PACE RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN'S TIRE/BORN2RUN LUBRICANTS TOURING SERIES & RUSH SPRINTS TO COMPETE FRIDAY & SATURDAY AT GENESEE FOR "TOPLESS NATIONALS"; TRAVELING MFG NIGHT PRESENTED BY MSD ON SATURDAY FOR LM
By Mike Leone
September 22, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Batavia, NY)...The Pace Performance RUSH Racing Series together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC will take part in the fourth annual "Topless Nationals" at Genesee Speedway this weekend. The Flynn's Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Late Model Touring Series will race for $2,000 to-win on both Friday and Saturday night (September 24-25), while the RUSH Sprint Cars will battle for $1,000 to-win each night in Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series specials. Hot laps/qualifying will get underway at 6 p.m. on Friday night and 5 p.m. on Saturday night.
This year will be the fourth for "Topless Nationals", which debuted in 2017; however, didn't take place last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the first time contested as Tour events for the Late Models; Friday night will be a Platinum Event meaning Tour members can utilize the race to replace a missed Marquee Event or throw out their worst Marquee finish. The Late Models will run topless each night; however, approved roof plates will be permitted. Roof, roof supports, and window side panels must be removed, all other body rules remain in effect.
On Saturday, the annual "Traveling Manufacturers Night" presented by MSD Performance will take place following the drivers meeting. Competing drivers that finished in the top 15 in track points (not RUSH Track Pack points) at Genesee, Fulton Speedway, and Woodhull Raceway will be eligible to win one of the product package giveaways valued at a minimum of $445 up to the grand prize of a Lincoln Electric Power MIG 140C Multi-Purpose Welder and utility cart valued at $1,175. In the event there are more than 25 eligible drivers, additional packages valued at $400 will be added. Here is a link to the complete giveaway list: https://rushlatemodels.com/Manufacturers%20Night%20Traveling%20Prize%20List%202021.pdf. Of course all legal racers can compete in the race event.
The fastest Late Model qualifier each night will receive $100, while the heat race winners will pick up $25 both courtesy of FK Rod Ends. The feature winner each night will receive a 5-Gallon Race Jug from Precise. Ontime Body & Graphic's "Spoiler Alert" will award a $150 spoiler kit to the 14th place finisher on Friday and the 15th place finisher on Saturday (note: if a driver has already won a spoiler this season, spoiler will be awarded to the next position).
One Late Model driver will be randomly selected at the drivers meeting each night for a $100 Sunoco gift card thanks to the "Fill'er up with Sunoco Bucks" program presented by Sunoco and Zarin Truck & Auto. Also, Performance Bodies will award a $100 gift card to the first non-qualifier each night as part of the "Nosed Out" program.
Virginia's Kyle Hardy leads the Tour back to Genesee for second and third time of 2021. Hardy, who has six wins and an impressive 12 podium finishes in 13 races, has a 71-point lead on the surging Joe Martin in the $12,000 championship race. After starting the season off with three finishes outside the top 10 in the first six races, Martin has come on strong with seven straight top six finishes including his first Tour win in seven years at the last event on September 11 at Sharon. Three-time champion and three-time 2021 winner, Jeremy Wonderling, has slipped back to third, but will have an opportunity to get back in the hunt by throwing out his worst finish of 20th on Friday night.
Michael Duritsky, Jr. is fourth with three top five finishes. After failing to finish in the top 10 in any of the first 11 Tour races, Bud Watson has an eighth and a ninth in the last two Tour races at Sharon to move into fifth in points. Ryan Frazee, J.J. Mazur, John Waters, Kyle Lukon, and Cory Sines complete the top 10.
The Pace Performance National Weekly Series and Futures Cup Championships will end this weekend. Hardy has just a one-point lead on Wonderling in the $5,000 to-win Weekly Series, while last year's "Wheelman" Champion, Kassidy Kamicker, leads the $500 to-win Futures Cup. Note: the Track Pack and Tour points will continue until season's end.
Following the Genesee races this weekend will be another back-to-back weekend at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway next Friday and Saturday (October 1-2) for the "Bill Hendren Memorial" presented by FK Rod Ends in conjunction with Pro Fabrication. Each night will pay $3,000 to-win. Friday night will also include the $1,200 to-win "One to Remember" Non-Winners race presented by Hendren Racing Engines & CrateInsider.com, while Saturday night will have a $500 to-win Non-Qualifier race.
The RUSH Sprint Cars will compete at Genesee's "Topless Nationals" for the third time; however, the ante has been upped as each night will pay $1,000 to-win, $175 to-start. Chad Ruhlman has won all three Genesee events contested as he swept both $800 shows in 2018 and then won in 2019, but Mother Nature washed out night two in 2019.
Thanks to his season leading ninth victory of 2021 last Sunday at Tri-City Raceway Park, Gale Ruth, Jr. has extended his points lead to four over Ruhlman, who is a two-time $5,000 Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series Champion. Fresh off his first career Sprint Car win on Saturday at Pittsburgh, Blaze Myers is solidly in third over two-time winner Rod George and John Mollick.
"This will be a great weekend for our Late Model and Sprint Car teams," stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig. "Both will get to race a complete show each night. We're grateful that Jim Johnson has allowed us to have Tour shows each night, and Saturday is the perfect time to host the Traveling Manufacturers Night as none of the New York tracks will be in action. It's also been great for our Sprint Cars to be included each year as part of the Topless Nationals, while offering them their richest events of the season."
RUSH Late Model Feature Payoff each night: 1. $2,000 2. $1,000 3. $650 4. $550 5. $470 6. $435 7. $410 8. $370 9. $340 10. $310 11. $280 12. $270 13. $260 14. $250 15. $240 16. $235 17. $230 18-24 $225.
RUSH Late Model Non-Qualifier Payoff each night: 1. $200 2. $190 3. $185 4. $180 5. $175 6. $170 7. $165 8. $160 9. $155 10-24. $150. Tow $125.
RUSH Sprint Car Payoff each night: 1. $1,000 2. $500 3. $350 4. $275 5. $250 6. $240 7. $230 8. $225 9. $220 10. $215 11. $210 12. $205 13. $200 14. $195 15. $190 16. $185 17. $180 18-24. $175. Tow $75.
The Late Model entry fee is $100 each night. AMB/MyLaps transponders will be used; Westhold transponders will NOT work. Units are available to rent. Driver radio channel will be 454.000.
Pit passes will go on sale at 4 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday; however, the pits will be open prior to those time for early access. A drivers meeting will tentatively be held at 5:40 p.m. on Friday and 4:20 on Saturday with the "Manufacturers Night" drawings to follow. Hot laps and qualifying will get underway at 6 on Friday night and 5 on Saturday night with racing to follow.
The Quality Inn & Suites Palm Island Indoor Waterpark in Batavia is the "Official Hotel" of the 2021 Flynn's Tire/Born2Run Lubricants Touring Series events at Genesee Speedway. The hotel is located directly off the I-90 Batavia exit just six miles from Genesee Speedway at 250 Park Road, Batavia, NY, 14020.
Hotel management is offering a tremendous rate of just $65/night plus tax for each night during these weekends for RUSH teams and fans. To book a reservation, call 585-344-2100 and ask for the RUSH rate for Genesee Speedway.
Genesee Speedway is located off Route 5 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds at 5056 E Main Street Rd, Batavia, NY 14020. For more information, check out their website at genesee-speedway.com and like them on Facebook by searching Genesee Speedway.
RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Pace Performance together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, Born2Run Lubricants, Flynn's Tire & Auto Service, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Dirt Defender, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Stop-Fyre, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Waterstone Mortgage Hermitage, CrateInsider.com, and Wedge Motorsports.
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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