"JOOK GEORGE STEEL CITY CLASSIC" SATURDAY AT PITTSBUGH FOR HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL
FLYNN'S TIRE/GUNTER'S HONEY TOUR PAYING A MINIMUM OF $6,010 TO-WIN; OVER $19,000
ADDED TO THE EVENT
By Mike Leone
July 23, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
(Imperial, PA)...The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn's
Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series will resume action this Saturday night (July
25) at Pittsburgh Motor Speedway for the 37th annual "Jook George Steel City
Classic". Race #8 of the
rain-plagued 2026 season will pay a minimum of $6,010 to-win/$500 to-start.
Warm-ups begin at 6 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing at 7 p.m.
The event will be streamed live on Dirt.TV.
There is a rain date of August 1.
After
losing the "Herb Scott Memorial" back in April, Saturday will mark what is now
the first of three remaining appearances by the Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Tour
at "Dirt's Monster Half-Mile". The
Tour will return on October 2-3 for the "Bill Hendren Memorial" part of the
annual "Pittsburgher 100" weekend with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
William
Thomas "Jook" George had a brief driving career himself, but as he turned to car
owner he chose and had for most of his racing career the #10 and that was in
honor of his racing hero, Lou Blaney, who drove his car on a couple occasions.
Other highlights of his career were being nominated as the Sportsman of the Year
at PPMS, being nominated into the Pittsburgh Circle Track Hall of Fame, winning
the track championship at PPMS in 1990 with John Beatty behind the wheel, and
winning the Fall Classic in 1993 with Bill Yakin, also at PPMS. His most
dominant stretch as a car owner came in the late ‘70s when Earl Teeters was his
driver.
Starting in 2015, Branden Lockwich took up the effort to make the "Jook George
Steel City Classic" into one the biggest races in the tri-state area for the
RUSH Late Models. This year,
Lockwich has raised more than $17,600 that has been added into the standard
Touring Series purse along with an additional $1,500 in drawing bonuses from
Lockwich and PPMS bringing the total to over $19,000!
In
2017, the event was a Tour race for the first time and drew 43 cars with Mike
Pegher, Jr. capturing the $4,010 win. In 2018, a record 51 cars were on
hand with Jacob Hawkins scoring the $5,010 win. The 2019 event was the
richest as Kyle Lukon scored the $10,010 win and the extra $1,000 contributor
bonus. While the COVID-19 pandemic left uncertainty for the 2020 event,
Lockwich still worked wonders and brought over $17,000 to the event, which was
won by Michael Norris in his first RUSH start for $6,010 and the $1,000
contributor bonus. Norris repeated his fortunes in 2021 collecting $7,010
once again. Logan Roberson won his
first career Pittsburgh race worth $7,010 and went on to win the Tour title in
2022. In 2023, Norris topped a
42-car field for then won the event for the fourth time in five tries last year
beating a 46-car field. Norris has
won more than $28,040 with those victories!
Last year saw Christian Schneider win his career first Tour event.
There
have been 33 Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series events completed
all-time at Pittsburgh with 21 different winners! Michael Norris leads the
way with six victories over fellow PPMS standout, Kyle Lukon, who has five.
Ryan Montgomery is a three-time winner. The only other repeat winners are
Daryl Charlier, Jeremy Wonderling, and National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Tim
Shaffer. Single wins go to Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr., Colton Flinner, John
Mollick, Mike Pegher, Jr., Jacob Hawkins, Garret Paugh, Levi Crowl, Kyle Hardy,
Logan Roberson, Joe Martin, Mason Zeigler, Brandon Burgoon, Christian Schneider,
and most recently the 2025 "Bill Hendren Memorial" winners Carson Ferguson and
Max Blair.
For the
sixth time in the event's history, the feature will pay a minimum of $500 to
start! The Real Merchant Services
Non-Qualifier will feature an increased purse throughout with $500 to-win/$165
to-start.
$50 to the fastest in hot laps presented by Schneider Trucks.
$100 to the fastest overall qualifier from
FK Rod Ends.
$150 to the fastest qualifier in Group A and Group B courtesy of Kurt
Thompson - Realtor. $125 to-win heat
races; $100 courtesy of Mike's Auto Repair & Sales in memory of his son Michael
Duritsky Jr. and $25 from FK Rod Ends.
$404 to-win John Beatty Memorial Sunoco Dash from Zarin Truck & Auto and
the Beatty family along with a $100 Sunoco Fuel card.
$250 Russ King Racing gift
card to each B main winner.
$100 to 4th place on lap 4 from Smitty & the turn 4 fans.
$107 in memory of Dave & Mary Lynn Nicholas from Jake Gunn.
$250 to the Hard Charger; $150
from Altvater Visuals Photography and $100 from Zach
Gunn.
$250 "Rookie of the Jook" from Wayne & Fort Cherry
Auto Service to the highest finishing driver starting his first Jook since
Branden took over promotions in 2016.
Hoosier Tire Western PA/Big Daddy's Speed Center will award a $100 gift card for
the "Pedal Down" Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the feature. Close
Racing Supply will award a $100 gift card for the driver chosen as the "Tough
Break of the Night". Ontime Body & Graphic's "Spoiler Alert" will award a
spoiler kit to the eighth place finisher. The first feature non-qualifier will
receive a $50 certificate from Holley Performance brands each night.
Henry's Headers & Exhaust will award a $500 off certificate towards the
purchase of custom 604 Crate Late Model headers to a Touring member driver that
has competed in 75% or more of the completed events.
Bazell Race Fuels presents the "Fill'er up with Sunoco Bucks" where random
drawings will take place for two $100 Sunoco Fuel cards for Tour drivers and
four $50 Sunoco Fuel cards for non-Tour drivers. There will also be five BOGO
Landrum Performance Springs certificates given away through drawings.
There will also be three separate drawings, totally $2,500
awarded to contributing drivers: The
Jook Jackpot ($1500) will be drawn after the drivers meeting. The minimum amount
to enter is $50. In order to receive the $1,000 first prize drawing, the driver
will have had to contribute $100 or more. If the winner did less $100, he or she
will get $500 and there will draw another winner for the other $500. In
addition, there will be yet another $500 drawing courtesy of PPMS
New this year will be the "Race within the Jook" presented by
Points Spring & Driveshaft, which will award $1,000. During driver
introductions, six contributing drivers will be drawn. The driver who finishes
the highest in the feature will take home the $1,000.
The same rule applies to this as the Jook Jackpot; if the highest
finishing driver out of the six donated $100 or more, they will win the entire
$1,000. If they did under $100, the
second highest finishing driver of the 6 will take home the other $500.
There have been six different winners in the first seven Flynn's Tire/Gunter's
Honey Touring Series events of 2026. Kyle Hardy won the $5,000 opener at
Georgetown for the 2021 Series Champion's 15th career Tour victory. Wonderling
won his third Eriez Tour event in the last six races on May 17. Joe Martin
won his first Tour event in nearly three seasons with his third straight victory
at Sharon on June 6. Ben Easler won his first career Tour feature on June 13 at
Stateline. Max Blair won the $20,000 "Bill Emig Memorial" presented by Sunoco
Race Fuels for his all-time leading 37th career Tour win on June 27 at
Lernerville. Demetrios Drellos finally capture his first career Tour
victory on July 4 at Stateline. At
the last event on July 11, Wonderling fended off local Brett Marlatt at Woodhull
to become the season's first repeat winner.
Wonderling, who is in search of his unprecedented sixth Series Championship,
currently leads the $20,000 to-win points by 32 over Drellos- the 2025 3C
Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year. Christian Schneider has reeled off five straight
top 10s including a trio of top four finishes to move into a tie for third in
points with Kurt Stebbins, who leads 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year points.
Daryl Charlier sits fifth in points, just eight out of third place.
Austin Allen is only two points behind Charlier in sixth.
Back-to-back third place finishes has Jason Knowles seventh in points.
Easler is eighth, but only 21 points back of third place.
Cody Dawson completes the top 10.
Defending and three-time Pittsburgh Track Pack Champion, Brandon Burgoon, once
again sits atop the standings and is the only repeat winner in five completed
Colussy Chevrolet Weekly Series events contested in 2026.
Other winners include Tony Musolino, Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr., and most
recently Matt Benard, who won his first career feature on July 11.
Feature Payoff
(Minimum as of 7/23): 1. $6,010 2. $3,000
3. $2,000 4. $1,500 5. $1,300 6. $1,250 7. $1,150 (+$107) 8. $1,100 9. $1,050
10. $1,000 11. $900 12. $800 13. $750 14. $700 15. $675 16. $650 17. $625 18.
$600 19. $580 20. $560 21. $550 22. $540 23. $530 24. $520 25. $510 26. $500.
Real Merchant Services DMV Non-Qualifier Payoff: 1. $500 2. $260 3. $235 4. $210 5. $205 6. $200 7.
$190 8. $185 9. $180 10. $175 11. $170 12-24. $165.
Tow $125.
You do not have to be a member of RUSH to compete only to receive Weekly and/or
Tour points. The entry fee is $100. AMB/MyLaps transponders will be
used. Units are available to rent for $25. Driver radio channel will
be 453.800 for Pittsburgh.
Pit passes will go on sale at 2:30 p.m. RUSH
registration will open at 2:30 p.m. with the drivers meeting at 5:25.
Warm-ups are slated for 6 p.m. followed by qualifying. Racing is at 7 p.m.
Click the following link for the pit notes/agenda:
https://www.rushlatemodels.com/PPMSAgenda072526.pdf.
Saturday's event will also count towards the RUSH
Colussy Chevrolet National Weekly Series Championships and Russ King Racing
"Futures Cup" for those eligible racers. In addition, points will also be
awarded for the PPMS "Track Pack" that features a $2,500 per track point fund
for the top six racers in RUSH member points at year's end with $1,000 going to
the champion.
Thank you to the following event sponsors: Jook George Family, Three Rivers
Karting Entertainment Park, Pete and Kim Lockwich, Shining Rides Detailing,
Point Spring & Driveshaft, Fort Cherry Auto Service, Russ Rech, Ricky
Steigerwald, Austin Allen, Hendren Racing Engines, Dale Schneider, Schirnhofer
Racing, Tom Klein Racing, Joe Martin, Empire Crushing , Ed and Kelly , Alfonzo
Gist, Hoods up Quicklube, Dale Charlier, Dobs Automotive, Tony Musolino, Nick
Kocuba, Imperial Heights Garage, Racers for Tots, Jeremy Wonderling, Jack
Chambers, Paul Duratz, Easler Racing, Bob Schwartzmiller, Mike Reft , Zach Gunn,
Tony Magill, Pete Loria , Ron Williams, Jamie Wrightsman, Cole Petrelle, Rohrich
Automotive, Premier Comp Solutions, Bryce Davis , Bob Siemon, Kim Lockwich, Nate
Langer and family, Zach Yost , Kristen Beatty, Clinton Hersh, Jake Reimer, Zarin
Truck and Auto, Red Feitt , Doug Smith, Dan Trump,
Nico Dabecco, Brandon Burgoon, Derek
Charlier, Billy Kessler, Dan Lepro, Dan Angelicchio, Jesse Marshall, Kurt
Stebbins, Keith Donnelly, Dylan Cecce, Nick Sutton, Jake Billyk, Anthony
Monteparte, Ed Carley, Dave Folmer, Austin Hauser, Rocket Chassis, Jimmy
Altvater, Matthew Knuoo, Chuck Medved, Kassidy Kamicker, Darren Ferguson, Lukon
Racing, David Parks, Close Racing Supply, Steve and Mindy Beatty, Kurt Thompson,
John Waters, Trevor Collins, RUSH Racing Series, Tim Shaffer, Veronica Brant,
Garrett Paugh, Allan Hammond, Chuck H, Jake Gunn, Amanda Robinson, Marino
Angelicchio, Mike's Auto Repair & Sales.
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway is a ½-mile dirt track with a GPS address of 170
Kelso Rd, Imperial PA 15126, which is located just off the Noblestown exit on
Routes 22/30. For more information, check out their website at www.ppms.com or call
412-279-7223. The track number on race day is 724-695-3363 or
724-695-0393. As for their social media outlets, you can like their page
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PittsburghsPennsylvaniaMotorSpeedway or follow them on
Twitter @PAMotorSpeedway.
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.
###