Hummingbird Speedway Race Report
Saturday, August, 6, 2016
By: Randy Albert
Hummingbird Speedway continued to put another great night of five division racing action. George Dixon from West Decatur showed how it was done in the BWP Bats Steel Block Late Model class with his first win. Nick Loffredo did the same in the Swanson Heavy Duty Truck Repair Semi-Late division. The familiar cars of Bob Connor and Josh Fields made their way to victory lane in the Street Stock and Sunny 106.5 Pure Stock ranks. And in the Aarons of DuBois Front Wheel Drive four Cylinders Matt Bryant recaptured his winning ways taking the checkered flag. The ever popular “Kids Banner Night” kept the fans young and old entertained and gave the young race fans a chance to show off their favorite driver and artistic skills. The PA Racing Outreach Ministry sponsored the trophies for tonight’s winners. Hard charger awards were also given to the driver advancing the most number of positions. Humphrey Charcoal from Brookville sponsored the prizes and trophies for the award.
The Sunny 106.5 Pure Stock cars were the first on the card for the nights racing entertainment. Josh Fields started on the pole but not without early pressure from Matt Howell looking inside and Dustin Challingsworth on Howell’s bumper. Challingsworth took over the second position with a low pass leaving Howell to fend off Mike Miller for third. Challingsworth first looked to the high line then low for a way around Fields but didn’t find a path to the lead. A four car battle for the top spots ensued after a caution but Fields moved into the lead again as a three wide battle for second found Howell low, Challingsworth high and Mille in the sandwich. Howell moved forward to check on Fields but couldn’t make a pass for the lead. As the leaders came up on lap traffic late in the race a slower car got sideways coming out of turn two; Fields just missed him with Howell and Challingsworth both getting a close up view of their competitor. It appeared everyone cleared him safely and continued to chase Fields. Fields cruised to a well deserved 3 car length win with Howell, Challingsworth and Miller close behind.
Heat race winners included Josh Fields and Dustin Challingsworth.
Chris Farrell and Paul Kot graced the front of the pack and Bob Sullinger’s Green flag for the start of the BWP Bats Steel Block Late Model race. It was a classic Hummingbird style race with Kot hammering the tires down low and Farrell kicking up the dust on the outside. Dan Smeal had a front row seat to the action running well in third place. Scot Stein, Skip Lindemuth and George Dixon were having their own race for the fourth through sixth positions. Kot whittled away at Farrell’s lead little by little, inch by inch as they began to encounter slower cars. The two were racing hard and splitting the slower cars keeping it exciting for drivers and fans. Normally these two drivers come out clean and battle to the end, unfortunately Farrell looped his machine on the front stretch sending him to the back for the restart. This left Kot to contend with Smeal but Dixon had been working his way forward along with Ed Connor. Both drivers cleared Smeal looking for their shot at the leader. Dixon was strong and took Kot’s line on the inside and didn’t look back. He stretched his lead out to 6 car lengths as they encountered lap traffic but Kot or Connor couldn’t muster a charge. Dixon went on to take his first win from the seasoned veterans of the Hummingbird late model division in his first appearance at the clay oval.
Paul Kot, Chris Farrell and Ed Connor were the winners of the heat races.
Bob Connor took to an early lead in the Street Stock class with Kyle Shannon and Brandon Connor playing catch up to the leaders 5 car length advantage. Fuzzy fields worked his way past Shannon and Connor near the mid-point of the race and through a number of cautions. Fields then set his sights on the leader taking the position on lap 8 with Bill McMillen and Jim Bloom running side by side for the third spot. Connor and Fields did battle for the lead as Bloom and McMillen kept it interesting behind the leaders. Connor eventually wrestled the position back from Fields with Bloom taking a brief lap in the third spot only to have McMillen retake it from him a lap later. Connor widened his lead near the end of the race with Fields settling for second and Bloom and McMillen not giving up the fight for third till the checkered flag flew with Connor, Fields, McMillen, Bloom and Shannon rounding out the top five.
Street Stock heat race winners included Fuzzy Fields and Kyle Shannon.
The Swanson Heavy Duty Truck Repair Semi-Late Model cars made their way onto the racing surface. Jason Beichner took the opportunity to lead the early laps but not for long. Nick Loffredo worked his way around Beichner on lap 5 leaving Adam Nixon and Curtis Teats to pressure Beichner for the second spot. The top four cars of Loffredo, Beichner, Nixon and Teats kept the attention of the fans with Teats making the move into second on lap 14 followed by Nixon as Beichner slid high. Teats then began to pressure Loffredo as the handling on the Loffredo machine began to give away. Teats was strong, but Loffredo wouldn’t be denied his first win at the Bird holding off Teats who was right on his back bumper but unable to take the position. They were followed across the line by Nixon and Beichner in fourth.
Heat race winners included Adam Nixon and Curtis Teats.
Matt Bryant held the pole position for the beginning of the Aarons of DuBois Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders. He took full advantage of the position and a strong running car pulling out to a quick lead. Jim Fye followed in second with Randy Albert keeping it close in third trying to get by Fye. Austin Hockenbury held the fourth spot early but couldn’t hold off the challenge from Tom Peters. Jerry Walls, last week’s winner, was the only one who appeared to be able to move forward. He started in the back due to his previous win making it up to the fifth spot by lap 10 but couldn’t gain any more advantage to pass Peters. It was Bryant with control of the raced from the beginning leaving Fye, Albert, and Peters to play nose to tail waiting for an opening or Bryant to falter but it wasn’t in the cards. Bryant took the win after a long period off from racing and putting his machine back together, but it looks like he is back in the game.
Matt Bryant and Jim Fye won the heat races in the Front Wheel Drive Class.
August 13th brings another exciting five division racing program and the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club night. The club is sponsoring the trophies for the evening. Visit their web site at http://www.racingweb...pctc/index.html to learn more about the organization.
Also a reminder, that a Chinese auction will be held on August 20 to raise money for the Hahne Cancer Center in memory of Mick Orsich and Ina Caltagarone. These two people were very instrumental in the running of the speedway until their passing. Gates open at 4:30 pm with racing at 7. For more information call the track office at 653-8400 or visit the track’s website at www.hummingbirdspeedway.com.
BWP BATS STEEL BLOCK LATE MODELS
1. 77 George Dixon Jr West Decatur
2. 36 Paul Kot Brockway
3. 102 Eddie Connor DuBois
4. 44 Dan Smeal Houtzdale
5. 1S Rodney Philips Punxsutawney
6. 22 Skip Lindemuth Hazen
7. 53 Chris Farrell Clearfield
8. 25 Dylan Fenton Clearfield
9. 5R Keith Witherite
10. 09 Scott Stine Cherry Tree
11. 23 BJ Hudson Clearfield
12. 67. Vern Ward
13. 72 Dave Buchannan Cherry Tree
14. 64 Scott Alvetro Reynoldsville DNF
15. 7S Steve Scaife Philipsburg DNF
16. 14R Derek Rodkey Osceola Mills DNF
17. 37 Joe Kot DuBois DNS
18. 46 Tom Merryman Philipsburg DNS
SWANSON HEAVY DUTY TRUCK REPAIR SEMI LATES
1. 9N Nick Loffredo
2. 11 Curtis Teats Morrisdale
3. 47 Adam Nixon Grampian
4. 4 Jason Beichner Shippenville
5. 11C Kevin Clark Olanta
6. 7 Neil Wilson Jr Clearfield
7. 17 Deegen Walt DuBois
8. 10 Melissa Fannin Ridgway
9. 39 Steve Dickson West Decatur
10. 32 Scott Zimmerman Brookville DNF
11. 77R Roswell Babcock Curwensville DNF
12. 21R Brandon Evans DNF
13. 92 Josh Henry Clearfield DNF
Street Stocks
1. 55 Bob Connor DuBois
2. 28 Fuzzy Fields Brockway
3. 50 Bob McMillen St Marys
4. 37A Jim Bloom Clearfield
5. 1S Kyle Shannon Brockway
6. 34 Joe Malobicky Jr St Marys
7. 7J Jake Cunliffe Knox
8. 158 Josh Frantz DuBois DNF
9. 43 Pernell Beimel St Marys DNF
10. T3 Brandon Connor DuBois DNF
11. 77 Nathan Brady Clearfield DNF
12. 20 George Bailey Clearfield DNS
13. 2 Cragen Brady DNS
14. 29L Johnny Lindenpitz Hazen DNS
Sunny 106.5 Pure Stocks
1. 78 Josh Fields Brockway
2. H8 Matt Howell Curwensville
3. 46 Dustin Challingsworth St Marys
4. 88 Mile Miller Rockton
5. 45 Tim Steis St Marys
6. 44 Jim Challingsworth St Marys
7. 15W Casey Wolfe Brockway
8. 45A Phil Annis St Marys
9. 71S Richard Herman
10. 19 Mike Annis St Marys
11. 8L Eric Lucas Clearfield
12. 10 Ben Krause Houtzdale
13. 14R Al Rishel Loganton
14. 55X Andrew Frey St Marys DNF
Aarons of DuBois Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders
1. 200 Matt Bryant Weedville
2. 4F Jim Fye Reynoldsville
3. 17 Randy Albert Morrisdale
4. 71 Tom Peters Clearfield
5. 92 Jerry Walls Sykesville
6. 17Z Zach Lennox Sykesville
7. 23A Austin Hockenbury Morrisdale
8. 5L Aaron Luzier Clearfield
9. 21
10. 7
11. 33S Bryan Snyder Clearfield
12. 14T Clay Gering Chicora
13. 910 Travis Timko
14. 358 Zach Frantz DuBois
15. 8J Jason Henry Reynoldsville
16. 11 Jim Boyer Penfield
17. 80 Dustin Kemp Clearfield DNS
