2015 POINTS PROGRAM RACE!!!

forgot WHAT'S ON THE LINE???  well...Here it is!!

CLASS CHAMPION  $1000 IN CASH / $250 IN SUMMIT GIFT CARDS / JACKET / TROPHY / 2016 GOLD CARD / PHOTOS FROM JOHNBOY PHOTOGRAPHY / CHANCE AT WINNING A SET OF WISECO PISTONS or K1 TECHNOLOGIES CONNECTING RODS (EACH VALUED AT $800)

RUNNER- UP - $350 IN CASH  / $175 IN SUMMIT GIFT CARDS / PHOTOS FROM JOHNBOY PHOTOGRAPHY / TROPHY

3rd PLACE - $200 IN CASH / $75 IN SUMMIT GIFT CARDS / PHOTOS FROM JOHNBOY PHOTOGRAPHY / TROPHY

4th PLACE - $150 IN CASH / $50 IN SUMMIT GIFT CARDS / PHOTOS FROM JOHNBOY PHOTOGRAPHY / TROPHY

5th PLACE - $100 IN CASH / $25 IN SUMMIT GIFT CARDS / PHOTOS FROM JOHNBOY PHOTOGRAPHY / TROPHY

top 8 in each class move on to our  year end all-star event!!

the Abruzzi smackdown!!

YOUR  RRA 2015 TOP CONTENDERS WITH
2 RACES LEFT IN THE 2015 SEASON

#1 performance center 8.90 index championship

BATTLE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE...

This is Bill Benson's 4th year running points with the RRA.  Bill's rookie season was spent in the 9.90 Index class, where he finished up as the 2012 9.90 Runner Up.  Since then he moved up to make his mark on 8.90 coming in 7th in 2013 and then once again taking the Runner Up position in 2014.  As 2015 began Benson was on top of the points, fell back to 2nd but as of the close of our double header he was back on top but with 2 guys breathing down his neck will this be the year he earns that Title that has eluded him twice now???  Bill was the 2014 8.90 Smackdown Champion but this year with the combined fields we have multiple defenders of that title!

Troy Wotring has been running points in 8.90 for the past 3 years, inching his way up the ranks while he was at it.  6th place in 2013 and 5th place in 2014.  To say 2015 has been a tough year for the racers of the RRA would be an understatement, Troy is no different.  As the double header approached Troy realized he had hurt the transmission.  The all night thrash sessions paid off!!  After a semi-finals finish in race #3 and taking the win in race #4 Troy found himself just over 1 round behind Bill Benson.  Will the 3rd time be the charm for Troy? Will he be crowned your #1 Performance Center 8.90 Champion??
Al Matuska is the only racer to have participated in every RRA event ever held in our 6 year history...Two Time Champion and 2014 RRA B.O.S.S. But will he be successful in defending his title???  Unfortunately Al was plagued with some mechanical gremlins on the date of our double header, going out early in both races caused him to drop from 1st to 3rd but with 2 races left in our schedule...will be exciting to see if he can overcome that setback and successfully defend his title!!  Only 2 racers have a shot at making history and being able to say they are the 1st in their class to have claimed the title 3 times in the past 5 or 6 years. 
Eric Tuuri is on his 3rd season in 8.90 as well this year, when he 1st started running that 3650 lbs tank they call a race car in 8.90 they struggled to run the number...fast forward 3 years and Eric has taken that Charger to the finals twice with one event win. Last time out he cut a light that may sit in the RRA record books for years .0000 on the tree!!!  Eric is a long shot for the title but racers in the RRA Never Say Die...so we will just have to see what happens this weekend!!


Chico has been pretty consistent in his time with the RRA finishing 2nd in 2012 and backing that up with two 3rd place finishes over the next two years.  Last year he was the comeback kid...making a huge jump no one thought possible in the season finale to secure that spot.  Let's see if he has it in him to do it again and take a jump up the ladder, will he stop at 3rd or set his sites a little higher??  Guess we will see in a just a few short days...
WHO WILL LOCK IN A TRIP TO THE 2015 SMACKDOWN??
The following 3 Racers currently round out the Top 8, but are very well capable of cracking the Top 5 and knocking a couple of the above mentioned guys out of the year end RRA awards.


Scott Williams was in 4th place going into the double header but fell to 6th by the time it was said and done.  Scott is and has always been a strong player in the 8.90 game so I wouldn't count him out of the Top 5 just yet!!
Bob Keaton is a Rookie on a mission to make a name for himself in the RRA. After missing the 1st 3 outtings of the season Bob hasn't let that late start slow him down.  Beginning his season July 3rd he has since battled his way into the 6th place position.  Question is will he continue to move up the ladder as the season comes to a close??  Either way he has been a great addition to the RRA and I look forward to seeing more of him in the seasons to come!!

Vic Santo started out 2015 in 5th place, but has been sitting just outside ever since and is currently rounding out the Top 8.  Vic has been put up many 8.90 passes this season so I wouldn't count him out on moving up the ladder, 2 races / 8 rounds minimum anything can happen!!
Be on the lookout for the boys below...
Any are capable of Playing Spoiler to the current Top 8 spots!!
Mike Pleveich - 13 Points Out
Ed Brown - 29 Points Out
Clay Courson -  18 points Out
Blaine Huffman - 47 Points Out
Jim Loveland - 29 Points Out
John Sahli - 54 Points Out

9.90 index championship

There is a battle of epic proportions going on within the 9.90 Class!!!  We have had ties for the Championship within the RRA and Champions crowned by being on mere point ahead of the Runner up but I am not sure we have ever seen two racers go at it all season long!!  And I'm not sure anyone can make up enough ground to overtake either of them at this point.  They have been toe to toe and matching one another blow for blow all season long...Jack Brown, 6 year veteran of the RRA vs Brian Kennelley 2014 Rookie of the Year...When the dust settles Sunday afternoon, who will be your 9.90 Index Champion???
To kick the season off, they both went out in the semi's and sat back in 3rd and 4th (Jack qualified slightly better).  Race #2 they met in the finals...Kennelly took the win and found himself on Top of the Points program, with Jack right on his tail in 2nd place.  Bring on the double header...Race #3 once again on opposite sides of the ladder it is all Jack Brown as he takes the win and Kennelley is out in the semi's when he goes .0009 RED!!  Jack is now in the points lead but Kennelley says Not So Fast Jack!!  Race #4 they would square off in the semi-finals and Jack was forced to fold when Kennelley played a near impossible hand to beat .000 / 9.908!!  Brian moved on to the winners circle and is once again sitting on top of the 9.90 Championship Chase...but with only 34 points separating them can he hold Jack off??  Will someone play spoiler to one or both of them??  If I were you I would be at TRP this coming weekend to find out!!!
ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 5...
Tom Hyatt has been with the RRA since 2011 but wasn't legal to race until 2012, where he finished 4th and became the 1st ever 9.90 ABRUZZI SMACKDOWN Winner. He backed that up with another 4th place finish in 2013 but skipping the 1st race of 2014 cost him and he finished just outside the Top 5.  Gaining on the Top 2 will be tough but Hyatt may be able to wrap up the year with his best finish yet, but to do so he has to hold off some fierce competition!!
Ray Tumbry knows what its like to claim a Title within the RRA.  2013 was his year, he was not only the 9.90 Champ but also took home the SMACKDOWN Title that year, it was long over due after the struggles of 2012!!  Last year he finished 5th and right now he is sitting in the 4th place position.  He could slip passed Hyatt but a shot at the title might just be out of his grasp this year, but we just never know how things will play out till we get there!!
This is Derrik's 1st year running points with the RRA and he in the running for Rookie of the Year. He has definitely been hanging right with the big boys of 9.90 with that stick shift Mustang of his!  He rounds out the Top 5, will he hang on to the last position in the RRA/Summit Racing year end awards...will he move up or be taken out but some of the competition breathing down his neck right now??
ABRUZZI SMACKDOWN BOUND???

Dennis Chillik is in his 3rd season racing points with the RRA.  His strongest finish was in his rookie season when he finished 3rd.  He could very well match that finish this coming season as well.  We may only have one weekend left but with the potential of 10 rounds of racing, no way to predict the outcomes! 
Move over 9.90 Boys...lady coming through!!  In her Rookie Season with the RRA Wanda Johnson has definitely made her presence known. One of two ladies to join 9.90 points (a 1st for this class), possibly the 1st girl to represent 9.90 in the Smackdown or could she crack the Top 5 even???  We will see...either way she has fit right in with the crazy boys of the 2 Fast Garage 9.90 Class!
Like Father like Son.  Tim Chillik followed his father's lead and runs in 9.90 whenever he can.  He  has that bumper dragging, stick shift equipped Mustang rounding out the Top 8 and currently holding the last guaranteed position in the ABRUZZI SMACKDOWN.  Year end is always a tough schedule conflict for the RRA/UMTR so not sure if he will be defending this position or gunning for a title over there, either way Best of Luck!
SMACKDOWN SPOILERS???
J.R. Phillips - 2 Points Out
Tom Brown - 46 Points Out
Rob LaRocco - 16 Points Out
Chris Hyatt - 20 Points Out
Sue Cooper - 63 Points Out

10.50 index championship!!!

People say 10.50 is some of the fiercest competition within the RRA, I'm not sure everyone would agree but they are the only class where the Top 4 have each claimed one of our 4 events victories for themselves, and the 5th place guy has been to the finals as well.  Clearly shows there is no stand out individual but a class riddled with intense competitors...but I can honestly tell you intensity is not a problem in any classes of the RRA!!
2013 - His Rookie season with the RRA he took 3rd place, 2014 - He so close but finished up  2nd place.  So if the pattern continues that would mean that 2015 is his year to claim the title, right??  Maybe so, Dennis is tough and for him green light means game on!  (I believe I said it last year but this guy lives and dies by .00's) but no one in this class is going to go down without a fight.  Dennis has a 12 point lead over Gene Adamic and a 25 point lead over Geno Adkins, not even 2 rounds separate the Top 3 so it is going to be a battle to the end!!!
Gene Adamic has been running with the RRA for 5 years now.  Gene gave the old girl some TLC over the winter, and she must have felt Pretty in Pink and been ready to show off because Gene has had his best year to date!  Coming out in Race 1 to take the win and the points lead, a lead he held on to until Race #4 that is.  DeWeese's win was enough to over take Gene by just 12 points going into the finale weekend.  Will Gene be able to regain what has been his all season long???  Only time will tell...


Say Hello to Geno Adkins...most already know him and may not realize Geno is a Rookie to the RRA.  Couldn't tell it by the way he has been going rounds with these boys!!  Geno's season was at risk when he blew his motor at a big money bracket race but his friends in the RRA came to his rescue and he didn't miss a beat and won't be missing the finale...Could he be the 1st Rookie outside of 11.50 (where they were all Rookies last year) to claim a title???  Only 25 points stand between him and history...
Mike Carroll is your defending 10.50 Champion. The double header wreaked havoc on not just one defending Champion but on all 3!! When Mike lost oil pressure during race #3 he did the smart thing and called it a day.  In order to receive points for race #4 he had to stay at the track where he prepped to pull the motor while everyone went round after round leaving him back in 4th place and now 70 points out of 1st by the time it was said and done...Can he do what some may deem impossible?  Can he overcome the adversity to become one of the 1st to claim 3 RRA titles?  Mike is also UNDEFEATED in the SMACKDOWN but will he be successful in defending that title in a mixed field?  Have to wait just a bit longer on that one as the SMACKDOWN is not until Oct. 3rd.


This is Bob Singer's 3rd year chasing a Championship in the RRA.  2013 he finished 8th place and last year was in the Top 4 moving on the SMACKDOWN!  If he continued to double where he has finished in the past that would land him as your 2015 Champion. Bob is a long shot but is a very strong competitor within this class that is less than 6 rounds with 2 more races to get it done...so Never Say Never!!!!

Gary Paine is one of our jumpers, we have a handful within the RRA never know where they will be running from year to year.  He started out in 10.50, spent a season up in 9.90 only to return to 10.50.  A Top 5 finish isn't out of reach for Gary, he is just 12 points out of claiming prizes from the RRA and Summit Racing Equipment and photos from Johnboy to round it out.  But he also needs to be careful there are some guys just outside the Top 8 that could definitely play spoilers to making the SMACKDOWN!
Mike Herno may just be the guy no one saw coming...going into the double header he was all the way back in 14th place, fast foreword 2 races and 12 hours later and he was sitting tied for 7th place and just 15 points outside the Top 5!!!  This is Mike's 2nd year running points in 10.50 and I think he plans on leaving a mark on this seasons record books!!  Curious to see if his momentum will continue through the finale weekend!!

Mike Blair has been running points in the RRA for the past 4 seasons, with the addition of 11.50 it made it a family affair when Mike's wife Renee joined the RRA.  Mike is a quieter guy around the track but I can tell you from past experiences within this 10.50 class...he is a class act and a true sportsman.  Not many racers within the RRA can say they have ever run dead on 10.500. Mike Blair put up that very # qualifying for the RRA at WBTS.  So rounding out the Top 8 (technically tied for 7th)  I wouldn't count Mike out for messing things up for the boys above and inching further up the ranks before its all said and done!!
LONGEST LIST OF POTENTIAL SPOILERS WITHIN THE RRA
Bob Marr - 6 Points Out
Ben Davis - 39 Points Out
Gary Wojonowski - 60 Pts Out
Jim Slaughter - 60 Points Out
Dan Marvin - 81 Points Out
Greg Zilke - 74 Points Out
Todd Johnson - 77
John Peffer - 83 Points Out

11.50 index championship!!!

Well looks like I stand corrected...Our programs continues to get more intense as we move down the line!!!  This is only the 2nd year for the Jim Clere Memorial 11.50 Index Class, so it is basically a mix of 2 yr veterans and true Rookies to the RRA.  The Top 8 is split down the middle and has 4 racers returning from last season mixed in with 4 official 2015 Rookies!!  Top 5 racers are separated by LESS than 2 rounds...LESS across the entire Top 5!!!  Add in another 2 and Top 7 and there is less than 4 rounds between any given racer and the Class Championship!!  This class is notorious for non-points participants coming out to mix it up in 11.50, keep in mind these added players can definitely impact the game!!  Not to mention the racers sitting outside the Top 8!  Just a few short days and we will find out how it all will end...


Tim McKenzie (2nd year racer) has been on Top of  Points in 11.50 since landing in the winners circle at the very 1st event.  He is a strong competitor with his eye on the prize but he isn't the only one and the rest of the field has been slowly gaining on him.  Will he have it in him to fend them off and claim his 1st RRA Title?? 

Brad Slaughter (2015 Rookie) made a HUGE jump after a rough start to the season, after the 1st race he was all the way back in 14th Place!!  Yet, one race later he was sitting in 4th place...jumping 10 positions in just one race!!  Fast forward to where we sit today and he is just 9 points away from stealing the title from Tim!!!
Scott Chitty (2015 Rookie)  Scott came out at the very end of 2014 to get his feet wet with the RRA and made a full commitment to the program this year.  Scott has stayed in the Top 5 all season, briefly held the 2nd place after the 1st race of the double header but now sits in 3rd going into the Finale weekend.  But less than  a 1 1/2 round out of 1st place!!
Big Ricky (2nd year racer) has been on somewhat of a roller coaster moving up and down the ladder from 6th place up to 2nd place and is currently sitting in 5th place.  He has put up some killer numbers this seasons but as the roller coaster continues and he suffered a catastrophic engine failure at QCMP which could have cost him his shot at the title.  The comradery among racers is something I have never witnessed outside the gates of the dragstrip!  I received a phone call from Vinnie Barbone this past weekend, he wanted to offer up his car for Ricky to finish off his season.  That is an awesome gesture and I'm sure the two are excited to see if he can wheel that Spider to the winner's circle and possibly his 1st RRA Title!!
Renee Blair (2nd Year Racer) is just 2 rounds away from Renegade Racing History!!  She is the only female racer to be going into the finale weekend in the Top 5 of her class with a clean shot at the title!!  Renee has been to two finals this season so she has proven capable of getting there, but that event win has eluded her both times.  Will 2015 be the year she makes history??  She isn't the only girl running anymore so sooner rather than later someone is going to claim that event win and title for themselves!  She is clearly surrounded by some heavy hitters within the 11.50 class, so we will all have to wait and see how it plays out!!  
WHO'S ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 8???
JimBob Davies (2015 Rookie)  JimBob came out at the end of 2014 and got everyone's attention just chopping down the .500 Pro Tree.  Making it official in 2015, also set another milestone...3 generations running the RRA!!  Jim Slaughter was the 1st to throw his hat in the ring and this season his son Brad joined in along with his grandson JimBob...things like that would be what Tommy would love to call "A Feather in his Cap" in overseeing the RRA!  JimBob may be in 6th place but he is barely over 3 rounds outside of 1st place and with 2 races left it is anybody's game!!
Mark Franko (2nd Year Racer) is your 2014 Defending Champion.  The early start of the double header may have hurt him in the points but for him it was a sacrifice worth making.  He has instilled his love of racing in his son Andrew, who competes in TCR down at QCMP.  He needed his dad so Mark hustled to TRP dropped the car, making sure it was ready to roll off the trailer and into the lanes, signed in at the booth and hustled back to QCMP.  By the time he returned we were already into 1st round so entry points was all he received for race #3.  Title or not, that speaks volumes in my book and I don't doubt we will see Andrew in the lanes running the RRA within a few short years!! Still he sits just shy of 4 rounds away from successfully defending his title...can he do it??  He has 2 races left so he just might pull it off...we will see!!
Zack Bartos (2015 Rookie) What do I love about Rookies, the excitement and enthusiasm!! Some of us who have been around since day one, still love it but we can sometimes get caught up in the grind and it can begin to smother our passion just a bit...all it takes for me is genuine, heartfelt thanks and the end of the day or just the look on the face of a Rookie who has won his 1st round to remind me of what I love the most...providing racers with a playground to do what they do best!!  Zack rounds out the Top 8 a longshot for the title, but a better shot at cracking the Top 5...no matter where he finishes I think he enjoyed his 1st season with the RRA!! 
KEEP YOUR EYE OUT FOR THESE 3!!!
Steve McBride - 10 Points Out
Eddie Corcino - 58 Points Out
Jim Harty - 68 Points Out
BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO JOINS US THIS WEEKEND FOR OUR 2015 FINALE!!!

Taking the time to go through the season and all 4 classes points programs...all I can say is WOW!!  I am so proud of all of you...together we put on one hell of a program!!!  It is hard to believe this weekend we will close the door on our 6th season.  The RRA will be moving onto its 7th season in 2016, and we are definitely not showing any signs of slowing down, in fact just the opposite!!  We should have an expanded schedule, a 2nd track to plant some roots, not to mention the great support the series receives from RPM Magazine which is really helping to put us on the map!! 

Looking Forward to Seeing All of You in just a Few Days!!!