DUNDEE, N.Y. — After two weeks off, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Late Model Flynn’s Tire Touring Series returned to action on Friday night at Outlaw Speedway, kicking off a three-race weekend over the Memorial Day holiday.
The event was the first Flynn’s Tire Tour event in four years at the fast facility following a COVID-19 cancellation in 2020 and rain outs each of the past two years.
It was the fourth annual Gary Montgomery Memorial, which honored a man that was synonymous with racing all over the Upstate New York State Region. After a long and courageous battle with cancer, Montgomery passed away in November 2016.
Joe Martin certainly hadn’t gotten off to the start of the season that he had hoped for. Martin entered the season finishing runner-up in Flynn’s Tire Touring Series points each of the last three seasons, but had only been able to record two top five finishes in the first six races.
That changed after a clean sweep of the night at Outlaw. Martin set a new track record in qualifying, won his FK Rod Ends heat race, won the Sunoco Dash, and then led every lap of the 30-lap feature holding off a valiant effort by Mike Wonderling for the $3,000 feature victory. It could be a good omen for Martin as each of the first three winners of the Gary Montgomery Memorial have gone on to win the tour title.
“It feels like it’s been forever between wins,” expressed the 38-year-old old Punxsutawney, Pa. driver who last won on the Tour on July 9, 2022 at Sharon Speedway. “It’s really nice to get back in victory lane. The caution really helped us and I probably chose the wrong tires again. I got into the back of that lapped car (Carl Eldridge).
“I was following him and he went in way slower than I thought, but it was go time so I apologize to him and Bryce (Davis) for that. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
“Anytime you race a memorial race you know that person meant a lot to the racing world,” continued Martin. “I remember going to McKean (County Raceway) when I was a little kid watching the BRP Can-Am Tour race (Montgomery’s series). I know Bryce, Jeremy, and Mike (Wonderling) ran BRP so to be able to win Gary’s race is a cool deal,” Martin continued.
“I learned about him a lot this week. We’ve been trying to come to this race for the last three years but kept getting rained out. It’s a really cool place and a lot of fun.”
Feature Finish (30 Laps)
1. JOE MARTIN (Snyder 10s) 2. Mike Wonderling (18) 3. Cody Dawson (36) 4. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 5. Chad Homan (91) 6. Austin Hauser (51) 7. Brock Pinkerous (555) 8. Ashton Briggs (11A) 9. Austin Allen (32) 10. Shane Crotty (Briggs 4) 11. Jason Knowles (4) 12. Jim Rasey (Wrightsman 21J) 13. Brian Knowles (7) 14. Alan Chapman (64c) 15. Rickie Loucks (4R) 16. Kurt Stebbins (26) 17. Brandt Graham (14) 18. Bryce Davis (94) 19. Carl Eldridge (7E) 20. T.J. Downs (03) 21. Todd Chapman (T54). DNS: Marc Berzowski (25M).