Story By: MIKE LEONE / RUSH RACING SERIES – IMPERIAL, PA – After finally breaking a four-race rainout streak last Saturday at Stateline Speedway where 43 cars battled in the “Bill Law Memorial”, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series will return to action this Saturday night (July 27) at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway for the 35th annual “Jook George Steel City Classic” presented by All Interior Painting.
Race #8 of the 2024 season will pay a minimum of $6,010 to-win. Warm-ups begin at 7 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing at 8 p.m. The event will be streamed live on The Cushion. There is a rain date of August 3; however, the forecast looks great!
Saturday will mark the second of four appearances by the Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Tour at “Dirt’s Monster Half-Mile”. PPMS kicked off the 2024 Tour on April 20 when Tim Shaffer topped a 47-car field. The Tour will return on October 4-5 for the “Bill Hendren Memorial” part of the annual “Pittsburgher” weekend with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
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.
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 approximately $18,000, 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. Logan Roberson won his first career Pittsburgh race worth $7,010 and went on to win the Tour title in 2022. Last season saw Norris add yet another $7,010 payday over a strong field of 42 cars.
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 has continued under new owner Blair Cress, Jr. for the last two events. 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 fourth time in the event’s history, the feature will pay a minimum of $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 $225 with $100 from FK Rod Ends and $125 from Our Cars Auto Detailing and Tire Service with $100 also going to the fastest car in the other flight of qualifying from Stan’s Transmission In Memory of Bob Bentz, Sr. The FK Rod End heat races will pay $25 from FK Rod Ends. The “John Beatty Memorial” Sunoco Dash will pay $204 to-win thanks to Beatty Welding and Kristen Peifer plus a $100 Sunoco fuel card.
The “Tub Charlier Rookie of the Race” will pay $288 thanks to the Charlier Family (highest finishing driver that hasn’t made the Jook feature since 2016)! The longest tow award is $200 in memory of Matt Miley from Erika Ulrich Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Other bonuses include $110 for 10th place in memory of Jook George and $110 for the leader on lap 10 in memory of Jook George. The Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger in memory of Kyle Stramaski will receive $100 courtesy of Stan’s Transmission In Memory of Bob’s Bentz, Sr. along with a $50 Precise gift card.
The “Fill’er up with Sunoco Bucks” program will include an additional $400 of Sunoco fuel card giveaways; two $100 random draws for drivers in the top 15 of Tour points and another four $50 random draws for all other competitors. The podium finishers will each receive a three-pack of Heritage Wine Cellars premier products. Precise Racing Products will award a $50 gift card for the “Pedal Down” Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the feature. Ontime Body & Graphic’s “Spoiler Alert” will award a spoiler kit to the eighth place finisher. The first feature non-qualifier will receive a $50 certificate from Holley Performance brands. There will also be five BOGO Landrum Performance Springs certificates given away through drawings. Forty lucky fans will receive a bottle of Dusted Steak Seasoning.
Fourteen-year-old Brock Pinkerous leads the Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Tour to Pittsburgh on Saturday fresh off his second win of the season on Saturday night at Stateline. Pinkerous has a 13-point lead over four-time Series Champion, Jeremy Wonderling, who is the only other driver with multiple victories this season. Joe Martin, who has finished runner-up in points each of the last four years, is third in points as he is still in search of his first win of 2024.
Jared Miley is fourth in points and leads the $3,000 to-win 3C Graphix Rookie-of-Year standings by just four over Daryl Charlier. Charlie is meanwhile tied for fifth in points with Jim Rasey, who is having his best season to date in his third year on the Tour driving for Jim Wrightsman. Austin Allen and Damian Bidwell are tied for seventh in points and are two more drivers battling for the Rookie-of-the-Year crown. Mike Wonderling and Kyle Zimmerman complete the top 10 in points.
In addition to Tim Shaffer winning the Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Tour event, PPMS has also completed seven City Chevrolet Weekly Series events in 2024. Ben Policz, Brandon Burgoon, and Charlier each have a pair of victories, while Norris most recently picked up last Saturday night’s feature in a tune-up for Saturday.
Sponsors for the “Jook George Steel City Classic”: Jook George Family, Pete and Kim Lockwich, Russell Rech, Hendren Racing Engines, All Interior Painting, Jack & Jim Chambers In Memory of Buck Johnson, Donny Schmac, Darren Ferguson, Imperial Tire and Auto, Dale Charlier, Nick Sutton, Kristin Peifer In Memory of John & Carol Beatty, Bryan Hoffman, Lonnie Lamb & Racers for Tots, Nathan Langer, Castleveter Landscaping, Mike Smyzchek, Ron’s Barber Shop, Dobs Automotive, Paul Duratz, Zach Yost Racing Photography, Hoods Up Quicklube, Veronica Brant, Nick Kocuba, David Parks & Erika Ulrich, Cole Petrelle, Tom Klein, Bob Siemon Garage Doors, Charley Burgender Whip Wash, Lukon’s Reb Fab, Austin Allen, Shining Rides Detailing, D&T Autobody, Rohrich Chevy Performance, Bryce Davis, 3 Rivers Karting Entertainment Park, Close Racing Supply, Russ King Racing, Kendrew’s Lounge, Shaffer Speedway, Tony Musolino, Kamicker Racing , Ed Tourney & Kelly Hoche, Medved Motorsports, Jeremy Wonderling, Mike Wonderling, Jake Brake Customs, Damian Bidwell, Doug Smith Schaeffer’s Oil Rep, Garrett Paugh, Jeris Collins, Anderson Motorsports, Billy Kessler, Crewl Landscaping, Russ Kolesar in memory of Pap Jack, Stan’s Transmissions In Memory of Bob Bentz, Sr., Matthew Knupp, Ben Policz In Memory of Mark Policz 84, Atallah Equipment Services, Kurt Thompson ReMax Realty Services, Frankland, Losego Automotive, Northeast Paving & Sealcoat, Joe Squatriglia, Deller Motorsports, Afterburner Performance, Rocket Chassis, Tom Snyder, Jr., Tanya Charlier & RUSH Racing Series.
Feature Payoff (Minimum as of 7/24): 1. $6,010* ($7,010 if contributed) 2. $3,000 3. $1,750 4. $1,500 5. $1,300 6. $1,200 7. $1,100 8. $1,000 9. $900 10. $850 11. $800 12. $750 13. $700 14. $650 15. $625 16. $600 17. $575 18. $550 19. $530 20. $520 21-26. $500
D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier Payoff: 1. $400 2. $250 3. $200 4. $195 5. $190 6. $185 7. $180 8. $175 9. $170 10. $165 11-24. $160. Tow $125.
You do not have to be a member of RUSH to compete only to receive Weekly and/or Tour points. The entry fee is $100. AMB/MyLaps transponders will be used. Units are available to rent for $25. Driver radio channel will be 453.800 for Pittsburgh.
RUSH registration will open by 4 p.m. with the drivers meeting at 6:30. Warm-ups are slated for 7 followed by qualifying. Racing is at 8 p.m.
Saturday’s event will also count towards the RUSH City Chevrolet National Weekly Series Championships and 3C Graphix “Futures Cup” for those eligible racers. In addition, points will also be awarded for the City Chevrolet “Track Pack” that features a $2,500 per track point fund for the top six racers in RUSH member points at year’s end with $1,000 going to the champion.