Rush Late Model Tour’s ’25 Season Set To Open At Bridgeport With $10K-To-Win Event
Story By: MIKE LEONE / RUSH RACING SERIES – SWEDESBORO, NJ – Fresh off the most successful season in history, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series is set to kick-off the 2025 season in the richest manner to date as Bridgeport Motorsport Park will host the $10,000 to-win opener presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic and Insinger Performance this Friday and Saturday (April 4-5).
The high-banked 4/10-mile “Kingdom of Speed” is located just minutes from the Pennsylvania and Delaware borders in Swedesboro, New Jersey and will also mark the first ever RUSH-sanctioned event in the Garden State and the first ever Chevrolet Performance Late Model event at Bridgeport!
After a record $76,200 points fund was posted for the 2024 season, the largest following of 13 full-time teams competed on the Tour in addition to a record average car count of 40 despite several big events being rained out. That same point fund will return in 2025 as $20,000 will again be on the line along with the 3C Graphix $3,000 to-win Rookie-of-the-Year and the $5,000 Landrum Performance Springs “Loyalty Bonus”. Over the off-season, it was also announced that all 2025 Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series events will pay a minimum of $4,000 to-win, $300 to-start.
“There is no doubt that the upcoming $10,000 to win Bridgeport event has been one of our most anticipated Touring Series events in recent years,” stated RUSH Director Vicki Emig. “It’s going to be a fantastic way to kick-off our 2025 season and we’re expecting a tremendous car count as numerous racers throughout the entire RUSH footprint are expected to compete.”
“We developed a relationship with Bridgeport owner Doug Rose last season when we provided technical assistance for his $10,000 to-win Sportsman Modified event last October and now also provide our RUSH engine sealing system for both his Sportsman Modified and non-wing Sprint Car divisions, which utilize the Chevrolet Performance 602 crate engine. We can’t thank him enough for now allowing the RUSH Late Models also to be part of his great facility!”
Defending Tour Champion, Brock Pinkerous, who recently turned 15, is beginning his third full-time season of racing Late Models and will take part in the opener at Bridgeport. Pinkerous is not expected to compete for the 2025 crown however, as Jeremy Wonderling will be back looking for a unprecedented fifth title Wonderling won three straight titles from 2018-2020 before being unseated by Virginia drivers Kyle Hardy (2021) and Logan Roberson (2022) followed up by capturing a fourth title in 2023 worth $15,000.
The event is expected to attract top talent from all over the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Mid-Ohio Valley regions. Eastern New York standouts, Demetrios Drellos and A.J. Miller both who have experience in Modifieds, while Miller raced a Super Late Model last year at Bridgeport. With RUSH once again sanctioning City Chevrolet Weekly Series action at Georgetown Speedway, First State standouts like Ross and Amanda Robinson, Matt Hill and Joey Warren are eager to once again compete in a RUSH Tour event. Warren won the 2022 Flynn’s Tire/Gunter’s Honey Touring Series opening event at Delaware International Speedway.
$100 “Shock the Clock” Qualifying and $25 to-win heat races will take place on Friday and 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 2024 Tour points and another four $50 random draws for all other competitors.
The podium finishers will each receive a three-pack of Heritage Wine Cellars premier products. Precise Racing Products will award a $50 gift card for the “Pedal Down” Hard Charger that passes the most cars in the feature. Ontime Body & Graphic’s “Spoiler Alert” will award a spoiler kit to the first place finisher. The first feature non-qualifier will receive a $50 certificate from Holley Performance brands each night. There will also be five BOGO Landrum Performance Springs certificates given away through drawings each night. Forty lucky fans each night will receive a bottle of Dusted Steak Seasoning each night.
50-lap Feature Payoff: $10,000 2. $5,000 3. $2,500 4. $2,000 5. $1,500 6. $1,200 7. $1,000 8. $900 9. $800 10. $700 11. $650 12. $625 13. $600 14. $550 15. $525 16. $500 17. $490 18. $480 19. $470 20. $460 21-24. $450 (25-26. $450).
D&V Jewelers 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 for the weekend. Driver radio channel will be 454.000. Teams should come prepared with the mandated RUSH tires and fuel. Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic will have a tire truck on hand, but you are asked to call ahead and reserve what you may need at 410-833-2061. You do need to come prepared with your own fuel…the mandated Sunoco 110 or Sunoco E85R.
The pits will be open throughout the day on Friday with pit passes going on sale at 3:30 p.m. Warm-ups will get underway at 6 p.m. followed by qualifying and racing. On Saturday, pit passes will go on sale at 1 p.m. with warm-ups at 4 followed by racing; however, flex scheduling will be in effect which could see a later start time pending weather conditions. A potential rain date of Sunday is also available.
Bridgeport Speedway is a premier dirt track facility located just 20 miles from downtown Philadelphia in Logan Township (Gloucester County) at 83 Flood Gate Road Swedesboro, NJ 08085.
