KYLE HARDY ENDS WINLESS DROUGHT OF MORE THAN 2 YEARS ON THE HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN'S TIRE/GUNTER'S HONEY TOUR TO BECOME SEASON'S 9TH DIFFERENT WINNER IN 12 RACES IN HIS 1ST EVER TRI-CITY APPEARANCE
By Mike Leone
August 29, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Franklin, PA)...The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn's Tire Gunter's Honey Touring Series made its second and final visit of the season to Tri-City Raceway Park on an overcast, October-like Friday evening. Race #12 of the 2025 season was the kickoff to the Franklin, Pennsylvania half-mile facility's three-night "Oil Region Labor Day Classic".
Tri-City has become the place to end winless skeins this season. Back in May, Daryl Charlier ended a three-year winless drought on the Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Tour and on Friday night, Kyle Hardy ended his drought of more than two years and four months! Hardy ironically passed Charlier on lap 13 in lapped traffic then fended off a late charge by Christian Schneider for the $4,000 payday. Hardy, who just won his first RUSH-sanctioned race of 2025 last Saturday night at Winchester Speedway in a City Chevrolet Weekly Series event, became the 9th different Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Tour winner in 12 races this season!
"This feels good coming from a long ways down the road from here," acknowledged the 32-year-old Winchester, Virginia standout from Landrum Performance Victory Lane. "Our guys keep working hard and never give up. I'm glad to finally get a victory after these long trips. When we showed up we totally missed the idea of what this track was going to be. When I saw how big it was I thought it might fit up our alley because we won a race recently at Hagerstown and I put the exact numbers on it and knew the car would like the package. I wasn't sure about the tire I had so I have to thank Ed and Zack Carley for spotting me a tire. They seem like really good people and glad to call them my friends."
"This is really good competition," added Hardy. "You have Daryl (Charlier), Jeremy (Wonderling), and Christian (Schneider) was just flying around here so I didn't know if I could beat them or not. Daryl is a good racer and I didn't think he was going to make a mistake and probably wishes he stayed in line. When that yellow came out and I saw Christian was up to third, I knew I couldn't make a mistake. If he (Schneider) was going to pass me he was going to have to earn, but I wasn't going to do him dirty because he raced me clean. He has a really good half-mile package here and at Pittsburgh, which really seems to fit that car. I thought he was going to stick that move on the outside."
Following the Dave Poske's Performance Parts "Feel the RUSH" 4-Wide Salute, Charlier raced into the early lead over Hardy, Bill Holmes III, Jason Knowles, and Schneider. Schneider moved into fourth on lap two before a caution for a spin by Mike Wonderling. By lap five, Charlier and Hardy distanced themselves from the field, while Schneider was all over Holmes in the battle for third. Schneider drove under and past Holmes for the third on lap seven with Knowles following in fourth.
Current points leader and four-time Series champion, Jeremy Wonderling, started sixth and cracked the top five on lap 10 by getting by Holmes. Meanwhile back up front, Hardy closed in on Charlier on lap 12. Lapped traffic came into play on lap 13. Charlier went high in turn four to negotiate traffic, but Hardy raced by into the lead for what would be the winning pass. Schneider was closing in to make it a three-car battle for the lead when Knowles blew a tire running in fourth to bring out the event's second and final caution with 14 laps completed.
When racing resumed at the halfway point, Schneider raced past Charlier for second. Hardy maintained a fairly comfortable lead on Schneider as the laps ticked off; however, Hardy caught traffic on lap 25, which allowed Schneider to close in. Heavy lapped traffic came into play on lap 27 with Schneider all over the leader. Hardy struggled to get by Logen Lockhart. Schneider went to the outside of Hardy and the two raced side-by-side on lap 28. Hardy was able to get past Lockhart and fended off Schneider's challenges by just 0.585 seconds at the finish in his first ever Tri-City appearance.
The win was Hardy's 11th of his career on the Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Tour but first since April 14, 2023 at Potomac Speedway, and came in his AGX Auto Glass/KHR/HT Roofing/Cline Construction/Dehaven Trailer Sales/MB Collectibles/Mike Hurley Motorsports/Xceptional Wildlife/Red Rock Tale Brickhouse-sponsored #99.
"I'm glad everyone ran a clean race," stated Hardy. "I can't say enough about all these guys that run the Tour. People give crate racing a bad name sometimes, but these guys we race with are purely class and that's why we come and run these shows because you know who you're racing against. I'm just glad to pull off this win- it's super tough to beat that 3J (Wonderling) and those guys."
Schneider, who made his first Tour start since his first career win in the $6010 "Jook George Steel City Classic" at Pittsburgh PA Motor Speedway on July 26, earned $2,000 with another impressive performance on a half-mile track. "I almost pulled something out of my butt when Kyle (Hardy) washed up with the 58-car (Lockhart) on the bottom and I had momentum but I still probably couldn't have got him," explained the 27-year-old Pittsburgh Pa. driver. "He was so good and pretty damn consistent. Congratulations to him and Jeremy (Wonderling). I'm thrilled to be up here and race against these guys. I'm just going to ride this out until the luck runs out eventually, and keep putting in the work and show up with the intention that we're going to do as good as we can."
Wonderling passed Charlier on lap 29 to finish third and maintain his points lead. It was Wonderling's 8th podium finish in 12 races as he received a three-pack of Heritage Wine Cellars premium product along with Hardy and Schneider. Seventh starting Ryan Hare, who is in his first full season on the Tour, came home a career best fourth after passing Charlier on the final lap. Hare easily eclipsed his season best 12th from Stateline Speedway on August 9 and beat out his prior best on the Tour, which was a fifth at Tyler County Speedway on September 3, 2023. After leading the first 12 laps and running in the top three for the first 28 circuits, Charlier dropped to fifth at the finish for just his second top five of the season- both coming at Tri-City.
Zack Carley, who just came off his season's best third last Friday night at McKean County Raceway, was sixth to cut more into Demetrios Drellos' lead in the 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year standings. Back in May at Tri-City, Ashton Briggs was fifth for his career best effort in five seasons on the Tour. Briggs had another solid run on Friday night going 12th to 7th. Bryce Davis raced from the 17th starting spot to 8th at the finish to earn the Precise Racing Products $50 gift card for being the "Pedal Down" Hard Charger recipient. Kyle Zimmerman was ninth. After being as high as fourth early on, Holmes faded to 10th for his first top 10 of the season in his rookie year on the Tour.
Second year RUSH racer, Andrew Chess, made his first start outside of Stateline and Eriez Speedways and the 16-year-old Ripley, NY driver came home 14th to earn a spoiler kit from Ontime Body & Graphic. Thanks to Tri-City owner Josh Shiffer, a RUSH Hoosier Tire was given away and won by Steve Hollabaugh, who made his first Tour start in more than two years.
Schneider set a new track record in qualifying with a lap of 18.708 to earn $100 for his first ever FK Rod Ends "Shock the Clock" honor; in fact, the top six qualifiers all broke the 18.913 record established by Austin Hauser back in May! Schneider, Jeremy Wonderling, and Charlier won the $25 FK Rod Ends heat races.
Charlier became the ninth different Sunoco Dash winner of the season and received a $100 Sunoco fuel card. Also winning $100 Sunoco fuel cards part of the "Fill'er up with Sunoco Bucks" program presented by Bazell Race Fuels were Tour drivers Charlier and Drellos, while the $50 Sunoco fuel cards went to Zimmerman, Chess, Lockhart, and Rob Coffaro.
Landrum Performance Springs, which will award the $5,000 Loyalty Bonus to an eligible Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series regular at the season ending event, distributed BOGO certificates on Friday night, which were captured by Hollabaugh, Hare, Brad Mesler, Jamie Wrightsman, and Mike Wonderling.
The Flynn’s Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series will return to action on Sunday (August 31) for the final appearance of the season at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV for the inaugural "Country Roads" event with $4,000 on the line part of the Dave Poske's Performance Parts Mid-Ohio Valley Series. Warmups begin at 6 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series Race #12 (30 laps, $4,000 to-win): 1. KYLE HARDY (99) 2. Christian Schneider (56) 3. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 4. Ryan Hare (29) 5. Daryl Charlier (Dobnak 42) 6. Zack Carley (2) 7. Ashton Briggs (11A) 8. Bryce Davis (94) 9. Kyle Zimmerman (Stockdale 31) 10. Bill Holmes III (8) 11. Austin Allen (Mullen 32) 12. Brad Mesler (Sturdevant 87s) 13. Demetrios Drellos (111) 14. Andrew Chess (8c) 15. Ben Easler (02) 16. Jamie Wrightsman (21J) 17. Mike Wonderling (18) 18. Jason Knowles (4) 19. Steve Hollabaugh (3) 20. Logen Lockhart (58) 21. Rob Coffaro (24C).
Car Count: 21
Feature Margin of Victory: 0.585 seconds
Feature Lap Leaders: Daryl Charlier (1-12), Kyle Hardy (13-30)
Heritage Wine Cellars 3-Pack of Premium Products: Kyle Hardy, Christian Schneider, Jeremy Wonderling
Hoosier Tire presented by Tri-City Raceway Park: Steve Hollabaugh
Landrum Performance Springs BOGO Certificates: Steve Hollabaugh, Brad Mesler, Jamie Wrightsman, Ryan Hare & Mike Wonderling
Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert” Spoiler Kit: Andrew Chess
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger: Bryce Davis (+9)
Sunoco Fuel Card Winners presented by Bazell Race Fuels: Daryl Charlier ($100), Demetrios Drellos ($100), Kyle Zimmerman ($50), Rob Coffaro ($50), Andrew Chess ($50), Logen Lockhart ($50).
FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying ($100 for fast time) (Track record 18.913 by Austin Hauser on 5/25/25): 1. 56-Christian Schneider, 00:18.708*[NTR] [15]; 2. 99-Kyle Hardy, 00:18.849[16]; 3. 42-Daryl Charlier, 00:18.873[2]; 4. 29-Ryan Hare, 00:18.888[9]; 5. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling, 00:18.906[8]; 6. 111D-Demetrios Drellos, 00:18.910[19]; 7. 31-Kyle Zimmerman, 00:18.955[4]; 8. 2C-Zack Carley, 00:18.970[17]; 9. 4-Jason Knowles, 00:18.973[5]; 10. 8-Bill Holmes, 00:19.000[1]; 11. 32A-Austin Allen, 00:19.055[10]; 12. 18-Mike Wonderling, 00:19.068[21]; 13. 8C-Andrew Chess, 00:19.077[14]; 14. 87S-Brad Mesler, 00:19.164[6]; 15. 11A-Ashton Briggs, 00:19.190[20]; 16. 02-Ben Easler, 00:19.218[11]; 17. 58-Logen Lockhart, 00:19.271[12]; 18. 21J-Jamie Wrightsman, 00:19.410[7]; 19. 3-Steve Hollabaugh, 00:19.580[3]; 20. 94-Bryce Davis, 00:19.969[13]; 21. 24C-Rob Coffaro, 00:21.634[18].
FK Rod Ends Heat 1 (8 laps, $25 to-win): 1. 56-Christian Schneider[1]; 2. 8-Bill Holmes[4]; 3. 29-Ryan Hare[2]; 4. 31-Kyle Zimmerman[3]; 5. 02-Ben Easler[6]; 6. 8C-Andrew Chess[5]; 7. 3-Steve Hollabaugh[7].
FK Rod Ends Heat 2 (8 laps, $25 to-win): 1. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[2]; 2. 99-Kyle Hardy[1]; 3. 2C-Zack Carley[3]; 4. 58-Logen Lockhart[6]; 5. 32A-Austin Allen[4]; 6. 94-Bryce Davis[7]; 7. 87S-Brad Mesler[5].
FK Rod Ends Heat 3 (8 laps, $25 to-win): 1. 42-Daryl Charlier[1]; 2. 4-Jason Knowles[3]; 3. 111D-Demetrios Drellos[2]; 4. 11A-Ashton Briggs[5]; 5. 18-Mike Wonderling[4]; 6. 21J-Jamie Wrightsman[6]; 7. 24C-Rob Coffaro[7].
Sunoco Dash (6 laps, $100 Sunoco fuel card to win): 1. 42-Daryl Charlier[1]; 2. 99-Kyle Hardy[4]; 3. 4-Jason Knowles[3]; 4. 56-Christian Schneider[5]; 5. 8-Bill Holmes[2]; 6. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[6].
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, Seal-Tite Paving & Excavating, Dusted Steak Seasoning, Ontime Body & Graphic, D&V Jewelers, AERO Race Wheels, 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 Late Model website is www.rushlatemodels.com. Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @RUSHLM.
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