CAREER 1ST HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL WIN FOR JAKE GUNN AT PITTSBURGH, WHILE NICK ARNOLD DOES THE SAME AT STATELINE IN THE RUSH PRO MODS; KYLE ZIMMERMAN RETURNS TO RUSH LM GLORY WITH HIS 1ST CAREER MUSKINGUM WIN

By Marcie Barlow

May 23, 2025             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)...Weekly Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series action presented by Born2Run Lubricants continues to get underway in spite of Mother Nature’s efforts to sabotage the 2025 racing season. RUSH Late Model competitor Jake Gunn scored his career first victory at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway as did Nick Arnold in RUSH Pro Mod action at Stateline Speedway.  Kyle Zimmerman returned to victory lane after a two-year absence in RUSH Late Model action at Muskingum County Speedway.  Veterans Chas Wolbert (Sportsman Modified) and John Mollick (Sprint Car) scored their first wins of the 2025 season and defending RUSH Stock car champion Kaden Michael added another victory to his win total.       

Racing got off to an early start last week with Thursday evening racing action at The Dirt Track at Genesee for the RUSH Late Models.  Paul Grigsby and Bill Holmes led the field to the green.  Holmes won the battle for the initial lead with last week’s winner, Dave DuBois following in second.  Two cautions slowed the field on lap six but when the action resumed, Holmes was able to maintain control and hold on for his first win of 2025.  DuBois finished in the runner up position with Jimmy Johnson claiming third.  Grigsby and Zack Carley finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Models had the first of four visits to Lernerville Speedway in 2025 and their first of two City Chevrolet Weekly Series events last Friday.  Brothers Jake and Zach Gunn led the field to the green.  Jake Gunn led the first five circuits with fifth place started Daryl Charlier overtaking him on lap six.  Defending Lernerville Pro Stock Champion, Christian Schneider, got by Gunn for the second position on lap 12 but he was unable to catch Charlier.  Charlier went on to score the $1,000 win by 2.074 seconds over Schneider.  Jake Gunn, Logen Lockhart and Zach Gunn completed the top five.

Ironically it was Jake Gunn and Daryl Charlier leading the 18-car field to the green the following night at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Speedway.  Gunn immediately took the lead with Charlier and Clinton Hersh close behind.  Two cautions slowed the field before the halfway mark and each time Gunn maintained control. Charier pulled off with mechanical woes on lap 14 with Hersh inheriting second as Gunn continued to lead.  As the checkered flag waved, Gunn had built up a full straightaway lead to score his career first RUSH Late Model victory.  Hersh came across the line in second with Brandon Burgoon third.  Kassidy Kamicker and Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr. in his 2025 debut rounded out the top five.  

Davin Kaiser continues to make the trip from his home in Virginia to Dog Hollow Speedway profitable as he captured his second consecutive win at the Northern Cambria, Pa. oval in City Chevrolet Weekly Series action; however, this one was worth $2,000!  Marino Angelicchio finished in the second spot in his season debut with John Over third.  Clay Copeman and Tyler Ellenberger rounded out the top five.

Brady Wonderling tallied win number three in RUSH Late Model City Chevrolet Weekly Series action in 2025 following his second straight win at McKean County Raceway on Friday.  Wonderling, who had never won in his career at MCR prior to this season, led the entire distance of the 20-lap event and withstood the persistent challenges of Paul Grigsby in the closing laps to score the victory.  Jeremy Wonderling Zach Carley and Austin Hauser finished third through fifth.

Kurt Stebbins and Steve LeBarron led the RUSH Late Model main event to the green at Woodhull Raceway on Saturday.  Lebarron jumped out to the lead as former track champions Brett Marlatt and Austin Allen worked their way through the field and into the second and third positions.  Two late race yellow provided Marlatt with the opportunity to overtake LeBarron, but he withstood them and went on to score his first win of the season. Marlatt settled for second with Allen finishing third.  Rich McNeal and Stebbins completed the top five.         

A strong contingent of 24 RUSH Late Models were in action at Winchester Speedway on Saturday.  Devin Brannon weathered several cautions to make it “two in a row” at the Virginia oval.  Bubby Tharp Jr. was a career best second as Kyle Hardy, Branson Woodward and Davin Kaiser rounded out the top five.  It was announced the May 3 rained out $5,000 to-win Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series event at Winchester has been rescheduled to September 6.   

Second generation driver Kyle Zimmerman made the three-hour trip from Albion, PA to Muskingum County Speedway a profitable one as he scored his first win in two years of RUSH action and his first ever at the Zanesville, Ohio oval.  Zimmerman collected a $1,000 paycheck for his efforts aboard the Jonathan Stockdale #31.  Second year Russ King Racing Futures Cup driver, Lincoln Smith, who also drives a #31, was second.  Anthony Kinkade, Bud Watson and Logan Reed completed the top five part of the Dave Poske’s Performance Parts Mid-Ohio Valley Series event.

Veteran Randy Hall picked up his first RUSH Late Model win of the season at Stateline Speedway on Saturday.  At the conclusion of the 20-lap event Hall bested second place finisher Jason Genco by 1.626 seconds. Jake Wilber, Scott Gurdak and Andy Michael rounded out the top five.

Kyle Thomas also tallied his second consecutive victory in RUSH Late Model City Chevrolet Weekly Series action at Tyler County Speedway on Saturday.  Opening night winner, Braeden Dillinger, finished second with AJ Spagnuolo claiming third.  Ryan Hare and Robbie Scott followed.

With Mother Nature scoring the win Friday at Tri-City Raceway Park, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Sportsman Modified and Sprint Car teams only saw action at Sharon Speedway on Saturday evening.  John Mollick and Curt Emings led the 20-car field to the green for the RUSH Sprint Car Billy’s Garage main event.  Mollick, who has gotten off to a slow start this season, wasted little time in grabbing the lead.  Gale Ruth, Jr. passed Emings on the second lap with Zach Morrow moving by Emings for the third position on lap six. Emings later slowed on lap11 to cause a caution. The caution came out once again on lap 15 when Samantha Priest slowed.  Ruth Jr. was unable to capitalize on this final opportunity to overtake Mollick as he pulled away over the final five laps to score the win by 1.691 seconds.  Ruth Jr. finished in second with Morrow third. Second year driver Luke Mulichak matched his career best finish to claim fourth with Zach Wilson getting fifth.

The opener for the Hovis RUSH Sportsman Modifieds saw 21 cars in action.  The 20-lap main event was led to the green by JC Boyer and Kole Holden. Boyer took the lead while Holden, Todd English, Karsten King and Chas Wolbert battled for positions two through five. Wolbert claimed the second spot by lap six and set his sights on Boyer.  The duo of Boyer and Wolbert battled for the lead with Boyer holding off Wolbert until an incident with the lapped car of John McMillen gave Wolbert the opportunity he needed to use the high side of the speedway and take the lead.  At the checkered Wolbert scored a 3.301 second win, the 55^th of his career in RUSH Mod action, over Boyer.  Holden came home in third with Darin Gallagher claiming fourth. Former RUSH Late Model competitor, Matt Latta, claimed fifth.

Just one Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Pro Mod event took place this weekend and the action occurred at Stateline Speedway on Saturday.  Bradford, Pa. competitor, Nick Arnold, used his second place starting spot to take the lead in the 15-lap main event and score his career first win by 1.943 seconds over Josh Wilcox.  Twelfth place starter Ian Degolier was the event’s hard charger as he scored the third-place finish. Cody Rickard and Leonard Enos completed the top five. 

Seventeen-year-old competitor Kaden Micheal continues to be impressive in Hovis RUSH Stock Car action. The defending Series Champion started fifth in the main event at Stateline Speedway and slowly worked his way through the field to take the lead from Camron Kramer on lap seven to score win number two on the year. Darr Diegelman, Raiddan Wilson and Alex Bush finished third through fifth respectively.

The lone Hovis RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series season event of the weekend will take place Sunday evening at Tri-City Raceway Park for $4,000 to-win.  The events scheduled for Friday at Outlaw Speedway and Saturday at The Dirt Track at Genesee have been postponed due to unseasonably cold temperatures and the bleak weather forecasts.  Please note that the Genesee event has been rescheduled to July 22.

RUSH Late Model City Chevrolet Weekly Series action is scheduled at Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday. Saturday night action is scheduled for Genesee, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Tyler County Speedway, Winchester Speedway and Woodhull Raceway.

What was to be a triple header weekend for Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Sportsman Modifieds competitors has now turned into a double header.  Friday evening’s action at Raceway 7 has been cancelled; however, the Sportsman Modified teams will travel to Stateline Speedway as part of the speedway’s Mod Madness event.  The main event will pay $800 to-win and $125 to-start. The teams will then make the short trek to Tri City Raceway Park for Sunday’s action paying $600 to-win and $100 to-start.

The Hovis RUSH Sprint Cars will be in action Friday at Tri-City Raceway Park and Sunday at Knox Raceway for Billy’s Garage Weekly Series action.

Hovis RUSH Pro Mod action is scheduled at Stateline Speedway on Saturday and the season opener at Bradford Speedway on Sunday.

RUSH Stock Car competitors also have three nights of racing action scheduled.  They will begin the weekend at Tri-City Raceway Park on Friday, head to Stateline Speedway Saturday evening and conclude the weekend at Eriez Speedway on Sunday.

Whether you prefer “Full Bodied” or “Open Wheel” racing action you can definitely get your fix of some great RUSH action this holiday weekend!

The RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply together with Born2Run Lubricants along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Rick Hendrick City Chevrolet, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Flynn's Tire, Gunter's Honey, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Billy's Garage, Joseph J. Oliva Attorney at Law, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Landrum Performance Springs, Russ King Racing, 3C Graphix, Dave Poske's Performance Parts, Velocita-USA, Wieland Metal Services, Frankland Racing Supply, Dusted Steak Seasoning, Ontime Body & Graphic, D&V Jewelers, Dusted, Heritage Wine Cellars, Precise Racing Products, Racing Electronics, Design Creations, and Competition Crate Parts.

E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at [email protected] and mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. Office phone is 724-964-9300. The RUSH Racing Series website is www.rushracingseries.com. Like our various Facebook and Twitter pages by searching for the appropriate RUSH Series.

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