9/30/2025
RUSH Late Model Series
"BILL HENDREN MEMORIAL" PRESENTED BY FK ROD ENDS & CITY CHEVROLET SET FOR THIS WEEKEND AT PITTSBURGH; $4000 TO-WIN FRIDAY & $10,000 TO-WIN SATURDAY FO
"BILL HENDREN MEMORIAL" PRESENTED BY FK ROD ENDS & CITY CHEVROLET SET FOR THIS WEEKEND AT PITTSBURGH; $4000 TO-WIN FRIDAY & $10,000 TO-WIN SATURDAY FOR HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN'S TIRE/GUNTER'S HONEY TOUR PART OF THE "PITTSBURGHER"
By Mike Leone
September 30, 2025
(Imperial, PA)...The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series is set to return to action this weekend at Pittsburgh PA Motor Speedway for the annual "Bill Hendren Memorial" part of the 37th annual "Pittsburgher” weekend with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Friday night (October 3) will be a complete show for $4,000 to-win, while Saturday night (October 4) will be a complete show for $10,000 to-win! The following sponsors have made the "Bill Hendren Memorial" possible: FK Rod Ends, City Chevrolet, Pro Fab, Hendren Racing Engines, CrateInsider.com, West Mifflin Collision, Stan's Transmission, and Branden Lockwich. Warm-ups get underway at 6 p.m. both nights Action will be streamed live by FloRacing.
For the 10th straight year, the "Bill Hendren Memorial" has taken place at "Dirt's Monster Half-Mile". Friday night’s payoff will be the richest to date for night one with $4,000 to-win/$300 to-start along with an increased D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier paying $300 to-win/$155 to-start. On Saturday night, the Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Tour will have $10,000 on the line with $450 to-start the 40-lap event for the fourth straight year! Saturday’s D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier will see even more of an increase with $400 going to the winner and $160 to-start. For the second straight year, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be in action with a complete show each night as Saturday night will pay $50,000 to-win!
Each night, the "Bob Bentz Memorial" Sunoco Dash presented by Stan's Transmission will set the beginning rows of the feature line-up. Friday night's dash will have a $500 cash purse with $200 to-win plus a $100 Sunoco fuel card, $100 for second, $50 for third through sixth. Saturday night's dash will have a $1,000 cash purse with $400 to-win plus a $100 Sunoco fuel card, $200 for second, $150 for third, $125 for fourth, $75 for fifth, and $50 for sixth. Special thanks to Bob Bentz (Jr.) for putting up $1,500 cash to remember his late father.
There have been 33 RUSH Tour events completed all-time at Pittsburgh with 19 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, 2023 $10,000 "Bill Hendren Memorial" winner Joe Martin, Mason Zeigler, 2024 $10,000 “Bill Hendren Memorial” winner Brandon Burgoon, and this year’s $7,010 “Jook George Steel City Classic” winner Christian Schneider.
Pittsburgh has completed 18 RUSH Late Model events this season (second most on the circuit) with nine different winners part of the City Chevrolet Weekly Series. Burgoon leads the way with five victories and will look to clinch his third straight City Chevrolet Track Pack title at PPMS this weekend. Schneider has had a breakout season with four victories. Zach Gunn has won the first two races of his career and veteran Schirnhofer is the only other repeat winner. Career first wins have gone to Zach Kane, Jake Gunn, and Tom Klein, while Charlier and Michael Reft have also reached victory lane.
Jeremy Wonderling, who is in search of an unprecedented fifth Series title, leads the Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Tour into Pittsburgh as just three events remain. The Wellsville, NY driver sits atop the standings by 45 over Virginian Kyle Hardy, who has come on strong of late with five straight top four finishes including wins in the last three events at Tri-City, Tyler County, and Winchester Speedways. Wonderling, who was the $1,000 City Chevrolet Track Pack Champion at McKean, also leads the City Chevrolet National Weekly Series points. Wonderling is looking to cash in on more than $26,000 in point fund monies!
3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year points leader, Demetrios Drellos, is third in points but only leads second year Tour racer, Austin Allen, by just four points. Zack Carley, who is second in the RoY standings, is only 10 points back of Drellos in fifth.
Jason Knowles is sixth in points. Daryl Charlier, who won at Tri-City back on May 25, is seventh over Ben Easler, Mike Wonderling, and rookie Ryan Hare. Completing the top 15 in points are Austin Hauser, Bryce Davis, rookie Bill Holmes III, Bud Watson, and Brad Mesler.
The events will also count towards the RUSH City Chevrolet National Weekly Series, Pittsburgh’s City Chevrolet "Track Pack" and Russ King Racing "Futures Cup" for those eligible racers.
In 2005, Bill Hendren, the patriarch of the Hendren family and founder of Hendren Racing Engines, had the foresight to begin building his affiliation with crate racing. As many of his open engine customers looked to crate racing as an opportunity to continue racing Bill began offering free advice via the well know 4M.net message board. As the concept grew throughout the country, his generosity and expertise were rewarded as many of those who had utilized his knowledge in the beginning utilized him as their engine rebuilder as their needs arose. Bill passed away on March 19, 2011, but his legacy and dedication to crate racing lives on through his sons, Steve and Mike, as the Hendrens are recognized throughout the entire country as a leader in this specialized form of racing as they continue to operate Hendren Racing Engines.
"I'll never forget the day many years ago when I received a surprise phone call from Steve Hendren expressing interest in having a memorial event for his late father Bill in conjunction with a RUSH Touring event," explained Emig. "Although I never knew Bill personally, I certainly was well aware of his pioneering spirit and great success in the world of Chevrolet Performance crate engine racing. And to have the Hendren Family allow us to hold their patriarch's only memorial event of the year under the RUSH banner for the 13th straight year is truly an honor! What Steve and his family continue to do for this event is tremendous! We have to thank all of the contributors as well as Blair Cress, Jr. for allowing this event to be part of the 'Pittsburgher' weekend."
Steve Hendren, who will be making the trip up to Pittsburgh from Rutherfordton, NC, was inducted into the Antioch (CA) Speedway Hall of Fame shortly after the 2021 event. Hendren raced at the track weekly in the Late Model division from 1990-1993 winning 40 races and was the 1992 and 1993 champion. In 1992, Hendren won 25 features in 44 starts with 15 of them coming at Antioch, which propelled him to the NASCAR Pacific Coast Regional Championship.
FK Rod Ends "Shock the Clock" Qualifying will be held each night with the fastest qualifier earning $100 followed up the $25 to-win FK Rod Ends heat races. The "Fill'er up with Sunoco Bucks" program presented by Bazell Race Fuels will include an additional $400 of Sunoco fuel card giveaways; two $100 random draws for drivers in the top 15 of Tour points and another four $50 random draws for all other competitors each night.
The podium finishers will each receive a three-pack of Heritage Wine Cellars premier products each night. 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. Ontime Body & Graphic's "Spoiler Alert" will award a spoiler kit to the 16th place finisher on night one and the 17th place finisher on night two. The first feature non-qualifier will receive a $50 certificate from Holley Performance brands each night. There will also be five BOGO Landrum Performance Springs certificates given away through drawings each night.
"Bill Hendren Memorial" Night 1 Feature Payoff (30 laps): 1. $4,000 2. $2,000 3. $1,000 4. $800 5. $700 6. $600 7. $550 8. $500 9. $475 10. $450 11. $425 12. $400 13. $375 14. $360 15. $350 16. $340 17. $330 18. $320 19. $310 20-24. $300. (25-26. $300).
D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier Night 1 Payoff: 1. $300 2. $200 3. $190 4. $185 5. $180 6. $175 7. $170 8. $165 9. $160 10-24. $155. Tow $125
"Bill Hendren Memorial" Night 2 Feature Payoff (40 laps): 1. $10,000 2. $5,000 3. $2,500 4. $2,000 5. $1,500 6. $1,200 7. $1,000 8. $900 9. $800 10. $700 11. $650 12. $625 13. $600 14. $550 15. $525 16. $500 17. $490 18. $480 19. $470 20. $460 21-24. $450 (25-26. $450).
D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier Night 2 Payoff: 1. $400 2. $300 3. $250 4. $225 5. $200 6. $190 7. $180 8. $175 9. $170 10. $165 11-24. $160 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 each night. AMB/MyLaps transponders will be used; Westhold transponders will NOT work. Units are available to rent for $25. Driver radio channel will be 453.800. For 2025 RUSH Technical Rules, check out https://www.rushlatemodels.com/2025%20RUSH%20Late%20Model%20Rules.pdf
Pit passes will go on sale at 2 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday. RUSH registration will open by 3 p.m. with the drivers meeting at 5:30 p.m. Warm-ups are slated for 6 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing.
Pittsburgh 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, Rick Hendrick City Chevrolet, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Flynn's Tire, Gunter's Honey, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Billy's Garage, Joseph J. Oliva Attorney at Law, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Landrum Performance Springs, Russ King Racing, 3C Graphix, Dave Poske's Performance Parts, Velocita-USA, Wieland Metal Services, Frankland Racing Supply, Seal-Tite Paving & Excavating, Dusted Steak Seasoning, Ontime Body & Graphic, D&V Jewelers, AERO Race Wheels, Heritage Wine Cellars, Precise Racing Products, Racing Electronics, Design Creations, and Competition Crate Parts.
E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at info@rushracingseries.com 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.
Article Credit: Mike Leone
