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Much-Anticipated
Keystone 150 Dual Weekend to Feature New and Exciting Challenges
Statesville,
North Carolina (June 15, 2021) – There has been a great amount
for competitors and fans to look forward to already during the 2021
Super Cup Stock Car Series season, but a homecoming to Pennsylvania
for the first time in 22 months is high on the list for many.
An added bonus circled on the calendar during the month of
June has been the previously announced Keystone 150, featuring
75-lap races at first-class facilities on each of consecutive
evenings, leading off with a return to UMI Motorsports Park on
Friday.
The 5/8-mile oval
located in Clearfield, Pennsylvania last hosted the series nearly
six years ago. UMI
Performance out of nearby Philipsburg acquired the facility a few
years back and has revitalized interest from the local community and
beyond with their desire to assemble autocross events that have
become nationally known. In
fact, an inaugural team-based competition will be taking place the
afternoon prior to and the day after the stock cars comes to town.
One
of the drivers that found success on the oval and has also competed
on the grounds more recently than anyone else is Jerod Brougher.
The Stahlstown, Pennsylvania resident won in 2013 in a four
cylinder Dodge Neon and then took to the autocross layout in a Miata.
Despite his extra experience, the 2017 SCSCS Top Performing
Rookie thinks the field and its accomplished racers should level out
once everyone gets some practice under them.
“I can’t
remember that track for the life of me, whether we ran the top or
the bottom groove,” Brougher somewhat jokingly attempted to
recall. “Back then I
never dreamed of running a caliber car as I run now.
What I do remember is the big sweeping corners that you can
really get a run off of and it being smooth and wide with its
progressive banking.”
Having been to the
track within the last year, Brougher expressed admiration for what
track owner Ryan Kirkwood and team have accomplished in such little
time.
“They’re not
going to recognize the place,” the two-time runner-up SCSCS
finisher remarked about various improvements for both the spectator
and racing team members. “The
UMI guys have done a bang-up job and it’s incredible what
they’ve done. The
track itself seems like it’s in good shape, but will have zero
racecar rubber on the surface when we first get there.”
On Saturday,
everyone will journey two hours to another favorite, the first of
three visits this year to Jennerstown Speedway Complex.
The speedplant nestled in the Laurel Highlands region will
also present a 75-lap event, the longest race distance at the
1/2-mile for the series there since 2014.
Brougher, who led
the most laps in one of the Jennerstown appearances in 2019, has yet
to compete on the 2021 schedule prior to the weekend.
“It looks like a
completely different car,” the driver who has also won at
Jennerstown in the past in Street Stock competition explained.
“We put in new windshields, painted the whole car, rebuilt
the rear end, found all kinds of stuff such as track arm bushings
that were tweaked from multiple incidents.
I really can’t wait to see it on the ground and see how it
feels.”
Brougher has always
set realistic goals and, while remaining confident, is going in with
much of the same mentality.
“My expectations
right now; I would love to get a top five in both races,” Brougher
added. “With the car
and my experience being capable, that’s what we’re shooting for.
If there’s anything I’ve learned with these races though,
it’s anyone’s game.”
Some of those key
players include at least two who have a record of being in victory
lane at both tracks, each achieving four top five finishes in the
first six races leading up to the upcoming weekend.
Lauren Butler is no stranger to Jennerstown Speedway Complex
as a former Street Stock track champion and a best career SCSCS
result of second twice coming in 2019, but UMI Motorsports Park has
also provided some good fortune in her limited starts there.
“It’s been a
long time, but from what I remember it’s a fast track,” The West
Mifflin, Pennsylvania driver, who took a Street Stock win at UMIMP
in August 2013, said. “It’s
similar to Jennerstown as far as size-wise.
The groove is kind of on the middle and high side, which is
usually what I tend to like. I’m
excited to go back.”
The
only one of the common group that has won in Super Cup competition
is JJ Pack, who hoisted the trophy during both visits in his 2014
championship season. The
Midland, Virginia driver was short on words but big on excitement
when asked about the races to come, which includes a track that his
most recent series win came at in 2019.
“I’m kind of
curious and anxious to see what it’s like there now since
they’ve done so much to it,” Pack indicated regarding UMIMP.
“I can’t wait.”
The aforementioned
trio of drivers will not be the only ones with knowledge of both
tracks. Petersburg, West
Virginia’s Brent Nelson has won at Jennerstown on five occasions
and has a runner-up and two thirds at UMIMP.
Walnutport, Pennsylvania’s Kevin Kromer also has a similar
record with wins at Jennerstown and top five results at each.
Maryland’s Rob Hindt achieved his best career finish of
fifth at UMIMP, a track he used
to operate during the first instance in which the SCSCS made an
appearance.
Other drivers who
have been present in Clearfield before that intend to participate
this weekend include West Virginia’s Larry Berg and home state
drivers Bill Ashton and Jeff Zillweger.
Zillweger set fast time at the track in 2014 and is returning
to the SCSCS for the first time since 2018 while Ashton is set to
tie the record at Jennerstown for
most consecutive series starts with a total of 57 and counting.
Mike Potter plans to make his 2021 maiden voyage from Johnson
City, Tennessee with a combined 14 top 10 finishes between the two
Pennsylvania facilities.
While the remainder
may have never seen UMIMP before, almost all of them do have a grasp
of the characteristics that Jennerstown offers.
Leading that contingent is Bob Schacht, who captured the
checkered flag in a summer race in 2018.
Fellow North Carolinian and current point leader Ben Ebeling
can set a new record for consecutive wins if he were to do so again
on Friday, as he is currently tied with
the mark previously set by Schacht and Nelson
with three. West
Virginia’s Samatha Rohrbaugh, New
York’s Ron Langdon, and Pennsylvania’s John Komarinski
and Quincy Sponseller have all logged 
many
laps and look to further their success there.
The only driver on the entry list that has not taken a green
flag at either facility is SCSCS rookie contender Jason Kitzmiller
from Maysville, West Virginia.
One more unique
portion of each day’s festivities will be within the race format.
The field will be split up into two 10-lap qualifying races
initially to contribute toward setting the lineup.
The incentive of five bonus points will be awarded to each
qualifying race winner while the top three from each will redraw for
the first six positions in the 75-lap main event.
As an added bonus,
flagman for Friday evening Jon Shipley has committed to contribute
$100 toward the Hard Charger award for the UMIMP race and $100
toward another award to be announced on race day.
The gates for the
evening program on the UMI Motorsports Park oval on Friday swing
open at 5 p.m. with $10 general admission tickets (umimotorsportspark.com/tickets)
and the first qualifying race set to go at 6 p.m.
The feature race takes the green flag at 7 p.m.
Saturday at Jennerstown Speedway Complex will feature a
similar schedule for the SCSCS action with tickets
(tix.com/ticket-sales/jennerstownspeedway/4946/event/1209426)
at only $12, which includes the agenda of five-division local racing
as well. Kids ages 12
and under are admitted free at both venues.
Same-day practice
sessions will take place in the afternoon prior to racing.
More information
can be found on the Super Cup Stock Car Series official web site supercupstockcarseries.com
with interactive updates throughout race day available on Facebook
(search Super Cup Stock Car Series), Twitter (@SCSCSRacing), and
Instagram (SCSCS_Racing).
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