PITTSBURGH TO HOST 2026 HOVIS RUSH LATE MODEL FLYNN’S TIRE/GUNTER’S HONEY TOURING SERIES OPENER THIS SATURDAYWITH THE “HERB SCOTT MEMORIAL”

By Mike Leone

April 14, 2026 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Imperial, PA)…The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series will kick-off the 2026 season this Saturday night (April 18) at Pittsburgh PA Motor Speedway.  It’ll be the $4,000 to-win “Herb Scott Memorial” as warmups are slated for 6 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing.  The event will be streamed live on Dirt.tv.

For the third straight year, a $76,200 Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series points fund has been posted as $20,000 will again be on the line for the championship along with the 3C Graphix $3,000 to-win Rookie-of-the-Year and the $5,000 Landrum Performance Springs “Loyalty Bonus”. 

In 2024, a record 13 full-time teams completed the Tour with a dozen teams receiving point fund monies in 2025. A strong contingent returns in 2026 led by five-time champion Jeremy Wonderling. Other returnees include 2025 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year Demetrios Drellos, 2024 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year Daryl Charlier along with Ben Easler, Austin Allen, Zack Carley, Jason Knowles, Austin Hauser, and Ryan Hare. Currently, five drivers have declared for the 3C Graphix Rookie-of-the-Year including Christian Schneider, Dylan Cecce, Kurt Stebbins, Allan Hammond, and TJ Williams. Numerous other drivers have joined the Tour with their participation level TBA.  

Saturday night’s “Herb Scott Memorial” will be the first of four appearances this season by the Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Tour at “Dirt’s Monster Half-Mile”. The “Jook George Steel City Classic” will take place on July 25 (rain date August 1) and the “Bill Hendren Memorial” on October 2-3 are also on the Tour’s 2026 schedule at PPMS.  The Tour events at Pittsburgh over the past two years have averaged 46 cars per event!  

Herb Scott was one of the most well-known and respected drivers who ever raced in western Pa. His side-by-side battles with Joe Mihalic were nothing short of legendary.  Ten times during his hall of fame career, Scott won the track championship at Heidelberg (1956-1960, 1962-1965, and 1967).  His first win came in his first year of racing at New Kensington Speedway in 1948.  His 500th win came at Lernerville Speedway, and his final feature win came at Schmucker’s Speedway in September of 1979. He would go on to win a total of 520 career features! 

There have been 33 Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series events completed all-time at Pittsburgh with 21 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, Joe Martin, Mason Zeigler, Brandon Burgoon, Christian Schneider, and most recently the 2025 “Bill Hendren Memorial” winners Carson Ferguson and Max Blair.

“We’re looking forward to Pittsburgh on Saturday and continuing our relationship with Blair Cress, Jr. who took over the track during the 2023 season,” expressed RUSH Director Vicki Emig. “No track has hosted more RUSH Late Model Tour shows than Pittsburgh and they once again lead the way with four events in 2026. It’s a great honor to have Herb Scott’s memorial event as a RUSH Tour event in conjunction with our opener.  With our substantial points fund and the richest slate of events in our history brings so much excitement for the upcoming season.”

In addition to Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series points being awarded, Colussy Chevrolet National Weekly Series points will also be on the line. Saturday will also kick-off the RUSH “Track Pack” Pittsburgh points as $2,500 will be shared amongst the top six drivers in RUSH Weekly Series member points at the conclusion of the season. 

$100 “Shock the Clock” Qualifying and $25 to-win heat races will be presented by FK Rod Ends. The Sunoco Dash will set the beginning rows of the feature lineup and will award the winner a $100 Sunoco fuel gift card. The “Fill’er up with Sunoco Bucks” program co-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 2025 Tour points and another four $50 random draws for all other competitors. 

Hoosier Tire Western PA/Big Daddy’s Speed Center will award a $100 gift card for the “Pedal Down” Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the feature. Close Racing Supply will award a $100 gift card for the driver chosen as the “Tough Break of the Night”. Ontime Body & Graphic’s “Spoiler Alert” will award a spoiler kit to the first place finisher. Schneider Trucks will present the new “Hottest of the Hot” with $50 going to the driver that turns the fastest lap in hot laps. There will also be five BOGO Landrum Performance Springs certificates given away through drawings each night. 

Feature Payoff: 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).

Real Merchant Services DMV Non-Qualifier Payoff: 1. $200  2. $190  3. $185  4. $180  5. $175  6. $170  7. $165  8. $160  9. $155  10-24. $150. 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. 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.  Imperial Heights Garage will service the event and will have the RUSH Hoosier Tires for sale; call 724-695-0150 to pre-order.  PPMS will have Sunoco E85R and Sunoco 110 for sale.  

The pits will be open throughout the afternoon with pit pass sales at 3 p.m. RUSH registration will open by 3 p.m. with the drivers meeting at 5:30. 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, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Colussy Chevrolet Flynn’s Tire, Gunter’s Honey, Rustler Sales & Service, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Capital Contracting Service, Joseph J. Oliva Attorney at Law, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, Landrum Performance Springs, Russ King Racing, 3C Graphix, Velocita-USA, Wieland Metal Services, Real Merchant Services DMV, IllusionCoats Powder Coating, Hoosier Tire Western Pennsylvania/Big Daddy’s Speed Center, Close Racing Supply, Frankland Racing Supply, Seal-Tite Paving & Excavating, Schneider Trucks, Ontime Body & Graphic, Henry’s Headers & Exhaust Systems, D&V Jewelers, AERO Race Wheels, Racing Electronics, Design Creations, and Competition Crate Parts.

E-mail can be sent to the RUSHRacing Series at info@rushracingseries.com and mail to 4368Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143.Office phone is 724-964-9300. The RUSH Late Model website is www.rushlatemodels.com. Likeour Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rushlatemodels and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @RUSHLM.