DOUBLEHEADER WEEKEND FOR HOVIS RUSH LATE MODELS WITH 1ST EVER FLYNN'S TIRE TOUR EVENTS AT MARION CENTER & KNOX

By Mike Leone

June 8, 2023                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Pulaski, PA)...After a weekend off following a three-night northern swing, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants will return to action this weekend for a Flynn's Tire Touring Series doubleheader in western Pennsylvania.  Race #10 will be at Marion Center Raceway on Saturday night with warmups at 6:15 p.m., while race #11 will take place at Knox Raceway  on Sunday with warmups at 4:45 p.m.  Both races will pay $3,000 to-win.

Marion Center Raceway, which is located between Indiana and Punxsutawney, Pa.,  opened in 1966 and has long been known for weekly Super Late Model racing; in fact, held an ultra-successful World of Outlaws event on May 13.  Last year, the first ever RUSH Late Model-sanctioned event at Marion Center was contested with Josh Ferry victorious.  That led to 10 events being scheduled this year including a first ever Flynn's Tire Touring Series event, which will be held on Saturday night!  Joe Martin won the City Chevrolet Weekly Series event on May 6.  Marion Center has doubled the $2,500 City Chevrolet "Track Pack" point fund that pays the top six RUSH member racers with the 2023 champion receiving $2,000.

Action then shifts about 55 miles northwest to Knox Raceway, formerly known as Sportsman's Speedway, located just minutes off I-80 in Clarion County.  Knox's history dates back to 1973 and has primarily been known for its Sprint Car and Modified racing.  Knox has held only one Crate Late Model event in its history and that was a RUSH Weekly Series event in 2013 won by current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series racer Max Blair, who has already announced he will be in competition for just his fifth RUSH race of the season.  Knox has undergone a lot of facility improvements since reopening in 2022 including a higher baked surface this season. 

"We're really looking forward to hitting two new facilities for our Flynn's Tire Touring Series this weekend," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig.  "Both Marion Center and Knox have a lot of history and are well-known throughout the western Pennsylvania ranks so we're proud to be bringing our RUSH Late Model Touring Series to these great tracks.  Not many racers have experience at either of these tracks so that should equal the playing field." 

After finishing third in points in each of the last two years, three-time Flynn's Tire Touring Series Champion, Jeremy Wonderling, is primed for a run at the $15,000 title.  Wonderling has three victories this season including the most recent event at Bradford Speedway and has won 7 of the last 14 Tour races!  He leads his brother Mike Wonderling by 28 points, who is following the Tour for the first time.  Joe Martin, who has finished second in the Tour each of the last three years, is a close third.  Delaware's Cody Dawson is fourth with 13-year-old phenom Brock Pinkerous, fresh off a runner-up at Bradford, hot on his heels.  Completing the top 10 in points are Ashton Briggs, Jim Rasey, Brandt Graham, Craig Graham, and Marc Berzowski. 

Each night this weekend will include $100 FK Rod Ends "Shock the Clock" Qualifying and $25 to-win heat races capped off by 30-lap $3,000 to-win, $250 to-start feature events.  There will be a $200 to-win, $150 to-start non-qualifier each night.

The Sunoco Dash will set the beginning rows of the feature lineup each night and will award the winner a $100 Sunoco fuel gift card.  The "Fill'er up with Sunoco Bucks" program will include an additional $400 of Sunoco fuel card giveaways each night; two $100 random draws for drivers in the top 15 of Tour points and another four $50 random draws for all other competitors. 

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 10th place on the first night and 11th place finisher on the second 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. 

Feature Payoff Each Night: 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.

Non-Qualifier Payoff Each Night: 1. $200 2. $190 3. $185 4. $180 5. $175 6. $170 7. $165 8. $160 9. $155 10-24. $150.  Tow $125

Bradford 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  18-20. $250.

The AMB/MyLaps transponders will be used each night; rentals will be available.  The driver radio channel will be 454.000. 

On Saturday night at Marion Center, pit passes go on sale at 3 p.m. with warm-ups at 6:15 and group qualifying and racing to follow.  On Sunday at Knox, pit passes go on sale at 2 p.m. with warm-ups at 4:45 p.m. and group qualifying and racing to follow. 

Both events will also count towards the RUSH City Chevrolet National Weekly Series Championships and "Futures Cup" for those eligible racers.  In addition at Marion Center, points will also be awarded for their City Chevrolet "Track Pack".

Marion Center Raceway is a 1/4-mile dirt track located at 484 Potts Road, Marion Center, PA 15759, and is in its third year of ownership by Randy Reitz.  For more information, check out https://marioncenterraceway.com and like them on Facebook by searching Marion Center Raceway.

Knox Raceway is a 1/3-mile dirt track located at 171 Speedway Drive, Knox, PA 16232, and is in its second year of ownership by Brian Steinman.  For more information, check out https://knoxracewaypa.com/ and like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/knoxraceway.

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, Sunbelt Rentals, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Bilstein Shocks, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Wieland Metal Services, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Sherwood Wheels, Precise Racing Products, Velocita-USA, Wedge Motorsports, 3C Graphix, D&V Jewelers, CrateInsider.com, and Terry Bowser Excavating.  

E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at [email protected] and snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. Office phone is 724-964-9300.  The RUSH Late Model website is www.rushlatemodels.com. Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on Twitter @RUSHLM.

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