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MAX BLAIR FOLLOWS UP $20,000 RUNNER-UP FINISH IN THE LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL "PITTSBURGHER" WITH $10,000 HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN'S TIRE/GUNTER'S HONE

MAX BLAIR FOLLOWS UP $20,000 RUNNER-UP FINISH IN THE LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL "PITTSBURGHER" WITH $10,000 HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN'S TIRE/GUNTER'S HONEY TOUR VICTORY AT PPMS; 50 DIFFERENT RUSH CARS COMPETED IN "BILL HENDREN MEMORIAL"
By Mike Leone

October 4, 2025

(Imperial, PA)...The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series returned to Pittsburgh PA Motor Speedway on a beautiful Saturday evening for the third and final time of the season. Race #17 of 2025, which was night two of the “Bill Hendren Memorial”, was part of the “Pittsburgher 100” weekend with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and was contested in front of a packed grandstand and live on FloRacing. Forty-four cars were on hand as a total of 50 different ones competed over the two nights from eight different states and Ontario, Canada! Special thanks to FK Rod Ends, City Chevrolet, Pro Fabrication, Hendren Racing Engines, West Mifflin Collision, CrateInsider.com, Stan's Transmission, and Branden Lockwich for their sponsorship along with PPMS to make this year's "Bill Hendren Memorial" weekend the richest in history!

Max Blair kicked off the 2025 Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series campaign by sweeping the Stateline-Eriez Speedway weekend for more than $8,000. On Saturday night, Blair brought down the curtain on the "Pittsburgher" weekend in his final RUSH Late Model race of the season with a $10,000 victory in the "Bill Hendren Memorial", which followed an impressive $20,000 runner-up performance with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series! In the 40-lap "Bill Hendren Memorial", Blair tracked down Friday night's winner, Carson Ferguson, and made the winning pass on lap 19 to reach Landrum Performance Victory Lane for the all-time leading 36th time in his career in RUSH Tour competition, but first ever at Pittsburgh. Blair's massive two-night "Pittsburgher 100" weekend was worth approximately $35,000!

"What a night," expressed the 35-year-old Centerville, Pa. standout. "I knew we were really, really good but for some reason it just wouldn't take off on the double-file restarts- honestly I thought I gave it away. I didn't think I got a very good restart on that last one, but did just enough to keep him (Ferguson) behind me going into (turn) one. It all worked out and we're standing here so that's all that matters. It's awesome to do this at Pittsburgh. I struggled so bad for so many years early in my crate career and used to dread coming down here because we were so terrible. We've run really well the last several years in our Super Late Model and this is really the first I've been any good here in a crate car. The Hendrens have done a lot for me over my career. I've gotten motors and carburetors from them and they guided me in the right direction when I had questions even when I wasn't running their stuff. They are great people and this one is pretty awesome."

Following the Dave Poske's Performance Parts "Feel the RUSH" 4-Wide Salute, Blair and Ferguson led the 26-car starting field to green for the feature. Blair and Ferguson raced side-by-side around "Dirt's Monster Half-Mile" on the opening lap with Blair taking the advantage, while Ben Easler, Christian Schneider, and Kyle Hardy filled out the first five. Eighth starting Mason Zeigler cracked the top five on lap four and joined the battle for third with Easler and Schneider as Blair and Ferguson opened up some ground before a caution for Jeremy Wonderling with five laps scored.

When green replaced yellow on lap six, Ferguson made the outside work on the double-file restart to take the lead. Schneider, who one-night prior went ninth to second, took third from Easler on lap seven before a caution for a slowing Daryl Charlier. Back under green, seventh starting Schneider continued his forward progress taking second from Blair, while Zeigler moved up to fourth past Easler. Friday night saw Blair fade from second to fifth at the finish; Blair though wasn't about to have that happen again after dropping from first to third in the first eight laps as he'd regain runner-up from Schneider on lap nine.

Ferguson had opened up a comfortable lead primed for the $14,000+ weekend sweep, while the positions were changing behind him. Ferguson's lead shrunk to 0.958 seconds when he caught lapped traffic on lap 16. Blair quickly cut more into Ferguson's advantage in the ensuing laps and was able to make the winning pass on lap 19 in lapped traffic. Blair quickly dashed away from Ferguson and stretched out his lead as the laps ticked off under green flag conditions. Zeigler continued to move forward taking third from Schneider on lap 26.

A spin by Zack Carley in turn four wasn't what Blair wanted to see with seven laps to go as his lead of 4.596 seconds evaporated. Blair was barely able to keep Ferguson at bay on the ensuing restart, but as the laps wound down once again stretched out his lead. When the checkered flag waved, Blair crossed the finish first by 1.514 seconds in the Dave McManus/Centerline Motorsports-owned, Murphy’s Logging/C&J Dairy/Creek Pizza & Pub/Coltman Farms/Tavern 618/Gable Inn/Riggs Fiber/Creekside Auto Sales/Deer Lake Bowl/Bish Heating & Cooling/TLW Trucking-sponsored #114. It was only Blair's second career Pittsburgh win and first since 2009.

Even though Ferguson came up one-spot shy of Friday night's $4,000 victory, the North Carolina racer pocketed $5,000 for second aboard Cameron Tribble's #1. "It was a good weekend," acknowledged the 25-year-old racer. "I didn't keep up with the track very good. I thought it was going to get more rubbered up than it did. I should have tightened up a little more; it was a little miscue on my part. We gave it everything we had on the restarts, but it just wasn't quite good enough at the end. Max (Blair) was really good on that long run and I was going to have to throw a Hail Mary at it and try to keep it as clean as I could. I was able to pinch him off on that second restart, but it was only a matter of time until he got back by me again."

After falling as far as sixth from his third place starting spot, Easler was able to move back into the top five on lap 16 then raced back by Schneider and Zeigler in the closing laps to record a career best Tour finish of third worth $2,500. Easler's prior best Tour finish was a fourth at Ohio Valley Speedway on July 4 as his team joined Blair and Ferguson in receiving a three-pack of premium product from Heritage Wine Cellars for reaching the podium. After just two top 10 finishes in his rookie Tour season one-year ago, Saturday night was Easler's seventh of the 2025 campaign with one-race to go.

"Out of all places to get my first podium on the Tour- this is unreal," expressed the 19-year-old Linesville, Pa. driver. "We've never been good here. We have come here for some (RUSH Late Model) Weekly Series shows and tuned our stuff in and it's finally paying off for us. I think we were too free and probably could have tightened up a bit, but the last restart saved me. We had a great car this weekend. Last night we charged from the back and tonight qualified good to get ourselves good track position. I can't lie- it's humbling and kind of surreal to battle with the guys I've watched growing up. It's hard because you're fans of these guys, but then when you're on the race track you can't think of it that way."

Zeigler's second top four finish in as many nights was worth $2,000. Schneider's fourth straight top five Flynn's Tire/Gunter's Honey Tour finish was worth $1,500. Kyle Hardy was sixth for $1,200 as he recorded his 14th top 10 in 15 Tour starts this season to maintain second in points. 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year points leader, Demetrios Drellos, earned $1,000 as he finished seventh for the second straight night. Kyle Zimmerman advanced two spots from his 10th starting spot as Pittsburgh regulars Zach Gunn and Michael Reft completed the top 10.

After a crash in hot laps ended his night on Friday, Clinton Hersh went 20th to 11th to earn the $50 Precise Racing Products Hard Charger gift card. 3C Graphix rookie racer, Ryan Hare, qualified for the feature both nights and his 18th place finish earned him a spoiler kit from Ontime Body & Graphic.

For the second time this season at Pittsburgh, Logan Zarin was victorious in the D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier. Zarin won $500 at the "Jook George Steel City Classic" on July 26 and pocketed $400 on Saturday night for his fourth career win tying him for first on the all-time win list with Jamie Wrightsman and Brandt Graham. The 23-year-old Hookstown, Pa. driver led all 10 non-stop laps aboard the Greg Beach-owned, Anarchy Kustoms/RPM Shock Services/Kryptonite Race Cars/Integra Shocks-sponsored #33x.

Fourth starting Anthony Monteparte passed Canadian Steve Baldwin on the opening lap for third then got by Tour regular Mike Wonderling for second on lap two. Monteparte trailed Zarin by only 0.928 seconds at the finish in his Tour debut in his rookie RUSH Late Model season. Wonderling was third, but for the second straight night received a $50 Holley Performance gift card for being the first feature non-qualifier. Virginian Jacob Whitt was fourth as Jacob Billyk, Jr. beat out his brother Jackson for fifth.

Zeigler set fast time overall against the 44-car field in FK Rods Ends "Shock the Clock" Qualifying with a lap of 19.226 to earn $100 for the second time this season. Winning the $25 FK Rod Ends heat races were Ferguson, Easler, Zeigler, and Blair. Devin Brannon and Charlier won the last chance B mains. Blair won his second Sunoco Dash of the season to not only receive a $100 Sunoco fuel card, but $400 cash as part of the "Bob Bentz Memorial" race presented by Stan's Transmission. Bentz, Jr. put up $1,500 for dash competitors over the two nights.

Also receiving $100 Sunoco fuel cards as part of the "Fill'er up with Sunoco Bucks" presented by Bazell Race Fuels drawings were Tour drivers Hardy and Drellos, while the $50 fuel cards went to Forrest Trent, Whitt, Zarin, and Baldwin.

Landrum Performance Springs, which will award the $5,000 Loyalty Bonus to an eligible Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series regular at the season ending event, distributed BOGO certificates on Saturday night, which were captured by Jason Knowles, Brannon, Matt Benard, Hare and Jake Gunn.

The Flynn’s Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series will close out the 2025 season at Lernerville Speedway October 9-11 for the "Steel City Stampede". Practice will be on Thursday with qualifying, heat races, and the Sunoco Dash on Friday night with the last chance B mains, $4,000 to-win feature and D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier on Saturday. The rain date is Sunday.

Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter's Honey Touring Series Race #17 (40 laps, $10,000 to-win): 1. MAX BLAIR (Centerline 114) 2. Carson Ferguson (Tribble 1) 3. Ben Easler (02) 4. Mason Zeigler (25z) 5. Christian Schneider (56) 6. Kyle Hardy (99) 7. Demetrios Drellos (111) 8. Kyle Zimmerman (Stockdale 31) 9. Zach Gunn (17G) 10. Michael Reft (9R) 11. Clinton Hersh (16) 12. Austin Hauser (51) 13. Devin Brannon (137) 14. Daryl Charlier (Dobnak 42) 15. Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr. (8s) 16. Jake Gunn (14G) 17. Ashton Briggs (11A) 18. Ryan Hare (29) 19. Matt Benard (15) 20. Zack Carley (2) 21. Kassidy Kamicker (72B) 22. Garret Paugh (03) 23. Nico Dabecco (1) 24. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 25. Forrest Trent (101) 26. Bill Holmes III (8). (Note: Zack Carley took a Tour provisional & Kassidy Kamicker took a Track provisional)

D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier (10 laps, $400 to-win): 1. Logan Zarin (Beach 33x) 2. Anthony Monteparte (66) 3. Mike Wonderling (18) 4. Jacob Whitt (33) 5. Jacob Billyk, Jr. (4JR) 6. Jackson Billyk (71) 7. Steve Baldwin (5) 8. Brodie Oravetz (91B) 9. Tom Snyder, Jr. (10s) 10. Tom Klein (77) 11. Chuck Medved (2M) 12. Rob Coffaro (24c) 13. Payton Dalton (5L). DNS: Austin Allen (Mullen 32), Jason Knowles (4), Dillon Brown (6), Tim Shaffer (45) & Cole Petrelle (84).

Car Count: 44
Feature Margin of Victory: 1.514 seconds
Feature Lap Leaders: Max Blair (1-5,19-40), Carson Ferguson (6-18)
Heritage Wine Cellars 3-Pack of Premium Products: Max Blair, Carson Ferguson & Ben Easler
Holley Performance Group “Nosed Out”: Mike Wonderling
Landrum Performance Springs BOGO Certificates: Jason Knowles, Devin Brannon, Matt Benard, Ryan Hare & Jake Gunn
Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert” Spoiler Kit: Ryan Hare
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger: Clinton Hersh (+9)
Sunoco Fuel Card Winners presented by Bazell Race Fuels: Kyle Hardy ($100), Demetrios Drellos ($100), Forrest Trent ($50), Jacob Whitt ($50), Logan Zarin ($50), Steve Baldwin ($50)

FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Flight A Qualifying (Track record 18.332 by Michael Norris on 9/29/23) ($100 for fast time): 1. 1F-Carson Ferguson, 00:19.339[12]; 2. 02-Ben Easler, 00:19.504[3]; 3. 111D-Demetrios Drellos, 00:19.530[18]; 4. F1-Nico Dabecco, 00:19.538[6]; 5. 5B-Steve Baldwin, 00:19.566[22]; 6. 29-Ryan Hare, 00:19.634[16]; 7. 17G-Zach Gunn, 00:19.739[17]; 8. 45-Tim Shaffer, 00:19.757[19]; 9. 9R-Mike Reft, 00:19.785[11]; 10. 8S-Tommy Schirnhofer Jr, 00:19.789[20]; 11. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling, 00:19.790[1]; 12. 4-Jason Knowles, 00:19.809[4]; 13. 2C-Zack Carley, 00:19.944[2]; 14. 15B-Matthew Benard, 00:19.954[7]; 15. 137-Devin Brannon, 00:19.999[5]; 16. 71-Jackson Billyk, 00:20.004[14]; 17. 6-Dillon Brown, 00:20.131[8]; 18. 18-Mike Wonderling, 00:20.270[13]; 19. 91B-Brodie Oravetz, 00:20.382[15]; 20. 11A-Ashton Briggs, 00:20.758[9]; 21. 66-Anthony Monteparte, 00:20.824[21]; 22. 5L-Payton Dalton, 00:21.978[10].

FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Flight B Qualifying (Track record 18.332 by Michael Norris on 9/29/23): 1. 25Z-Mason Zeigler, 00:19.226[14]; 2. 114-Max Blair, 00:19.260[12]; 3. 99-Kyle Hardy, 00:19.433[21]; 4. 72B-Kassidy Kamicker, 00:19.461[18]; 5. 03-Garret Paugh, 00:19.624[19]; 6. 56-Christian Schneider, 00:19.644[1]; 7. 31-Kyle Zimmerman, 00:19.729[2]; 8. 101-Forrest Trent, 00:19.850[17]; 9. 8-Bill Holmes, 00:19.921[13]; 10. 14G-Jake Gunn, 00:19.934[9]; 11. 51-Austin Hauser, 00:19.954[11]; 12. 16-Clinton Hersh, 00:20.091[5]; 13. 32A-Austin Allen, 00:20.152[10]; 14. 42-Daryl Charlier, 00:20.188[16]; 15. 33X-Logan Zarin, 00:20.324[4]; 16. 33W-Jacob Whitt, 00:20.437[6]; 17. 2M-Chuck Medved, 00:20.469[3]; 18. 77-Tom Klein, 00:20.560[15]; 19. 24C-Rob Coffaro, 00:20.591[20]; 20. 10S-Tom Snyder Jr, 00:20.600[7]; 21. 4JR-Jacob Billyk Jr, 00:20.825[22]; 22. 84-Cole Petrelle, 00:21.134[8].

FK Rod Ends Heat 1 (10 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 1F-Carson Ferguson[1]; 2. 111D-Demetrios Drellos[2]; 3. 17G-Zach Gunn[4]; 4. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[6]; 5. 9R-Mike Reft[5]; 6. 137-Devin Brannon[8]; 7. 2C-Zack Carley[7]; 8. 6-Dillon Brown[9]; 9. 5B-Steve Baldwin[3]; 10. 66-Anthony Monteparte[11]; 11. 91B-Brodie Oravetz[10].

FK Rod Ends Heat 2 (10 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 02-Ben Easler[1]; 2. F1-Nico Dabecco[2]; 3. 8S-Tommy Schirnhofer Jr[5]; 4. 29-Ryan Hare[3]; 5. 15B-Matthew Benard[7]; 6. 11A-Ashton Briggs[10]; 7. 45-Tim Shaffer[4]; 8. 18-Mike Wonderling[9]; 9. 4-Jason Knowles[6]; 10. 71-Jackson Billyk[8]; 11. 5L-Payton Dalton[11]

FK Rod Ends Heat 3 (10 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[1]; 2. 99-Kyle Hardy[2]; 3. 31-Kyle Zimmerman[4]; 4. 03-Garret Paugh[3]; 5. 51-Austin Hauser[6]; 6. 8-Bill Holmes[5]; 7. 33X-Logan Zarin[8]; 8. 32A-Austin Allen[7]; 9. 4JR-Jacob Billyk Jr[11]; 10. 2M-Chuck Medved[9]; 11. 24C-Rob Coffaro[10].

FK Rod Ends Heat 4 (10 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 114-Max Blair[1]; 2. 56-Christian Schneider[3]; 3. 101-Forrest Trent[4]; 4. 14G-Jake Gunn[5]; 5. 16-Clinton Hersh[6]; 6. 42-Daryl Charlier[7]; 7. 72B-Kassidy Kamicker[2]; 8. 77-Tom Klein[9]; 9. 33W-Jacob Whitt[8]; 10. 10S-Tom Snyder Jr[10]; 11. 84-Cole Petrelle[11].

Last Chance B Main 1 (10 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 137-Devin Brannon[1]; 2. 11A-Ashton Briggs[2]; 3. 18-Mike Wonderling[6]; 4. 5B-Steve Baldwin[7]; 5. 66-Anthony Monteparte[9]; 6. 91B-Brodie Oravetz[11]; 7. 71-Jackson Billyk[10]; 8. 5L-Payton Dalton[12]; 9. 4-Jason Knowles[8]; 10. 6-Dillon Brown[5]. DNS: 2C-Zack Carley & 45-Tim Shaffer.

Last Chance B Main 2 (10 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 42-Daryl Charlier[2]; 2. 8-Bill Holmes[1]; 3. 33X-Logan Zarin[3]; 4. 32A-Austin Allen[5]; 5. 4JR-Jacob Billyk Jr[7]; 6. 33W-Jacob Whitt[8]; 7. 10S-Tom Snyder Jr[10]; 8. 2M-Chuck Medved[9]; 9. 24C-Rob Coffaro[11]; 10. 77-Tom Klein[6]. DNS: 72B-Kassidy Kamicker & 84-Cole Petrelle.

"Bob Bentz Memorial" Sunoco Dash presented by Stan's Transmission (6 laps, $400 to-win plus $100 Sunoco fuel card): 1. 114-Max Blair[2]; 2. 1F-Carson Ferguson[5]; 3. 02-Ben Easler[7]; 4. F1-Nico Dabecco[1]; 5. 111D-Demetrios Drellos[6]; 6. 99-Kyle Hardy[3]; 7. 56-Christian Schneider[8]; 8. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[4].

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.

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