MASON ZEIGLER CHARGES FROM 12TH TO WIN NIGHT 1 OF THE “BILL
HENDREN MEMOIRIAL”PRESENTED BY RD HOLDER OIL CO AT PITTSBURGH FOR HIS 1ST CAREER
HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN’S TIRE/GUNTER’S HONEY TOUR VICTORY
WORTH $4000
By Mike Leone
October 4, 2024 FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Imperial, PA)...After two rainouts, the
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey
Touring Series finally returned to action on Friday night at Pittsburgh PA Motor
Speedway for the first time in eight weeks.
Race #12 of the 2024 season, which was Night 1 of the “Bill Hendren
Memorial” presented by RD Holder Oil Company along with support from Precise
Racing Products, attracted 51 cars from eight states plus Ontario, Canada.
It marked the highest car count for a Chevrolet Performance Pro Late
Models in the history of PPMS and for a Hendren Memorial event!
The event was streamed live on FloRacing part of the “Pittsburgher 100”
weekend with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
In his third year of trying, Mason Zeigler was finally able
to capture his first career Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series victory.
After finishing sixth in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature,
the Super Late Model and Modified standout charged from the 12th
starting spot and passed PPMS standout Brandon Burgoon on lap 14 for the lead.
Zeigler then dominated the second half of the 30-lap feature for the
$4,000 victory to become the season’s seventh different winner to reach the
Landrum Performance Springs victory lane.
Zeigler also earned the “Pedal Down” Hard Charger honors and received a
$50 gift card from Precise Racing Products.
“This means everything,” acknowledged the 32-year-old Chalk
Hill, Pa. racer. “These big RUSH
races have been alluding me. At
Lernerville I thought I had a good shot at the $20,000, but broke a
transmission. Last time here I
thought we had a shot and a flat tire.
It’s been never ending bad luck so to get one here at home is awesome.
These things are tricky. It’s
taken me awhile to really get good with my foot on these crate cars.
Everyone thinks these crates aren’t as superior to the supers, but when I
first got in one, I realized they are hard to drive.
You can’t just get out of a sticky situation with the motor.
You really have to make sure the car is balanced and working well or it
can be a miserable thing to drive. I
have a big crew here tonight and they really got this thing dialed in.
This is a 2016 XR1 that I got on trade with a trailer I bought.”
Following the Dave Poske’s Performance Parts “Feel the RUSH
4-Wide Salute”, Demetrios Drellos and South Carolina invader Dillon Brown led
the 26-car starting field to green with Brown jumping into the lead.
The two ran side-by-side on lap two with Brown maintaining the lead.
Zeigler was halfway to the front in sixth before a pair of single car
spins by Jim Rasey and Ben Policz with two laps completed; those were on the
only stoppages of the race as the final 28 laps went green-to-checkered.
When racing resumed on lap three, Burgoon and Zeigler
overtook Drellos for positions two and three respectively.
Burgoon closed in on Brown on lap four and by lap six the lead trio began
to distance themselves from the field.
Burgoon was able to sneak past Brown off turn four to lead lap eight.
Burgoon had a lead of 0.992 seconds when he caught lapped traffic on lap
12. One lap later, Zeigler charged
around Brown for second. Burgoon
then slipped high in turn four on lap 14 allowing Zeigler to race past for what
would be the winning move.
Zeigler went unchallenged over the final 16 laps as he took
the checkered flag first by a commanding 4.663 seconds in his Roy's Body
Shop/RBS Trailer Sales/Green Lane-sponsored #25z.
Zeigler became the 46th different winner in 195 Flynn’s
Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series events contested all-time.
Brown was able to get back by Burgoon on the final lap to
earn the runner-up position. It was
Brown’s first RUSH start since a third place on June 26, 2022 at Lernerville
Speedway for the “Bill Emig Memorial”.
“Brandon (Burgoon) got high a few laps before, but I wasn’t close enough
to take advantage until the last lap, but dang that 25 (Zeigler) was good,”
explained the 31-year-old Gaffney, SC driver.
“I thought we were close and we are.
My guys have worked their butt’s off.
We tested at Cherokee Speedway last night, drove 10 hours and got here at
9 a.m. this morning; we’re tired, but I can’t complain.
I really like racing with you guys and
like the bigger race tracks. What a
race track and facility this is.
Steve (Hendren) builds my motors and has done a lot for me.
This race has always been the last weekend of September, which is my
little boy’s birthday so with it being moved to October I said I was going to be
here and here we are!”
Burgoon was third for his best Tour finish since a second
place on August 5, 2023 at PPMS for the “Jook George Steel City Classic”.
Ryan Montgomery went eighth to fourth and was also fastest in warmups to
receive a $100 SRI Performance gift card.
Jeremy Steele, one of the three South Carolina drivers to make the trip
up, passed Drellos on lap 23 to finish fifth after starting ninth.
Pole-sitter Drellos dropped to sixth over 11th
starting Max Blair. Kyle Lukon
charged from the 18th starting spot to finish 8th.
Michael Norris was ninth. Joe
Martin had a solid ending to his night in 10th after starting 20th.
Garret Paugh received a spoiler kit from Ontime Body & Graphic for
finishing 12th.
Making his first Tour start since April 16, 2021 at Potomac
Speedway, 2017 3C Graphix Futures Cup Champion, Devin Brannon, ended the night
leading all 10 caution-free laps of the D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier worth $200.
Brannon’s #137 crossed the fine line first by 2.148 to become the
season’s ninth different winner in nine races and amazing 81st
different winner in 99 races run all-time.
Zach Gunn passed Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr. on lap nine to finish second.
Schirnhofer, who was the first feature non-qualifier and received a $50
Holley Performance gift card, dropped to third over fellow PPMS regular, Tom
Klein. Austin Allen was fifth.
Burgoon set fast time overall against the 51-car field in FK
Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying with a lap of 18.738 to earn $100.
Winning the $25 FK Rod Ends heat races were Norris, Brown, Policz,
Burgoon, Drellos, and Ryan Hare. The
three last chance B mains were captured by Canadian Steve Baldwin, Martin, and
Dave Goble. Drellos won his first
career Sunoco Dash to not only earn a $100 Sunoco fuel card, but also $200 cash
from Stan’s Transmission in memory of Bob Bentz.
Winning the $100 Sunoco Fuel cards through the random
drawings were Tour racers Allen and Jim Rasey, while the $50 fuel cards went to
Dan Angelicchio, Damian Bidwell, Montgomery & Tony Paynter. The Landrum
Performance Springs BOGO certificates were captured by Braeson Fulton, Davin
Kaiser, Christian Schneider, Luke Cooper, and Dave Goble.
The Flynn’s Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series will be right
back in action on Saturday night at PPMS for night two of the “Bill Hendren
Memorial” for $10,000 to-win part of the "Pittsburgher 100" with the Lucas Oil
Late Model Dirt Series on FloRacing.
Warmups are at 6 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s
Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series Race #12 for the “Bill Hendren Memorial”
Night 1
(30 laps, $4,000 to-win): 1. MASON ZEIGLER (25Z)
2. Dillon Brown (6) 3.
Brandon Burgoon (Bentz/Chernik 60)
4. Ryan Montgomery (4s) 5. Jeremy
Steele (22) 6. Demetrios Drellos
(111) 7. Max Blair (Centerline 111)
8. Kyle Lukon (184) 9.
Michael Norris (Dabeeco N1) 10. Joe
Martin (Snyder 10s) 11. Jeremy
Wonderling (3J) 12. Garret Paugh
(03) 13. Brock Pinkerous (555)
14. Ryan Hare (29) 15. Damian
Bidwell (1/2-Pint) 16. Daryl
Charlier (Dobnak 42) 17. Dan
Angelicchio (14) 18. Jacob Gunn
(14G) 19. Steve Baldwin (5)
20. Logan Zarin (Beach 33x)
21. Jim Rasey (Wrightsman 21J) 22.
Dave Goble (20G) 23. Kassidy
Kamicker (72B) 24. Logan Roberson
(17) 25. Luke Cooper (57)
26. Ben Policz (14B).
(Note: Jim Rasey took a Tour provisional & Kassidy Kamicker a Track provisional)
D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier (10
laps, $200 to-win): 1. Devin Brannon (137)
2. Zach Gunn (17G) 3. Tommy
Schirnhofer, Jr. (8s) 4. Tom Klein
(77) 5. Austin Allen (32)
6. Mike Wonderling (18) 7.
Davin Kaiser (11) 8. Colby Beighey
(36) 9. Brian Huchko (60)
10. Matt Benard (15) 11.
Michael Stephans (38) 12. Bobby
Springer (42S) 13. Chuck Medved (2M)
14. Tony Paynter (81) 15.
Mike Laughard (38L) 16. Christian
Schneider (Deller 75) 17. Justin
Chance (Lukon 184C). DNS: Ashton Briggs (11A), Tim Shaffer (45), Braeson Fulton
(B6), Brodie Oravetz (91B), Marino Angelicchio (55), Jacob Billyk, Jr. (4JR), Cole Petrelle (84), Cale
Schwartzmiller (28s).
Car Count: 51
Feature Margin of Victory: 4.663 seconds
Feature Lap Leaders: Dillon Brown (1-7), Brandon Burgoon (8-13), Mason
Zeigler (14-30)
Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert” Spoiler Kit: Garret Paugh
Heritage Wine Cellars 3-Pack of Premium Products: Mason
Zeigler, Dillon Brown & Brandon Burgoon
Holley Performance Group “Nosed Out”: Tommy
Schirnhofer, Jr.
Landrum Performance Springs BOGO Certificates: Braeson
Fulton, Davin Kaiser, Christian Schneider, Luke Cooper & Dave Goble
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger: Mason
Zeigler (+11)
Precise Racing Products 5-Gallon Race Jug:
Mason Zeigler
SRI Performance “Hot Lap Hero”:
Ryan Montgomery
Sunoco Fuel Card Winners: Austin
Allen ($100), Jim Rasey ($100), Damian Bidwell ($50), Tony Paynter ($50), Ryan
Montgomery ($50), Dan Angelicchio ($50),
FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying Flight A (Track
record 18.332 by Michael Norris on 9/29/23): 1. N1-Michael Norris,
00:18.923[24]; 2. 22S-Jeremy Steele, 00:18.942[20]; 3. 14B-Ben Policz,
00:19.030[9]; 4. 03-Garret Paugh, 00:19.061[14]; 5. 6-Dillon Brown,
00:19.097[4]; 6. 1/2PT-Damian Bidwell, 00:19.162[25]; 7. 17R-Logan Roberson,
00:19.168[3]; 8. 32A-Austin Allen, 00:19.172[13]; 9. 111-Max Blair,
00:19.186[16]; 10. 75-Christian Schneider, 00:19.224[22]; 11. 14A-Dan
Angelicchio, 00:19.264[1]; 12. 60H-Brian Huchko, 00:19.275[7]; 13. 8S-Tommy
Schirnhofer Jr, 00:19.432[6]; 14. 11K-Davin Kaiser, 00:19.489[17]; 15. 10S-Joe
Martin, 00:19.519[12]; 16. B6-Braeson Fulton, 00:19.539[8]; 17. 36B-Colby
Beighey, 00:19.563[5]; 18. 4JR-Jacob Billyk Jr, 00:19.754[15]; 19. 184C-Justin
Chance, 00:19.763[19]; 20. 33X-Logan Zarin, 00:19.819[18]; 21. 45-Tim Shaffer,
00:19.962[10]; 22. 55A-Marino Angelicchio, 00:20.167[23]; 23. 5B-Steve Baldwin,
00:20.214[2]; 24. 42S-Bobby Springer, 00:20.427[11]; 25. 38L-Mike Laughard,
00:21.299[21].
FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying Flight B (Track
record 18.332 by Michael Norris on 9/29/23): 1. 60-Brandon Burgoon,
00:18.738[10]; 2. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling, 00:18.830[15]; 3. 184-Kyle Lukon,
00:18.914[23]; 4. 77-Tom Klein, 00:18.943[19]; 5. 72B-Kassidy Kamicker,
00:18.989[24]; 6. 29-Ryan Hare, 00:19.019[1]; 7. 4S-Ryan Montgomery,
00:19.122[3]; 8. 57C-Luke Cooper, 00:19.158[5]; 9. 20G-Dave Goble,
00:19.294[20]; 10. 14G-Jake Gunn, 00:19.303[2]; 11. 84-Cole Petrelle,
00:19.308[18]; 12. 17G-Zach Gunn, 00:19.361[17]; 13. 137-Devin Brannon,
00:19.370[9]; 14. 111D-Demetrios Drellos, 00:19.392[21]; 15. 11A-Ashton Briggs,
00:19.410[6]; 16. 38-Michael Stephans, 00:19.472[7]; 17. 28S-Cale
Schwartzmiller, 00:19.500[14]; 18. 25Z-Mason Zeigler, 00:19.592[12]; 19. 18-Mike
Wonderling, 00:19.631[16]; 20. 15B-Matthew Benard, 00:19.706[8]; 21. 42-Daryl
Charlier, 00:19.895[25]; 22. 555-Brock Pinkerous, 00:19.915[4]; 23. 21J-Jim
Rasey, 00:20.076[13]; 24. 91B-Brodie Oravetz, 00:20.127[11]; 25. 2M-Chuck
Medved, 00:20.794[26]; 26. 81-Tony Paynter, 00:20.943[22].
FK Rod Ends Heat 1 (8 laps, Top 3 transfer to
A, $25 to-win): 1. 6-Dillon Brown[2]; 2. 22S-Jeremy Steele[1]; 3. 14A-Dan
Angelicchio[4]; 4. 5B-Steve Baldwin[8]; 5. 33X-Logan Zarin[7]; 6. 11K-Davin
Kaiser[5]; 7. 32A-Austin Allen[3]; 8. 36B-Colby Beighey[6].
FK Rod Ends Heat 2 (8 laps, Top 3 transfer to
A, $25 to-win): 1. N1-Michael Norris[1]; 2. 03-Garret Paugh[2]; 3. 17R-Logan
Roberson[3]; 4. 8S-Tommy Schirnhofer Jr[5]; 5. 184C-Justin Chance[7]; 6.
B6-Braeson Fulton[6]; 7. 75-Christian Schneider[4]; 8. 55A-Marino
Angelicchio[8]; 9. 38L-Mike Laughard[9].
FK Rod Ends Heat 3 (8 laps, Top 3 transfer to
A, $25 to-win): 1. 14B-Ben Policz[1]; 2. 111-Max Blair[3]; 3. 1/2PT-Damian
Bidwell[2]; 4. 10S-Joe Martin[5]; 5. 60H-Brian Huchko[4]; 6. 45-Tim Shaffer[7];
7. 4JR-Jacob Billyk Jr[6]; 8. 42S-Bobby Springer[8].
FK Rod Ends Heat 4 (8 laps, Top 3 transfer to
A, $25 to-win): 1. 60-Brandon Burgoon[1]; 2. 4S-Ryan Montgomery[3]; 3. 14G-Jake
Gunn[4]; 4. 137-Devin Brannon[5]; 5. 555-Brock Pinkerous[9]; 6. 77-Tom Klein[2];
7. 38-Michael Stephans[6]; 8. 2M-Chuck Medved[8]; 9. 18-Mike Wonderling[7].
FK Rod Ends Heat 5 (8 laps, Top 3 transfer to
A, $25 to-win): 1. 111D-Demetrios Drellos[5]; 2. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[1]; 3.
57C-Luke Cooper[3]; 4. 21J-Jim Rasey[8]; 5. 81-Tony Paynter[9]; 6. 15B-Matthew
Benard[7]; 7. 72B-Kassidy Kamicker[2]; 8. 84-Cole Petrelle[4]; 9. 28S-Cale
Schwartzmiller[6].
FK Rod Ends Heat 6 (8 laps, Top 3 transfer to
A, $25 to-win): 1. 29-Ryan Hare[2]; 2. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[6]; 3. 184-Kyle
Lukon[1]; 4. 20G-Dave Goble[3]; 5. 17G-Zach Gunn[4]; 6. 42-Daryl Charlier[7]; 7.
11A-Ashton Briggs[5]; 8. (DNS) 91B-Brodie Oravetz.
Last Chance B Main 1 (10 laps, Top 2 transfer
to A): 1. 5B-Steve Baldwin[2]; 2. 33X-Logan Zarin[4]; 3. 8S-Tommy Schirnhofer
Jr[1]; 4. 184C-Justin Chance[3]; 5. 32A-Austin Allen[8]; 6. 11K-Davin Kaiser[6];
7. 36B-Colby Beighey[10]; 8. 75-Christian Schneider[7]; 9. B6-Braeson Fulton[5];
10. (DNS) 55A-Marino Angelicchio; 11. (DNS) 38L-Mike Laughard.
Last Chance B Main 2 (10 laps, Top 2 transfer
to A): 1. 10S-Joe Martin[1]; 2. 555-Brock Pinkerous[4]; 3. 137-Devin Brannon[2];
4. 77-Tom Klein[6]; 5. 18-Mike Wonderling[11]; 6. 45-Tim Shaffer[5]; 7.
38-Michael Stephans[8]; 8. 2M-Chuck Medved[10]; 9. 42S-Bobby Springer[9]; 10.
4JR-Jacob Billyk Jr[7]; 11. 60H-Brian Huchko[3].
Last Chance B Main 3 (10 laps, Top 2 transfer
to A): 1. 20G-Dave Goble[2]; 2. 42-Daryl Charlier[6]; 3. 17G-Zach Gunn[4]; 4.
21J-Jim Rasey[1]; 5. 11A-Ashton Briggs[8]; 6. 15B-Matthew Benard[5]; 7. 81-Tony
Paynter[3]; 8. (DNS) 72B-Kassidy Kamicker; 9. (DNS) 91B-Brodie Oravetz; 10.
(DNS) 84-Cole Petrelle; 11. (DNS) 28S-Cale Schwartzmiller.
“Bob’s Bentz Memorial” Sunoco Dash presented by Stan’s
Transmission (6 laps, $200 to-win plus a $100 Sunoco fuel card): 1.
111D-Demetrios Drellos[2]; 2. 6-Dillon Brown[4]; 3. 14B-Ben Policz[1]; 4.
60-Brandon Burgoon[5]; 5. N1-Michael Norris[3]; 6. 29-Ryan Hare[6].
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, Sunbelt Rentals, MSD Performance, Holley
Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Joseph J. Oliva Attorney at Law, Schoenfeld
Headers, Jones Racing Products, Landrum Performance Springs, 3C Graphix, Dave
Poske's Performance Parts, Velocita-USA, Wieland Metal Services, Frankland
Racing Supply, Dusted Steak Seasoning, Ontime Body & Graphic, Sherwood Wheels,
D&V Jewelers, Dusted, Heritage Wine Cellars, Precise Racing Products, Wedge
Motorsports, Racing Electronics, and Billy’s Garage.
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 X (formerly known as Twitter)
@RUSHLM.
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