Mick Orsich Memorial Late Model Open Race Report

Mick Orsich Memorial Race Report Hummingbird Speedway September 15, 2012 By: Randy Albert The annual Mick Orsich is one of local racings big attractions with an evening of very competitive racing action combined with efforts to raise funds for the Hahne Regional Cancer center. Former flagman Mick Orsich was remembered through the efforts of the Orsich family and track owner Lou Caltagrone to raise funds for this important local cancer center. The race was also sponsored by Johnson Motors from DuBois. The evening started out with two special races for the Late Model division. First up was the Community First Bank “Dash for Cash” pitting the winners of each of the four heat races against each other in an eight lap shoot out. Success came to Denny Fenton from Clearfield who led from the outside pole for the entire eight laps. The second special event was a “King of the Hill” competition sponsored by Kutsel’s 322 Auto Sales with additional payoff provided by Hummingbird Speedway, Rod Park, and RNI Trucking. The event paid $650.00 to the winner and $250 for the runner up spot. The top four places from each heat race won the right to compete in the head to head, 3 lap single elimination races. Out of the 16 drivers Eric Moore from Frenchville, Derek Rodkey form Osceola Mills, John Britsky out of Indiana and Chris Farrell from Clearfield lined up for the final two brackets. In the final it was Britsky and Moore with Britsky using the high line he had successfully used previously to make his way to the final. Moore challenged early down low but the quick 5 lap format made it all or nothing. Britsky took the win and the honors of “King of the Hill” for the evening. While the Late Models prepared for the main event, the Street Stocks lined up for their feature race. Leading the way was Skip Lindemuth from Hazen. Next to him, Paul Kot from Brockway in the familiar 37 machine, usually piloted by his brother Joe, took the outside pole position. Lindemuth jumped to an early lead but Kot, on the outside, powered by him followed closely by Brandon Connor from DuBois. Behind them Jamie Price out of Clearfield and Bruce Hartzfeld from Stump Creek were doing time side by side for the fourth position. An early caution reset the field and gave Kot the option of starting inside or outside. Based on his early success he chose the outside. Two drivers on the move were Chad O’Brien from Strattanville who negotiated into fifth place by lap four and Kyle Shannon from Brockway who started in the fifteenth spot and had slipped into the top five by lap 10. Kot and Connor had a good skirmish going on with Connor trying to make his car stick down low to pass Kot. The laps ticked off with the duo continuing the fight. During a caution on lap 14 Connor’s car slowed in turn four and left the track ending a good run. This left the front to a very strong, well prepared car being driven by a seasoned driver in Paul Kot. He stretched his lead out to 10 car lengths in the closing laps. Shannon had some momentum in moving forward making his way into second followed by O’Brien who was being challenged by Lindemuth in the closing laps. In the fifth and sixth positions it was Ed Connor from DuBois working to pass Paul Blake from Weedville. Blake was having a good run in a competitive car and Connor, who had to start in the back due to not making the heat race with mechanical difficulties moving up to challenge. In the end no one had anything to offer Kot as he took his third checkered flag in a row in his borrowed ride. He was followed across the line by Shannon, O’Brien, Lindemuth, and Blake. Heat race winners included Skip Lindemuth, Paul Kot, and Brandon Connor. 25 Late Model cars pulled onto the 1/3 mile clay surface awaiting flagman Bob Sullinger’s wave of the green flag and start of the 35 lap feature event. Denny Fenton from Clearfield and John Britsky from Indiana led the pack of regulars and visiting drivers for the main event in the evenings racing entertainment. Fenton took to an early lead and slid up to the cushion to protect the position from the hard charging Britsky. Sammy Stiles from Charleroi and Denton Boyer from Punxsutawney had their hands full with Chris Farrell out of Clearfield. It didn’t take long for Fenton to reach lap traffic as the front runners were on the move. It looked like everyone wanted to use the high groove and stepping down low was a gamble to relinquish positions. Billy Dickson from West Decatur was hot on the tail of Farrell but couldn’t muster enough traction to make the pass while Derek Rodkey from Osceola Mills held on to the seventh spot at the 1/3 point of the race. Stiles made a stab at second place nosing under Britsky for a number of laps while Farrell managed to get by Boyer by riding the rail. Charlie Powell from Brookville moved up into contention followed closely by Luke Hoffner from Turbotville. Nearing the 2/3 point of the race Stiles tires seemed to give away allowing Farrell to get into position to battle with Britsky. Fenton continued to command the lead even as he worked his way through lap cars. The car was working well and Fenton knows how to stay out front when it counts. Britsky’s car also seemed to give way and Farrell made the pass into second place. Powell’s good run ended early as the steering broke on his car sending him to the pits. Hoffner had moved into the fourth position using every bit of the track especially the outside groove. In the closing laps Fenton continued to be strong. Farrell made a couple of charges by swinging low into the turns but could not gain enough traction to make the pass. Fenton protected the lead that he had held for the entire race. Farrell came home in a close second with Boyer placing a consistent third. They were followed by Hoffner and Doug Eck from Cory who had been in the hunt in the middle of the pack the entire race and recovered from an early caution. Late Model heat race winners included Denton Boyer, Denny Fenton, Sammy Stiles, and John Britsky. With the main races of the night completed the Pure Stock drivers were anxious to get their chance to enjoy a night of racing. The Pure Stock division was headlined by Mike Calhoun from Brockway and Colton Joiner out of DuBois. Joiner made the jump to the lead followed by Mike Anderson from DuBois driving the 76 car. Anderson was putting the pressure on Joiner while Ben Smith from Penfield moved into position to challenge the leaders. A caution put Joiner to the rear of the field giving the lead to Anderson. Smith challenged him high making the pass at mid-race for the lead. Mike Miller out of Rockton was holding his own in the third spot looking for a way to gain an advantage on the leaders. Devin Lewis from Weedville had his work cut out for him from his fifteenth starting position but he managed to move into the fourth position on lap 7. He began to race with Miller for the third spot but Miller didn’t give up any ground. With the laps closing Anderson again tried to close in on Smith but ran out of time and traction. Smith crossed the line in first followed by Anderson in second. Miller and Lewis crossed the line in third and fourth respectively. Jim Challingsworth from St Marys stayed competitive in the top third of the pack the entire race coming home in the fifth position. Heat race winners included Mike Calhoun, Colton Joiner, and Mike Anderson. While many of the fans had packed it in for the night the Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders were still hungry to get their moment of fame and to compete for bragging rights before the memorial evening ended. Chuck White from DuBois pulled the pole position with Jerry Walls to his right for the start of the race. As everyone knows, anytime White is out front he will be the rabbit that all the other little dogs are trying to catch. White took to the lead as he has on many other nights this season. Walls took to his high side trying to make the pass while Bryan Warren from Curwensville made use of the low groove. Neither could make the pass and White began to widen another lead leaving Warren and Walls to jockey for second. Behind them Cory Reitz from Brockway was holding onto his fourth place position but being challenged by Randy Albert from Morrisdale. After Albert made the pass on Reitz he set his sights on Walls making the pass on lap 7. White stretched his lead out to 10 car lengths as Warren had his rear bumper occupied by Albert trying to take the position. Albert tried a number of lines but was unable to find an advantage. Reitz also had a couple of runs at Walls but could not make the pass before the laps ticked off and the checkered flag flew. White continued what has been a very successful season. He was followed across the line by Warren, Albert, Walls, and Reitz. The two Front Wheel Drive het races were won by Chuck White and Jerry Walls. 88 cars and drivers entered the Annual Mick Orsich Memorial Race benefiting the Hahne Regional Cancer Center. 33 Late Model cars entered the competition with 25 making the cut for the main event. 23 Street Stocks entered their feature race with one DNS. Pure Stocks included 20 competitors with two DNS for the feature race. In the front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders 12 cars made the tow to the track with one DNS for the final race of the evening. Next week will be the final event at Hummingbird Speedway with the Ina Caltagarone. Specials will include an $800.00 to win Steel Block Late Model race sponsored in part by Robert A. Leonard Jr Trucking. Also the Street Stocks, Pure Stocks and Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders will compete for additional purse money provided by an anonymous donor as well as extra laps in all three divisions. Visit the speedway web site at www.hummingbirdspeedway.com for details on next week’s race, final point standings, weekly photographs, and more. FINAL RESULTS Late Model “Dash for Cash” 1. 55 Denny Fenton Clearfield King of the Hill 1. 18A John Britsky Indiana 2. 00 Eric Moore Frenchville Late Models 1. 55 Denny Fenton Clearfield 2. 53 Chris Farrell Clearfield 3. 56 Denton Boyer Punxsutawney 4. 15 Luke Hoffner Turbotville 5. 03 Doug Eck Corry 6. 18A John Britsky Indiana 7. 14R Derek Rodkey Osceola Mills 8. 99* Rick Singleton Hesston 9. 1 Rich Gardner Waterford 10. 33 Bernie Whiteford Hastings 11. 117M Sean Merkel Pottstown 12. 00 Eric Moore Frenchville 13. 72 Chuck Parker Ashville, NY 14. 48 Jr Rich Runyan Jr Brockway 15. 00S Randy Stirling Morrisdale 16. 2S Sammy Stiles Charleroi 17. 94 Charlie Powell Brookville 18. 18 John Chesnalavich Jr Reynoldsville 19. 9 John Reed Reynoldsville 20. 1B Dwayne Brooks Falls Creek 21. 57 Bo Lockwood Brookville 22. 117 Kyle Merkel Gilbertsville 23. 32 Billy Dickson West Decatur 24. 50 Bob McMillen St Marys 25. 39 Greg Fetters Bedford DNQ 36 Paul Kot Brockway DNQ 20 Jordan Eck Corry DNQ 18X Denny Draisma Reynoldsville DNQ 99X Kyle Beimel St Marys DNQ 10 Bruce Raybuck Falls Creek DNQ 87 Eric Irvin Huntingdon DNQ 13 Jamie Barber Grampian DNQ 32 Todd Sallack Luthersburg Street Stocks 1. 37 Paul Kot Brockway 2. 1S Kyle Shannon Brockway 3. 77 Chad O’Brien Strattanville 4. 22 Skip Lindemuth Hazen 5. 78 Paul Blake Weedville 6. 33 Ed Connor DuBois 7. 01 Steve Arthurs Falls Creek 8. 94R Chad Rougeux Clearfield 9. 29L Johnny Lindenpitz Knoxdale 10. 00S Curtis Teats Morrisdale 11. 66 Chris Edwards Jr Huntingdon 12. 21R Rick Hemphill Osceola Mills 13. 137 Jamie Price Clearfield 14. 8F Dale Yeaney Brookville 15. 7 Rich Howell Jr Clearfield 16. 101 Bruce Hartzfeld Stump Creek 17. 05 Brandon Connor DuBois 18. 8R Tom Slack Sabula 19. 105 Jr Emory Rinehart Jr Morrisdale 20. 46 Dustin Challingsworth St Marys 21. 07 Tim Krape Bellefonte 22. 43 DNS Pernell Beimel St Marys Pure Stocks 1. 1S Ben Smith Penfield 2. 76 Mike Anderson DuBois 3. 88 Mike Miller Rockton 4. 73 Devin Lewis Weedville 5. 44 Jim Challingsworth St Marys 6. 48 Milo Kemmer Brookville 7. 8 Cory Silvis Brookville 8. 21 Jimmy DeArmitt Alexandria 9. 1* Colton Joiner DuBois 10. 88M Doug Zimmerman Brookville 11. 83 Dalton Gustafson Weedville 12. 57T Todd Bailey Brockway 13. 4T Randy “Tank” Coombs Big Run 14. 5B Steve Barnes Punxsutawney 15. 15M Shawn Munoz Punxsutawney 16. 21Y Devin Yeaney Brookville 17. 01 Mike Calhoun Brockway 18. 13 ½ William Taylor Spring Mills 19. 9-11 DNS Tony Brown Reynoldsville 20. 29M DNS Bruce Mottern Jr Reynoldsville Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders 1. 7K Chuck White DuBois 2. 5 Bryan Warren Curwensville 3. 17 Randy Albert Morrisdale 4. 92 Jerry Walls Sykesville 5. 65C Cory Reitz Brockway 6. 34 Zach Lindemuth Brockport 7. 99 Bruce Raab Houtzdale 8. 97 Bryan Sprague Reynoldsville 9. 9 Philip Whitesell St Marys 10. 74 Stephanie Lucas Philipsburg 11. 29Z Brittney Johnson Derry 12. 25 DNS Bob Smay Clearfield

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Mick Orsich Memorial Late Model Open Race Report

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