saver winged Sprints will make a special appearance.  There will be a Summer Sizzler event for the Precise Racing Products RUSH Pro Late Models paying $1000 to the winner. The Sunoco Race Fuels Sportsman, Miley BP Car Wash Hobby Stocks, and Imperial Heights Garage Young Guns will compete in weekly point racing. While the Young Gun class is an age limited division competing in Four Cylinder cars, this night will also see the addition of an open Four Cylinder division where competition will be open to all drivers.

Next Saturday night, July 30, Tony Stewart’s Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions winged 410 sprint cars will be on hand for the running of the Third Annual Falconi’s Moon Township Automotive “Sprint Monster.” This event will be a part of the “I-79 Summer Shootout,” sandwiched between an event at Eriez Speedway near Erie, PA on Friday night, and a Sunday event at Tri-City Raceway Park near Franklin, PA.  A large field of competitors are expected as they will not only be battling for the winner’s share of $5,000 each night, but the weekend also has a $3,000 point fund sponsored by Classic Ink USA Screenprinting and Embroidery.  The RUSH Pro Late Models will share the card on each night of the weekend, racing for $1,000 to win at each track. They will also have a point fund attached to their weekend, totaling $2,500, sponsored by Hovis Auto and Truck Supply. At PPMS, the Sunoco Race Fuels Sportsman will also be in weekly point competition in a final tune-up race before the “Cruise America PENNational” the following Saturday.  Dale Blaney was the most recent All Star Sprint winner at PPMS, on August 2, 2015.  The winged sprint car track record at PPMS was set by Randy Hannagan, turning in a lap of 15.182 seconds on September 27, 2014, an average speed of over 148 mph!!!

The Diehl Automotive Super Late Models have a very close battle for the season long point championship. Brandon Burgoon finished second to John Mollick in the most recent feature event, but was able to pass John Flinner for the division point lead by just two points.  Saturday’s feature will be the 780th Super Late Model feature in track history, dating back to 1979.

The best point battle at the track is in the Precise Racing Products RUSH Pro Late Models. Former multiple-time E-Mod track champion Daryl Charlier leads the standings.  Thanks to his second place finish on Saturday night, he was able to double his point lead from three points to six points.  Ben Policz and Justin Lamb are tied for second in the standings, and just two points behind them is last week’s feature winner John Mollick, the division’s leading winner this season with three.

In the Sunoco Race Fuels Sportsman class, Dave McManus is the current point leader. 18 points behind him is Ricky Stigerwald, who used a second place finish on Saturday night to nose into the second place point position by a single point over Nick Kocuba.  A.J. Poljak was the feature winner on Saturday night for his ninth career victory, almost 14 years after his first career victory in the division on July 27, 2002.

The visit by the Alternative Power Sources Laurel Highlands Sprint Series will be the third at the track for the Race Saver winged Sprints 305 cubic inch powered cars. Two visits in 2015 saw Jake Gomola win on May 9, and the September 6 victory went to Ralph Engel, Jr. Despite the cars being powered by limited engines, they are definitely not short on speed.  The track record for the division was set in the September race by Tyler Denochick on lap 2 of Heat 1, circling the speedway in 17.963 seconds, an average lap speed of over 125 miles per hour.

In the Miley BP Car Wash Hobby Stock division, Dale Tuche leads Casey Grumling by ten points, as Dave Sheriff captured his third straight victory over a season high of seven cars. Michael Jackson leads Ben Anton in the Imperial Heights Garage Young Guns by 13 points, as Marc Simmons captured his first career feature win.

Drivers in the RUSH Late Model and Sportsman divisions are eligible to win five gallons of racing fuel each week. Two drivers are drawn to win each week, one from each division, as every race team that purchases at least five gallons of fuel at the track is automatically eligible to win.  Special thanks to Bazell Racing Fuels for their support of the racers.

For Saturday night’s racing program, the gates will open at 5:00, with warm-ups at 6:00 and racing at 7:00.  The track is located west of the city of Pittsburgh, just south of the Noblestown exit of U.S. Route 22, or 170 Kelso Road in Imperial, PA, for GPS purposes.  The track phone is 724-695-3363 on race days, or call 412-279-RACE.  For complete information please visit the track website at www.ppms.com .

 

 

Upcoming Events:

 

Saturday, July 23 – The Alternative Power Sources LHSS Race Saver winged Sprints, with a $1,000 to win Summer Sizzler for the Precise Racing Products RUSH Pro Late Models. Plus Diehl Automotive Super Late Models, Sunoco Race Fuels Sportsman, Miley BP Car Wash Hobby Stocks, and Imperial Heights Garage Young Guns, plus open Four Cylinders.

Saturday, July 30 – Tony Stewart’s Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions winged 410 sprint cars in the $5,000 to win Third Annual Falconi’s Moon Township Automotive “Sprint Monster,” plus the Precise Racing Products RUSH Pro Late Models Sizzler event, and Sunoco Race Fuels Sportsman.

Saturday, August 6 – The “Cruise America PENNational, $1000 to win for the Sunoco Race Fuels Sportsman, sanctioned by the Homak Penn Ohio Pro Stock Series, plus the Diehl Automotive Super Late Models, Precise Racing Products RUSH Pro Late Models, Miley BP Car Wash Hobby Stocks, and Imperial Heights Garage Young Guns, Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Night.

Saturday, August 13 – Sherwin Williams Night, as the RUSH Modifieds join an Action Event featuring the Diehl Automotive Super Late Models, Precise Racing Products RUSH Pro Late Models, Sunoco Race Fuels Sportsman, Miley BP Car Wash Hobby Stocks, and Imperial Heights Garage Young Guns.   Rosedale Tech Students admitted free.

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