Davenport, Beatty Win In Young Guns Jr Sprints 2021 Return To The Bird
For Immediate Release
Saturday, May 22nd, 2021
By: Steven Curry - Race Reporter
Reynoldsville- The Young Guns Jr Sprints made their first visit of the 2021 season to headline the third night of racing at Hummingbird Speedway on Saturday night. Garrett Davenport took the checkers in the Open Class while Brayden Beatty did in the Stock Class. The night saw Jamie Colwell capture his first checkered flag at the Bird in the Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks and his first in nearly 11 years. Also, Gary Sullivan picked up his first career feature win in the Close Racing Supply Economods. There was a Four-Cylinder "Crack The Whip" race that was held with Shawn Hadden taking the checkers. Other feature winners on the night included: Nick Erskine in the Swanson Heavy Truck Repair Semi Late Models, Tim Steis in the Sunny 106.5 FM Pure Stocks, Paul Kot in the Carns Equipment Super Late Models, and Blake Joiner in the Andy Man's Car Care Four-Cylinders.
Jamie Colwell and Zack Gustafson led the Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks trackside to kick off the feature racing action with their 20-lap main. Colwell edged out to the lead on the start over Gustafson and Duke Davidson. Colwell began to extend his lead over Gustafson, Davidson, and the rest of the field as the laps clicked away. On lap 7, Brandon Connor used the low line to his advantage to work his way by Davidson for the third spot. Gustafson started to close in on Colwell for the lead as the race neared the halfway mark. Colwell was challenged for the lead by Gustafson as the race reached halfway. Gustafson gave Colwell all he could handle on the low side the next couple of laps before Connor joined them for a three-car race for the lead. With just five laps to go, there were 3 cars under a blanket for the top spot with Colwell still leading the way over Gustafson and Connor. The battle continued until lap 18 when a caution for a mechanical issue on Gustafson's car forced him to retire from the race. That moved Connor into second and Davidson back into third for the first and only restart of the race which was a green-white-checkered. On the restart, Connor looked to the inside of Colwell for the lead as they came around to get the white flag. Connor gave it his all on the final lap but it was not enough as Colwell held on to pick up his first win at the Bird. Colwell was followed by: 2) Brandon Connor 3) Duke Davidson 4) Bruce Hartzfeld 5) Joshua Seippel 6) Jim Challingsworth 7) Tom Newman 8) Zack Gustafson 9) Brian Fabiano 10) Allen Riggleman. DNS: Raven Fuller and Jim Bloom. Gustafson and Colwell won the heat races.
The Young Guns Jr Sprints - Open Class was next to the track with Carter Himes and Garrett Davenport leading the field to the green flag of their 10-lap feature event. A mechanical issue with Himes on the initial start forced him to retire from the race which put Davenport and Cale Schwartzmiller on the front row for the restart. On the restart, Davenport jumped out to the lead over Schwartzmiller, Colten McAndrew, and Kalen Jackson. Davenport began to extend his lead over the field as the laps ticked away. At halfway, it was Davenport out front over Schwartzmiller, McAndrew, and Jackson. On lap 6, a caution for debris in turns 1 and 2 setup another restart. On the ensuing restart, McAndrew jumped out to the point with Davenport second and Jackson third. On lap 8, Davenport used the high line to his advantage to work past McAndrew and retake the top spot. On the final lap, Schwartzmiller worked his way back by Jackson to take the third position. Davenport held on in the closing laps to capture the checkers. Davenport was followed by: 2) Colten McAndrew 3) Cale Schwartzmiller 4) Kalen Jackson 5) Carter Himes. Himes won the heat race.
Brayden Beatty and Mason McAndrew led the Young Guns Jr Sprints - Stock Class trackside for their 10-lap feature race. Three early caution flags kept the field close without a lap getting completed. After the caution flags, the race saw its first extended green flag run. Beatty pulled out to the lead on the restart with McAndrew and Adam Presnar in second and third respectively. Beatty continued to lead over McAndrew and Presnar as the race reached its halfway point. On lap 6, Presnar and Grady Rinehart were both able to work their way around McAndrew to move into second and third in a three-wide pass. On lap 8, Rinehart began to put the pressure on Presnar for the second spot. Rinehart made the pass on Presnar for second as the field came to the line to take the white flag. Beatty went unchallenged the rest of the way enroute to picking up the win. Beatty was followed by: 2) Grady Rinehart 3) Adam Presnar 4) Mason McAndrew 5) David Coley 6) Randy White 7) Jazlyn Boyles 8) Colton Guiher 9) Maddie Rafferty 10) Logan Jackson. DNS: Cameron Miller. Beatty and McAndrew won the heat races.
The Swanson Heavy Truck Repair Semi Late Models were next up for their 20-lap feature. Rich Runyan Jr. and Doug Surra led the field to the opening green flag. Surra got the lead on the start with Runyan Jr. in second and Nick Erskine in third. On lap 3, Erskine used the low line to his advantage to work his way past Runyan Jr. for the second position. Erskine quickly closed in on the leader Surra and began to challenge him for the top spot. Erskine and Surra battled side-by-side for the lead for several laps as the race neared its midway point. On lap 10, Eddie Connor made the pass on Runyan Jr. to take the third spot behind the two leaders. Erskine and Surra continued to duke it out for the lead for the next handful of laps before a caution for a spin in turns 1 and 2 on lap 14 or 15 set up what would ultimately be the first and only restart of the race. Surra jumped out to the point on the restart as Connor took second and Erskine. Erskine was able to retake the second position from Connor on lap 17 as he set his sights on Surra once again. On lap 18, Erskine used the low side to edge ahead of Surra in turns 1 and 2 and then complete the pass in 3 and 4 to take the lead as the field got the white flag. Erskine extended his lead a bit on the final lap on his way to capturing his second checkered flag of the season at the Bird. Erskine was followed by: 2) Doug Surra 3) Eddie Connor 4) Kyle Shannon 5) Levi Ardery 6) Nick Loffredo 7) Joe Loffredo 8) Austin Wilson 9) Rich Runyan Jr.. DNS: Austin Getch and Deegen Watt. Connor and Erskine won the heat races.
Dennis Harrison Jr. and Dustin Challingsworth led the Sunny 106.5 FM Pure Stocks to the track for their 15-lap main. Harrison Jr. jumped out to the lead on the initial start with Challingsworth in second and Josh Fields in third. Harrison Jr. led the opening lap of the race before almost spinning later that lap which moved Challingsworth to the lead with Fields second and Tim Steis in third. A caution came out shortly after that which set up the first restart. On the restart, Steis got a big run on the high side and he was able to get past both Challingsworth and Fields to take the lead on lap 2. A caution for a slow car on the frontstretch on lap 3 set up another restart. On the ensuing restart, Steis pulled out to the lead as Fields was able to get past Challingsworth for the second spot. The race remained green until lap 6 when a caution for a spin in turn 4 brought about another restart. A few more caution flags came out in a row with Andy Frey passing Challingsworth for third in between them. At the halfway mark on lap 8, it was Steis leading the way over Fields and Frey. On the restart following the cautions, Fields gave Steis a valiant challenge for the lead on the inside. The battle raged on for the next handful of laps before a caution for a spin in turn 2 on lap 11 set up the final restart. On the final restart, Fields again gave it his all in battling with Steis for the lead. That continued for a lap or so before Fields almost spun out coming off of turn 4 which allowed Frey and Harrison Jr. to move into second and third respectively. Steis was untouchable from that point on enroute to his second straight victory at Hummingbird. Steis was followed by: 2) Andy Frey 3) Dennis Harrison Jr. 4) Josh Fields 5) Dustin Challingsworth 6) Bob Holt 7) Shawnee Sturgeon 8) Stephen Studer 9) Cody Cassler 10) Steve Brugmann 11) Casey Wolfe 12) Noah Bloom 13) Kyle Lindemuth 14) Ashley Kilhoffer 15) Cody Wolfe. DNS: Ben Ecelberger. Steis and Frey won the heat races.
The Close Racing Supply Economods were next to the bullring for their 15-lap feature event. Gary Sullivan and Orin Taylor led the field to the opening green flag. Sullivan got the lead on the start with Bob McMillen second and Brad Curran Jr. third. On lap 2, Curran Jr. used the momentum on the high side to work his way past McMillen for the second position. Another few laps were completed before a caution for a spin in turn 2 on lap 5 set up the first restart of the race. On the restart, Curran Jr. was able to make his way past Sullivan for the top spot as Gary Miller Jr. entered the top 3 in third. Curran Jr. led the field at the halfway point on lap 8 with Sullivan and Miller Jr. in second and third respectively. A couple of quick caution flags immediately following the midway mark jumbled up the field a bit as all of the leaders were involved in one caution or the other. On the restart following the cautions, Sullivan was out front with Mike Anderson now in second and Taylor in third. The race stayed under green flag conditions for a couple of more laps before a caution for Taylor spinning on the frontstretch on lap 10 set up another restart. That moved Curran Jr. back into the third position for the restart. On the ensuing restart, Sullivan jumped out to the lead over Anderson and Curran Jr.. Sullivan began to pull away from the field just a bit as the laps clicked away. The field was coming to get the white flag on lap 13 when a caution for a spin on the backstretch brought about a green-white-checker finish. On the final restart, Sullivan jumped out to the lead and never looked back in the final couple of laps on his way to his first career win. Sullivan was followed by: 2) Mike Anderson 3) Brad Curran Jr. 4) Bob McMillen 5) Justin Lapcevich 6) Orin Taylor 7) Gary Miller Jr.. Miller Jr. won the lone heat race.
Rich Wicker and Dan Smeal led the Carns Equipment Super Late Models trackside for their 25-lap feature race. Wicker jumped out to the lead on the start with Smeal in second and Dylan Fenton in third. On lap 5, a hard-charging Doug Eck worked his way past Fenton for the third spot. Later that lap, a caution for a spin in turn 4 set up the first restart of the race. On the restart, Wicker pulled out to the lead as Eck took the second position from Smeal. Eck then set his sights on Wicker for the race lead. Eck and Wicker battled for the lead for a couple of laps before Eck completed the pass on the low line on lap 8. On lap 11, Kenny Schaffer was able to make the pass on Smeal to move into third behind Eck and Wicker. A caution for a wreck in turns 1 and 2 later that lap brought about another restart. On the following restart, Schaffer used the high line to power past Wicker for the second spot behind Eck. Eck led the way at halfway on lap 13 with Schaffer and Wicker in second and third respectively. On lap 15, a charging Paul Kot made the pass on Wicker to move into third behind the leaders. The race remained green for another lap or so until a caution for a spin in turns 3 and 4 on lap 16 set up another restart. On the ensuing restart, Kot used the low side to his advantage to work his way past Schaffer to move into second behind Eck. Kot and Eck battled hard for the lead the next few laps before a caution for a stopped car in turns 3 and 4 on lap 20 brought about what would ultimately be the final restart. On the final restart, Eck jumped out to the point as Schaffer used the high line to edge back ahead for Kot for the second spot. On lap 23, Kot got a good run on the bottom and was able to use the run to get back by Schaffer and pull side-by-side with Eck for the top spot. Kot edged ahead of Eck as they came to the line to get the white flag. He then completed the pass on Eck in turns 1 and 2 on the final lap. Eck gave it one last shot on the high side in turns 3 and 4, but came up just short as Kot held on to capture his first checkered flag of the season. Kot was followed by: 2) Doug Eck 3) Kenny Schaffer 4) Rich Wicker 5) Orvis Newcome lll 6) Garrett Mott 7) Levi Sikora 8) Dylan Fenton 9) Scott Alvetro 10) Dwayne Brooks 11) Nathan Brady 12) Dan Smeal. Schaffer and Eck won the heat races.
The Andy Man's Car Care Four-Cylinders capped off the night's feature racing action with Blake Joiner and Wayne Truitt leading the field to green for their 15-lap feature. Joiner jumped out to the lead on the start with Wayne Truitt and Mark Lawrence following behind. One lap was completed before a caution for a wreck in turns 1 and 2 involving Lawrence forced him to retire from the race and set up the first restart. Joiner led the way on the restart with Truitt in second and Randy Albert in third. Joiner had checked out on the field as the laps continued to click away. A caution for a stopped car on the backstretch on lap 6 brought about what would end up being the final restart of the race. Joiner pulled out to the lead once again on the restart as Shawn Hadden got a huge run and was able to get past Albert and Truitt on the low side to move from fourth to second. At halfway, it was Joiner out front with Hadden and Truitt in second and third respectively. Hadden tried to close in on Joiner the entire second half of the race but to no avail as Joiner held on the rest of the way enroute to his second victory on the young season. Joiner was followed by: 2) Shawn Hadden 3) Wayne Truitt 4) Randy Albert 5) Nicholas Eck 6) Ryan McCanna 7) Carl Killinger 8) Justin Finland 9) Christina Killinger 10) Devin Kaufman 11) Joe Anthony 12) Heidi Miller 13) Mark Lawrence 14) Brayden Seippel. Joiner and Truitt won the heat races.
Speedway Notes: 88 cars filled the pits for the third week of racing. That breaks down to: 12 Pro Stocks, 16 Young Guns Jr Sprints, 11 Semi Late Models, 16 Pure Stocks, 7 Economods, 12 Super Late Models, and 14 Four-Cylinders. Next Saturday will feature a regular 6-division program plus the "Ground Pounders" the BRP Big Block Modified Tour. The BRP Big Block Modifieds will be on hand for the first of two scheduled dates for the 2021 season. The race will pay $2,000/win. 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:
Andy Man's Car Care Four-Cylinder - Crack The Whip
1st) #3H Shawn Hadden
2nd) #55 Joe Anthony
3rd) #25D Brooks Kaufman
4th) #54 Wayne Truitt
5th) #84 Brayden Seippel
6th) #17 Randy Albert
Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks
1st) #54J Jamie Colwell
2nd) #55 Brandon Connor
3rd) #81 Duke Davidson
4th) #101 Bruce Hartzfeld
5th) #84S Joshua Seippel
6th) #44 Jim Challingsworth
7th) #12 Tom Newman
8th) #983 Zack Gustafson
9th) #35 Brian Fabiano
10th) #4R Allen Riggleman
11th) #10R Raven Fuller
12th) #37A Jim Bloom
Young Guns Jr Sprints - Open Class
1st) #8G Garrett Davenport
2nd) #24 Colten McAndrew
3rd) #14 Cale Schwartzmiller
4th) #789 Kalen Jackson
5th) #13H Carter Himes
Young Guns Jr Sprints - Stock Class
1st) #B4 Brayden Beatty
2nd) #5 Grady Rinehart
3rd) #23 Adam Presnar
4th) #14 Mason McAndrew
5th) #4 David Coley
6th) #84 Randy White
7th) #30 Jazlyn Boyles
8th) #3 Colton Guiher
9th) #8M Maddie Rafferty
10th) #95 Logan Jackson
11th) #9M Cameron Miller
Swanson Heavy Truck Repair Semi Late Models
1st) #5X Nick Erskine
2nd) #3xAA Doug Surra
3rd) #27C Eddie Connor
4th) #11 Kyle Shannon
5th) #27 Levi Ardery
6th) #9N Nick Loffredo
7th) #9J Joe Loffredo
8th) #68 Austin Wilson
9th) #18 Rich Runyan Jr.
10th) #71A Austin Getch
11th) #17 Deegen Watt
Sunny 106.5 FM Pure Stocks
1st) #34 Tim Steis
2nd) #55X Andy Frey
3rd) #42H Dennis Harrison Jr.
4th) #88 Josh Fields
5th) #46 Dustin Challingsworth
6th) #31H Bob Holt
7th) #13 Shawnee Sturgeon
8th) #8X Stephen Studer
9th) #14C Cody Cassler
10th) #80R Steve Brugmann
11th) #6/2P Casey Wolfe
12th) #37B Noah Bloom
13th) #29 Kyle Lindemuth
14th) #50 Ashley Kilhoffer
15th) #97W Cody Wolfe
16th) #113 Ben Ecelberger
Close Racing Supply Economods
1st) #47S Gary Sullivan
2nd) #76 Mike Anderson
3rd) #C17 Brad Curran Jr.
4th) #50 Bob McMillen
5th) #22 Justin Lapcevich
6th) #21T Orin Taylor
7th) #1M Gary Miller Jr.
Carns Equipment Super Late Models
1st) #36 Paul Kot
2nd) #20 Doug Eck
3rd) #13X Kenny Schaffer
4th) #2T Rich Wicker
5th) #66N Orvis Newcome lll
6th) #43X Garrett Mott
7th) #57S Levi Sikora
8th) #56 Dylan Fenton
9th) #64 Scott Alvetro
10th) #1B Dwayne Brooks
11th) #77 Nathan Brady
12th) #44 Dan Smeal
Andy Man's Car Care Four-Cylinders
1st) #569 Blake Joiner
2nd) #3H Shawn Hadden
3rd) #54 Wayne Truitt
4th) #17 Randy Albert
5th) #03 Nicholas Eck
6th) #21R Ryan McCanna
7th) #76K Carl Killinger
8th) #56 Justin Finland
9th) #8K Christina Killinger
10th) #25D Devin Kaufman
11th) #55 Joe Anthony
12th) #35 Heidi Miller
13th) #99L Mark Lawrence
14th) #84 Brayden Seippel