Story By: MIKE LEONE / RUSH RACING SERIES – PULASKI, PA – With the 2024 season just two months away, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants Series Directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone are proud to announce the addition of Gunter’s Honey as a co-presenting sponsor of the RUSH Late Model Touring Series.
Gunter’s Honey will join Flynn’s Tire to present the richest championship in Series history and across all Chevrolet Performance crate engine racing with $76,200 posted, which features a record $20,000 to the champion! Gunter’s Honey, which is located in Berryville, Virginia, is owned by Winchester Speedway owner Greg Gunter.
The 2024 points fund will see more than a 42% increase as not only will the champion’s take increase, but all of the guaranteed top 10 positions including $10,000 for second, $7,500 for third and $5,000 for fourth. In addition, positions 11-20 in points that compete in 75% of the events has also increased. (See breakdown below.)
New for 2024 is the $5,000 loyalty bonus drawing as well as the $3,000 to-win Rookie-of-the-Year presented by 3C Graphix. All Touring members that compete in 75% of the completed events will be eligible for the $5,000 bonus drawing, which will take place at the season finale. Any Touring member that has not competed in 75% of any prior season events and competes in 75% of the completed 2024 events will be eligible for the 3C Graphics Rookie-of-the-Year.
This will mark the third increase for the Touring Series Championship points fund in the past four years! In 2021, the point fund doubled from pre-COVID years with $12,000 to-win the title. Then in 2022, the point fund was increased 24% with $15,000 going to the champion. Fast forward two years, and the 2024 points fund will see another dramatic increase making it the richest in Series history!
“It’s very exciting to have Gunter’s Honey join us as one of our premier marketing partners for 2024,” stated Emig. “I’m really looking forward to promoting Gunter’s Honey to the tens of thousands of fans who will attend and the hundreds of racers who will compete in RUSH-sanctioned events this season! The great thing about it is that the majority of these people will be able to go to their local grocery stores or jump on the internet to purchase and enjoy Gunter’s Honey! We all know that the racing fraternity is very loyal to those that support the sport they love and I have no doubt this will ring true for Gunter’s Honey via the RUSH fan base.”
“Greg Gunter’s Winchester Speedway has been our anchor speedway in the Mid-Atlantic as they will be beginning their 11th season as a City Chevrolet RUSH Weekly Series track and this year will also be hosting a $5,000 to-win Touring event,” Emig added, “Joining RUSH as an important Corporate marketing partner is definitely going to add a whole new dimension to our relationship, but one I’m sure will prove to be just as successful as the others.”
Greg Gunter has been a fixture in the racing community for more than two decades. Gunter has been a car owner and sponsor for many Late Model and Modified teams both regionally and nationally, which he will continue to do, as well as the owner and promoter of Winchester Speedway. Gunter has always put his heart and soul into his businesses. Gunter has transformed Winchester Speedway into what it is today as well as developing Gunter’s Honey over the past 30 years as his brand of honey is known to be one the highest quality pure honey brands in the nation featuring no sugar additives.
There are more than 300 unique types of honey in the United States, and Gunter’s Honey offers some of the most delicious, local varieties you can find in the Berryville, Virginia region. Gunter’s Honey produces premium honey in the lighter floral sources like Alfalfa, Eucalyptus, Acacia Clover or Orange Blossom, medium Wildflower, Avocado or Golden varieties, as well as a dark, rich Buckwheat honey, creamed honey and honey with the comb.
Gunter’s Honey can be found across the country in major grocers like Wal-Mart, Safeway, Giant Food stores, and Martin’s Foods, and nationally online at retailers like Mountain Ridgeway Products and Amazon.com. Gunter’s Honey also ships to military bases around the world.
The 2024 RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’ Honey Touring Series schedule will be released in the coming days. The schedule features 22 events at 13 different speedways and will kick off on Saturday, April 6 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV with a $4,000 to-win event, which has a rain date of April 13.
At least 12 of the events will pay more than the standard $3,000 to-win purse! The traditional crown jewel events such as the $20,000 to-win “Bill Emig Memorial” as part of Lernerville Speedway’s “Firecracker” weekend, the “Bill Hendren Memorial” part of the “Pittsburgher” paying a minimum $10,000 to-win, the “Jook George Steel City Classic” that pays a minimum of $6,010 to-win as well as other signature events.
2024 Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series Points Fund ($68,200 + $5,000 bonus + $3,000 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year): 1. $20,000 2. $10,000 3. $7,500 4. $5,000 5. $4,000 6. $3,000 7. $2,500 8. $2,400 9. $2,200 10. $2,000. Drivers in the following positions must compete in 75% of the completed Tour events to receive point fund monies: 11. $1,500 12. $1,300 13. $1,200 14. $1,100 15. $1,000 16. $900 17. $800 18. $700 19. $600 20. $500.