10/7/2025
RUSH Late Model Series
HOVIS RUSH SERIES SET TO CLOSE OUT 2025 SEASON AT LERNERVILLE THIS WEEKEND FOR “STEEL CITY STAMPEDE” FEATURING RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN'S TIRE/GUNTER'S H
HOVIS RUSH SERIES SET TO CLOSE OUT 2025 SEASON AT LERNERVILLE THIS WEEKEND FOR “STEEL CITY STAMPEDE” FEATURING RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN'S TIRE/GUNTER'S HONEY TOUR ALONG WITH RUSH SPRINTS & RUSH SPORTSMAN MODS
By Mike Leone
October 7, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Sarver, PA)...The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Racing Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants will have a tripleheader of action this weekend (October 9-11) at Lernerville Speedway for the "Steel City Stampede". The RUSH Late Model Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series will lead the way along with the RUSH Sprint Car Billy’s Garage Weekly Series and the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will also be in action. Thanks to Peluso Roofing for adding $170 to the purse for each of the three divisions with $100 bonus to the winner, $50 to second, and $20 for third. The event will be streamed live on Dirt.TV.
Practice will be held Thursday night (October 9) with heat races for all divisions on Friday night followed by the conclusion of the event on Saturday. Action gets underway on Friday at 7 p.m. with group qualifying for the RUSH Late Models followed by heat race action. On Saturday, racing will begin early at 4 p.m. The rain date is Sunday.
"This is always a great way to end our season," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig. "The RUSH championships annually comes down to this event. Our Late Model racers are always excited to get the chance to compete at Lernerville. The car counts have always been strong and the racing at Lernerville is always some of the best of the season. The Sportsman Modifieds have been given the opportunity to race numerous times over the past 12 seasons at Lernerville. Lernerville was a very important part of getting our RUSH Sprint division off the ground in 2018. All three classes always put on tremendous races at Lernerville."
This year’s “Steel City Stampede” will be the 17th edition of the huge event that includes many of the region’s racing divisions all showcased in this end of the season blowout. There have been 13 different RUSH Late Model winners in 16 years with only two repeat winners. Past winners include Josh Holtgraver (2009), Bryan Force (2010), Butch Lambert (2011), Max Blair (2012, 2019 & 2020), Dennis Lunger, Jr. (2013), Chad Ruhlman (2014), Jacob Hawkins (2015), John Mollick (2016), John Waters (2017), Colton Flinner (2018), Kyle Hardy (2021), Logan Roberson (2022), and Michael Norris (2023-2024).
FK Rod Ends "Shock the Clock Qualifying, heat races, and the Sunoco Dash will be run on Friday night for the Late Models. The fastest qualifier will receive $100 and all heat race winners will earn $25. The last chance B main(s) will kick-off Saturday's program. The 30-lap feature will pay a SCS record $4,000 to-win plus a $100 bonus from Peluso Roofing. There will also be a $200 to-win, $150 to-start D&V Jewelers non-qualifier. There have been 10 different winners this season on the Tour in 17 races to date.
For the second straight year, one lucky eligible RUSH Late Model Touring Series driver will take home a $5,000 check thanks to the Landrum Performance Springs "Loyalty Bonus"! That drawing will take place on Saturday for Touring Series member drivers that have competed in at least 75% of the Tour events, which is 12 drivers. Last year’s winner was Austin Allen, who is eligible again this year.
Last weekend at Pittsburgh, Jeremy Wonderling clinched his unprecedented fifth Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series title; however, this one is the richest of his career at $20,000! Four of Wonderling’s 30 career Tour wins have come this season, but has won just once at Lernerville back on July 21, 2023. Wonderling has also clinched the City Chevrolet National Weekly Series Championship for the fifth time in the last six years.
Kyle Hardy, the 2021 Tour Champion, is second in points and has a 79-point lead on Demetrios Drellos. Hardy, who has three victories this season, simply has to attempt to race to clinch the $10,000 runner-up prize. Drellos meanwhile leads the $3,000 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year chase over Zack Carley, who is fifth in points. Sandwiched in between is Daryl Charlier, the 2024 3C Graphix RoY winner. Ben Easler is sixth in points as he’s coming off his first career podium finish on the Tour last Saturday night at Pittsburgh in the $10,000 to-win “Bill Hendren Memorial”. Completing the top 12 in points paying positions are Allen, Jason Knowles, Mike Wonderling, Ryan Hare, Austin Hauser, and Bill Holmes III.
In addition to the Sunoco Dash winner receiving a $100 Sunoco fuel card, there will be $400 of Sunoco fuel card giveaways part of the “Fill’er up with Sunoco Bucks” promotion presented Bazell Race Fuels. 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 18th 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.
The Hovis RUSH Sprints will wrap up their eighth season and will be racing for $900 to-win now thanks to Peluso Roofing. Past "Steel City Stampede" RUSH Sprint winners include Chad Ruhlman and John Mollick with two victories each, while Gale Ruth, Jr., Zach Morrow, and Blaze Myers each have one victory. Mollick won the August 23 show over a 22-car field in their only appearance of the season at Lernerville. Myers has already clinched his first Billy’s Garage Weekly Series Championship worth $5,000! Rookie Wyatt Long leads last year’s runner-up, Ricky Tucker III, in the Russ King Racing Futures Cup standings.
Meanwhile, the Hovis RUSH Sportsman Modifieds will join the "Steel City Stampede" for the 12th consecutive year in what is now a $900 to-win event thanks to Peluso Roofing. This will be the season’s first appearance by the RUSH Mods to Lernerville. Chas Wolbert has already clinched the $3,500 Weekly Series Championship along with the $1,000 “Route 7 Rumble” Series title, while second year racer, Karston King, won the Russ King Racing Futures Cup.
Greg Martin won the inaugural SCS race in 2014, while Nick Ritchey won his first ever at Lernerville in 2015. Rocky Kugel topped what was at the time in 2016 was a record field of 29 cars. Steve Slater won the 2017 show, while teen Blaze Myers scored a popular first Tour win in 2018 after coming out of the B main to also win the Futures Cup title. In 2019, Eric Gabany was victorious. Wolbert capped off his 2020 championship season by winning his first. Garrett Krummert finally broke into victory lane in 2021. Ben Easler clinched the 2022 championship to become the ninth different winner. Krummert won the 2023 Stampede make-up in April of 2024 to become the first repeat winner. Last year saw Jacob Rutana close out his fourth season of racing in victory lane for the first time in his career to become the 10th different winner in 11 years!
RUSH Late Model Feature Payoff: 1. $4,000 + $100 from Peluso Roofing 2. $2,000 + $50 from Peluso Roofing 3. $1,000 + $20 from Peluso Roofing 4. $800 5. $700 6. $600 7. $550 8. $500 9. $475 10. $450 11. $425 12. $400 13. $375 14. $360 15. $350 16. $340 17. $330 18. $320 19. $310 20-24. $300 (25. $300).
RUSH Late Model Non-Qualifier Payoff: 1. $200 2. $190 3. $185 4. $180 5. $175 6. $170 7. $165 8. $160 9. $155 10-24. $150. Tow $125.
RUSH Sportsman Modified Feature Payoff: 1. $800 + $100 from Peluso Roofing 2. $500 + $50 from Peluso Roofing 3. $350 + $20 from Peluso Roofing 4. $300 5. $250 6. $220 7. $180 8. $175 9. $170 10. $165 11. $160 12. $155 13. $150 14. $145 15. $140 16. $135 17. $130 18-24. $125. Tow $75.
RUSH Sprint Car Feature Payoff: 1. $800 + $100 from Peluso Roofing 2. $400 + $50 from Peluso Roofing 3. $300 + $20 from Peluso Roofing 4. $250 5. $225 6. $220 7. $210 8. $200 9. $190 10. $185 11. $180 12. $175 13. $170 14-18. $165 19-24. $160. Tow $75.
The AMB/MyLaps transponders are required for all divisions; rentals will be available for $25 for the weekend. Driver radios are always mandatory; channel 454.000. The entry fee is $100 for Late Models. There will be an open practice from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday night. Registration will open at 3 p.m. on Thursday and 2 p.m. on Friday. There will be a drivers meeting on Friday at 6:20 p.m. Group qualifying will get underway at 7:00 followed by heat races. Racing begins early on Saturday at 4 p.m. Additional information can be found here: https://www.lernerville.com/downloads/get.aspx?i=1148470
Lernerville is a 4/10-mile high-banked clay oval located 11 miles southeast of Butler, Pa. on Route 356 at 313 North Pike Road, Sarver, PA 16055. Lernerville is just 30 miles northeast of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. For more information, check out their website at www.lernerville.com or call 724-353-1511.
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 info@rushracingseries.com 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 page and X (formerly Twitter) pages by searching each individual Series.
Article Credit: Mike Leone