DEMETRIOS DRELLOS OUT-DUELS 5-TIME CHAMPION JEREMY WONDERLING AT STATELINE TO
CAPTURE HIS 1ST CAREER HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN'S TIRE/GUNTER'S HONEY TOUR
VICTORY & BECOMES SEASON'S 6TH DIFFERENT WINNER IN 6 RACES
By Mike Leone
July 4, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
(Busti, NY)...The
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey
Touring Series returned to Stateline Speedway on Saturday night for the second
and final visit of the 2026 season.
As has been the case for 15 of the 16 attempted race nights this season, Mother
Nature once again tried to interfere. While
the majority of the race tracks throughout the region rained out, Stateline was
able to avoid the rain to the north and the thunderstorms that developed to the
south. Despite the threatening weather,
39 teams made the trip as race #6 of the 2026 season was completed.
A large crowd turned out for the "America 250" Independence Day
celebration and were treated to tremendous racing on an excellent surface and a
spectacular fireworks show.
Northeast Big-Block Modified standout, Demetrios Drellos, is in his fourth year
of RUSH Late Model racing and second full season on the Flynn's Tire/Gunter's
Hone Tour. While he's been close in
the past, the 2025 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year was finally able to seal the
deal on Saturday night. Drellos
out-dueled five-time Series Champion, Jeremy Wonderling, as the two traded slide
jobs with numerous lead changes that thrilled the packed grandstands to capture
his first career Tour victory.
Drellos earned $4,000 as he became the season's sixth different winner to reach
Landrum Performance Springs Victory Lane in six races!
"That might be the best race Stateline has seen in a long time- it was killer,"
expressed the 29-year-old Queensbury, NY racer.
"That was unbelievable and just great racing.
We were sliding each other.
We were up by the berm and I jumped the cushion and Jeremy (Wonderling) got by
me. I'm just speechless- that was
some of the best racing I've ever been part of.
I'm sure the Supers (Late Models) will put on a good show, but you're not
going to find better racing than that, and was a blast to do.
I hope everyone enjoyed that.
Some of my Big-Block (Modified) skills came into play where I just pounded the
outside and boy did it work. I think
Jeremy went with the soft (tire) and I went with the hard."
Wonderling used the outside to lead the opening lap of the 30-lap feature over
Drellos, Jake Wilber, Jason Knowles, and Bill Holmes III.
Fourth starting Wilber slipped under Drellos to take second on lap two,
but Drellos got back by on lap three before a caution for a spin by Mike
Wonderling. When racing resumed on
lap four, sixth starting Christian Schneider moved into the fourth spot.
Wonderling and Drellos raced side-by-side for the lead on laps five and six with
Drellos going to the outside to lead lap six.
Schneider was halfway to the front when he moved by Wilber for third on
lap seven. Wonderling threw a slider
on Drellos in turn four to regain the lead on lap nine.
While the lead duo battled, Schneider tracked them down and made it a
three-car race for the lead on lap 10.
It was three-wide for the lead on lap 11 as Wonderling held on over
Drellos and Schneider.
Drellos threw a slider back at Wonderling for what would be the winning move on
lap 12. The trio battled hard as fans
were standing in excitement. A
caution for a spin by Craig Graham changed the course of the event with 13 laps
scored as Wonderling had appeared prime to take the lead back on lap 14.
That would be the last stoppage of the event as the final 17 laps went
green-to-checkered.
Drellos chose the inside lane for the double-file restart and took off in the
Illusion PowderCoats Firing Zone.
Wonderling tried to make the outside work in turns one and two, but Drellos
maintained the lead. Meanwhile,
seventh starting Jason Knowles passed Schneider for third on lap 15.
The second half of the event saw Drellos slowly pull away on hard tires as the
laps ticked off caution-free. By the
time Drellos caught lapped traffic on lap 27, he had a half-straightaway
advantage. Wonderling wasn't able to
close the gap; in fact, Drellos extended his lead in the final laps in lapped
traffic and took the checkered flag first by 3.412 seconds in his #111.
Drellos became the 52nd driver to win a Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Tour
event all-time; in fact, it was the second straight first time winner at
Stateline as Ben Easler won the June 13 show.
It was the third career RUSH Late Model win overall for Drellos in
Colussy Chevrolet Weekly Series competition, but first in 2026.
Wonderling's runner-up was worth $2,000 for his fifth top four finish in six
events to maintain the lead in the $20,000 to-win championship.
"It was fun until it wasn't and he (Drellos) drove away," described the
46-year-old Wellsville, NY driver.
"I see I got out-tired on that one, but he drove a hell of a race.
The race track is really, really good and if we can put on a show like
that I can only imagine what Wednesday (World of Outlaws) will be like."
"After the dash I was working on the car so much, I really didn't have time to
think about tires as we were literally just bolting tires on before we came out
here," explained Wonderling. "After
I came out and started to see the track getting black, I figured guys were on
them (hard tires). I'm usually the
first to jump on them, but just didn't have time to think about it and realize
what I should be doing. I gave
Demetrios (Drellos) everything I had.
He did a good job of taking it and giving it back like we're supposed to
do. They've become pretty good
friends of mine and we had a lot of fun."
Knowles, who was fresh off winning the $500 Real Merchant Services DMV
Non-Qualifier at Lernerville Speedway last Saturday, was third for his first
podium finish since August 22, 2025 at McKean County Raceway, which easily beat
his prior season best finish of seventh at the last Stateline event
"The car was good all night and we were good last time we were here,"
acknowledged the 44-year-old Addison, NY driver.
"This place is tough. Tonight
was the raciest I've probably seen it.
Those guys were really going at it up front.
Part of me was run a little harder to get to them, but then I figured
let's just get it done and over with because we had a good car.
Good for Demetrios (Drellos) and Jeremy (Wonderling).
I'm really happy for our team.
We've struggled and have had bad luck, but here we are- top three, first
one and not the last!"
After starting 2026 off slow, Christian Schneider has turned around his season.
One week after earning a career best $7,500 payday for his runner-up
finish at Lernerville, Schneider was fourth for his third top four in the last
four races and fourth straight top nine finish.
That has moved Schneider up to third in points and atop the $3,000 to-win
3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year chase.
After winning at Stateline on June 13, Easler had a disappointing DNQ last
Saturday at Lernerville, but rebounded on Saturday night with a fifth place.
Jason Genco raced from 11th to 6th.
After going fourth to second early on, Wilber, who leads Stateline's Track Pack
points, faded to seventh at the finish.
Wilber also received a spoiler kit from Ontime Body & Graphic Holmes was
eighth for his first top 10 of the season for the second year Tour regular.
Andy Michael went 15th to 9th.
Daryl Charlier earned the $100 Big Daddy's Speed Center/Hoosier Tire
Western PA "Pedal Down" Hard Charger gift card for going 23rd to 10th!
Austin Allen was chosen as the Close Racing Supply "Tough Break of the
Night" recipient. Allen started
ninth and was up to seven when he broke a driveshaft on lap three, which ended
his night resulting in a 25th place finish.
Making his first Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Tour start in nearly one-year,
Brandt Graham led all 10 caution-free laps of the Real Merchant Services DMV
Non-Qualifier. The 29-year-old Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada driver of the GAP Professional Products/Full Circle
Automation/Dig Tech Infrastructure/Sign Hub/Beavis Excavating/Arcade
Pools-sponsored #14 earned $200 as he became the all-time leading Non-Qualifier
winner with his fifth victory.
Graham also received a $50 Holley Performance Parts gift card for being the
first driver to fail to qualify for the feature.
Jared Costello was second.
Brendan Warner passed Wyatt White on lap seven for third.
White, who is in contention for the Russ King Racing Futures Cup title,
was fourth as Hunter Proctor completed the top five.
Knowles started off the night fastest in Schneider Trucks hot laps with a 17.830
to earn $50. Wilber set fast time
overall against the 39-car field in FK Rod Ends "Shock the Clock" Qualifying
with a lap of 17.582 to earn $100.
Picking up $25 FK Rod Ends heat race victories were Drellos, Wonderling, Wilber,
and Schneider. William Pinckney and
Randy Hall won the last chance B mains.
Drellos won his first Sunoco Dash of the season and received a $100
Sunoco Fuel card.
Also winning $100 Sunoco Fuel cards in the "Fill'er up with Sunoco Bucks" random
drawings presented by Bazell Race Fuels were Tour drivers Wonderling and Ashton
Briggs, while the $50 Sunoco Fuels cards were captured by Pinckney, Wilber,
Brandt Graham, and Jacob Tubbs.
Landrum Performance Springs, which will award a $5,000 Loyalty
Bonus at the season ending event, distributed BOGO certificates that were won by
Allen, Craig Graham, Knowles, Tyler Shaffer, and
Charlier. Henry's Headers & Exhaust
Systems awarded a $500 certificate towards the purchase of Crate Late Model
headers in a random drawing to Brodie Oravetz, which is part of the Tour's
Loyalty Program.
Up next for the Flynn’s Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series will be Woodhull
Raceway next Saturday, July 11 for a $4,000 to-win event.
It will mark just the fourth ever appearance at the New York southern
tier bullring and first in nearly two years.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring
Series Race #6 (30
laps, $4,000 to-win): 1. DEMETRIOS DRELLOS (111)
2. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 3.
Jason Knowles (4) 4. Christian
Schneider (Daugherty 56) 5. Ben
Easler (02) 6. Jason Genco (Lacki
29J) 7. Jake Wilber (Suppa 4s)
8. Bill Holmes III (8) 9.
Andy Michael (17x) 10. Daryl
Charlier (Dobnak 42) 11. Kurt
Stebbins (26) 12. Dylan Cecce (Clark
18*) 13. John Waters (LeBarron 11)
14. Ashton Briggs (11a) 15.
Allan Hammond (97) 16. Zack Carley
(2) 17. Ian Travis (36)
18. Jacob Tubbs (89JR) 19.
William Pinckney (49) 20. Randy Hall
(Krug 87) 21. Craig Graham (98)
22. Scott Gurdak (Hollabaugh 5G)
23. Mike Wonderling (White 18)
24. Ward Schell (61s) 25.
Austin Allen (Mullen 32). (Note: Ward
Schell took a Track provisional).
Real Merchant
Services DMV Non-Qualifier
(10 laps, $200 to-win): 1. Brandt Graham (14)
2. Jared Costello (6J) 3.
Brendan Warner (12*) 4. Wyatt White
(5w) 5. Hunter Proctor (432)
6. Austin Fitzgerald (2A) 7.
John Haggerty (49) 8. Kassandra
Norman (6) 9. Leo Iarrapino (45L)
10. Tyler Shaffer (2T) 11.
Gary Youngs (y26). DNS: Steve Houser (33z), Shawn Little (86), Sam Conti (42s).
Car Count: 39
Feature Margin of Victory: 3.412 seconds
Feature Lap Leaders: Jeremy Wonderling
(1-5, 9-11), Demetrios Drellos (6-8, 12-30)
Close Racing Supply “Tough Brake of the Night":
Austin Allen
Henry's Headers $500 Certificate for Crate Late Model Headers:
Brodie Oravetz
Hoosier Tire Western PA/Big Daddy’s Speed Center Hard Charger: Daryl Charlier
(+13)
Holley
Performance Group “Nosed Out”:
Brandt Graham
Landrum Performance Springs BOGO Certificates: Austin
Allen, Craig Graham, Jason Knowles, Tyler Shaffer & Daryl Charlier
Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert” Spoiler Kit:
Jake Wilber
Schneider Trucks “Hottest of the Hot” Fastest in Hot Laps:
Jason Knowles (17.830)
Sunoco Fuel Card Winners presented by Bazell Race Fuels: Jeremy
Wonderling ($100), Ashton Briggs ($100), Brandt Graham ($50), William Pinckney
($50), Jake Wilber ($50) & Jacob Tubbs ($50)
FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Flight A Qualifying (Track
record 16.717 by John Waters on 5/14/22) ($100 for fast
time): 1. 4-Jason Knowles, 17.900[11]; 2. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling, 17.930[10]; 3.
111D-Demetrios Drellos, 18.021[13]; 4. 26-Kurt Stebbins, 18.067[1]; 5.
11A-Ashton Briggs, 18.095[17]; 6. 98-Craig Graham, 18.104[4]; 7. 32A-Austin
Allen, 18.161[3]; 8. 29J-Jason Genco, 18.177[14]; 9. 14-Brandt Graham,
18.228[8]; 10. 42-Daryl Charlier, 18.251[18]; 11. 49P-William Pinckney,
18.307[16]; 12. 17X-Andy Michael, 18.329[15]; 13. 18*-Dylan Cecce, 18.392[7];
14. 12*-Brendan Warner, 18.463[20]; 15. 5W-Wyatt White, 18.468[6]; 16.
432-Hunter Proctor, 18.812[2]; 17. 2T-Tyler Shaffer, 18.908[12]; 18. 49-John
Haggerty, 19.348[5]; 19. 2A-Austin Fitzgerald, 19.577[9]; 20. Y26-Gary Youngs,
19.697[19]
FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Flight B Qualifying ($100
for fast time)
(Track record 16.717 by John Waters on 5/14/22): 1. 4S-Jake
Wilber, 17.582[5]; 2. 02-Ben Easler, 17.758[19]; 3. 8-Bill Holmes, 17.808[16];
4. 56-Christian Schneider, 17.866[14]; 5. 97-Allan Hammond, 17.946[1]; 6.
11L-John Waters, 18.079[3]; 7. 36T-Ian Travis, 18.121[10]; 8. 5G-Scott Gurdak,
18.157[7]; 9. 2C-Zack Carley, 18.203[18]; 10. 18-Mike Wonderling, 18.462[8]; 11.
87K-Randy Hall, 18.537[13]; 12. 89JR-Jacob Tubbs, 18.603[4]; 13. 6J-Jared
Costello, 18.631[15]; 14. 45L-Leo Iarrapino, 18.789[12]; 15. 61S-Ward Schell,
18.805[17]; 16. 6N-Kassandra Norman, 19.020[9]; 17. 86-Shawn Little, 19.066[6];
18. 42S-Samuel Conti, 19.642[2]; 19. 33Z-Steve Houser, 20.362[11].
FK Rod Ends Heat 1 (8
laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 111D-Demetrios Drellos[2]; 2. 4-Jason
Knowles[1]; 3. 32A-Austin Allen[4]; 4. 11A-Ashton Briggs[3]; 5. 18*-Dylan
Cecce[7]; 6. 49P-William Pinckney[6]; 7. 14-Brandt Graham[5]; 8. 5W-Wyatt
White[8]; 9. 2T-Tyler Shaffer[9]; 10. 2A-Austin Fitzgerald[10]
FK Rod Ends Heat 2 (8
laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[1]; 2. 26-Kurt
Stebbins[2]; 3. 29J-Jason Genco[4]; 4. 17X-Andy Michael[6]; 5. 98-Craig
Graham[3]; 6. 42-Daryl Charlier[5]; 7. 432-Hunter Proctor[8]; 8. 12*-Brendan
Warner[7]; 9. 49-John Haggerty[9]; 10. Y26-Gary Youngs[10]
FK Rod Ends Heat 3 (8
laps, Top 6 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 4S-Jake Wilber[1]; 2. 8-Bill
Holmes[2]; 3. 36T-Ian Travis[4]; 4. 97-Allan Hammond[3]; 5. 2C-Zack Carley[5];
6. 87K-Randy Hall[6]; 7. 61S-Ward Schell[8]; 8. 6J-Jared Costello[7]; 9.
86-Shawn Little[9]; 10. 33Z-Steve Houser[10]
FK Rod Ends Heat 4 (8
laps, Top 6 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 56-Christian Schneider[2]; 2. 02-Ben
Easler[1]; 3. 11L-John Waters[3]; 4. 18-Mike Wonderling[5]; 5. 5G-Scott
Gurdak[4]; 6. 89JR-Jacob Tubbs[6]; 7. 45L-Leo Iarrapino[7]; 8. 6N-Kassandra
Norman[8]; 9. 42S-Samuel Conti[9]
Last Chance B Main 1
(10 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 49P-William Pinckney[1]; 2. 42-Daryl
Charlier[2]; 3. 14-Brandt Graham[3]; 4. 5W-Wyatt White[5]; 5. 12*-Brendan
Warner[6]; 6. 432-Hunter Proctor[4]; 7. 49-John Haggerty[8]; 8. Y26-Gary
Youngs[10]; 9. 2T-Tyler Shaffer[7]; 10. 2A-Austin Fitzgerald[9]
Last Chance B Main 2
(10 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 87K-Randy Hall[1]; 2. 89JR-Jacob Tubbs[2]; 3.
61S-Ward Schell[3]; 4. 6J-Jared Costello[5]; 5. 6N-Kassandra Norman[6]; 6.
33Z-Steve Houser[9]; 7. 86-Shawn Little[7]; 8. 42S-Samuel Conti[8]; 9. 45L-Leo
Iarrapino[4].
Sunoco Dash
(6 laps, $100 Sunoco fuel card to-win): 1. 111D-Demetrios Drellos[2]; 2.
3J-Jeremy Wonderling[3]; 3. 02-Ben Easler[1]; 4. 4S-Jake Wilber[4]; 5. 8-Bill
Holmes[8]; 6. 56-Christian Schneider[5]; 7. 4-Jason Knowles[6]; 8. 26-Kurt
Stebbins[7]
The RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply together
with Born2Run Lubricants along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Sunoco Race
Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Colussy Chevrolet Flynn's Tire,
Gunter's Honey, Rustler Sales & Service, MSD Performance, Holley Performance
Products, FK Rod Ends, Capital Contracting Service, Joseph J. Oliva Attorney at
Law, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Landrum Performance Springs,
Russ King Racing, 3C Graphix, Velocita-USA, Wieland Metal Services, Real
Merchant Services DMV, IllusionCoats Powder Coating, Hoosier Tire Western
Pennsylvania/Big Daddy's Speed Center, Close Racing Supply, Keyser
Manufacturing/Integra Racing Shocks, Seal-Tite Paving & Excavating, MotoRad,
Schneider Trucks, Ontime Body & Graphic, Henry's Headers & Exhaust Systems,
D&V Jewelers, AERO Race Wheels, 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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