Chili Promotions and the Hummingbird Speedway presented the 10th Annual Chili 100 at the bullring this past Saturday night. In its third year at the speedway, the Chili 100 drew a large crowd and full pit area as fans and race teams from across the region converged on the bullring for a full night of high octane racing action. Nearly every race track in the region was represented as 153 cars jammed the pit area. Hollidaysburg’s Steve Everhart became the tenth different winner of the Chili 100 for late models, while Dom Surra of Kersey, Brad Myers of Mill Hall, and Ray Hickok Jr. from Commodore took home the checkers in the Street Stocks, Pure Stocks and Front Wheel Drive 4 Cylinders, respectively. The Chili 100 was again run in memory of former Chili Promotions representative Sue Mathews who passed away last summer. Fans were treated to full slate of action packed heat races, and consolations as the drivers raced hard in their attempts to qualify for the feature events. The top ten late model qualifiers drew mini footballs to determine their feature starting positions. The balls were then autographed by the drivers and tossed into the crowd giving ten lucky fans a souvenir from the evening. Numerous door prizes from Chili Promotions, the race teams and area businesses were given away during the intermission. After a short intermission, it was time to go racing, for two hundred laps of feature racing action.
The first feature event was the 10th Annual Chili 100 for the late models. The field represented a good mix of local steel block late model drivers as well as several aluminum block super late model drivers who invaded the speedway for the special event. Harrison City’s Dane Laraway and Luthersburg’s Jason Witherite led the field through their four wide salute to the fans as the fans were on their feet applauding the drivers as they set off for the 100 lap battle. Laraway jumped out to the early lead with Witherite, Jim Yoder, Chris Clark, and Cody Schultz giving chase in the early part of the event. Yoder made his way around Witherite for the second position and began to run down Laraway who had opened up a comfortable lead during the early going. The drivers appeared to be pacing themselves in attempts to save their cars and tires for the entire 100 laps. Yoder began to close in on Laraway as the leader was about to enter lapped traffic, but the caution waved just as Laraway encountered the back of the pack. Laraway again took off into the lead on the restart with Yoder close behind. Behind the leaders, several drivers were making their bids for top five positions as eighth place starter Randall Paxton had worked his way into third, and tenth place starter Steve Everhart made his way into fourth. Yoder was challenging Laraway for the lead and used the outside line to take the lead, only to have Laraway slip back underneath a few laps later to regain the top position. Everhart had made his way around Paxton for third and was challenging Yoder and Laraway for the top spot as the field neared the halfway point. The leaders were battling each other as well as the heavy lapped traffic, when Everhart made his move taking the top spot from Laraway with a move to the outside in turns three and four. Everhart was able to put a few lapped cars between himself and Laraway before the caution flew for the mandatory fuel stop at the halfway point. After the fuel stop, Everhart pulled out to a commanding lead as Yoder was all over Laraway for second. The second fifty laps would take its toll as several drivers encountered right rear tire failures. Several cautions slowed the field allowing Laraway to draw right up on Everhart’s rear bumper, but Everhart would pull away on each restart. Laraway had his hands full with Yoder as he tried to hold on to the second position, before his right rear tire let go, allowing Yoder to assume the second position. During several restarts Yoder was able to get a fender under Everhart but was unable to complete the pass as Everhart would go on to become the tenth different winner of the Chili 100.
The 50 lap Chili Pepper was next on the blocks for the Street Stock division. Dom Surra of Kersey would put his years of asphalt racing experience to good work tonight as he took the lead early in the event and never looked back as he wired the field on the slick racing surface. Surra would feel some pressure from Tim White, and Joe Kot during several restarts, but on the longer green flag runs, Surra would open up a comfortable lead. White and Kot had a race long duel for the second position with both drivers laying claim to the position before White blew a tire on the last lap. Another former asphalt driver, Steve Cook worked his way from his fifteenth starting position to finish third behind Surra and Kot at the finish.
Ray Hickok Jr. took home the victory in the 25 lap Chili Smackdown for the Front Wheel Drive 4 Cylinders and Brad Myers won the inaugural Chili Dirt Burner 25 for the Pure Stock Division. Both drivers won their events over a strong contingent of cars from across the region.
Pit Notes: 153 race teams filled the pits including 48 Late Models, 36 Street Stocks, 38 Pure Stocks, and 31 FWD 4 Cylinders. 19 heat races and 7 consolation races were needed to determine the qualifiers for the Chili feature events. Winners of the feature events were presented with a large replica check from Animal Graphics and a custom 10th Anniversary Chili 100 Mirror from Ken Smay. The 50/50 operated by the Falls Creek Fire Department saw the winner walk away with over $1000! $192 was raised for the Gateway Humane Society during the fan favorite driver competition sponsored by McGarvey Equipment. The fan favorite drivers were Luke Hoffner in the Late Models, Craig Bainey in the Street Stocks, Kyle Shannon in the Pure Stocks, and Kevin Kilgore in the FWD 4 Cylinders. Chili Promotions would like to thank the entire staff at the Hummingbird Speedway, The Falls Creek Volunteer Fire Company, as well as the sponsors, fans and race teams that helped to make the 10th Annual Chili 100 a great success! With the success of this event, the Chili 100 will have raised over $15,000 for the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, in the past ten years! Racing action has concluded for this season at the Hummingbird Speedway, we hope to see you all back at the speedway in 2010 for more great racing action on the bullring! www.hummingbirdspeedway.com
Chili 100 Late Models
- Steve Everhart (Canoe Creek)
- Jim Yoder (Selinsgrove)
- Rance Garlock (Three Springs)
- Scott Alvetro (Reynoldsville)
- Dane Laraway (Harrison City)
- John Myers (Blairsville)
- Ed Connor (DuBois)
- Cody Schultz (Hyde)
- Tom Decker Jr. (Bellwood)
- Rodney Phillips (Punxsutawney)
Chili Pepper 50 Street Stocks
- Dom Surra (Kersey)
- Joe Kot (DuBois)
- Steve Cook (Sykesville)
- Tim White (Punxsutawney)
- Eric Baun (Rossiter)
- Skip Lindemuth (Hazen)
- 38R
- Bob Connor (DuBois)
- Jamie Price (Hyde)
- Brandon Connor (DuBois)
Chili Smackdown 25 FWD 4 Cylinders
- Ray Hickok Jr. (Commodore)
- Tom Pavelko (Cherry Tree)
- Aaron Luzier (Clearfield)
- Rusty Garlock (Three Springs)
- Kie Brown (Punxsutawney)
- Shawn Fedder (Clearfield)
- Bryan Warren (Curwensville)
- AJ Hoffner (Turbotville)
- Mike Lucas (Centre Hall)
- John Ford (Kittanning)
- Brad Myers (Mill Hall)
- Bruce Hartzfeld (Stump Creek)
- Justin Queen (Irvona)
- Brian Rhed (Brockport)
- Shawn Lindemuth (Hazen)
- Kyle Shannon (Brockway)
- John Barley (DuBois)
- Bernie Whetstone (Irvona)
- Matt Heindl (St. Marys)
- Jeremy Buck (Woodland)
Robb Thomas
Race Reporter
Hummingbird Speedway