3-TIME CHAMPION JEREMY WONDERLING FINALLY BREAKS INTO VICTORY LANE FOR THE 1ST TIME IN 2022 FLYNN’S TIRE TOUR COMPETITION WITH HIS 6TH STRAIGHT RUSH LATE MODEL WIN AT GENESEE

By Mike Leone

 

September 23, 2022               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Batavia, NY)...The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants participated in night one of the fifth annual “Topless Nationals” at Genesee Speedway on an unseasonably cold Friday evening.  Skies cleared by afternoon, but the high temperature was only 54 with a stiff breeze and dropped into the 40s by race time.  The event marked the second of three appearances by the Flynn’s Tire Touring Series to the 1/3-mile Genesee County Fairgrounds oval in 2022.  This was the second straight year that the “Topless Nationals” was a Tour event.  The 32 cars in action was the second highest car count ever at Genesee for a Tour show trailing only the all-time record of 36 cars set at the May 28 event this year. 

 

Three-time Flynn’s Tire Touring Series Champion, Jeremy Wonderling, continued his season’s dominance at Genesee by leading all 30 laps of the feature as he held off Joe Martin over the final seven laps in lapped traffic to win his first Tour race since July 3, 2021.  Wonderling earned $3,000 for his amazing sixth straight Genesee victory as he became the 10th different winner in 15 Tour races run in 2022! 

 

“This feels really good,” expressed the 42-year-old Wellsville, NY standout after his 14th overall RUSH win of 2022.  “I didn’t know if I was ever going to get back in victory lane in a Tour race.  This car has been really good ever since I got it.  Joe (Martin) and I talked before the race.  I knew he wasn’t going to lie to me; we were on the same tires.  I was hanging on pretty bad the last five or six laps.  It got pretty skatey during the long green flag run early on then the caution came out and I was good.  The lapped cars weren’t doing anything wrong- it was just so equal and you couldn’t just drive by them.  This means a lot to win one of these, and I have to thank my family, crew, and everyone that helps out.  Kurt (Stebbins) has one nice run track tonight.  I know it’s cold and hope you fans come support us tomorrow.”

 

Wonderling used the dominant topside of the speedway to pass Breyton Santee on the start of the topless feature event, while Martin drove around Jason Knowles and Santee for second.  Wonderling quickly pulled away from the field on lap two, while the battle was on for fourth with sixth starting Kurt Stebbins, Knowles, Jimmy Johnson, and Chad Homan. 

 

Wonderling had opened up a lead of more than three seconds when he caught lapped traffic on lap nine.  Wonderling though made contact with Austin Allen as he was trying to lap the second year RUSH Late Model racer on lap 11, which allowed Martin to cut the deficit in half.  After 12 consecutive green flag laps to start the feature, David Pangrazio spun right in front of Wonderling, who was able to avoid him.

 

Wonderling chose the outside on the restart and took off in the lead over Martin; meanwhile, it was three-wide for fourth as contact was made causing Jason Knowles’ nose to fold under his tire and resulted in a caution with 14 laps completed.  When green replaced yellow for the final time, ninth starting Jason Genco had the bottom working as he cracked the top five getting the spot from Johnson at the halfway point and then the following lap drove under and past Stebbins for fourth. 

 

Genco tracked down Santee and was on him on lap 19, while Johnson put a slider on Stebbins to take fifth.  Back up front, Wonderling caught lapped traffic on lap 23, while Santee and Genco raced side-by-side for third.  After a six-lap battle, Genco finally made the pass stick with an inside move to grab third on lap 25.  Genco closed in on the lead duo, but would run out of time to challenge.

 

Martin was within striking distance in the final laps, but never quite close enough to attempt the pass as Wonderling made the right moves in lapped traffic to garner his 11th career Tour win to move into a tie for second place on the all-time win list with John Waters.  Wonderling’s margin of victory was 0.770 seconds in his Terry Prince Contracting/Close Racing Supply/Cummings Trucking/Shuttleworth Auto Sales/Shuttleworth Asphalt Sealing-sponsored #3J.

 

Martin’s $1,500 runner-up was his seventh podium finish and 13th top 10 in 15 Tour races.  “I needed a little more lapped traffic,” stated the 37-year-old Punxsutawney, Pa. racer.  “He (Wonderling) was a little better than me in clean air; there was no doubt about it.  He was running hard and once I knew I wasn’t as good as him my only hope was to stay calm, take care of my tires, and once we got to lapped traffic maybe I’d be better than him.  I think I was at the end, but not good enough to do anything with him.  He’s been hot so there’s no shame in losing to him.  I knew we’d have our hands full with him up here.  I wish I could have got beside him and made it exciting for you fans, but maybe we’ll get better tomorrow.”

 

Genco, who leads the Hovis National Weekly Series standings and was the “Track Pack” Champion at both Stateline and Eriez Speedway, had an excellent third place for his fourth top four finish in five Tour starts this season.  “Everyone was running the middle to top and I kept seeing it getting slicker and slicker and everyone was losing their tail,” explained the 39-year-old Frewsburg, NY driver.  “I decided to stay on the bottom and I don’t think they (Wonderling and Martin) knew I was coming.  I was like ‘man if they get held up long enough’ then I looked up and saw the white flag and that was all I had.  I buried myself early and that’s how it goes.”

 

Homan, who won his first career RUSH Tour race back on May 28 at Genesee, started fifth and ran seventh for much of the race, but came on late to finish a solid fourth.  After earning his first career pole position in a Tour race, Santee dropped to fifth at the finish for his best effort since a fifth on August 15, 2021 at Eriez.  Johnson was sixth.  Matt Latta went 12th to seventh for his sixth top seven finish in the last nine races.  Genesee track champion, Doug Ricotta, raced from 18th to eighth to earn the $50 Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger gift card.  Stebbins dropped to ninth in his first race of 2022 at the track he promotes.  Bryce Davis went 19th to 10th.

 

Making his first Tour start of 2022, Brian Kotarski led all eight laps of the D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier edging out Kyle Murray.  Kotarski, whose business BDK Construction sponsored the night at Genesee, became the 61st different Non-Qualifier winner in 73 races run all-time!  Kotarski, who also received a $100 Performance Bodies gift card for being the first feature non-qualifier, took the $200 victory by just 0.282 seconds over Murray.  Alan Chapman beat out his brother Todd for third.  Marc Berzowski made his first career RUSH Late Model start and was fifth.

 

Martin earned $100 for his fourth FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying top honors of the season with a lap 16.992.  Martin, Wonderling, Homan, and Stebbins added $25 for winning FK Rod Ends heat races.  Santee’s first Sunoco Dash victory of the year garnered him a $100 Sunoco gift card, while the last chance B mains were won by Brandt Graham and Billy DuBois.  Graham and Andy Michael were the lucky recipients of the $100 Sunoco gift card drawings for the Tour regulars, while $50 Sunoco gift cards were won by Johnson, Dave DuBois, Alan Chapman, and Murray.

 

Note: Friday’s Flynn's Tire Touring Series event at Genesee was the third and final Platinum Event of the season, which allowed Tour members to use the event to replace their worst Marquee Event finish or replace a missed Marquee Event (up to two maximum).

 

The Flynn’s Tire Touring Series will be right back in action on Saturday (September 24) at Genesee for night two of the “Topless Nationals”.  It’ll be another full show with $3,000 to-win for the Marquee Tour Event.  Pits open at noon.  RUSH registration opens at 1 p.m.  Drivers meeting will be at 3:40 p.m. with on track action beginning at 4.

 

Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire Touring Series Race #15 (30 laps, $3,000 to-win): 1. JEREMY WONDERLING (3J)  2. Joe Martin (Snyder 10s)  3. Jason Genco (Craig/Badgley 29J)  4. Chad Homan (91)  5. Breyton Santee (9)  6. Jimmy Johnson (39J)  7. Matt Latta (21)  8. Doug Ricotta (01)  9. Kurt Stebbins (26)  10. Bryce Davis (94)  11. Dave DuBois (012)  12. Craig Graham (98)  13. J.J. Mazur (13)  14. Mike Wonderling (18)  15. Billy DuBois (21B)  16. Brandt Graham (14)  17. Austin Allen (32)  18. Jim Rasey (Wrightsman 21J)  19. Andy Michael (17x)  20. Steve LeBarron (29)  21. Brady Wonderling (z1)  22. Paul Grigsby (24)  23. Jason Knowles (4)  24. David Pangrazio (55)  25. Jon Rivers (85).  (Note: Andy Michael took a Tour provisional.)

 

D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier (8 laps, $200 to-win): 1. Brian Kotarski (129)  2. Kyle Murray (21)  3. Alan Chapman (64c)  4. Todd Chapman (T54)  5. Marc Berzowski (25).  DNS: T.J. Downs (33), Chuck LaFleur (61).

 

Car Count: 32

Feature Margin of Victory: 0.770 seconds
Feature Lap Leaders: Jeremy Wonderling (1-30)

Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert” Spoiler Kit: Brandt Graham

Performance Bodies “Nosed Out”: Brian Kotarski

Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger: Doug Ricotta (+10)

Precise Racing Products 5-Gallon Race Jug: Jeremy Wonderling.

Sunoco Fuel Card Winners: Brandt Graham ($100), Andy Michael ($100), Jimmy Johnson ($50), Dave DuBois ($50), Alan Chapman ($50), Kyle Murray ($50).

TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night”: Kyle Murray

 

FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying ($100 for fast time) (Track record 16.430 by Jeremy John Waters on 5/29/21): 1. 10S-Joe Martin, 00:16.992[16]; 2. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling, 00:17.024[15]; 3. 91-Chad Homan, 00:17.311[7]; 4. 26-Kurt Stebbins, 00:17.329[11]; 5. 4-Jason Knowles, 00:17.372[2]; 6. 9S-Breyton Santee, 00:17.446[31]; 7. 24-Paul Grigsby, 00:17.453[32]; 8. 29-Steve LeBarron, 00:17.466[25]; 9. 29J-Jason Genco, 00:17.473[20]; 10. 012-Dave DuBois, 00:17.498[18]; 11. 94-Bryce Davis, 00:17.515[28]; 12. 21L-Matt Latta, 00:17.527[8]; 13. Z1-Brady Wonderling, 00:17.529[23]; 14. 98-Craig Graham, 00:17.578[17]; 15. 39J-Jimmy Johnson, 00:17.587[5]; 16. 21J-Jim Rasey, 00:17.619[12]; 17. 32A-Austin Allen, 00:17.652[21]; 18. 01R-Doug Ricotta, 00:17.656[13]; 19. 13-JJ Mazur, 00:17.704[19]; 20. 18-Mike Wonderling, 00:17.742[4]; 21. 85-Jon Rivers, 00:17.745[1]; 22. 14-Brandt Graham, 00:17.796[3]; 23. 21BD-Billy DuBois, 00:17.797[24]; 24. 21-Kyle Murray, 00:17.817[27]; 25. 17X-Andy Michael, 00:17.853[14]; 26. 129-Brian Kotarski, 00:17.934[30]; 27. 61-Chuck LaFleur, 00:18.009[29]; 28. 55S-David Pangrazio, 00:18.114[6]; 29. 33D-TJ Downs, 00:18.286[22]; 30. 64C-Alan Chapman, 00:18.459[26]; 31. 25M-Marc Berzowski, 00:19.513[9]; 32. T54-Todd Chapman, 00:20.069[10].

                      

FK Rod Ends Heat 1 (8 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 10S-Joe Martin[1]; 2. 4-Jason Knowles[2]; 3. 29J-Jason Genco[3]; 4. Z1-Brady Wonderling[4]; 5. 85-Jon Rivers[6]; 6. 32A-Austin Allen[5]; 7. 17X-Andy Michael[7]; 8. 33D-TJ Downs[8].

 

FK Rod Ends Heat 2 (8 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[1]; 2. 9S-Breyton Santee[2]; 3. 012-Dave DuBois[3]; 4. 98-Craig Graham[4]; 5. 01R-Doug Ricotta[5]; 6. 14-Brandt Graham[6]; 7. 129-Brian Kotarski[7]; 8. 64C-Alan Chapman[8].

 

FK Rod Ends Heat 3 (8 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 91-Chad Homan[1]; 2. 39J-Jimmy Johnson[4]; 3. 24-Paul Grigsby[2]; 4. 13-JJ Mazur[5]; 5. 94-Bryce Davis[3]; 6. 21BD-Billy DuBois[6]; 7. 61-Chuck LaFleur[7]; 8. 25M-Marc Berzowski[8].

 

FK Rod Ends Heat 4 (8 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 26-Kurt Stebbins[1]; 2. 29-Steve LeBarron[2]; 3. 21L-Matt Latta[3]; 4. 18-Mike Wonderling[5]; 5. 55S-David Pangrazio[7]; 6. 21-Kyle Murray[6]; 7. 21J-Jim Rasey[4]; 8. T54-Todd Chapman[8].

 

Last Chance B Main 1 (8 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 14-Brandt Graham[2]; 2. 32A-Austin Allen[1]; 3. 129-Brian Kotarski[4]; 4. 17X-Andy Michael[3]; 5. 33D-TJ Downs[5]; 6. 64C-Alan Chapman[6].

 

Last Chance B Main 2 (8 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 21BD-Billy DuBois[1]; 2. 21J-Jim Rasey[4]; 3. 61-Chuck LaFleur[3]; 4. 21-Kyle Murray[2]; 5. T54-Todd Chapman[6]; 6. 25M-Marc Berzowski[5].

 

Sunoco Dash (6 laps, $100 Sunoco fuel card to-win): 1. 9S-Breyton Santee[2]; 2. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[4]; 3. 4-Jason Knowles[1]; 4. 10S-Joe Martin[5]; 5. 91-Chad Homan[3]; 6. 26-Kurt Stebbins[6]; 7. 29-Steve LeBarron[7]; 8. 39J-Jimmy Johnson[8].

 

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, Terry Bowser Excavating, and Stop-Fyre.

  

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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