Hummingbird Speedway Race Report
Saturday, September 5, 2015
By: Randy Albert
Winners at Hummingbird Speedway on Saturday night included Charles Powell Jr from Brockport in the BWP Bats Steel Block Late Model division, Robert Garvey Jr from Grassflat in the Sunny 106.5 Micro Sprints, Bob McMillen from St Marys in the Street Stocks, Dustin Challingsworth also from St Marys in the Pure Stocks and in the Aarons of DuBois Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders Josh Frantz from DuBois took the checkered flag and the win. Trophies for the evening were sponsored by Race-1 Motor Speedway. For some the best go cart racing be sure to visit Race-1s 1/8 mile track located in DuBois, PA.
Charlie Powell form Brockport lined up inside of Don Henry out of Falls Creek for the start of the main event, the BWP Bats Steel Block Late Model feature race. Powell was off to a good start with Luke Hoffner from Turbotville moving up into second and Henry holding on to third. Dan Smeal from Houtzdale came up quickly to challenge Henry for the position with Curtis Teats out of Morrisdale helping apply the pressure from the fifth spot. Smeal had to check up a bit on the back stretch and Teats managed to get into the back of him causing Smeal to spin. Smeal had to leave the track with Teats going to the rear for the infraction. Powell took off like a rabbit out of the hole with Hoffner trying to hold onto the fast pace set by the leader. Henry had his hands full with Joe Malobicky from St Marys and Orin Taylor out of DuBois. Both drivers cleared him coming out of turn four and raced side by side for a number of laps. Malobicky was throwing a rooster tail of dirt in the turns and Taylor pulling alongside him down low trying to overtake him. Powell was in control to say the least but coming up on lap traffic he tangled with one of the cars causing it to spin out. He was charged with the caution and had to go to the rear on the ensuing restart. It was Hoffner’s turn to hold the field at bay with Orin Taylor clearing Malobicky on the restart and Jeff Taylor from Corsica moving up into fourth. Powell was on the move making up lost ground. As he came up on Malobicky and Jeff Taylor Malobicky slid high in turns three and four allowing Powell to split the pair coming out of the turn. Powell then tucked under Jeff Taylor in turns one and two taking the position. He then set his sights on Orin Taylor moving to his outside a couple of laps later. He managed to take the position, threading the needle between Taylor and a lap car. It only took him nine laps to come from the back of the short field and pull up on the back bumper of Hoffner. It took less than a lap to pull up under Hoffner and power by him on the back stretch. 10 laps and Powell was back in the lead. Hoffner tried to hang onto the leader but the seasoned veteran didn’t have anything for the up and coming driver, Powell. The remaining hot race in the waning laps was between Orin and Jeff Taylor for fourth. Orin got held up a bit with lap traffic allowing Jeff to come alongside him down the back stretch and into to the turns. For a moment it looked like Jeff had the position, but his momentum carried the car sideways in turn four causing him to take an alternate route between the loader tires. He lost the third spot to Orin Taylor and the fourth to Malobicky coming across the line in fifth. Powell was the victor from the pole position and starting from the rear both in the same race. Hopefully this was a preview of the kind of action to come in the upcoming Mick Orsich Memorial race from this and the other competitors.
Charlie Powell had the best time of the race as nearly 85 miles per hour. BWP Bats heat race winners included Rodney Philips and Dan Smeal.
Robert Garvey Jr from Grassflat and Dave Hawkins out of Lower Burrell made up the front row for the start of the Sunny 106.5 Micro Sprint feature race. Garvey quickly took the lead followed closely by Bryce craft from Frenchville who moved into second place ahead of Hawkins. Garvey quickly gave himself an eight car length cushion with Hawkins trying to play catch up on Craft. Damon Doutt from Cabot was circling in fourth but unable to gain ground on the leaders. The long green flag run and the limited number of cars made easy work of the race for Garvey. Craft closed the gap to about five car lengths as Bob Sullinger waved the white flag but Garvey had it under control taking the win. Garvey also won the lone heat race and posted the fastest time of just over 81 miles per hour.
The Street Stock cars made their way onto the racing surface with Bob Connor out of DuBois holding the pole position and Bob McMillen from St Marys flanking him to the right. McMillen has been looking good in the Street Stock the past few weeks and just needed to put together a clean run to take a well-deserved win. He got off to a good start by using the cushion to move into the lead on the first lap. This year’s champion, Bruce Hartzfeld from Stump Creek, was following McMillen and Connor in third with Rich Howell from Clearfield hot on his tail. Again the long green and short field worked to the leader’s advantage with McMillen controlling the pace. Connor was a few car lengths behind and staying in the high groove. He typically looks to the inside for an advantage but tonight kept the car on the high line trying to catch McMillen. The only real racing action on the track was Doug Surra from St Marys who managed to get by Mike Dempsey from Brookville them pulled up under Howell a few laps later to take fourth. McMillen was on a rail driving a smooth consistent line riding the cushion. With nearly a half a lap to spare he took the checkered flag from Bob Sullinger followed by Connor, Hartzfeld and Surra. He also had the fast time of the race and nearly 73.5 miles per hour and was the winner of the lone heat race for the division.
Mike Miller from Rockton and Doug Surra out of St Marys were the leaders of the pace lap for the Pure Stock cars. When the green flag flew and then one lap down, it was Surra by ¾ a car length over Miller. Dustin Challingsworth from St Marys was setting in third watching the action with Johnny Macormac out of Knox followed by Jim Challingsworth from St Marys and Josh Fields from Brockport. Surra was in his comfort zone running down low and just skimming the tires in turns three and four as Dustin Challingsworth began to look under Miller for the second position. A caution restart allowed Challingsworth to pull up under Miller and race side by side with Macormac looking for a way through the second and third place cars. Challingsworth and Macormac cleared Miller, who was slowing with mechanical trouble. On the restart it was Surra back in the routine with Dustin Challingsworth and Macormac in the hunt. The routine ended on the next to the last lap as the car got sideways going into turn three allowing Challingsworth and Macormac to move into the lead positions. This left Surra to recover with a quick and dusty detour through the infield coming back onto the track going into turn one in third place with the white flag waving. The maneuver handed the win to Challingsworth followed by Macormac, Surra and Jim Challingsworth.
Dustin Challingsworth and Doug Surra were the winners of the Pure Stock heat races and Surra had the fast average lap speed of the feature race at nearly 67 miles per hour.
Team Frantz made up the front row for the start of the Aarons of Dubois Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinder race. Josh Frantz from DuBois and Dylan Frantz from Luthersburg held the pole and outside pole with Josh taking the early advantage. Dylan looked to his outside and Randy Albert from Morrisdale looked low. Tom Peters from Clearfield was also in the mix nosing up into the pack. On a restart Peters was up to challenge Josh Frantz after Dylan had to pit with mechanical trouble. Aaron Luzier and Jeff McClure were challenging Albert for third by going three wide with him in turns one and two. Another restart reset the field again with Frantz coming out in front of Peters, Albert and Luzier who were three wide again in turns one and two. Luzier was the victor coming out of turn two leaving Albert and Peters to decide on third and fourth. Peters was the successful driver in that exchange leaving Albert to settle for fourth and to deal with a hard charging McClure trying to take the position. As the laps wound down Frantz was in control with Luzier 10 car length behind and Peters and Albert running nose to tail ahead of McClure. Frantz went on to take the win with the fast time of the race at just over 62 miles per hour.
Team Frantz also swept the heat races with Josh and Dylan both taking wins over the other drivers.
September 12 is a week off for the speedway in preparation for the special race the next week. The annual Mick Orsich Memorial is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2015. Steel Blocks and Super Lates will combine for a $2,000.00 to win purse and lap money for each lap led. This important race remembers one of Hummingbird’s own who battled the disease. His memory continues on each year as the friends of the speedway raise funds to continue the fight to cure this devastating disease. Join us to help the cause on September 19th. A special start time of 6:00 is scheduled for the event.
Hummingbird Speedway offers a family friendly racing experience with good food and reasonable admission. Looks us up on the web at www.hummingbirdspeedway.com and join us on Twitter for updates on rain delays as well as preliminary race results.
Final Results
BWP Bats Steel Block Late Models
1. 94 Charlie Powell Brookville
2. 15 Luke Hoffner Turbotville
3. 21T Orin Taylor DuBois
4. 50 Joe Malobicky Jr St Marys
5. 60 Jeff Taylor Corsica
6. 11 Curtis Teats Morrisdale
7. 37 Joe Kot DuBois
8. 68 Don Henry Falls Creek
9. 93 Kevin Dickson West Decatur
10. 1S Rodney Philips Punxsutawney
11. 23 Steve Dickson West Decatur
12. 47 Adam Nixon Grampian
13. 44 Dan Smeal Houtzdale
SUNNY 106.5 FM MICRO SPRINTS
1. 11X Robert Garvey, Jr Grassflat
2. 12X Bryce Craft Frenchville
3. 27 Dave Hawkins Lower Burrell
4. 18 Damon Doutt Cabot
5. 03 Craig Cummings Tarentum
6. 9 Ethan Siple Saxonburg
7. 516 Zack Lennox Sykesville
STREET STOCKS
1. 18 Bob McMillen St Marys
2. 55 Bob Connor DuBois
3. 101 Bruce Hartzfeld Stump Creek
4. T3 Dom Surra Kersey
5. 3 Rich Howell Clearfield
6. 95 Mike Dempsey Brookville
7. 415 Colton Gearhart DuBois DNS
PURE STOCKS
1. 46 Dustin Challingsworth St. Marys
2. 7 Johnny Macormac Knox
3. 3AA Doug Surra Kersey
4. 44 Jim Challingsworth St. Marys
5. 88M Doug Zimmerman Brookville
6. 28 Josh Fields Brockport
7. 2W J R Wick Brookville
8. 19 Mike Annis St Marys
9. 18 Stephen Brugmann DuBois
10. 88 Mike Miller Rockton
11. 8 Cory Silvis Brookville
AARON’S OF DUBOIS FWD 4-CYLINDERS
1. 158 Josh Frantz DuBois
2. 5L Aaron Luzier Clearfield
3. 71 Tom Peters Clearfield
4. 17 Randy Albert Morrisdale
5. 126 Jeff McClure Luthersburg
6. 17J Zach Frantz Penfield
7. 52 Dustin Hippler DuBois
8. 23A Austin Hockenbury Morrisdale
9. 70 Damion Frantz Penfield
10. 26 Dylan Frantz Luthersburg
11. 21 Luke Edmonds Mayport
