Story By: MIKE LEONE / RUSH RACING SERIES – DUNDEE, NY – After two weeks off, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire Touring Series returned to action on Friday night at Outlaw Speedway kicking off a three-race weekend over the Memorial Day holiday.
The event was the first Flynn’s Tire Tour event in four years at the fast Dundee, NY facility following a COVID-19 cancellation in 2020 and rain outs each of the past two years. It was the fourth annual “Gary Montgomery Memorial”, which honored a man that was synonymous with racing all over the Upstate New York State Region. After a long and courageous battle with cancer, Montgomery passed away in November 2016.
Joe Martin certainly hadn’t gotten off to the start of the season that he had hoped for. Martin entered 2023 finishing runner-up in Flynn’s Tire Touring Series points each of the last three seasons, but had only been able to record two top five finishes in the first six races. That changed after a clean sweep of the night at Outlaw. Martin set a new track record in qualifying, won his FK Rod Ends heat race, won the Sunoco Dash, and then led every lap of the 30-lap feature holding off a valiant effort by Mike Wonderling for the $3,000 feature victory. It could be a good omen for Martin as each of the first three winners of the “Gary Montgomery Memorial” have gone on to win the Tour title!
“It feels like it’s been forever between wins,” expressed the 38-year-old old Punxsutawney, Pa. driver who last won on the Tour on July 9, 2022 at Sharon Speedway. “It’s really nice to get back in victory lane. The caution really helped us and I probably chose the wrong tires again. I got into the back of that lapped car (Carl Eldridge). I was following him and he went in way slower than I thought, but it was go time so I apologize to him and Bryce (Davis) for that. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.”
“Anytime you race a memorial race you know that person meant a lot to the racing world,” continued Martin. “I remember going to McKean (County Raceway) when I was a little kid watching the BRP Can-Am Tour race (Montgomery’s series). I know Bryce, Jeremy, and Mike (Wonderling) ran BRP so to be able to win Gary’s race is a cool deal. I learned about him a lot this week. We’ve been trying to come to this race for the last three years but kept getting rained out. It’s a really cool place and a lot of fun.”
The race got off to a wild start as it was three-wide nearly the entire first lap including at the start-finish line with Martin leading over Jeremy Wonderling and Mike Wonderling; however, a spin by Rickie Loucks, who was making his first career Tour start, slowed action. When action resumed on lap two, Mike passed his brother Jeremy for second. Martin and Mike Wonderling pulled away from the pack on lap five, while Bryce Davis was all over Jeremy Wonderling for third and made the pass on lap six.
The leaders caught lapped traffic on lap seven, which allowed Mike Wonderling to briefly pull even with Martin on lap eight. Martin continued to lead as the laps ticked off under green flag conditions. Davis caught Mike Wonderling on lap 13 and the battle was on for second as they both closed back in on leader Martin. It was a three-car race for the lead at the halfway mark.
Mike Wonderling pulled alongside Martin once again on lap 16. It appeared Wonderling was going to make the pass for the lead on lap 17 in lapped traffic, but Martin made contact with New Hampshire’s Carl Eldridge, who was making his 2023 Tour debut, sending Eldridge spinning in turn two. Unfortunately, Davis, who was lurking in third, had nowhere to go and also got caught up. Both drivers exited from the event.
The final 14 laps went caution-free. Jeremy Wonderling regained third for the restart, but eighth starting Cody Dawson was able to make the pass on lap 21. Back up front, Martin had extended his lead, but encountered lapped traffic once again on lap 25. Mike Wonderling closed the gap with two laps to go and closed in even more on the final lap, but ran out of time as Martin crossed the finish line first by 0.789 seconds. Martin’s fifth career Flynn’s Tire Touring Series win came aboard the Tom Snyder, Jr.-owned, T&D Performance/Tuff Nuts/Body Fasteners/Weather Capital Sales/Kevin Martin Trucking Daugherty Motorsports/Accelo Racegear-sponsored #10s.
Mike Wonderling earned $1,500 for second as it was his third podium finish in the last four races for the first year Flynn’s Tire Tour regular. “I didn’t need that caution,” explained the 49-year-old Wellsville, NY driver. “Joe (Martin) was good. I knew we were good when we fired off and got by Jeremy (Wonderling). I could get through the bottom real good. I felt I could maneuver better than Joe through lapped traffic- they were friend until they weren’t. There’s a lot of good cars that race this Series that can win so as long as we keep getting on the podium the wins will come. We switched over to a different shock program last week. I’m really happy with the way the season is going to go and I think big things are coming.”
Delaware’s Cody Dawson was third as he recorded his first top five finish on the Tour since his career best second back on June 21, 2014 at Winchester (VA) Speedway! Jeremy Wonderling was fourth as he continues to lead the points in search of his fourth Series title. After a sixth place finish in his first Flynn’s Tire Tour start of the season at the last event at Eriez on May 14, Chad Homan did one better on Friday night in fifth.
Austin Hauser was sixth for his best career Tour finish. Thirteen-year-old Brock Pinkerous made his Outlaw debut and went 13th to seventh to earn the $50 Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger gift card along with a spoiler kit from Ontime Body & Graphic. Ashton Briggs matched a season best eighth, which have now occurred in the last three races. Ashton Briggs was ninth. Shane Crotty went 16th to 10th.
Martin established a new track record worth $100 in FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying with a lap of 15.128 easily beating the former mark of 15.340 set at the last Tour event on May 31, 2019 by Braeden Dillinger. Martin, Homan, and Mike Wonderling won the $25 FK Rod Ends heat races. Martin also became the first Sunoco Dash repeat winner of the season after seven races and received a $100 Sunoco fuel card.
The $100 Sunoco fuel card drawings for Tour drivers were won by Briggs and Canadian Brandt Graham, while the $50 Sunoco fuel cards were claimed by Homan, Allen, Jason Knowles, and Todd Chapman. Tour regular Marc Berzowski was chosen as the TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night” recipient as mechanical woes kept him from competing.
The Flynn’s Tire Touring Series will right back in action on Saturday night (May 27) at Genesee Speedway in Batavia, NY for race #8 of the 2023 season before moving on to Bradford Speedway on Sunday (May 28). Both races will pay $3,000 to-win.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire Touring Series “Gary Montgomery Memorial” Race #7 (30 laps, $3,000 to-win): 1. JOE MARTIN (Snyder 10s) 2. Mike Wonderling (18) 3. Cody Dawson (36) 4. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 5. Chad Homan (91) 6. Austin Hauser (51) 7. Brock Pinkerous (555) 8. Ashton Briggs (11A) 9. Austin Allen (32) 10. Shane Crotty (Briggs 4) 11. Jason Knowles (4) 12. Jim Rasey (Wrightsman 21J) 13. Brian Knowles (7) 14. Alan Chapman (64c) 15. Rickie Loucks (4R) 16. Kurt Stebbins (26) 17. Brandt Graham (14) 18. Bryce Davis (94) 19. Carl Eldridge (7E) 20. T.J. Downs (03) 21. Todd Chapman (T54). DNS: Marc Berzowski (25M).
Car Count: 22
Feature Margin of Victory: 0.789 seconds
Feature Lap Leaders: Joe Martin (1-30)
Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert” Spoiler Kit: Brock Pinkerous
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger: Brock Pinkerous (+6)
Sunoco Fuel Card Winners: Ashton Briggs ($100), Brandt Graham ($100), Chad Homan ($50), Jason Knowles ($50), Todd Chapman ($50), Austin Allen ($50)
TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night”: Marc Berzowski
FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Flight Qualifying (Track record 15.340 by Braeden Dillinger on 5/31/19) ($100 for fast time): 1. 10S-Joe Martin, 00:15.128*[13] (*NTR); 2. 91-Chad Homan, 00:15.313[1]; 3. 18-Mike Wonderling, 00:15.425[3]; 4. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling, 00:15.449[9]; 5. 94-Bryce Davis, 00:15.460[11]; 6. 51-Austin Hauser, 00:15.469[7]; 7. 555-Brock Pinkerous, 00:15.525[12]; 8. 26-Kurt Stebbins, 00:15.545[16]; 9. 7-Brian Knowles, 00:15.546[19]; 10. 11A-Ashton Briggs, 00:15.567[2]; 11. 21J-Jim Rasey, 00:15.687[4]; 12. 4-Jason Knowles, 00:15.690[6]; 13. 32A-Austin Allen, 00:15.762[18]; 14. 36-Cody Dawson, 00:15.765[15]; 15. 14-Brandt Graham, 00:15.851[10]; 16. 4C-Shane Crotty, 00:15.873[21]; 17. 64C-Alan Chapman, 00:15.880[5]; 18. 03D-TJ Downs, 00:15.921[17]; 19. 4R-Rickie Loucks, 00:16.493[14]; 20. T54-Todd Chapman, 00:16.681[8]; 21. 7E-Carl Eldridge, 00:17.523[20]; 22. 25M-Marc Berzowski, NT.
FK Rod Ends Heat 1 (8 laps, $25 to-win): 1. 10S-Joe Martin[1]; 2. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[2]; 3. 11A-Ashton Briggs[4]; 4. 32A-Austin Allen[5]; 5. 555-Brock Pinkerous[3]; 6. 4C-Shane Crotty[6]; 7. 4R-Rickie Loucks[7]. DNS: 25M-Marc Berzowski
FK Rod Ends Heat 2 (8 laps, $25 to-win): 1. 91-Chad Homan[1]; 2. 94-Bryce Davis[2]; 3. 36-Cody Dawson[5]; 4. 21J-Jim Rasey[4]; 5. 26-Kurt Stebbins[3]; 6. 64C-Alan Chapman[6]; 7. T54-Todd Chapman[7].
FK Rod Ends Heat 3 (8 laps, $25 to-win): 1. 18-Mike Wonderling[1]; 2. 51-Austin Hauser[2]; 3. 4-Jason Knowles[4]; 4. 7-Brian Knowles[3]; 5. 14-Brandt Graham[5]; 6. 03D-TJ Downs[6]; 7. 7E-Carl Eldridge[7].
Sunoco Dash (6 laps, $100 Sunoco fuel card to-win): 1. 10S-Joe Martin[1]; 2. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[4]; 3. 91-Chad Homan[3]; 4. 18-Mike Wonderling[5]; 5. 94-Bryce Davis[6]; 6. 51-Austin Hauser[2].