KYLE HARDY OUTDUELS TRACK CHAMP DARYL CHARLIER FOR 1ST PITTSBRUGH WIN
WORTH $3000 IN NIGHT 1 OF THE “BILL HENDREN MEMORIAL” FOR FLYNN’S TIRE/BORN2RUN
LUBRICANTS TOUR; PHILIP BUBECK DOMINATES $1200 “ONE TO REMEMBER” NON-WINNERS
RACE
By Mike Leone
October 1, 2021 FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Imperial, PA)...The
Pace Performance RUSH Dirt Late Model Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet
Buick GMC competed in night one of the 11th annual “Bill Hendren Memorial”
presented by FK Rod Ends in conjunction with Pro Fabrication on Friday night at
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway as part of the 33rd annual
“Pittsburgher 100” weekend. The
third appearance of the season to “Dirt’s Monster Half-Mile” by the Flynn’s
Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Touring Series attracted 35 race teams from seven
different states.
The following helped make the “Bill Hendren Memorial”
to the two-day purse structure that it is: FK Rod Ends, Pro Fabrication, Hendren
Racing Engines, CrateInsider.com, Miley Motor Sports, the RUSH Racing Series,
and Branden Lockwich.
After runner-up finishes in the
“Herb Scott Memorial” and “Jook George Steel City Classic” earlier this season,
National Weekly Series Champion and Touring Series point leader Kyle Hardy was
able to slay the Monster for his first career Pittsburgh win.
While the box score will show Hardy leading laps 1-30, the $3,000 victory
was far from easy as he to fend off PPMS track champion and 71-time feature
winner, Daryl Charlier, in a side-by-side duel for several laps.
Hardy’s first career “Bill Hendren Memorial” victory was his leading
seventh of the season in RUSH Tour competition, but first since August 15.
Hardy also became the third different winner in as many 2021 Tour events
at Pittsburgh, and more impressively the 12th different winner in 18
RUSH Late Models races contested at the track in 2021!
“If you had a camera or mirror on me you’d have seen how freaked out I was just
trying to get where I needed to be to win this thing,” revealed the 28-year-old
Linden, Virginia winner. “What a
race- it was super fun out there. I
can’t thank my crew to get this car so good to where I could steer across the
middle of the race track. What a
car we’ve had all year. I think
that was win #30 (overall in Super, Limited & Crate Late Models).
It’s been an unreal year and if I don’t win on New Year’s Day next year
I’m already behind. This goes to
all of the people behind me that keep me in line to make sure I can go out here
and race. Listening at the drivers
meeting about the Hendrens and for them to come here from North Carolina and do
this- it’s an honor to be able to win the first night of the Bill Hendren.
Vicki (Emig) puts on a great deal for us.”
September 18 Pittsburgh winner, Garret Paugh, earned the pole by winning the
Sunoco Dash, but it was Hardy powering into the lead at the start with Zach
Morrow getting by Paugh for second.
Following a caution for Levi Crowl’s spin, Morrow lost the handle on the restart
in turn one and collected Justin Kann, Bill Kessler, and Tim Shaffer as all four
racers were done for the event.
Morrow, who was fast all night long in the Bob Bentz #60, was selected as the
TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night”.
Back under green on lap two, Joe Martin roared past Paugh for second with Eddie
Carrier, Jr. and Jeremy Wonderling filling out the top five.
By lap six, Hardy and Martin began to distance themselves from the field,
while Paugh was trying to fend off Carrier in the race for third.
Following a caution for debris with 10 laps scored, Carrier and Paugh
were able to move past Martin for second and third respectively; however, two
laps later, Martin was able to get back by Paugh for third and also brought
eighth starting Charlier with him.
A caution for a spin by Logan Zarin slowed action with 13 laps scored.
When green replaced yellow, Charlier continued his charge to the front
passing both Martin and Carrier for second.
Martin was able to work his way back to third on lap 16 when he disposed
of Carrier. Colton Flinner had
charged from 17th into the top five by lap 14, but lost power in the
Ken Chernik #5x to bring out the caution with 20 laps completed.
Back under green, Charlier seemed to have the advantage as he raced side-by-side
for the lead with Hardy, but the transponders showed Hardy maintaining his
slight lead on laps 21 and 22.
Hardy then was able to keep Charlier at bay over the final eight laps and
extended his advantage late to take the checkered flag by 2.614 seconds.
Hardy’s 17th overall win of 2021 in RUSH-sanctioned
competition came in the American Paint
Co./AGX/Anthony's Pizza/Ingram Engines/Cline Construction/Sommey Lacey
Paint-sponsored #99!
Charlier earned $1,500 for his
best Tour finish of the season. “If I’m going to finish second I guess I’ll
finish second to Kyle Hardy- he’s the top dog in the crates and especially the
RUSH Series. We never touched and
I’m just glad we have the car in one piece after everything that happened
tonight. Hopefully we get this
motor cooled down so we can run another 30 laps tomorrow and have a shot at it.
The entire Laboon Family works hard on this all week for me, and I’m sure
they’ll be back tomorrow at it so hopefully we can put together a good piece.
Also, Brad from Centerline Collision and George from Bud’s are a huge
help for the team.”
Martin’s third was his fourth
straight Tour podium finish, his ninth straight top six, and 12th top
six in the last 13 events as he maintains runner-up in the standings.
Carrier made his first RUSH start since the 2019 “Bill Hendren Memorial”
in the second Phil Lukon #184 entry and ironically matched a fourth place finish
from that night. Wonderling, who
won his first career Pittsburgh race on July 3, was fifth.
Jacob Gunn went 10th
to sixth. After failing to finish in the
top 10 in the first 11 Tour races of the season, Bud Watson continues his late
season surge. Watson
raced from 18th to
seventh for his fourth straight top 10!
Paugh faded to eighth at the finish.
Logan Zarin came back through the pack from his spin on lap 13 to finish
ninth, and last year’s night two “Bill Hendren Memorial” winner, Levi Crowl,
completed the top 10. After getting
the final feature transfer spot in the second last chance B main, Zach Kane
worked his way from 24th to 12th to earn the $100 Precise
Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger gift card.
Tony Musolino was aboard Matt Dobnak’s #42 and finished 16th
to receive a $150 spoiler kit from Ontime Body & Graphic.
In his first full season of RUSH
Late Model competition, 19-year-old Philip Bubeck passed 2021 “Futures Cup”
Champion, Kassidy Kamicker, on lap two and was never challenged for the victory
in the fourth annual “One to Remember” Non-Winners Race presented by Hendren
Racing Engines and CrateInsider.com.
The 15-lap victory came in a 20-year-old car for the Four-Cylinder
graduate, and was worth $1,200 thanks to a $200 bonus by Bettie Hendren, the
wife of the late Bill Hendren.
“This is awesome,” expressed the
Collier, West Virginia racer. “I’m
very thankful they put on this race.
It gives new and upcoming drivers an opportunity to be in victory lane.
I couldn’t have done any of this without Bill and April (Tennant), Phil
and Kyle Lukon have helped us out so much.
It’s been difficult trying to figure out this division.
They took us under their wing and really helped us out this year.
Everything is just completely different from the Four-Cylinder division
from the way they’re built to the way you drive them.”
Kamicker led her first career
lap, but Bubeck was able to power around the 18-year-old off the topside of turn
four on lap two. Bubeck began to
stretch out his lead on lap five as Kamicker had her hands fill with Zach Kane.
Kamicker and Kane continued to go at it as they raced side-by-side on lap
11, but unfortunately Kamicker lost the handle racing off the bottom of turn
four two laps later to bring out the event’s first caution.
Kane was unable to challenge Bubeck in the final two laps as Bubeck took the
Bill Tennant-owned, B&J Performance/Bob's Trucking/Jim's Towing/Lukon
Racing-sponsored #2 to the victory by a margin of 0.715 seconds.
Kane has now competed in all four “One to Remember” events and his
runner-up finish was his best to date as he earned $300.
Tom Klein made his first ever Tour start and was able to finish third in
the event after starting eighth.
Zach Gunn and Rob Coffaro were fourth and fifth.
Dan Lepro was the first
non-qualifier and picked up a $100 Performance Bodies gift card for the “Nosed
Out” contingency. Dave Goble was
the lucky recipient of a $100 Sunoco gift card by random draw and Paugh also
received a $100 Sunoco gift card by winning the Dash as part of the “Fill’er up
with Sunoco Bucks” program presented by Sunoco and Zarin Truck and Auto.
Martin earned his fourth $100 FK
Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” qualifying award of the season with a fast lap of
19.284 over the 35-car field.
Picking up $25 FK Rod Ends heat race wins were Martin, Paugh, Zarin, and Morrow.
Michael Reft and Ray Love, Jr. won the twin last chance B mains.
The Flynn’s Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Late Model Touring Series will return to
Pittsburgh joining the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the final appearance
of the season on Saturday night (October 2) for night two of the “Bill Hendren
Memorial” paying $3,000 to-win plus a $500 to-win Non-Qualifier.
Warmups begin at 6 p.m.
Pace Performance RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Touring Series
Race #15 “Bill Hendren Memorial” presented by FK Rod Ends & Pro Fab (30
laps, $3000 to-win): 1. KYLE HARDY (99)
2. Daryl Charlier (Centerline 114)
3. Joe Martin (Snyder 10s)
4. Eddie Carrier, Jr. (Lukon 184X)
5. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 6. Jacob
Gunn (14G) 7. Bud Watson (225)
8. Garret Paugh (03) 9.
Logan Zarin (1z) 10. Levi Crowl (5)
11. Ray Love, Jr. (08) 12.
Zach Kane (10) 13. Michael Reft
(9R) 14. Colton Flinner (Chernik
5x) 15. Michael Duritsky, Jr. (90J)
16. Tony Musolino (Dobnak 42)
17. Zach Gunn (17G) 18. Kyle
Lukon (184) 19. Ryan Frazee (11F)
20. Zach Morrow (Bentz 60)
21. Bill Kessler (09) 22. Justin
Kann (66) 23. Philip Bubeck
(Tennant 2) 24. Tim Shaffer (45).
DNQ for the feature: Dan
Lepro (2L), Tom Duratz (55D), Grant Garrison (1), Kassidy Kamicker (72B), Tom
Klein (77), Rob Coffaro (24), Dave Goble (20G), Nick Love (38), Noah Brunell
(31), Zach Crawford (c4), Ben Policz (14B).
4th Annual “One to Remember” Non-Winners Race presented by Hendren
Racing Engines & CrateInsider.com
(15 laps, $1200 to-win): 1. PHILIP BUBECK (Tennant 2)
2. Zach Kane (10) 3. Tom
Klein (77) 4. Zach Gunn (14G)
5. Rob Coffaro (24) 6.
Kassidy Kamicker (72B) 7. Nick Love
(38) 8. Dave Goble (20G).
DNS: Noah Brunell (31), Zach Crawford (c4).
Car Count: 35
Feature Margin of Victory:
2.614 seconds
Feature Lap Leaders: Kyle Hardy
(1-30)
Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert” Spoiler Kit:
Tony Musolino
Performance Bodies “Nosed Out”: Dan
Lepro
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger:
Zach Kane (+12)
Precise Racing Products 5-Gallon Race Jug: Kyle
Hardy
Sunoco and Zarin Truck & Auto $100 Sunoco Fuel Cards:
Dave Goble & Garret Paugh
TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night”:
Zach Morrow
FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying ($100
for fast time) (Track record 18.652 by Daryl Charlier on 7/3/21):
1. 10S-Joe Martin, 00:19.284[1]; 2. 03-Garret Paugh, 00:19.559[2]; 3. 1Z-Logan
Zarin, 00:19.711[21]; 4. 60-Zach Morrow, 00:19.786[19]; 5. 114-Daryl Charlier,
00:19.793[28]; 6. 90J-Michael Duritsky Jr, 00:19.805[5]; 7. 99-Kyle Hardy,
00:19.857[3]; 8. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling, 00:19.868[16]; 9. 11F-Ryan Frazee,
00:19.966[32]; 10. 14G-Jake Gunn, 00:19.969[6]; 11. 2P-Philip Bubeck,
00:20.037[29]; 12. 42D-Tony Musolino, 00:20.106[20]; 13. 17G-Zach Gunn,
00:20.108[13]; 14. 225-Bud Watson, 00:20.150[17]; 15. 184-Kyle Lukon,
00:20.184[9]; 16. 09-Bill Kessler, 00:20.232[33]; 17. 31-Noah Brunell,
00:20.266[10]; 18. 184X-Eddie Carrier Jr, 00:20.277[7]; 19. 72B-Kassidy
Kamicker, 00:20.381[11]; 20. 08-Ray Love Jr, 00:20.419[24]; 21. 66-Justin Kann,
00:20.442[8]; 22. 9R-Mike Reft, 00:20.461[15]; 23. 10-Zachary Kane,
00:20.463[23]; 24. 45-Tim Shaffer, 00:20.613[27]; 25. 2L-Dan Lepro,
00:20.655[25]; 26. C4-Zach Crawford, 00:20.657[12]; 27. 5C-Levi Crowl,
00:20.738[34]; 28. 55D-Tom Duratz, 00:20.753[30]; 29. 5X-Colton Flinner,
00:20.763[26]; 30. 20G-Dave Goble, 00:20.821[35]; 31. 38-Nick Love,
00:21.261[22]; 32. 24C-Rob Coffaro, 00:21.264[14]; 33. 77-Tom Klein,
00:21.306[31]; 34. 1G-Grant Garrison, 00:21.515[4]; 35. 14B-Ben Policz, NT.
FK Rod Ends Heat 1 (8
laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 10S-Joe Martin[1]; 2. 114-Daryl
Charlier[2]; 3. 17G-Zach Gunn[4]; 4. 66-Justin Kann[6]; 5. 5X-Colton Flinner[8];
6. 11F-Ryan Frazee[3]; 7. 31-Noah Brunell[5]; 8. 2L-Dan Lepro[7]; 9. 77-Tom
Klein[9].
FK Rod Ends Heat 2 (8
laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 03-Garret Paugh[1]; 2. 184X-Eddie
Carrier Jr[5]; 3. 14G-Jake Gunn[3]; 4. 90J-Michael Duritsky Jr[2]; 5. 225-Bud
Watson[4]; 6. 9R-Mike Reft[6]; 7. 1G-Grant Garrison[9]; 8. 20G-Dave Goble[8]; 9.
(DNS) C4-Zach Crawford.
FK Rod Ends Heat 3 (8
laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1.
1Z-Logan Zarin[1]; 2. 99-Kyle Hardy[2]; 3. 184-Kyle Lukon[4]; 4. 5C-Levi
Crowl[7]; 5. 2P-Philip Bubeck[3]; 6. 10-Zachary Kane[6]; 7. 72B-Kassidy
Kamicker[5]; 8. 38-Nick Love[8]; 9. (DNS) 14B-Ben Policz
FK Rod Ends Heat 4 (8
laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 60-Zach Morrow[1]; 2. 3J-Jeremy
Wonderling[2]; 3. 09-Bill Kessler[4]; 4. 42D-Tony Musolino[3]; 5. 45-Tim
Shaffer[6]; 6. 08-Ray Love Jr[5]; 7. 55D-Tom Duratz[7]; 8. 24C-Rob Coffaro[8].
Last Chance B Main 1
(8 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 9R-Mike Reft[2]; 2. 11F-Ryan Frazee[1]; 3.
2L-Dan Lepro[5]; 4. 1G-Grant Garrison[4]; 5. 77-Tom Klein[7]; 6. 20G-Dave
Goble[6]; 7. (DNS) 31-Noah Brunell; 8. (DNS) C4-Zach Crawford.
Last Chance B Main 2
(8 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 08-Ray Love Jr[2]; 2. 10-Zachary Kane[1]; 3.
55D-Tom Duratz[4]; 4. 72B-Kassidy Kamicker[3]; 5. 24C-Rob Coffaro[6]; 6. 38-Nick
Love[5]; 7. (DNS) 14B-Ben Policz.
Sunoco Dash (6
laps, $100 Sunoco fuel card to-win): 1. 03-Garret Paugh[1]; 2. 99-Kyle Hardy[2];
3. 60-Zach Morrow[8]; 4. 10S-Joe Martin[3]; 5. 184X-Eddie Carrier Jr[5]; 6.
3J-Jeremy Wonderling[6]; 7. 1Z-Logan Zarin[4]; 8. 114-Daryl Charlier[7].
RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Pace Performance together with Sweeney
Chevrolet Buick GMC along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks,
Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance,
Holley Performance Products, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, Born2Run Lubricants,
Flynn's Tire & Auto Service, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing
Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Dirt
Defender, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance
Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels,
Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Stop-Fyre, Lincoln Electric,
Velocita-USA, Waterstone Mortgage Hermitage, CrateInsider.com, and Wedge
Motorsports.
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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