9/20/2022
RUSH Late Model Series
GENESEE TO HOST "TOPLESS NATIONALS" FRIDAY & SATURDAY FEATURING A $3000 TO-WIN HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL EVENT EACH NIGHT FOR THE FLYNN'S TIRE TOURING SER
GENESEE TO HOST "TOPLESS NATIONALS" FRIDAY & SATURDAY FEATURING A $3000 TO-WIN HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL EVENT EACH NIGHT FOR THE FLYNN'S TIRE TOURING SERIES
By Mike Leone
September 20, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Batavia, NY)...The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Series together with Born2Run Lubricants will take part in the fifth annual "Topless Nationals" at Genesee Speedway this weekend. The Flynn's Tire Touring Series will race for $3,000 to-win on both Friday and Saturday night (September 23-24) in race #15 and 16 of the 2022 season. Warmups will get underway at 6 p.m. on Friday night and 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Dry weather is forecast for both nights.
The "Topless Nationals" debuted in 2017, but didn't take place in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be the second straight year the event has been contested as Tour events for the Late Models; however, last year's Saturday finale was rained out after qualifying after a record Genesee car count had assembled. This will mark the first time this season back-to-back events will be held at the same facility. The Late Models will run topless each night; however, approved roof plates will be permitted. Roof, roof supports, and window side panels must be removed, all other body rules remain in effect.
Genesee has completed 17 RUSH Late Model events in 2022. Jeremy Wonderling has won eight races in just 13 starts including his last five appearances! Chad Homan has three wins including his first career Tour win on May 28, which came over a record Genesee field of 36 cars! The only other multiple winner is Bill Holmes with a pair of victories. Doug Ricotta won the season opener and leads the $1,000 to-win "Track Pack" points. Other winners include Mike Wonderling, Paul Grigsby, and Jon Rivers.
"We have to thank Kurt and Bonnie Stebbins for their yearlong support of the RUSH Late Models and allowing both nights at the Topless Nationals to be Tour events," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig. "Last year, the Johnsons decided to make both nights Tour events in their final season of running Genesee, but unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans. The Tour events at Genesee are always exciting and very competitive amongst the tough New York racers taking on our Tour regulars."
There have been nine different winners in 14 Flynn's Tire Touring Series events this season. Virginia's Logan Roberson continues to lead the points with 12 top 5s and 14 top 10 in 14 races including a Series high five victories. Roberson has won the last two events including the "Jook George Steel City Classic" for more than $7,600 at Pittsburgh on August and the most recent first ever event at Land of Legends on September 10. Martin is the only other multiple winner this season on the Tour with two checkered flags.
Three-time Tour champion, Jeremy Wonderling is third over his brother Brady as both racers continue to search for their first Series wins of 2022. Matt Latta has had a strong second half of the season with five top six finishes in the last eight events and trails Brady Wonderling by just 11 points. Breyton Santee is sixth over Andy Michael, Ashton Briggs, and Jonathan Stockdale. Canadians Brandt Graham and his father Craig are 10th and 11th in points respectively. Jim Rasey, who is 12th in points, leads the D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier points, while the Jim Wrightsman #21J he pilots is 10th in car owner points.
$100 "Shock the Clock" Qualifying and $25 to-win heat races will take place and be presented by FK Rod Ends each night. The Sunoco Dash will set the beginning rows of the feature lineups and will award the winner a $100 Sunoco fuel gift card each night. 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. The feature winner each night will receive a 5-Gallon Race Jug from Precise. Ontime Body & Graphic's "Spoiler Alert" will award a spoiler kit to the 15th place finisher on the first night and 16th 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.
Friday's race is a Platinum Event designation- the third of three scheduled in 2022, while Saturday night is a Marquee Event. Platinum Events allow Tour members the opportunity to use the event to replace their worst Tour finish or give Tour members that have or will miss a Tour show in 2022 the opportunity to use the event as a replacement Marquee Event. If Friday night would have to be cancelled, Friday, September 30 at PPMS would become a Platinum designation.
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.
The Late Model entry fee is $100 each night. AMB/MyLaps transponders will be used; Westhold transponders will NOT work. Units are available to rent. Driver radio channel will be 454.000.
Pit passes will go on sale at 4 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday; however, the pits will be open prior to those time for early access. A drivers meeting will be held at 5:40 p.m. on Friday and 4:40 on Saturday. Warmups and qualifying will get underway at 6 on Friday night and 4 on Saturday afternoon with racing to follow.
The Quality Inn & Suites Palm Island Indoor Waterpark in Batavia is the "Official Hotel" of the 2021 Flynn's Tire Touring Series events at Genesee Speedway. The hotel is located directly off the I-90 Batavia exit just six miles from Genesee Speedway at 250 Park Road, Batavia, NY, 14020. Hotel management is offering a tremendous rate of just $65/night plus tax for each night for RUSH teams and fans. To book a reservation, call 585-344-2100 and ask for the $65 RUSH rate for Genesee Speedway.
Genesee Speedway is located off Route 5 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds at 5056 E Main Street Rd, Batavia, NY 14020. For more information, check out their website at genesee-speedway.com and like them on Facebook by searching Genesee Speedway.
The RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply together with Born2Run Lubricants along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Waterstone Mortgage Hermitage, Wedge Motorsports, 3C Graphix, D&V Jewelers, DrumPreserve, CrateInsider.com, Marthinsen & Salvitti Insurance Group and Terry Bowser Excavating.
E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at info@rushracingseries.com 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.
Article Credit: Mike Leone
