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[#17RaceTeam]

Hummingbird Speedway Race Report August 18, 2012 By: Randy Albert Derek Rodkey takes his first career late model win in the BWP Bats Steel Block Late Model class holding off some of the best drivers at Hummingbird Speedway on Saturday, August 18, 2012. In the Street Stock division Brandon Connor capitalizes on a very consistent year with his first win. Doug Surra and Bryan Warren continue to shine with their victories in the Pure Stock and Front Wheel Drive classes respectfully. Surra has four wins with Warren making it number three. Randy Stirling from Morrisdale and Derek Rodkey out of Osceola Mills led the BWP Bats Steel Block Late Model division to the track for the first feature event of the evening at Hummingbird Speedway. Stirling got a quick jump on the green flag followed closely by Eric Moore from Frenchville on the inside and Rodkey on the outside. After the first few circuits Rodkey’s machine came alive in the top groove as he moved around Stirling. Moore made use on the bottom line moving by Stirling on the backstretch. Also on the move up high was Clearfield’s Chris Farrell from his fifth place starting position. Stirling lost the handle in turn four relinquishing the fourth position to Charlie Powell from Brookville. A familiar face, who had been absent from “The Bird” recently, was none other than Luke Hoffner of Turbotville moving into fifth place for the restart. Rodkey’s car continued to work well along the fence. He first had to fend off Moore for a number of laps, and then Farrell took a crack at the Osceola Mills driver. While super competitive neither drive could manage to edge past the hard charging and high running Rodkey. Hoffner decided he didn’t want to wait to see the outcome and nosed his steel block into the fray for the second and third position. Powell was having a good run in fifth with last week’s winner, Dwayne Brooks, right behind him. Farrell tried and tried again to get under Rodkey in turn two and it looked like he had him a number of times but again and again Rodkey kept his cool and held his line coming out in front as they entered the backstretch. Hoffner and Moore kept Farrell from getting lonely trading places fighting to get a shot at the leader. On a caution restart Farrell had a couple more good passes at Rodkey down low but that allowed Hoffner to slip in behind Rodkey up high into second place. Now it was his turn to see what he had for the leader. Hoffner had him by a nose for half a lap or so but Rodkey held his line and his cool once again and the 14R car held off the charge and moved back into the lead. A late race caution gave Hoffner one last chance and he put his car on the driver’s side door of Rodkey’s machine but Rodkey would not be denied a well-deserved win going on to take the checkered flag and his first Late Model win of his career. He earned it by battling some of the best competitors at The Bird including Hoffner, Farrell, Moore, and Brooks in second through fifth position. The victory lane celebration was well earned and well deserved. Heat races were won by Rick Maxim, Luke Hoffner, and Charlie Powell. Next up for the fans racing entertainment was the Street Stock class. The honor of being on the pole position was given to Rich Howell from Clearfield with Dave Kohler out of Rockton lining up to his right. Howell and Kohler raced side by side for a few circuits when something broke on the Kohler machine bringing out the caution and sending Kohler to the pits. On the restart Howell again took the inside pole with Dustin Challingsworth from St Marys outside. Brandon and Ed Connor from DuBois were not far behind and neither wasted time in challenging for second place. After the dust settled from a number of early cautions the racers finally got down to some serious racing. Brandon Connor moved into the lead nosing under Challingsworth with Ed Connor trying to do the same by racing side by side with Challingsworth for a number of laps. Behind them Chad Rougeux from Clearfield had his hands full with Fuzzy Fields from Brockway with Fields taking the fourth position away from him. Brandon Connor stretched out a five car advantage as Challingsworth, Ed Connor, and Fields kept it interesting going three wide in turn two. Both Fields and Ed Connor worked over Challingsworth’s back bumper with Fields finally taking him on the high side. Ed Connor made the pass a couple laps later and next in line to challenge for fourth was Kyle Shannon from Brockway. He had made a comeback from a “back of the pack” restart from an early caution. A couple of late cautions allowed Ed Connor to jump in front of son Brandon with Fields and Shannon getting into the action. It was the classing high/low battle forming as Bob Sullinger threw the white flag signaling one lap to go. At the beginning of the lap Brandon Connor held a slight edge over Ed with Fields looking for a way through the father son duo. Brandon moved under the flag stand first in front of Ed. Behind them Fields narrowly edged out Shannon for third and Challingsworth had a good run coming home in fifth. This was Brandon Connors first win this year in competitive Street Stock class that has seen nine different winners in fourteen races. He has been at the front all year and is in the chase for the points lead going into next week’s race with his father Ed. I don’t think Ed is going to give anything away in the final point race of the season next week. Brandon Connor also won the first heat race in the division with Fuzzy Fields taking the other heat race. Mike Miller from Rockton and Colton Joiner out of Dubois led the Pure Stock division onto the track in what was to be a very caution riddled fifteen lap feature event. At the start Joiner jumped to the early lead with Devin Lewis from Weedville moving into second before the first lap was completed. Shawn Munoz from Punxsutawney was next to challenge Miller nosing under him and taking the third position on lap three. Doug Surra was the man on the move coming from his thirteenth place starting position in only 4 laps. Matt Heindl from St Marys was close behind him not wanting to relinquish too many positions in protecting his points lead. A number of starts and restarts juggled the field and top five with Surra lining up behind Joiner, Munoz and Heindl restarting in third and fourth and Miller still holding onto fifth. Joiner held a slight advantage over Surra with Munoz and Heindl looking on from a few car lengths back. Another couple of cautions brought the competitors back together. With each restart Surra edged up alongside the driver’s door of Joiner looking to take the lead. He finally made it stick as they took the white flag. Surra pulled into the lead in turn two. Munoz slid high in turn two opening the door for Heindl to take the third position away from him. At the line it was win number four for Doug Surra making him the driver with the most wins for the season in the class. In second place it was Joiner followed by Heindl, Munoz and with a good fifth place finish, Todd Bailey from Brockway. Heat race winners included Ben Smith and Devin Lewis. Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders lined up behind Jerry Walls out of Sykesville and Bryan Warren from Curwensville for their 12 lap feature. Walls and Warren stayed side by side as Matt Bryant from Weedville slid high from his third starting spot opening the door for Randy Albert out of Morrisdale to move into third. After checking up to avoid Bryant, Mike Lucas from Philipsburg moved around him into fourth to continue the chase to reel in the leaders. On the races only caution restart it became the battle of the black cars up front with Warren gaining the edge over Walls and Albert in hot pursuit. Lucas in his white Honda was not far behind and his wife Stephanie was right behind him racing Josh Rebuck from Brookville for the fifth position. Walls nosed under Warren a number of times and made the pass with Albert and Lucas close behind. One lap later Warren swung to the low groove pulling up alongside Walls with Albert glued to his tail. This time Warren made the pass stick giving Walls and Albert the opportunity to race side by side for the second position. All three cars were highly competitive with some close racing taking place and Mike Lucas not far from the action waiting for the front pack to bobble or provide an opening. Albert barely cleared Walls when the group came up on lapped traffic. Warren cleared the back marker coming out of turn four with Albert no being so lucky going into turn one. The slower car clipped Albert’s left rear corner sending him sideways. Walls had to check up to avoid the melee and that opened the door for Lucas to move around them all into second place. Warren opened up a 7 car length lead with Lucas in a solid second. Albert managed to gather his machine back up and tuck in behind Walls but was running out of laps to regain any positions. At the finish line it was Warren with his third win this year followed by Mike Lucas, Walls, and Albert. Coming home in fifth place was the season point’s leader, Chuck White, who moved up from his thirteenth place starting position. Heat race winners in the Front Wheel Drive division included Matt Bryant and Chuck White. 71 Cars visited Hummingbird Speedway on another classic Saturday night of dirt track racing action. 21 cars were in the Steel Block Late Model feature, 19 Street Stocks competed in their 20 lap feature. In the Pure Stock divisions 14 cars made the call with one DNS and 16 cars lined up for the feature of the Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinder group with one DNS. Next Saturday is the Season Championship with double points in all divisions. Gates open at 4:30 pm with heat races beginning at 7:00 pm. Other future events include a memorial race for Ina Calagarone on September 8th with additional payoff in all divisions and the annual Mick Orsich Memorial Late Model Special planned for September 15th. Visit the speedway web site at www.hummingbirdspeedway.com for current point standings, weekly photographs, and more. FINAL RESULTS BWP Bats Steel Block Late Models 1. 14R Derek Rodkey Osceola Mills 2. 15 Luke Hoffner Turbotville 3. 53 Chris Farrell Clearfield 4. 00 Eric Moore Frenchville 5. 1B Dwayne Brooks Falls Creek 6. 11G Dan Gill Clearfield 7. 18 John Chesnalavich Jr Reynoldsville 8. 9 John Reed Reynoldsville 9. 48 Jr Rich Runyan Jr Brockway 10. 10 Bruce Raybuck Falls Creek 11. 42 Jason Reed Milesburg 12. 44 Dan Smeal Houtzdale 13. 94 Charlie Powell Brookville 14. 36 Paul Kot Brockway 15. 102 Rick Maxim Reynoldsville 16. 00S Randy Sterling Morrisdale 17. 15W Tim Steis St Marys 18. 57 Bo Lockwood Hazen 19. 0 Ben Asel Kane 20. 99x Kyle Beimel St Marys 21. 15S DNS Ed Connor DuBois Street Stocks 1. 05 Brandon Connor DuBois 2. 33 Ed Connor DuBois 3. 28 Fuzzy Fields Brockport 4. 1S Kyle Shannon Brockway 5. 46 Dustin Challingsworth St Marys 6. 69R Brian Rhed Brockport 7. 96E Tim Fannin Ridgway 8. 78 Paul Blake Weedville 9. 137 Jamie Price Clearfield 10. 105 Jr Emory Rinehart Jr Morrisdale 11. 68 Don Henry DuBois 12. 09 Dennis Asel Kane 13. 3 Rich Howell Clearfield 14. 7 Rich Howell Jr Clearfield 15. 94R Chad Rougeux Clearfield 16. 00S Curtis Teats Morrisdale 17. 8F Dale Yeaney Brookville 18. 21Y Devin Yeaney Brookville 19. 29L Dave Kohler Rockton Pure Stocks 1. 3 Doug Surra Kersey 2. 1* Colton Joiner DuBois 3. 76 Matt Heindl St Marys 4. 15M Shawn Munoz Punxsutawney 5. 57T Todd Bailey Brockway 6. 88 Mike Miller Rockton 7. 4T Randy “Tank” Coombs Big Run 8. 44 Jim Challingsworth St Marys 9. 9-11 Tony Brown Reynoldsville 10. 73 Devin Lewis Weedville 11. 1S Ben Smith Penfield 12. 8 Cory Silvis Brookville 13. 13 ½ William Taylor Spring Mills 14. 88M Doug Zimmerman Brookville 15. 45 DNS Tim Steis St Marys Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders 1. 5 Bryan Warren Curwensville 2. 81 Mike Lucas Philipsburg 3. 92 Jerry Walls Sykesville 4. 17 Randy Albert Morrisdale 5. 7K Chuck White DuBois 6. 1R Josh Rebuck Brookville 7. 74 Stephanie Lucas Philipsburg 8. 6B Frank Barrett III DuBois 9. 10 Kevin Lannigan Shippenville 10. 2B Rusty Murray Mayport 11. 94R Richard Sheley Reynoldsville 12. 29Z Brittney Johnson Derry 13. 34 Zach Lindemuth Brockport 14. 96 Matt Bryant Weedville 15. 65C Cory Reitz Brockway 16. 97 DNS Bryan Sprague Reynoldsville