Rich Eurich, 66 Years Old, Among 16 Drivers Eligible For Two $250 Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Perfect Attendance Bonuses Next Tuesday, Sept. 9 At Penn Can Speedway ‘Hot Summer Night’ Special; Matt Jester, Ryan Watt & Mike Mahaney BD Motorsports Media LLC ‘Iron Men’
SUSQUEHANNA, PA – Sixteen drivers are eligible to collect a pair of $250 cash perfect attendance bonuses when Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. presents the ‘Hot Summer Night’ special next Tuesday (Sept. 9) at Penn Can Speedway.
The Susquehanna County track plays host to round No. 5 of the six-race Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP for big-block/small-block Modifieds, headlined by a 60-lap main event paying $5,000-plus to win, $1,000 for eighth and $400 to start in addition to a long list of bonuses and lap money. Sharkey’s Fuels of South Canaan, Pa., is an associate sponsor of the rain-postponed midweek special.
Thus far in 2014, 122 different drivers have attempted to qualify for at least one Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP main event. Of that number, 16 have attended all four events: Orange County (N.Y.) April 6, Thunder Mountain (N.Y.) May 20, I-88 (N.Y.) July 23 and Accord (N.Y.) Aug. 5. Those drivers will be entered into a pair of drawings to be held at the Penn Can drivers’ meeting for perfect attendance bonuses worth $250 each courtesy of BD Motorsports Media LLC.
Among the drivers having attended all five events thus far is legendary 66-year-old driver Rich Eurich of Warwick, N.Y. Eurich, recognized across the Northeast for his successes on the road and at his longtime Saturday home of Orange County Fair Speedway, hasn’t traveled extensively in many years.
This season, the newly formed Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP brought him back out on the road. Entering the ‘Hot Summer Night’ at Penn Can, Eurich sits a respectable ninth in the standings on the heels of a stout sixth-place finish at Accord Speedway in August.
“We’re enjoying ourselves,” said Eurich, whose blue No. 10 is iconic to Modified fans. “We didn’t really set out to chase points, but here we are in the top-10 with only two races left. We’re committed to finishing out the series now.”
Eurich has embraced the challenge of competing against large and talented fields of cars on the bullrings that make up the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP schedule.
“It can be tough to qualify,” he said. “But you know that going in. If you’ve got a good car and a little luck, you will be in the feature.”
Eurich has only missed qualifying once on the series this season: at Thunder Mountain in May. In all other events he has been part of the feature starting field. He will hit the road again next Tuesday for Penn Can, a track he believes he has only visited once.
“I know I was there once,” Eurich said of Penn Can. “I can’t remember when or what race it was for, it was years ago, but it was the only time I was there.”
Other drivers eligible for the $250 bonuses, having signed in at all four series events this season are (in order of point position): Andy Bachetti of Sheffield, Mass.; Jeff Heotzler of Wallkill, N.Y.; Tommy Meier of Waldwick, N.J.; Danny Tyler of Cottekill, N.Y.; Tim Hindley of Fair Oaks, N.Y.; Danny Creeden of Wurtsboro, N.Y.; Matt Jester of Milford, Del.; Anthony Perrego of Montgomery, N.Y.; Tyler Dippel of Wallkill, N.Y.; Ryan Watt of Boyertown, Pa.; Bob McGannon of Garnerville, N.Y.; Mike Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y.; Elmo Reckner of Ballston Lake, N.Y.; Craig Hanson of Johnstown, N.Y.; and Ray Jashembowski of Howells, N.Y.
Of those drivers, Jester, Watt and Mahaney have distinguished themselves as the BD Motorsports Media LLC “iron men” of 2014. Not only have they been in attendance at all points-paying series races, the trio also competed in the June Super DIRTcar Series ‘Dirty Jersey’ special at N.J.’s New Egypt Speedway and the August ‘Beach Blast’ at Del.’s Georgetown Speedway.
Jester, Watt and Mahaney have all set plans to continue their run of attendance at Penn Can Tuesday.
Penn Can’s event is the final 100-point event on the ’14 schedule. The best four of a driver’s five attempts will set the standings heading into the Championship Event Alpine Building Supply Short Track SuperNationals presented by Olum’s Oct. 10-11 at I-88 Speedway on the spacious Afton Fairgrounds. The Short Track SuperNationals operates on a 150-point breakdown. Drivers must attend the SuperNationals to be eligible for point fund money and awards.
All perfect attendance series drivers unable to crack the top-12 paying positions in the final standings will receive $250 cash at season’s end.
There have been four different winners in the four Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP events run this season: Bachetti (Orange County), Matt Sheppard (Thunder Mountain), Creeden (I-88) and Perrego (Accord).
Trackside Products, the official parts supplier for Penn Can and Thunder Mountain speedways, has signed on to sponsor a last-chance qualifier to include the drivers missing a transfer position by one spot in the consolations. The winner of the 3-lap dash moves into the ‘Hot Summer Night’ main event.
Zubi’s Racing has signed on board to present a Hard Charger Award worth $200 to the driver advancing the most positions from start to finish in the 60-lap main event.
Lap money continues to be posted at $20/lap. To reserve a lap today, contact Brett Deyo at bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com.
The last time Modifieds were featured on the ‘Hot Summer Night’ bill was Aug. 10, 2010: the event was won in thrilling fashion by Stewart Friesen, who started 25th and executed a last-lap, three-wide pass of both Alan Rudalavage and Duane Howard using the extreme outside lane.
Joining the Modifieds on the program for the ‘Hot Summer Night’ special are: the Dig Safely New York GRIT Series Crate 602 Sportsman in a 30-lap event paying $1,000 to win and $100 to start and Doug Borger’s traveling XCel 600 Modified Series in a 20-lap main.
Gates, grandstand and pit, open at 5 p.m. The drivers’ meeting is set for 6:20 p.m., with hot laps to follow. Racing gets underway at 7:15 p.m.
Adult admission is $20. Seniors (ages 62 and up) pay $18. Students (ages 13-17) pay $10 and kids 12 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $35, with no license required.
Complete race information and rules can be found at the following link: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/penn-can-hot-summer-night-general-information-sheet/
To learn more about the ‘Hot Summer Night’ or the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP, visit www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com, e-mail Brett Deyo at bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com or call 845.728.2781. BD Motorsports Media is on Facebook and on Twitter: @BrettDeyo.
Penn Can Speedway is located seven miles off Interstate 81 Exit 230 in on Route 171 Susquehanna, PA. The GPS address, within a block of the speedway, is 98 State Street Susquehanna, PA 18847. The speedway office phone number is 570.853.3434. On race day, call 570.585.9928. For more information, visit www.penncan.com or like “Penn Can Speedway” on Facebook.
The ‘Hot Summer Night’ special is presented by Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., Sharkey’s Fuels, Trackside Products, Zubi’s Racing, Bob Hilbert Sportswear & many other fine marketing partners
The Short Track Super Series is presented by VP Racing Fuels, Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., East Coast Speed/ECS Auto, Rochinski Contracting Services, Allstar Performance, American Racer/Lias Tire, Art’s Radiator, ATL Fuel Cells, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, BFP Specialty, Bicknell Racing Products, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, COMP Performance Group, Dirt Track Digest, DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends, DRACO Springs, Driven Racing Oil, ERK Steering, Finish Line Web Design, FOX Shox, H.B. Steele & Son, Henry’s Stainless Steel Exhaust, Hig Fab Chassis, Hoosier Racing Tire, Jack’s Used Race Car Parts & More, Kirkey Racing Products, PM3 Digital Imaging, Quarter Master, Race Pro Weekly, Schaeffer Racing Oil, Shiley Fabrication, Sleepy Hollow Golf, Teo-Pro Car, Troyer Race Cars & Vahlco Wheels.
Sources: BD Motorsports Media