Double, Surra Earn Big Paydays In Inaugural Al Connor Memorial At The Bird
For Immediate Release
Saturday, June 12th, 2021
By: Steven Curry - Race Reporter
Reynoldsville- It was a very special night at Hummingbird Speedway on Saturday night as we honored the late driver Al Connor with the inaugural running of the Al Connor Memorial. Al was a former driver in the track's first Era, capturing a points championship in the Novice class in 1968 before moving up to the Semi Late Model division. To honor Al, we ran a 20-lap, $900/win race for the Economods and a 33-lap, $1,400/win plus lap money race for the Semi Late Models. In the Close Racing Supply Economods, Jeremy Double led all 20 laps enroute to capturing the big payday. In the Swanson Heavy Truck Repair Semi Late Models, Doug Surra led 21 of the 33 laps on his way to earning the $1,400 plus lap money payout. Our other four divisions were in action as well with two new winners visiting victory lane and two winners adding to their win totals. In the Carns Equipment Super Late Models, it was Kyle Knapp capturing his first checkered flag at the Bird this season in his first start. Jim Challingsworth got the job done in the Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks for his first win of 2021. Bryce Swauger notched win #2 of the season in the Sunny 106.5 FM Pure Stocks. Shawn Hadden also won for the second time in 2021 in the Andy Man's Car Care Four-Cylinders.
The 20-lap, $900/win Close Racing Supply Economod feature was first to the track with Jeremy Double and Jarett Young leading the field to the opening green flag. Double jumped out to the lead on the initial start with Jarett Young in second and Nate Young in third. On lap 2, Nate Young used the inside line to his advantage to work his way by Jarett Young to move into the second spot. Double continued to lead the way over the Young boys as the laps continued to click away. At the halfway mark on lap 10, Double continued to pace the field with Nate Young and Jarett Young in second and third respectively. Nate Young began to close in on Double a little as the race neared its closing laps. With just 5 laps remaining, it was still Double out in front over the Young's. The race stayed green for another lap before a caution flag came out and set up a restart for the first time all race. On the restart, Double jumped out to the lead over Nate and Jarett Young. On lap 17, Mitchell Wright was able to work his way around Jarett Young to move into third behind the leaders. A caution for a spin in turns 1 and 2 later that lap brought about another restart. On the ensuing restart, Wright used the high side to his advantage to power past Nate Young and move into second with just a couple of laps left. A caution for a spin in turns 3 and 4 set up what would ultimately be the final restart. On the final restart, Double jumped out to the lead and never looked back on his way to picking up the win and the $900 payday in his first trip to the Bird this season. Double was followed by: 2) Mitchell Wright 3) Nate Young 4) Dennis Asel 5) Gary Miller Jr. 6) Gary Sullivan 7) Bob McMillen 8) Michael Hudzik 9) Jarett Young 10) Ty Rhoades 11) Orin Taylor. Double and Jarett Young won the heat races.
The Carns Equipment Super Late Models were next trackside for their 25-lap feature event. Kyle Knapp and Kenny Schaffer led the field to the start. Schaffer jumped out to the point on the start over Knapp and Garrett Mott. On lap 2, Denny Fenton worked his way past Mott to move into the third position behind Schaffer and Knapp. A caution for Knapp spinning in turns 3 and 4 set up the first restart of the race. That moved Fenton to second and Doug Eck to third for the restart. On the restart, Schaffer pulled out to the lead as Fenton was challenged for second by Eck. On lap 3, Eck completed the pass on Fenton to move into the second spot. Then, on lap 4, Fenton used the momentum on the highside to power back past Eck to retake second. Schaffer and Fenton began to pull away from the field as the race neared its halfway point. At halfway, it was Schaffer out front with Fenton and Eck rounding out the top 3. The race stayed green until a caution for a stopped car on the top of turns 1 and 2 on lap 14 brought about another restart. On the ensuing restart, Schaffer jumped out front as Eck got around Fenton to retake second once again. Fenton used the momentum on the highside once again to work his way past Eck and move back into second on lap 16. The race remained under green flag conditions until a caution for Eck spinning in turns 1 and 2 on lap 18 set up the final restart. The caution by Eck and Fenton heading to the pits with a mechanical issue moved Knapp and Paul Kot into second and third for the final restart. On the restart, Schaffer once again got a good launch with Knapp in second and Kot in third. On lap 19, the nose of Schaffer's car dug into the track, causing extensive damage and forcing him to retire from the race. That moved Knapp to the lead with Kot and Dylan Fenton in second and third. On lap 21, Scott Alvetro worked his way past Dylan Fenton to move into third behind the leaders. Knapp extended his lead in the closing laps and went unchallenged the rest of the way enroute to capturing his first checkered flag of the season at Hummingbird in his first start. Knapp was followed by: 2) Paul Kot 3) Scott Alvetro 4) Doug Eck 5) Dylan Fenton 6) Garrett Mott 7) Josh Jacoby 8) Johnny Lindenpitz 9) Kenny Schaffer 10) Denny Fenton 11) Dwayne Brooks. DNS: Dan Smeal and Orvis Newcome lll. Eck and Schaffer won the heat races.
Doug Surra and Eddie Connor led the Swanson Heavy Truck Repair Semi Late Models to the track for their 33-lap, $1,400+/win Al Connor Memorial feature race. Connor edged out to the lead on the start over Surra and Gabe Shaffer. One lap was completed before a caution for a stopped car on the frontstretch set up the first restart. On the restart, Connor pulled out to the lead as Shaffer began to challenge Surra for the second spot. On lap 2, Shaffer used the momentum on the highside to power past Surra and move into second. Connor extended his lead over the field as the laps continued to click away. The race stayed green until a caution for a spin on the frontstretch around lap 12 brought about another restart. On the ensuing restart, Surra and Shaffer took Connor three-wide for the lead. Surra and Shaffer completed the pass around Connor to move into first and second respectively. Also, Paul Ivory was able to get past Connor to move into the third position. On lap 14, Connor used the high line to his advantage to get back by Ivory for the third spot. Then, on lap 16, Connor used the low side to work past Shaffer for second. At the halfway mark on lap 17, Surra led the way over Connor and Shaffer. Surra maintained his lead over Connor and the rest of the field as the race neared its closing laps. With 10 laps remaining, it was Surra out front over Connor and Shaffer. Surra maintained his lead over the field in the closing laps on his way to winning the inaugural Al Connor Memorial and earning a $1,400+ payday. This win was Surra's first of the season. Surra was followed by: 2) Eddie Connor 3) Gabe Shaffer 4) Paul Ivory 5) Joe Loffredo 6) Ryan Jacoby 7) Nick Loffredo 8) Rich Runyan Jr. 9) Don Henry 10) Jarid Ivory 11) Levi Ardery 12) Deegen Watt 13) Kyle Shannon. Surra set fast time in time trials for the Semi Lates. Surra and Connor won the heat races.
The Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks were next up for their 20-lap main. Duke Davidson and Jim Challingsworth led the field to the opening green flag. Davidson jumped out to the lead on the start with Challingsworth in second and Brandon Connor in third. On lap 2, Connor worked his way past Challingsworth on the low side to move into the second spot behind Davidson. The opening five laps were completed before a caution for the two leaders, Davidson and Connor, wrecked after getting into a lapped car. The wreck forced both Davidson and Connor to retire from the race. That moved Challingsworth to the lead with Jim Bloom second and Dale Yeaney third for the restart. Another caution flag came out on the restart for a stopped car on the frontstretch. On the restart following the cautions, Challingsworth jumped out to the lead with Bloom and Yeaney following behind. Challingsworth began to extend his lead a bit over the field as the laps continued to click away. At the midway point on lap 10, it was Challingsworth leading the way with Bloom and Yeaney following behind in second and third respectively. The race stayed green for another lap before a caution came out, setting up ultimately the final restart. On the final restart, Challingsworth jumped out to the lead over Bloom and Yeaney. Challingsworth extended his lead as the race reached its closing laps. Challingsworth went unchallenged in the final 9 or so laps enroute to capturing his first checkered flag of the season. Challingsworth was followed by: 2) Jim Bloom 3) Dale Yeaney 4) Fuzzy Fields 5) Allen Riggleman 6) Brian Fabiano 7) Duke Davidson 8) Brandon Connor 9) Trevor McCann. DNS: Raven Fuller and Pernell Beimel. Yeaney and Connor won the heat races.
Dustin Challingsworth and Josh Fields led the Sunny 106.5 FM Pure Stocks trackside for their 15-lap feature. Fields got the advantage on the start with Justin Watt in second and Challingsworth in third. One lap was completed before a caution came out, setting up the first restart of the race. Another caution flag came out on the restart for a pileup in turns 1 and 2. Watt was one of the cars involved in the wreck and he was forced to retire from the event. So, for the restart following the wreck, it was Fields out front with Challingsworth and Jake Foradori following behind. On the restart, Fields jumped out to the lead over Challingsworth as Bryce Swauger got past Foradori for the third spot. On lap 3, both Swauger and Tim Steis worked their way past Challingsworth to move into second and third respectively. Then, on lap 5, Swauger caught and was able to make the pass on Fields to take the top spot. Swauger began to extend his lead as the race neared the halfway mark. At halfway, it was Swauger out front over Fields and Steis. The race stayed under green flag conditions for another lap or so before a caution for a stopped car near the pit entrance brought about what would be the final restart of the race. On the final restart, Swauger checked out on the field as Steis challenged Fields for the second spot. Swauger gapped the field and led the way in the final 5 laps on his way to winning for the second time in 2021, snapping Steis' three-race win streak. Swauger was followed by: 2) Josh Fields 3) Tim Steis 4) Jake Foradori 5) Dustin Challingsworth 6) Wayne Garvey 7) Casey Wolfe 8) Lester Hudson 9) Cody Cassler 10) Ashley Kilhoffer 11) Jake Valasek 12) Dennis Harrison Jr. 13) Blaze Harrison 14) Justin Watt 15) Andy Frey 16) Jenna Pfaff 17) Cody Wolfe 18) Bob Holt 19) Shawnee Sturgeon 20) Noah Bloom. Frey, Swauger, and Steis won the heat races.
The Andy Man's Car Care Four-Cylinders capped off the special night of racing with their 15-lap feature event. Brooks Kaufman and Shawn Hadden led the field to the opening green flag. Hadden got the lead on the start with Blake Joiner and Kaufman following behind. The opening three laps were completed before a caution for a stopped car in turns 1 and 2 set up the first restart of the race. On the restart, Hadden pulled out to the lead with Joiner second and Kaufman third. Joiner began to close in and challenge Hadden for the top spot as the race neared halfway. At the midway point on lap 8, it was Hadden leading the way by about a car length over Joiner with Kaufman still in third. Later on lap 8, Joiner had an issue that caused him to lose several spots. That brought out the caution flag as well to set up what would end up being the final restart. The issue with Joiner moved Kaufman into second and Zack Frantz into third for the restart. On the final restart, Hadden jumped out to the advantage over Kaufman and Frantz. Hadden began to gap the field as the 5-laps-to-go signal was shown to the drivers. Hadden continued to pull away from the field in the closing laps enroute to notching his second victory of the season at the Bird. Hadden was followed by: 2) Brooks Kaufman 3) Zack Frantz 4) Cory Price 5) Blake Joiner 6) Randy Albert 7) Joe Anthony 8) Justin Finland 9) Carl Killinger 10) Adam Bales 11) Kevin Killinger 12) Christina Killinger 13) Ryan McCanna 14) Jeremy Stewart 15) Jim Boyer 16) Heidi Miller. DQ: Wayne Truitt. Frantz, Truitt, and Hadden won the heat races.
Speedway Notes: 85 cars filled the pits for the inaugural Al Connor Memorial. That breaks down to: 11 Economods, 13 Super Late Models, 13 Semi Late Models, 11 Pro Stocks, 20 Pure Stocks, and 17 Four-Cylinders. Next Saturday will be Racing Pioneers Night at the track. The PA Thunder on the Dirt Vintage Modifieds will be on hand for the first of two scheduled visits this season. Also, it will be the second race of the PAGO Powder-Puff Series for the Four-Cylinder division. All of our other regular divisions will be in action as well including Super Lates, Pro Stocks, Semi Lates, Pure Stocks, and Economods. Gates open at 4:00 with racing beginning at 7:00. The Sub Hub Kids Club gets underway every Saturday night at 6 pm by the pit gate entrance. It is a great place to take your kids to do some fun kids club activities prior to racing getting started For more information call the track office at (814) 653-8400 or visit the tracks’ website at www.hummingbirdspeedway.com. You can also follow the track on Facebook and Twitter.
Results:
Close Racing Supply Economods
1st) #83 Jeremy Double
2nd) #M1 Mitchell Wright
3rd) #42 Nate Young
4th) #0 Dennis Asel
5th) #1M Gary Miller Jr.
6th) #47S Gary Sullivan
7th) #50 Bob McMillen
8th) #31H Michael Hudzik
9th) #21 Jarett Young
10th) #28 Ty Rhoades
11th) #21T Orin Taylor
Carns Equipment Super Late Models
1st) #33K Kyle Knapp
2nd) #36 Paul Kot
3rd) #64 Scott Alvetro
4th) #20 Doug Eck
5th) #56 Dylan Fenton
6th) #43X Garrett Mott
7th) #88 Josh Jacoby
8th) #29L Johnny Lindenpitz
9th) #13X Kenny Schaffer
10th) #55 Denny Fenton
11th) #1B Dwayne Brooks
12th) #44 Dan Smeal
13th) #66N Orvis Newcome lll
Swanson Heavy Truck Repair Semi Late Models
1st) #3xAA Doug Surra
2nd) #27C Eddie Connor
3rd) #28S Gabe Shaffer
4th) #4A Paul Ivory
5th) #9J Joe Loffredo
6th) #88J Ryan Jacoby
7th) #9N Nick Loffredo
8th) #18 Rich Runyan Jr.
9th) #68 Don Henry
10th) #17I Jarid Ivory
11th) #27 Levi Ardery
12th) #17 Deegen Watt
13th) #11 Kyle Shannon
Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks
1st) #44 Jim Challingsworth
2nd) #37A Jim Bloom
3rd) #11Y Dale Yeaney
4th) #28 Fuzzy Fields
5th) #4R Allen Riggleman
6th) #35 Brian Fabiano
7th) #81D Duke Davidson
8th) #55 Brandon Connor
9th) #12M Trevor McCann
10th) #10R Raven Fuller
11th) #43 Pernell Beimel
Sunny 106.5 FM Pure Stocks
1st) #28 Bryce Swauger
2nd) #88 Josh Fields
3rd) #34 Tim Steis
4th) #14 Jake Foradori
5th) #46 Dustin Challingsworth
6th) #72G Wayne Garvey
7th) #6/2P Casey Wolfe
8th) #24 Lester Hudson
9th) #14C Cody Cassler
10th) #50 Ashley Kilhoffer
11th) #121 Jake Valasek
12th) #42H Dennis Harrison Jr.
13th) #25 Blaze Harrison
14th) #00 Justin Watt
15th) #55X Andy Frey
16th) #33 Jenna Pfaff
17th) #97W Cody Wolfe
18th) #31H Bob Holt
19th) #13 Shawnee Sturgeon
20th) #37B Noah Bloom
Andy Man's Car Care Four-Cylinders
1st) #3H Shawn Hadden
2nd) #25D Brooks Kaufman
3rd) #21 Zack Frantz
4th) #4P Cory Price
5th) #569 Blake Joiner
6th) #17 Randy Albert
7th) #55 Joe Anthony
8th) #56 Justin Finland
9th) #76K Carl Killinger
10th) #26B Adam Bales
11th) #24K Kevin Killinger
12th) #8K Christina Killinger
13th) #21R Ryan McCanna
14th) #00 Jeremy Stewart
15th) #11 Jim Boyer
16th) #35 Heidi Miller
17th) #54 Wayne Truitt