Rush Series Announces Stock Car Series For ’21; Dog Hollow Speedway To Be Flagship Track
Story By: MIKE LEONE / RUSH RACING SERIES – PULASKI, PA – The Pace Performance RUSH Racing Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC is excited to announce the launch of the RUSH Stock Car Series in 2021.
The new Stock Car division will join the Late Models, Sprint Cars, Sportsman Modifieds, and Pro Mods on the RUSH dirt side. Dog Hollow Speedway, which recently announced their reopening in 2021 under new management, will run the class weekly on Friday nights.
The RUSH Stock Cars will look like “stock cars” and be powered by Chevrolet Performance 602 crate engines on sealed/spec Bilstein Shocks, RUSH 91 pump fuel, and Hoosier H500 8″ tires. Those four key “cost containment” elements have already proved very successful in the RUSH Sportsman Modified and Sprint Car divisions, and are now expected to drive the same results in the RUSH Stock Car division.
Chevrolet Performance 602 Stock Car divisions continue to flourish across the country with strong weekly car counts by providing an affordable and exciting option for those wanting to participate in a stock car division. A tentative set of rules, which closely mirrors several other prominent national sanctioning bodies, is available at the following link: https://rushstockcars.com/2021%20Stock%20Car%20Rules.pdf
A minimum $5,000+ Weekly Series Championship has been announced with $1,500 to-win paying down 10 positions for member drivers. If another track signs on, the point fund will increase to $7,500 with $2,000 to-win paying down 15 positions. In addition, a five-position paying “Futures Cup” points fund with $200 to-win will be posted for eligible teenage racers. Also, as is the case with the other RUSH divisions, a “Manufacturers Night” presented by MSD Performance will take place at Dog Hollow where thousands of dollars of valuable product giveaways will be distributed.
In addition to competing for the RUSH Weekly Series point funds, the RUSH Stock Cars will race for $300 to-win, $50 to-start at Dog Hollow’s weekly shows; however, with Ontime Body & Graphic posting a pair of $50 bonuses, drivers have the ability to compete for $400 to-win weekly! The first $50 bonus is if the winner utilizes the 100% RUSH-legal Performance Body ’88 Monte Carlo body package. The second $50 bonus is if the winner sports a past or present lettering scheme mirroring a national driver (NASCAR, World of Outlaws, Lucas Oil, etc.).
Dog Hollow will be operated by Mark McClellan and Kyle Smith, Sr. McClellan is well-known in the racing community from his Ontime Body & Graphic business along with his knowledge of racing. Smith meanwhile is the founder of Johnstown Hydraulics Inc, and is a former racer and car owner for his son Kyle, Jr. Dog Hollow will also run the RUSH Late Models weekly on Friday nights. Both RUSH classes will debut on an all new surface that has 250 tri-axle loads of new clay spread around the 4/10-mile oval.
“We really have to thank Mark McClellan, who was instrumental in helping to develop the RUSH Stock Car rules package, as well as his partner Kyle Smith,” expressed RUSH Director Vicki Emig. “Mark and Kyle are all in on the class for 2021 and into the future as they’re committed to building it whether there’s two or ten cars on opening night. Ironically Dog Hollow was the site of the very first Crate Late Model race in 2007 and had just two cars; now here we are 13 years later rolling into Dog Hollow with the RUSH Stock Cars and a strong RUSH Late Model program that now flourishes throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.”
“We’re expecting great things from this division very quickly and feel the time is right for the introduction of this true ‘cost containment’ stock car program,” added Emig. “We believe other promoters, as well as current and potential new Stock Car racers, across the region will be closely monitoring the development of this division; as the division grows so will the Championship programs and other benefits!”
“When Kyle and I took over we immediately began discussing the desire for a true ‘stock car’ class at Dog Hollow,” explained McClellan. “Toward the end of our meeting with RUSH on their Late Model program, this topic came up. RUSH expressed an interest in having this type of stock car class under their umbrella and from there discussions and meetings continued to where we’re at today making this announcement. We just felt it was a no brainer to have RUSH involved in the development of this class as we can tap into their technical program, point funds, contingencies, PR, and more.”
RUSH Membership, which is optional but required to receive points and be eligible for the points fund, will be $125. Membership includes a $100,000 excess participant accident insurance policy when competing in a RUSH-sanctioned event.
Interested speedways in the RUSH Stock Cars are urged to contact the office at 724-964-9300 or e-mail info@rushracingseries.com. Drivers interested in the division are asked to e-mail their contact info to be added to the driver contact list to keep abreast of any updates concerning the division.
