Submitted by Randy Albert
Gearhart take his first checkered flag, while Hoffner, Calhoun and Warren repeat wins
Colton Gearhart made it his first ever win in the competitive Street Stock class proving he has graduated from the go-carts to the big cars. For fans of Luke Hoffner in the Limited Late Model class, Saturday was your night as he took his second win of the season.  In the Pure stock division Mike Calhoun made it win number three and in another caution free event Bryan Warren won the front Wheel Drive Four-Cylinder race.
With a starting line up that was missing only a couple of the usual fast suspects the 25 lap Limited Late Model race was shaping up to be a barn burner from the start. Chris Farrell from Clearfield in the 53 car was out front with Luke Hoffner in the 15 car from Turbotville at his side. Hoffner took to the high line early looking for a way around Farrell. Not far behind was the 00 of Eric Moore from Frenchville holding the low line. Hoffner moved to the front on lap five followed closely by Jason Witherite out of Luthersburg in his 24M machine. This was Jason’s first race of the season but that didn’t slow him down. On a restart Hoffner led the pack with Farrell running high followed by Josh Young in the 7J from Berwick who started in fourth. With so many fast cars at the front of the field they all wnated room to race and Moore held to the low line followed closely by the 1B car driven by Dwayne Brooks of Falls Creek. Witherite applied the pressure again and again to Hoffner while Moore seemed to be making the low line work. Farther back in the pack Derek Rodkey in the 14 out of Osceola Mills, John Chesnalavich in the 812 out of Falls Creek and Bob McMillen in the 50 car from St Marys mixed it up for 7th to 9th positions. Moore looked like he had enough to sneak under Hoffner for a moment but Witherite battled back for the second position. As Hoffner and Witherite kept busy up front Moore, Brooks and Young made it three wide behind them. Young ended up in the front stretch infield and had to head for the pits. On the restart Witherite stuck his nose low and appeared to have the momentum coming out of turn two to take the lead. Hoffner, who had been hanging onto the outside line all night, powered into turn three, planted the right rear wheel, lifted the left front and made the sling shot around Witherite for the lead and the win. This was Luke’s second win of the season and the end of a dry spell for him at the Bird.
Heat races were won by Moore, Hoffner, and Fenton.
Doug Surra from St Marys started the Pure Stock race on the pole in the 1* car usually driven by Colton Joiner. Two early cautions sent a number of cars to the pit area. On the restart the 25 car driven by Mike Calhoun from Brockway was on the outside of Surra and he jumped to an early lead. Behind Calhoun, Surra, the 93 machine of Zach Gustafson from Weedville, and Steve Arthurs in the 01 car from Falls Creek were working each other over for the second through fourth position. Surra held off the challengers and Arthurs eventually slowed on the backstretch giving way to the other racers. Calhoun stretched his lead to 10 car lengths giving Surra and Gustafson running room with the 10N of Justin Kanouff of Clearfield and 44 of Jim Challingsworth from St Marys following. In the end the strong 25 car of Calhoun saw no challengers and breezed to his third checkered flag of the 2011 season.
Winners in the heat races were Surra and Challingsworth.
Johnny Lindenpitz from Knoxdale led the Street Stock feature to the track in his number 29L car flanked by Eddie Conner in the 85 car from Dubois. Conner took the early lead followed by Joe Kot from Dubois in the 37 car. They were followed closely by Colton Gearhart in the T3 car also from Dubois. Gearhart has been competitive in the big cars after success in the go-cart ranks in the past. Conner was pressured at first by Kot and then by Gearhart but didn’t give any ground. Also having his best run of the year was Paul Blake in the 78 car from Weedville. Blake moved up into fourth followed closely by the consistent Jamie Price in the 137 machine based in Clearfield. Price tried continuously to work his way around Blake but Blake’s car was handling well and he kept Price at bay. Kot slowed on lap 14 and headed to the infield leaving the chase for the top position to Gearhart. It looked like Conner would have enough steam to hang on for the win but Gearhart placed the nose of the T3 car between Conner and the loader tire in turn two for the lead. A late caution by a slowing Price gathered the pack together for a final run at the leader, Gearhart. He held on for his first win and was the fifth different winner in this class this season. He was followed across the line by Eddie Conner, Paul Blake, Brandon Conner in the 17C car and Kyle Shannon in the 1S car from Brockway.
In the Street Stock heat races, Price and Rhed took the checkered flags.
The Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinder drivers put on another caution free race. Bryan Warren from Curwensville in the #5 car started on the pole and never looked back quickly jumping to a 5 car lead. Aaron Luzier from Clearfield in the 5L car and Mike Lucas from Philipsburg in the 81 car tired to make the high line work to catch Warren. Last week’s winner Doug Surra from St Marys in the T3 car made his way from the last starting position into third by mid race. By that time Warren had built up a nice lead and Surra ran out of time. Warren was handling to well for Surra or his competitors to mount a serious attack on the leader. Warren took the checkered flag by five car lengths followed by Surra, Luzier, Lucas and Shawn Fedder in the 38A car from Clearfield.
McCracken and Luzier won the Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinder heat races.
A special Pure Stock Challenge Race was held at the end of the heat races. Feature winners as of the mid-season championship included Steve Arthurs, Matt Heindl, Mike Calhoun, and Dustin Challingsworth. In the first five-lap session Mike Calhoun held on for the win. A brief intermission was held for the drivers to make adjustments to their cars. Then the finishing order was inverted for the restart of the race. Steve Arthurs jumped to an early lead. Competition was tough for the honor of winning the race and the cash as judged by the three-car pile up for second position that resulted in the three not being able to proceed. Only one car remained and Steve Arthurs was declared the winner of the Pure Stock Challenge taking home the bragging rights and the prize.
Notes:
67 cars made the tow to Hummingbird Speedway for this week’s racing action. 24 Limited Late Models, 14 Pure Stocks, 17 Street Stocks, and 12 Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders competed.
Next weeks program consists of the regular 4 division racing action and Kids Banner Night. Kids can make a banner of their favorite driver and win prizes at intermission. Trophies next week will be courtesy of Bill Churney Construction. Gates open at 4:30 PM and racing action starts at 7:00 PM.
For more information visit us on the web at www.hummingbirdspeedway.com.
Full Results
Limited Late Model
1. 15      Luke Hoffner      Turbotville
2. 24M   Jason Witherite   Luthersburg
3. 1B      Dwayne Brooks   Falls Creek
4. 00      Eric Moore      Frenchville
5. 53      Chris Farrell      Clearfield
6. 812   John Chesnalavich Jr.   Reynoldsville
7. 36      Paul Kot      Brockway
8. 14R    Derek Rodkey      Osceola Mills
9. 50      Bob McMillen      St Marys
10. 1E      Loren Sallack      Johnsonburg
11. 7      Cody Schultz      Hyde
12. 10J    Bruce Raybuck   Falls Creek
13. 99X   Kyle Beimel      St Marys
14. 3D      Bill Davis      Dubois
15. 7J      Josh Young      Berwick
16. 77R   Roswell Babcock   Curwensville
17. 22      Tim Steis      St Marys
18. 32      Todd Sallak      Luthersburg
19. 18      Denny Draisma   Reynoldsville
20.  9      John Reed      Reynoldsville
21. 57      Bo Lockwood      Brookville
22. 55      Denny Fenton      Clearfield
23. 34       Joe Malobicky Jr.   St Marys
24. 78      Brian Molnar      Falls Creek
Street Stock
1. T3      Colton Gearhart   Dubois
2. 85       Eddie Conner      Sabula
3. 78      Paul Blake      Weedville
4. 17C   Brandon Conner   Sabula
5. 1S      Kyle Shannon      Brockway
6. 29L   Johnny Lindenpitz   Knoxdale
7. 44      Dan Smeal      Houtzdale
8. 96E   Tim Fannin      Ridgway
9. 22J      Joe Jordan      Woodland
10. 37A   Jim Bloom      Curwensville
11. 69R   Brian Rhed      Brockport
12. 88      Kenny White      Dubois
13. 68       Don Henry       Brockway
14. 137   Jamie Price      Clearfield
15. 37      Joe Kot      Dubois
16. 28      Fuzzy Fields      Brockport
17. 38      Todd Mathews   Sanborn
Pure Stock
1. 25      Mike Calhoun      Brockway
2. 1*      Doug Surra      Kersey
3. 93       Zach Gustafson   Weedville
4. 10N    Justin Kanouff      Clearfield
5. 44      Jim Challingsworth   St Marys
6. 88      Dustin Fields      Brockport
7. 35      John Barley      Dubois
8. 01      Steve Arthurs      Falls Creek
9. 57T   Todd Bailey      Brockway
10. 46      Dustin Challingsworth St Marys
11. 15M   Shawn Munoz      Punxsutawney
12. 471   Matt Heindl      St Marys
13. 23      Lester Hudson      Clearfield
14. 24      Devin Yeaney      Brookville
Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders
1. 5      Bryan Warren      Curwensville
2. T3      Doug Surra      Kersey
3. 5L       Aaron Luzier      Clearfield
4. 81      Mike Lucas      Philipsburg
5. 38A    Shawn Fedder      Clearfield
6. 08      Mike Fields      Brookville
7. 99      Rich Lucas      Wallaceton
8. 357B   Frank Barrett      Dubois
9. 26      Chad Desmett      Curwensville
10. 29       Josh Lindenmuth   Brockway
11. 37      Hunter McCracken   Curwensville
12. 7 (DNS)   Danny White      Dubois
