Chad Homan Finally Garners First Career Rush Late Model Win With Victory Saturday At Genesee

Story By: MIKE LEONE / RUSH RACING SERIES – BATAVIA, NY – After rain throughout the day Friday washed out the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire Touring Series event at Outlaw Speedway, the rain finally cleared through western New York by early Saturday afternoon as skies cleared setting up a beautiful evening at Genesee Speedway.

An all-time record high Genesee count of 36 RUSH Late Models from five states plus Ontario, Canada were on hand for the season’s sixth Tour event and first of three appearances at the Genesee County Fairgrounds in 2022.

In his seventh year of RUSH Late Model racing, Chad Homan finally garnered his first career Flynn’s Tire Touring Series victory. The Empire State standout made a winning season debut at Genesee last Saturday night in a tune-up for Saturday’s Tour show. The move paid off as Homan started fourth, passed Joe Martin for the lead on lap 12 and then held off a late charge by last September’s Genesee Tour winner, John Waters, in lapped traffic for the $3,000 payday. Overall it was Homan’s Series leading seventh RUSH Late Model win in just eight starts in 2022!

“Oh man this feels good,” expressed the 39-year-old Penfield, New York resident. “This is a bucket list for my Crate Late Model career to win one of these so it wouldn’t be complete until we finally did it. We don’t run a whole lot of these races, but I’ve been trying for more than six years to get one. The stuff that Lazer (Chassis) has given me this year is so unbelievable. If we ever had a shot at one, it was these few that were local to us. I was bummed Outlaw got rained out last night; in my mind that was my best shot. We came here last week and tested and got it to rotate the bottom. I figured once we got to lapped traffic and I got the bottom working, we’d be good. Joe (Martin) was tough. I got a better launch on the second restart and got a run around the top and got around him. Once I could set my own pace, I felt pretty good about it.”

Waters earned the pole for the 30-lap feature after becoming the sixth different Sunoco Dash winner in six races; however, it was Martin using the outside to power into the lead over Waters, while Homan passed Jeremy Wonderling for third. The top two quickly pulled away from the field, but by lap five, Homan began to close in on the lead duo. Homan pulled even with Waters on lap six in the battle for second, while Martin began to pull away on lap eight. While Martin was in traffic on lap nine, Homan slipped under Waters for second. Martin had stretched out to nearly a 2.5 second lead by the time Homan got to second, but the lead was erased when Aaron Miller spun to bring out the caution with 10 laps scored.

Cody Dawson had worked his way from the ninth starting spot into the top five before the caution then when racing resumed passed Wonderling for fourth. The event’s second and final caution was displayed when Jimmy Johnson stopped with 11 laps scored. The final 19 laps were tremendous as they would go green-to-checkered.

Martin chose the inside once again for the double file restart and this time Homan made the top work as he powered around the May 14 Flynn’s Tire Stateline Speedway winner to lead lap 12. It was three-wide for third on lap 13 as Wonderling passed both Dawson and Waters. After dropping from first to fifth in the first 13 laps, Waters got up on the wheel and headed back to the front as he passed Dawson and Wonderling for third on laps 14 and 15 respectively.

Back up front, Homan had his hands full with Martin. Martin was able to pull alongside the leader on laps 15 and 16, but wasn’t able to make the pass stick. Meanwhile, Waters began to close in making it a three-car race on lap 18. Homan caught traffic on lap 24 and that actually seemed to help as he opened up some breathing room, while Waters went to work on Martin. Waters snuck under Martin for second on lap 25. Homan though made the right moves in traffic over the final six laps and took the checkered flag first by 1.196 seconds in his Jensen’s Print Shop/Focus Shock Technologies/Lazer Chassis #91 to become the 41st different driver to win a Flynn’s Tire Touring Series event all-time. Homan also received a Precise Racing Products/Sunoco 5-Gallon Race Jug.

In just his second Tour start of 2022, Waters came home in the $1,500 runner-up spot for the 2016 Series Champion. “The way the car was handling this is a little disappointing,” revealed the 41-year-old Whitesville, NY racer. “We were fighting some steering issues and it bottomed out. All and all we’ll take it as this place has always been good to me. I have to thank all of my sponsors; Stan’s Transmissions, 955 Automotive, Accu-Force, Atkins Appraisal, Little Power Shop, Chub Frank Racing, JDR Carbs, Fast Shafts, Hyperco Springs, and Fox Shocks. Also have to thank Dale (LeBarron) at Troup’s Creek Heating & Auto Parts, who owns the car, along with my crew. These guys have been coming with me for a while and ‘Pooh Bear’ has been with me since I started racing. If it wasn’t for those guys getting this thing ready while I was out of town working, I wouldn’t even be here tonight.”

After struggling in the first two Flynn’s Tire Tour events this season, Martin was able to record his fourth straight podium finish to maintain second place in points. Wonderling’s fourth place matched his best finish of the season. Tour points leader, Logan Roberson, was fifth after starting seventh in his first ever Genesee appearance for the Virginia racer.

After getting as high as fourth from ninth, Dawson recorded his second straight sixth place finish in the Delaware racer’s first ever visit to Genesee. Dawson also received a spoiler kit from Ontime Body & Graphic. Dennis Lunger, Jr. was seventh. Chris Fleming, a winner of three straight RUSH Weekly Series events, was eighth. Dusty Waters charged from 20th to ninth. Opening night Genesee winner, Doug Ricotta, rounded out the top 10. It was the first Tour starts of 2022 for Fleming, Dusty Waters, and Ricotta. After taking a Tour provisional, Matt Latta went 25th to 12th to earn a $50 Precise gift card for the “Pedal Down” Hard Charger.

After setting the fourth fastest time in qualifying, Jon Rivers blew a brake line during his heat race as he went from what looked like a Sunoco Dash starting spot to having to run the B main. Rivers came up one spot shy of transferring to the feature, but went out and dominated all eight laps of D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier. The 54-year-old Basom, New York driver took the checkered flag first by 3.451 seconds over Andy Michael, who earned a $100 Performance Bodies gift card for being the first non-qualifier. Rivers became the 55th different winner in 67 Non-Qualifier races run all-time and earned $200 in his Darrell’s Auto Service/East Coast Speed/ US Chrome/CPT Custom Fab-sponsored #85. Canadian Brandt Graham was third over eighth starting Jonathan Stockdale. “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series points leader Jim Rasey completed the top five.

Roberson set fast time over the 36-car field in FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” qualifying with a lap of 16.765 to earn $100. Roberson, Martin, Waters, and Lunger captured the $25 FK Rod Ends heat race victories. In their first Tour starts of 2022, Mike Wonderling and Dave DuBois won the twin last chance B mains. John Waters earned a $100 Sunoco gift card for winning the Sunoco Dash. T.J. Downs was chosen as the TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night” after getting in a crash while battling for the final transfer spot in the first last chance B main.

Tour regulars Brady Wonderling and Breyton Santee won the $100 Sunoco gift card drawings, while Mike Wonderling, David Pangrazio, J.J. Mazur and Dave DuBois were the lucky recipients of the $50 Sunoco gift cards.

The Flynn’s Tire Touring Series will be right back in action on Sunday (May 29) at Bradford (PA) Speedway for a $3,000 to-win Platinum Event. It’ll mark the first Tour race at Bradford since 2017! RUSH registration will open at 2 p.m. The drivers meeting will begin at 4:45 p.m. with warmups at 5:15 followed by qualifying and racing.

Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire Touring Series Race #6 (30 laps, $3,000 to-win): 1. CHAD HOMAN (91) 2. John Waters (LeBarron 11) 3. Joe Martin (Snyder 10s) 4. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 5. Logan Roberson (17) 6. Cody Dawson (36) 7. Dennis Lunger, Jr. (71L) 8. Chris Fleming (10) 9. Dusty Waters (14) 10. Doug Ricotta (01) 11. Jason Knowles (4) 12. Matt Latta (21) 13. Dave DuBois (012) 14. Breyton Santee (9) 15. Brady Wonderling (z1) 16. Joe Long (71) 17. Ashton Briggs (11A) 18. J.J. Mazur (13) 19. Aaron Miller (20) 20. Chuck LaFleur (61) 21. Jimmy Johnson (93J) 22. David Pangrazio (55) 23. Jason Genco (Craig/Badgley (29J) 24. Steve LeBarron (29) 25. Mike Wonderling (18). (Note: Matt Latta took a Tour provisional.)

D&V Jewelers Non-Qualifier (8 laps, $200 to-win): 1. Jon Rivers (85) 2. Andy Michael (17x) 3. Brandt Graham (14) 4. Jonathan Stockdale (31) 5. Jim Rasey (Wrightsman 21J) 6. Craig Graham (98) 7. Austin Allen (32) 8. Todd Chapman (T54). DNS: T.J. Downs (33), Alan Chapman (64c), David Stolzenberg (1s).

Car Count: 36
Feature Margin of Victory: 1.196 seconds.
Feature Lap Leaders: Joe Martin (1-30)
Ontime Body & Graphic “Spoiler Alert” Spoiler Kit: Cody Dawson
Performance Bodies “Nosed Out”: Andy Michael
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger: Matt Latta (+13)
Precise Racing Products 5-Gallon Race Jug: Chad Homan
Sunoco Fuel Card Winners: Brady Wonderling ($100), Breyton Santee ($100), Mike Wonderling ($50), David Pangrazio ($50), J.J. Mazur ($50), Dave DuBois ($50)
TBM Brakes “Tough Brake of the Night”: T.J. Downs

FK Rod Ends “Shock the Clock” Qualifying ($100 for fast time) (Track record 16.430 by Jeremy John Waters on 5/29/21): 1. 17R-Logan Roberson, 00:16.765[22]; 2. 10S-Joe Martin, 00:16.832[8]; 3. 11L-John Waters, 00:16.930[36]; 4. 85-Jon Rivers, 00:16.935[23]; 5. 36-Cody Dawson, 00:16.951[32]; 6. 29-Steve LeBarron, 00:17.049[14]; 7. 91-Chad Homan, 00:17.057[7]; 8. Z1-Brady Wonderling, 00:17.084[13]; 9. 20-Aaron Miller, 00:17.087[1]; 10. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling, 00:17.125[15]; 11. 01R-Doug Ricotta, 00:17.140[24]; 12. 55-David Pangrazio, 00:17.211[21]; 13. 11A-Ashton Briggs, 00:17.222[16]; 14. 10F-Chris Fleming, 00:17.261[25]; 15. 93J-Jimmy Johnson, 00:17.289[11]; 16. 71L-Dennis Lunger Jr, 00:17.324[27]; 17. 71-Joe Long, 00:17.367[34]; 18. 14-Brandt Graham, 00:17.378[3]; 19. 4-Jason Knowles, 00:17.421[18]; 20. 29J-Jason Genco, 00:17.450[17]; 21. 18-Mike Wonderling, 00:17.452[4]; 22. 012-Dave DuBois, 00:17.469[31]; 23. 21J-Jim Rasey, 00:17.507[10]; 24. 21L-Matt Latta, 00:17.533[28]; 25. 61-Chuck LaFleur, 00:17.539[9]; 26. 13-JJ Mazur, 00:17.550[26]; 27. 32A-Austin Allen, 00:17.562[6]; 28. 9S-Breyton Santee, 00:17.580[19]; 29. 17X-Andy Michael, 00:17.581[5]; 30. 31-Jonathan Stockdale, 00:17.605[2]; 31. 33D-TJ Downs, 00:17.616[29]; 32. 14W-Dusty Waters, 00:17.653[35]; 33. 98-Craig Graham, 00:17.786[20]; 34. T54-Todd Chapman, 00:17.826[12]; 35. 64C-Alan Chapman, 00:17.982[33]; 36. 1S-David Stolzenberg, 00:17.993[30].

FK Rod Ends Heat 1 (8 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 17R-Logan Roberson[1]; 2. 20-Aaron Miller[3]; 3. 36-Cody Dawson[2]; 4. 71-Joe Long[5]; 5. 11A-Ashton Briggs[4]; 6. 18-Mike Wonderling[6]; 7. 17X-Andy Michael[8]; 8. 61-Chuck LaFleur[7]; 9. 98-Craig Graham[9].

FK Rod Ends Heat 2 (8 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 10S-Joe Martin[1]; 2. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[3]; 3. 10F-Chris Fleming[4]; 4. 29-Steve LeBarron[2]; 5. 13-JJ Mazur[7]; 6. 012-Dave DuBois[6]; 7. T54-Todd Chapman[9]; 8. 14-Brandt Graham[5]; 9. 31-Jonathan Stockdale[8].

FK Rod Ends Heat 3 (8 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 11L-John Waters[1]; 2. 91-Chad Homan[2]; 3. 01R-Doug Ricotta[3]; 4. 93J-Jimmy Johnson[4]; 5. 4-Jason Knowles[5]; 6. 21J-Jim Rasey[6]; 7. 33D-TJ Downs[8]; 8. 32A-Austin Allen[7]; 9. 64C-Alan Chapman[9].

FK Rod Ends Heat 4 (8 laps, Top 5 transfer to A, $25 to-win): 1. 71L-Dennis Lunger Jr[4]; 2. 29J-Jason Genco[5]; 3. Z1-Brady Wonderling[2]; 4. 55-David Pangrazio[3]; 5. 14W-Dusty Waters[8]; 6. 9S-Breyton Santee[7]; 7. 85-Jon Rivers[1]; 8. 21L-Matt Latta[6]; 9. 1S-David Stolzenberg[9].

Last Chance B Main 1 (8 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 18-Mike Wonderling[1]; 2. 61-Chuck LaFleur[5]; 3. 17X-Andy Michael[3]; 4. 21J-Jim Rasey[2]; 5. 98-Craig Graham[7]; 6. 32A-Austin Allen[6]; 7. 33D-TJ Downs[4]; 8. 64C-Alan Chapman[8].

Last Chance B Main 2 (8 laps, Top 2 transfer to A): 1. 012-Dave DuBois[1]; 2. 9S-Breyton Santee[2]; 3. 85-Jon Rivers[4]; 4. 14-Brandt Graham[5]; 5. 21L-Matt Latta[6]; 6. T54-Todd Chapman[3]; 7. 31-Jonathan Stockdale[7]; 8. (DNS) 1S-David Stolzenberg.

Sunoco Dash (6 laps, $100 Sunoco fuel card to-win): 1. 11L-John Waters[2]; 2. 10S-Joe Martin[4]; 3. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[3]; 4. 91-Chad Homan[1]; 5. 71L-Dennis Lunger Jr[7]; 6. 20-Aaron Miller[8]; 7. 17R-Logan Roberson[5]; 8. (DNS) 29J-Jason Genco.