Press Release by Randy Albert
Winners at Hummingbird Speedway for Saturday night, June 16, 2012 include Chris Farrell in the BWP Bats Steel Block Late Models, Ed Connor in the Street Stock class, Colton Joiner winning the Pure Stock division, and in the Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders the winner was Mike Lucas .
The BWP Bats Steel Block Late Model division was first up for the night of racing entertainment at Hummingbird Speedway. Eric Moore from Frenchville and Bill Davis out of Luthersburg led 19 cars to the drop of the green flag. Moore jumped to an early lead but was quickly pressured by Chris Farrell from Clearfield. Farrell took the inside line on Moore and made the pass for the lead on the front stretch. As Farrell held the lead Luke Hoffner from Turbotville was also using the low groove moving quickly into third passing Davis them just getting by Moore for second before a caution flag flew. Dwayne Brooks from Falls Creek was also in hot pursuit making his way into fourth place. With the stage set Hoffner wasted no effort in trying to track down Farrell. Behind them Brooks and Moore were trying to occupy the same real estate on the track for third place and racing for fifth place was Davis and Dan Gill from Clearfield in a new Late Model ride. He was having a good run in his first night out in a beautifully prepared machine. Last week’s winner, Paul Kot from Brockway was just behind them dueling with Dan Smeal from Houtzdale. Denny Fenton out of Clearfield was also on the move from deep in the field due to an earlier caution that relegated him to the back on the restart. As the race wound down Farrell was too strong for the rest of the challengers. For a moment it looked like Hoffner would take advantage of lapped traffic putting the car down close to the tires but Farrell found a rhythm working through the back markers and kept a respectable lead. Brooks finally gained an advantage on Moore in the traffic and Fenton managed his way back into the top five but Farrell was the star of the show giving everyone more than they could handle or overcome. At the finish it was Farrell, Hoffner, Brooks, Moore, and Fenton, all familiar names for a Hummingbird Late Model Saturday night.
Heat races were won by Denny Fenton, Chris Farrell, and Bill Davis.
The Street Stock drivers put 20 cars on the 1/3 mile clay oval for their feature event. Ed Connor was flanked by Joe Kot, both drivers based out of DuBois. Jamie Price from Clearfield and Brian Rhed from Brockport followed the DuBois duo to the green flag. A long green made for some tight racing up front with Connor and Kot staying side by side as well as Price and Rhed racing for second and third place. Behind them the racing real estate was being occupied by Brandon Connor and Colton Gearhart from DuBois. With the exception of Price and Rhed the DuBois area was well represented at the front of the Street Stock feature race. Early on Kot held a slight advantage on Ed Connor working the outside line but Connor powered back on the bottom not allowing Kot much of an advantage. Gearhart made the pass low on Brandon Connor then did the same on Price moving into the forth position. Up front it continued to be Kot, Ed Connor, and Rhed with Connor and Kot swapping the lead and Rhed trying to find an advantage from the third spot. Gearhart moved into third place and was challenging for second as the race wound down but Kot’s machine was working on the cushion and he held onto the spot. Ed Connor continued to hold the lead and went on to a well-deserved win. He has been in the hunt and had the potential to win a number of times this year. He was followed across the line by Kot, Gearhart, Rhed, and Price.
Heat race winners included; Jamie Price, Joe Kot, and Ed Connor.
Josh Fields from Brockway and Devin Yeaney out of Brookville led the field of 20 Pure Stock race cars for their feature event. Fields took the lead early with Yeaney trying to hold the outside line. Ben Smith from Penfield moved to the inside of Yeaney but couldn’t quite make the pass. On a caution restart Yeaney continued to hold the outside line and took the lead back as Colton Joiner slipped into third getting under Smith and then under Fields into second. Yeaney was doing a good job holding off Joiner as Smith worked his way into third by passing Fields. Also coming up through the pack was Doug Surra from Kersey racing his way into fifth place. The good run for Yeaney ended when he lost the handle in turn two giving the lead to Joiner while Surra moved into the third position. On the restart Surra jumped by Fields into second followed by John Barley from DuBois. Surra and Barley made a few attempts at the leader in the closing laps but Joiner held on for his second win of the season. Second through fifth place included Surra, Fields, Jim Challingsworth from St. Marys, and Todd Bailey from Brockway. Barley was disqualified for being light at the scales after the race.
Devin Yeaney, Josh Fields, and Mike Anderson won the heat races in the Pure Stock division.
The final feature event of the evening consisted of 14 Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinder stock cars making their way onto the racing surface. Cory Reitz from Brockway led the charge of four bangers with Mike Lucas from Philipsburg at his side. Lucas jumped to an early lead using the high line with no less than 6 cars in a pack behind him. Something had to give and it did at the beginning of the second lap when a number of cars got sideways in turn one. On the restart Lucas again jumped to the lead followed closely by Jerry Walls from Sykesville. Walls raced Lucas closely on the low line but couldn’t power by him. Following close behind them were Zack Lindemuth from Brockport, Reitz and Bryan Warren out of Curwensville. Warren worked the high line on Lindemuth for a few laps then dropped low and made the pass into third. Walls continued to pressure Lucas and it looked like lap traffic would give him an edge. It appeared he might have had half a nose advantage on Lucas coming out of turn four but Lucas had the momentum and powered off the turn carrying him to Bob Sullinger’s checkered flag, winning by half a car length in a very close and exciting finish.
Chris McCracken and Chuck White won the heat races in the division.
74 Cars visited Hummingbird Speedway on another classic Saturday night of dirt track racing action. 20 cars were in each of the Steel Block Late Model, Street Stock, and Pure Stock divisions while 14 cars lined up for the feature of the Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinder group. Next Saturday is the Mid-Season Championship with double points in all divisions. Gates open at 4:30 pm with heat races beginning at 7:00 pm. Visit the speedway web site at www.hummingbirdspeedway.com for current point standings, weekly photographs, and more.
FINAL RESULTS
Steel Block Late Models
- 53 Chris Farrell Clearfield
- 15 Luke Hoffner Turbotville
- 1B Dwayne Brooks Falls Creek
- 00 Eric Moore Frenchville
- 55 Denny Fenton Clearfield
- 3D Bill Davis Luthersburg
- 36 Paul Kot Brockway
- 11G Dan Gill Clearfield
- 44 Dan Smeal Houtzdale
- 102 Rick Maxim Reynoldsville
- 77R Roswell Babcock Curwensville
- 00 Randy Sterling Morrisdale
- 10 Bruce Raybuck Falls Creek
- 94 Charlie Powell Brookville
- 15W Tim Steis St. Marys
Street Stocks
- 33 Ed Connor DuBois
- 37 Joe Kot DuBois
- T3 Colton Gearhart Dubois
- 69R Brian Rhed Brockport
- 137 Jamie Price Clearfield
- 29L Johnny Lindenpitz Knoxdale
- 05 Brandon Connor DuBois
- 101 Bruce Hartzfeld Stump Creek
- 77 Chad O’Brien Strattanville
- 8F Dale Yeaney Brookville
- 8R Tom Slack Sabula
- 46 Dustin Challingsworth St. Marys
- 3 Rich Howell Clearfield
- 68 Don Henry Brockway
- 78 Tim Fannin Ridgway
- 28 Fuzzy Fields Brockport
- 19R Rick Tripodi Ridgway
- 01 DNS Steve Arthurs Falls Creek
- 7 DNS Rich Howell Jr. Clearfield
- 96E DNS Tim Fannin Ridgway
Pure Stocks
- 1* Colton Joiner DuBois
- 3 Doug Surra Kersey
- 78 Josh Fields Brockway
- 44 Jim Challingsworth St. Marys
- 57T Todd Bailey Brockway
- 76 Mike Anderson DuBois
- 88M Doug Zimmerman Brookville
- 1S Ben Smith Penfield
- 24 Devin Yeaney Brookville
- 8 Cory Silvis Brookville
- 15M Shawn Munoz Punxsutawney
- 37 Hunter McCracken Curwensville
- 54 Josh Frantz DuBois
- 9-11 Tony Brown Reynoldsville
- 13 ½ William Taylor Spring Mills
- 73 Devin Lewis Weedville
- 42 Dave Kohler Rockton
- 4T Randy “Tank” Coombs Big Run
- 5H DQD John Barley DuBois
- 8L DQD Eric Lucas Clearfield
Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders
- 81 Mike Lucas Philipsburg
- 92 Jerry Walls Sykesville
- 5 Bryan Warren Curwensville
- 34 Zack Lindemuth Brockport
- 74 Stephanie Lucas Philipsburg
- 37 Chris McCracken Curwensville
- 65C Cory Reitz Brockway
- 99 Bruce Raab Houtzdale
- 94R Richelle Sheley Reynoldsville
- 2B Rusty Murray Mayport
- 7K Chuck White DuBois
- 17 Randy Albert Morrisdale
- 6B Frank Barrett III DuBois