Story By: MIKE LEONE / RUSH RACING SERIES – PULASKI, PA – The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants is set for three big events over four nights August 5-8.
The Flynn’s Tire Touring Series will be at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway on Saturday night (August 5) for the $6,010 to-win “Jook George Steel City Classic” presented by All Interior Painting followed up by Sunday night at Eriez Speedway for “Manufacturers Night” presented by MSD Performance with over $27,000 in valuable product giveaways.
Then on Tuesday (August 8), the Series returns to Woodhull Raceway after a nine-year absence for the $4,000 to-win “Darwin Davis Memorial” presented by Davis Electric & Lighting and Empire Crushing.
After a rainout on July 15 at Pittsburgh, Saturday night will mark the first appearance of the season by the Flynn’s Tire Tour at “Dirt’s Monster Half-Mile”. The event will be streamed on The Cushion. The Tour will return on September 29-30 for the “Bill Hendren Memorial” part of the annual “Pittsburgher” weekend.
Starting in 2015, Branden Lockwich took up the effort to make the “Jook George Steel City Classic” into one the biggest races in the tri-state area for the RUSH Late Models. This year, Lockwich has raised more than $19,000 with more expected before race time, which has been added into the standard Touring Series purse!
In 2017, the event was a Tour race for the first time and drew 43 cars with Mike Pegher, Jr. capturing the $4,010 win. In 2018, a record 51 cars were on hand with Jacob Hawkins scoring the $5,010 win. The 2019 event was the richest as Kyle Lukon scored the $10,010 win and the extra $1,000 contributor bonus. While the COVID-19 pandemic left uncertainty for the 2020 event, Lockwich still worked wonders and brought over $17,000 to the event, which was won by Michael Norris in his first RUSH start for $6,010 and the $1,000 contributor bonus. Norris repeated his fortunes in 2021 collecting $7,010 once again. Last season, Logan Roberson won his first career Pittsburgh race worth $7,010 and went on to win the Tour title.
In 2019, Miley Motor Sports and Lockwich came up with the idea to award the feature winner an additional $1,000 bonus if he or she financially contributed a minimum of $50 to the event. That will continue under new owner Blair Cress, Jr. Any driver that still would like to contribute to expand the purse and be eligible for the bonuses can contact Lockwich at 412-639-3723. Contributions from any individuals or businesses are also still welcome.
For the second straight year and third time in the event’s history, the feature will pay $500 to start. The D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier will feature an increased purse throughout with $400 to-win. The FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” honors will be worth $200 with $100 from FK Rod Ends and $100 from Our Cars Auto Detailing and Tire Service. The FK Rod End heat races will pay $38 to-win with $25 from FK Rod Ends and $13 in memory of longtime racer and fan Dean Rump. The “John Beatty Memorial” Sunoco Dash will pay $404 to-win thanks to the Beatty Family plus $100 Sunoco fuel card along with a payoff for positions two through five. The B main winners will receive $50.
The “Tub Charlier Rookie of the Race” will pay $300 thanks to the Charlier Family (highest finishing driver that hasn’t made the Jook feature since 2016)! The longest tow award is $250 in memory of Matt Miley. Other bonuses include $104 to 4th place from Kristen Peifer, $107 for 7th place from Scott Gunn in memory of Dave & Mary Lynn Nicholas, $110 for 10th place in memory of Jook George, $110 for the leader on lap 10 in memory of Jook George, $50 to the driver running 9th on lap 3 and $50 to the driver running 11th on lap 3 both courtesy of Erika Ulrich at Edward Jones Investments. The Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger in memory of Kyle Stramaski will receive $150 courtesy of Jesse Marshall and Bryant Hank along with a $50 Precise gift card. The TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night” will receive $100 plus three bottles of TBM Brake fluid.
William Thomas “Jook” George had a brief driving career himself, but as he turned to car owner he chose and had for most of his racing career the #10 and that was in honor of his racing hero, Lou Blaney, who drove his car on a couple occasions. Other highlights of his career was being nominated as the Sportsman of the Year at PPMS, being nominated into the Pittsburgh Circle Track Hall of Fame, winning the track championship at PPMS in 1990 with John Beatty behind the wheel, and winning the Fall Classic in 1993 with Bill Yakin, also at PPMS. His most dominant stretch as a car owner came in the late ‘70s when Earl Teeters was his driver.
On Sunday, Eriez Speedway in Erie, Pa. will host their second and final Flynn’s Tour event of the season. Jeremy Wonderling won the May 14 event over a 37-car field. Eriez has had strong car counts all season with at least 20 cars for all of their City Chevrolet Weekly Series events. Breyton Santee is a three-time winner this year and leads the City Chevrolet “Track Pack” points. David Pangrazio has one win and hasn’t finished worse than fourth all season long. Jason Genco has won the last two races.
Sunday will mark the 12th edition of “Manufacturers Night”, which will take place at Eriez for the fourth time with over $27,000 of valuable product giveaways. MSD Performance proudly presents all of the RUSH Series “Manufacturers Nights” and contributes product as well. Each participating racer on Sunday is guaranteed to walk away with an item valued at the very minimum of $400. The drawings will take place immediately following the drivers meeting, which will get underway at 5:35 p.m. Drivers need to be registered by that time in order to participate in the drawings. The RUSH Stock Car “Manufacturers Night” with more than $3,000 of giveaways will also take place on Sunday night.
The complete list of packages for the Late Models are posted below. It’s possible that drivers can win multiple prizes if any prizes are left over. In the event of more than 46 cars, additional packages will be added so that every competing driver will receive a manufacturers package valued at a minimum of $400. Also, one lucky driver will win a $550 certificate from Absolute Powder Coating towards the powder coating of a new chassis; this will be in addition to his or her manufacturers package.
Past locations of “Manufacturers Nights” with car counts in parentheses are Sharon Speedway in 2012 (57), Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway in 2013 (40), McKean County Raceway in 2014 (43), Eriez in 2015 (47), Tri-City Raceway Park 2016-2018 (58, 48, 45), Pittsburgh in 2019 (36), Eriez in 2021-2022 (46, 39) while the 2020 drawings was contested through the Weekly Series points due to COVID-19.
There have been 12 RUSH Tour events completed all-time at Eriez. Max Blair has six victories, while his father Rob has one in a substitution role for Max. Kyle Hardy swept both events in 2021, while his Virginia counterpart Logan Roberson won in his first appearance in 2022. Josh Ferry won last year’s “Manufacturer’s Night” event, while Jeremy Wonderling won his first Eriez Tour race back in May this year.
On Tuesday, the cars and stars of the RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire Tour will convene on Woodhull Raceway in New York’s southern tier for the first time since 2014 when Wayne Robertson made a winning debut with the Tour to win $1,500. Tuesday’s “Darwin Davis Memorial” presented by Davis Electric & Lighting and Empire Crushing will be Platinum Event paying $4,000 to-win! Davis was a former racer, who lost his life in a tragic automobile accident in 2008. Special thanks to RUSH racers Bryce Davis and Jason Knowles for making this event possible. The event carries a rain date of Wednesday (August 9).
Woodhull is in its fifth year as RUSH weekly-sanctioned track. Woodhull has completed 11 City Chevrolet Weekly Series events to date this season with six different winners and is enjoying its best weekly car counts in history. Brett Marlatt leads the way with three victories, while Steve LeBarron, Jason Knowles and Austin Allen each have a pair of wins. Single victors include John Waters and Jacob Tubbs. Allen currently leads the City Chevrolet “Track Pack” points.
Three-time Series Champion Jeremy Wonderling enters the weekend for the Flynn’s Tire Touring Series with four wins in the last five western Pa. events and will look to add to that number on Saturday and Sunday. Wonderling’s seven wins this season have come in the last 10 events and have propelled him to a 64-point lead over his brother Mike Wonderling, who is touring for the first time and is in search of his first career Series win.
Joe Martin, who has finished second in points each of the last three years, is third in points with one victory. Cody Watson has regained fourth place in points over 13-year-old Brock Pinkerous, who finished a career best second at Bradford followed up by a third at Marion Center. Sixth through 10th in points are Ashton Briggs, Jim Rasey, Craig Graham, Brandt Graham, and Austin Hauser.
Precise Racing Products will award a $50 gift card for the “Pedal Down” Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the feature each night. The TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night” will award three bottles of Xtreme6 Racing Brake Fluid each night. Ontime Body & Graphic’s “Spoiler Alert” will award a spoiler kit to the 15th place finisher on the first night, 16th place finisher on the second night, and 17th place finisher on the 3rd night (note: if a driver has already won a spoiler this season, spoiler will be awarded to the next position). Performance Bodies will award a $100 gift card to the first non-qualifier each night part of the “Nosed Out” program.
Sponsors for the “Jook George Steel City Classic”: Jook George family, Hendren Racing Engines, Russ King Racing, Premier Comp Solutions, Rocket Chassis and Steve Baker, Pete and Kim Lockwich, Russ Rech, All Interior Painting, Donny Schmac, Hoods Up Quick Lube, Our Cars Auto Detailing and Tire Service, Davis Electric and Lighting, Darren Ferguson National Property Inspections, Bryan Hoffman, Rohrich GM Performance, Castleveter Landscaping, Nick Bush, Tony Musolino, Jake Brake Customs, Nate Langer, Octane Customs, Shining Rides Detailing, Mike Smyczek, Zarin Truck and Auto, Cole Petrelle Racing, Nick Kocuba, Garrett Paugh Racing, Kurt Thompson ReMax Realtor, Ken Chernik, Goble Motorsports, Billy Kessler, Nico Dabecco Racing, Michael Norris, Bob Siemon Garage Doors, John McConnell, Beatty Welding, Bob Bentz, Lonnie Lamb and Racers for Tots, Imperial Heights Garage, RUSH Racing Series, Don Gamble Rappin on Racin, Jeremy Wonderling Racing, Kyle Lukon and Lukons Reb Fab, Zach Yost Racing Photograph, Ben Scott Racing, Scott Gunn Racing, Ron Williams, Tyler McArdle, Imperial Tire and Auto Pete Loria, Crewl Landscaping, Magill Racing, Close Racing Supply, Kristen Peifer, Matthew Knupp, Gary Heeman, Paul Duratz, DH Services Waynesburg PA, Bonnie Lepro, D&T Autobody, Dobs Auto, Lepro Racing, Bonnie Charlier in memory of Tub Charlier, Eddie Tourney and Kelly Hoche, Whip Wash, Mike Wonderling Racing, Dan Trump, Dan Gary, Tom Klein Racing, Doug Smith Schaeffers Oil Rep, Mike Reft Racing, Ingram Engines, Jack and Jim Chambers, Brock Pinkerous Racing, Trevor Herr, Erika Ulrich at Edward Jones Investments, Tom Snyder, Pro-X Pressure Washing, Ben Policz in memory of Mark Policz 84, Brian Huchko Racing, Tanya Charlier, Red PPMS Tech, Kendrew’s Longue, Three Rivers Entertainment Park, John Waters Racing, Schirnhofer Racing, Kassidy Kamicker Racing, Bryant Hank
(Minimum as of 8/3) Pittsburgh Feature Payoff: 1. $6,010 ($7,010 if contributed) 2. $3,000 3. $2,000 4. $1,500 5. $1,400 6. $1,300 7. $1,200 8. $1,150 9. $1,100 10. $1,000 11. $900 12. $800 13. $750 14. $700 15. $650 16. $600 17. $550 18. $540 19. $530 20. $520 21. $515 22. $510 23. $505 24-26. $500
Pittsburgh D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier Payoff: 1. $400 2. $300 3. $225 4. $200 5. $195 6. $190 7. $185 8. $180 9. $175 10. $170 11. $165 12. $160 13-24. $155. Tow $125.
Eriez Feature Payoff: 1. $3,000 2. $1,500 3. $800 4. $650 5. $600 6. $500 7. $475 8. $450 9. $425 10. $400 11. $325 12. $300 13. $275 14. $270 15. $265 16. $260 17. $255 18-24. $250.
Woodhull Feature Payoff: 1. $4,000 2. $2,000 3. $1,000 4. $800 5. $700 6. $600 7. $550 8. $500 9. $475 10. $450 11. $425 12. $400 13. $375 14. $360 15. $350 16. $340 17. $330 18. $320 19. $310 20-24. $300.
Eriez & Woodhull D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier Payoff: 1. $200 2. $190 3. $185 4. $180 5. $175 6. $170 7. $165 8. $160 9. $155 10-24. $150. Tow $125