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33RD annual jook george memorial steel city classic up next at ppms

Imperial, PA

Join us at Dirt’s Monster Half Mile this Saturday, August 6, 2022, with the 33rd Annual Jook George Memorial for the Rohrich RUSH Late Model Touring Series presented by Hovis Truck and Auto. Also on the card will be the Cheplic Packing Hobby Stocks, and the Penn Ohio Pro Stocks. Gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps begin at 6 p.m., and the racing action will start at 7 p.m. Visit our schedule section for pricing and tickets. PPMS has a GPS address of 170 Kelso Rd, Imperial, PA, 15126, and is located off of the Noblestown Exit of 22/30. 

FROM MIKE LEONE - RUSH 

(Pulaski, PA)...After a weekend off, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Dirt Late Model Series presented by Born2Run Lubricants is set to resume its Flynn's Tire Touring Series this weekend with a doubleheader of events in western Pennsylvania.  On Saturday, the RUSH Touring Series will head to Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway in Imperial on Saturday night. With Saturday's "Jook George Steel City Classic" presented by Nex-Gen Outdoor Services offering a minimum $6,010 to-win! There is a rain date of Sunday for Pittsburgh; however, the track will do whatever possible to get the show in on Saturday night. 

Saturday night will mark the second of four 2022 appearances by the Flynn's Tire Tour at "Dirt's Monster Half-Mile".  Michael Norris won the $3,000 "Herb Scott Memorial" on July 2.  For the second straight year, the "Jook George Steel City Classic" will be streamed live thanks to Lernerville TV (https://dirt.tv).

Starting in 2015, Branden Lockwich took up the effort to make the "Jook George Steel City Classic" the biggest race in the tri-state area for the RUSH Late Models.  The event has continued to grow in stature.  In 2017, the event was a Tour race for the first time and drew 43 cars with Mike Pegher, Jr. capturing the $4,010 win.  In 2018, a record 51 cars were on hand with Jacob Hawkins scoring the $5,010 win.  The 2019 event was the richest as Kyle Lukon scored the $10,010 win and the extra $1,000 contributor bonus.  While the COVID-19 pandemic left uncertainty for the 2020 event, Lockwich still worked wonders and brought over $17,000 to the event, which was won by Norris in his first RUSH start.  Norris was able to take home $6,010 and the $1,000 contributor bonus.  Norris repeated his fortunes last year once again collecting $7,010.  

In 2019, Miley Motor Sports and Lockwich came up with the idea to award the feature winner an additional $1,000 bonus if he or she financially contributed a minimum of $50 to the event.  Contributing drivers are also eligible for three $100 cash drawings at the drivers meeting.  Any driver that still would like to contribute to expand the purse and be eligible for the bonuses can contact Lockwich at 412-639-3723 or see him at the track on Saturday.  Contributions from any individuals or businesses are also still welcome.    

This year's event will offer the second richest payoff in event history as both the feature and non-qualifier purses have increased over the past two years.  This year, start money has been increased to a minimum of $500 with many of the other positions also increasing.  The non-qualifier will pay $500 to-win thanks to additional monies from Matt Knupp and All Interior Painting. 

The "Tub Charlier Rookie of the Race" will pay $888 this year thanks to the Charlier Family (highest finishing driver that hasn't made the Jook feature since 2016)!  The "John Beatty Memorial" Sunoco Dash will pay $404 to-win thanks to the Beatty Family plus $100 Sunoco fuel card with a payoff for positions two through five as well.  The B main winners will receive $50.

Other bonus monies include $107 for 7th place from Scott Gunn in memory of Dave & Mary Lynn Nicholas, $110 for 10th place in memory of Jook George, $200 for 12th place from All Interior Painting, $110 for the leader on lap 10 in memory of Jook George, $200 to 11th place on lap three from Erika Ulrich at Edward Jones Investments, and $110 luck of the draw from event presenting sponsor Nex-Gen Outdoor Services (must have decal on)

William Thomas "Jook" George had a brief driving career himself, but as he turned to car owner he chose and had for most of his racing career the #10 and that was in honor of his racing hero, Lou Blaney, who drove his car on a couple occasions.  Other highlights of his career was being nominated as the Sportsman of the Year at PPMS, being nominated into the Pittsburgh Circle Track Hall of Fame, winning the track championship at PPMS in 1990 with John Beatty behind the wheel, and winning the Fall Classic in 1993 with Bill Yakin, also at PPMS.  His most dominant stretch as a car owner came in the late ‘70s when Earl Teeters was his driver.

"Miley Motor Sports is ecstatic about the 33rd edition of the RUSH Dirt Late Model Series 'Jook George Classic' to honor our great friend of racing, Jook George," expressed PPMS promoter Matt Miley.  "We can’t thank Branden, the RUSH Team, and all who have contributed enough.  It’s a win, win, win, win- racers, fans, sponsors, and the Speedway."  

"This is the type of thing that energizes Miley Motor Sports to keep Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway alive," continued Miley.  "It’s been a long ride, 34 consecutive seasons!  Age and what comes with it takes a toll on us.  We simply can’t do everything ourselves.  Younger folks who love the sport stepping up and making some of our best events is unbelievably refreshing.  It energizes an old ownership team.  A very sincere thank you from all of us at Miley Motor Sports!"

"It's really amazing how this event has grown and how so many people have gotten behind it to make this all possible," expressed RUSH Director Vicki Emig.  "Branden has led the efforts of transforming this from a special weekly event to what has become one of the richest RUSH events of the season.  We can't thank the George Family, Miley Motor Sports, Branden and so many others for their amazing contributions, while allowing us to present this as RUSH Late Model Touring Series event.  Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago and now these trying economic times, Branden has continued to come through with tremendous fund raising efforts!"

There have been 23 RUSH Tour events completed at Pittsburgh with 13 different winners all-time.  Kyle Lukon leads the list with five including a sweep of all three events in 2019.  Norris has moved up to second with four victories, while Ryan Montgomery has three.  The only other repeat winner is track regular Daryl Charlier.  Single wins go to Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr., Colton Flinner, John Mollick, Mike Pegher, Jr., Jacob Hawkins, Garret Paugh, Levi Crowl, Jeremy Wonderling, and Kyle Hardy.

Pittsburgh has been able to complete 12 Hovis Weekly Series events this season with nine different winners!  Ben Policz leads the way with three, while Norris is the only other multiple winner.  Single victories have gone to Charlier, Lukon, Michael Reft, Cole Petrelle, Philip Bubeck, Tim Shaffer, and Joe Martin.

Thus far this year, the Flynn's Tire Touring Series has completed 12 events and like Pittsburgh has had an amazing nine different winners with an average car count of 36 per event!  Virginia racer Logan Roberson continues to lead the Flynn's Tire Tour points thanks to three victories and 10 top 5 finishes.  Joe Martin has been in second for much of the year and is the only other multiple winner, but trails by 24 points.  Three-time Tour champion, Jeremy Wonderling is coming off a season best second at Lernerville as he's pulled away from his brother Brady in the battle for the third spot.  Matt Latta has finished in the top six in four of the last six races for fifth in points.  Completing the top 10 in points are Breyton Santee, Andy Michael, Ashton Briggs, Jonathan Stockdale, and Brandt Graham. 

Each night will include $100 "Shock the Clock" Qualifying ($200 at Pittsburgh thanks to Our Cars Auto Detailing & Tire Service) and $25 to-win heat races presented by FK Rod Ends.  The Sunoco Dash will set the beginning rows of the feature lineups and will award the winner a $100 Sunoco fuel gift card.  The "Fill'er up with Sunoco Bucks" program will include an additional $400 of Sunoco fuel card giveaways each night; two $100 random draws for drivers in the top 15 of Tour points and another four $50 random draws for all other competitors. 

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.  The TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night” will award three bottles of Xtreme6 Racing Brake Fluid each night.  The feature winner each night will receive a 5-Gallon Race Jug from Precise.  Ontime Body & Graphic's "Spoiler Alert" will award a spoiler kit to the 13th place finisher on the first night and the 14th place finisher on the second night (note: if a driver has already won a spoiler this season, spoiler will be awarded to the next position).  Performance Bodies will award a $100 gift card to the first non-qualifier each night part of the "Nosed Out" program.

Here's the most up to date payoffs as of 9:30 PM on 8/3

Feature: 1. $6,010 ($7,010 if contributed to the event)  2. $3,000  3. $1,750  4. $1,500  5. $1,300  6. $1,250  7. $1,150 ($1,257)  8. $1,100  9. $1,050  10. $1,000 ($1,110)  11. $900  12. $750 ($950)  13. $700  14. $650  15. $625  16. $600  17. $575  18. $550  19. $525  20. $520  21. $515  22. $510  23. $505  24-26. $500.

D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier: 1. $500  2. $250  3. $225  4. $200  5. $195  6. $190  7. $185  8. $180  9. $175  10. $170  11. $165  12-24. $160. Tow $125. 

"John Beatty Memorial" Sunoco Dash: 1. $404 plus $100 Sunoco fuel card  2. $100  3. $75  4. $50  5. $25.

If anyone would still like to financially contribute to the event, message Branden on here or call him at 412-639-3723

 

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