Miller Jr. Wins Pro Stock Special At Hummingbird
For Immediate Release
Saturday, June 15th, 2024
By: Steven Curry - Race Reporter
Reynoldsville- A $1,000/win Virgile Iron & Steel Pro Stock Special headlined the third night of racing in 2024 at Hummingbird Speedway Saturday night. The special was a bonus points race for all Penn Ohio Pro Stock Championship Series members, with all members participating receiving 15 bonus points towards the championship chase. The #1M of Gary Miller Jr. led from green to checkers on his way to picking up the win and the $1,000 prize. The win was the first of the season for Miller Jr., as well as his first career Pro Stock victory at the Bird. The Hoosier Racing Tire 358 Modifieds made their return to the Speedway for the first time since the early-2000's with Jimmy Holden, driving the Mike Stine owned #7S, capturing the checkered flag. Doug Surra in the #3xAA was the first driver to notch win #2 of the year as he went back-to-back in the Semi Late Model division. Other drivers taking trips to Dunlap Lawn & Garden Victory Lane Saturday night included the #34 of Tim Steis in the Scaife's Automotive & Repair LLC. Pure Stocks, the #36 of Paul Kot in the Srock Contracting Super Late Models, the #114 of Zach Lennox in the Brooks Services Four-Cylinders, and the #6 of Dave Shagla in the Economods. All of whom collected their first wins of the season at Hummingbird. It was Twin State Auto Racing Club Night at the Bird with trophies being sponsored by the Community Guidance Center.
The feature racing action commenced with the Virgile Iron & Steel Pro Stocks taking to the track for a 25-lap, $1,000/win special. Brandon Connor and Gary Miller Jr. led the field to the opening green flag. Miller Jr. got out to the lead on the start and led the opening lap over Brandon and Bob Connor. On lap 2, Jim Bloom used the inside line to make his way past Bob for third. On lap 8, Bob was able to retake the third spot from Bloom. A few laps later, on lap 11, Bob was able to get to the inside of Brandon for second and make the pass to move into the runner-up position behind Miller Jr.. Over the next handful of laps or so, Bob began to close in on Miller Jr. and put the pressure on him for the top spot. A couple laps after a late-race restart, on lap 20, Fuzzy Fields was able to use the inside line to his advantage and get past Brandon for third. Bob kept the pressure on Miller Jr. throughout the final five laps of the race, but in the end Miller Jr. held on for his first career Pro Stock win at Hummingbird, collecting the $1,000 payday. Following Miller Jr. across the line were Bob Connor, Fields, Brandon Connor, and Cregen Brady. Brandon Connor and Miller Jr. won the heat races.
The Hoosier Racing Tire 358 Modifieds were next to the track for their first race at the Bird since the early 2000's. Jimmy Holden and Robert Garvey led the field to green for their 20-lap feature event. Holden jumped out to the lead and led lap 1 as Kyle Fink made the pass on Garvey for second. Holden, Fink, and Garvey ran in their respective top 3 positions throughout the entire race. In the end, it was Holden cruising to the win by over two seconds in the return of the 358 Modifieds over Fink, Garvey, Hayden Holden, and Trent Ogden. Garvey won the lone heat race.
Josh Bloom and Jake Foradori led an 18-car field of Scaife's Automotive & Repair LLC. Pure Stocks trackside for their 15-lap feature. Foradori got out to the lead on the start and led the opening lap as Tim Steis made the pass on Bloom for second. On lap 2, a hard-charging Steis made his way past Foradori for the top spot as Josh Fields used the highside to his advantage to make the pass on Bloom for third. After a caution on lap 3, Fields was able to work his way past Foradori for second. At the halfway mark on lap 8, Foradori took his car pitside with some sort of mechanical issue. That moved last week's winner, Dustin Challingsworth, into third behind Steis and Fields. Fields gave it all he had throughout the second half of the race, but it was to no avail as Steis held on to capture his first Hummingbird checkered flag of the season. The win for Steis moved him into sole possession of third place on the Pure Stock Win List with 23 wins. Fields, Challingsworth, Mitch Stiles, and Wayne Truitt rounded out the top 5. Steis, Foradori, and Josh Bloom won the heat races. Bloom's heat win was his first career heat win.
The Srock Contracting Super Late Models were next into the 1/3-mile bullring for their 25-lap main. Dwayne Brooks and Paul Kot led the field to green. Kot got the advantage on the start and led lap 1 over Brooks and Billy Dickson. On lap 2, Kenny Schaffer made the pass on Dickson for the third position. After a lap 3 caution flag, it was Kot leading the way over Brooks and Schaffer. Brooks went wide on the restart, allowing both Schaffer and Doug Eck to get by and move into second and third, respectively. On the restart following a lap 8 caution flag, Eck challenged Schaffer for second. On lap 9, Eck made the pass on the highside to take the second spot. The top 3 ran as-is until a final caution flag on lap 21. On the final restart, it was Kot out front over Eck as Schaffer was challenged for third by Clay Ruffo. On lap 22, Ruffo completed the pass on Schaffer to move into the third position. Eck tried to close in on Kot in the final few laps, but he was unable to as Kot held on to capture his first checkered flag of the season. The win moved Kot into sole possession of third place on the Late Model Win List with 36 wins. Kot was followed by Eck, Ruffo, Tyler Wyant, and Schaffer. Kot and Brooks won the heat races.
B.J. Hudson and Gary Little led the Semi Late Models to the green flag for their 20-lap feature event. Hudson and Little ran side-by-side for the majority of the opening lap, with Little edging ahead to lead the lap over Hudson and Ed Connor. After a lap 4 caution flag, it was Little still leading the way as Hudson felt the pressure from Connor for second. On lap 5, Connor completed the pass on Hudson to move into the second position behind Little. Then, on lap 6, Little slipped up, allowing Connor, Hudson, and last week's winner Doug Surra to all get past and move into the top three positions. Surra used the highline to his advantage to make the pass on Hudson for the second spot on lap 9. Surra closed in on Connor and the two battled for the top spot over the next several laps. Surra completed the pass on Connor on lap 17 and never looked back enroute to making back-to-back trips to Dunlap Lawn & Garden Victory Lane. Following Surra across the line were Connor, Hudson, Dan Smeal, and Shawn Hadden. Nick Loffredo and Connor won the heat races.
The Brooks Services Four-Cylinders were next on the card for their 15-lap feature race. Camden Frantz and Zach Lennox led the field of 21 to flagman Earl Jackson's green flag. Frantz jumped out to the lead on the start and led the opening lap as Brayden Seippel passed Lennox for second. On lap 3, Lennox was able to retake the third spot from Seippel. A few laps later, on lap 6, Sam Regitz was able to work his way past Seippel for third behind Frantz and Lennox. On lap 9, Lennox was able to make the pass on Frantz for the top spot just before the first caution flag of the race. A couple of laps later, on lap 11, Regitz passed Frantz for second behind Lennox. Lennox went unchallenged in the final handful of laps on his way to picking up his first win of the year in just his second start over Regitz, Frantz, Luke Hoffner, and Allen Robison. Greg Snell, Seippel, Lennox, and Frantz won the heat races.
Shawn Lindemuth and Dave Shagla led the Economods to the track for their 20-lap feature to conclude the evening. Shagla got the lead on the start and led lap 1 over Lindemuth and Dennis Asel. The top 3 remained Shagla, Lindemuth, and Asel as the race crossed its halfway point on lap 10. On lap 14, Asel was able to work his way past Lindemuth for second. The race continued under green flag conditions until the lone caution flag of the race came out on lap 17. On the restart, it was Shagla out front over Asel and Lindemuth. Shagla set sail from the field as Bob McMillen pressured Lindemuth for third over the last couple of laps. Shagla went on to lead from green to checkered on his way to his first career Economod victory. Asel crossed the line second, McMillen third after a last lap pass of Lindemuth, and Nate Fleck fifth. Lindemuth won the lone heat race.
Speedway Notes: 94 cars filled the pit area for Twin State Auto Racing Club Night. That breaks down to: 11 Pro Stocks, 8 358 Modifieds, 19 Pure Stocks, 13 Super Late Models, 11 Semi Late Models, 23 Four-Cylinders, and 9 Economods. We will be back in action this coming Saturday, June 22nd, with the BRP Modified Tour making their first of two scheduled visits to the 1/3-mile bullring along with the RUSH Stock Cars making their second visit of the year. The first PowderPuff race of the season will be run as well. Super Late Models, Pro Stocks, Semi Late Models, Pure Stocks, and Four-Cylinders will be on the card also. The Economods will have the evening off. More information regarding this weekend's racing action will be posted to the track's facebook page and website, so keep it tuned there for the latest. Gates open at 4:00 with racing beginning at 7:00. The Sub Hub Kids Club gets underway every Saturday night at 6pm by the pit gate entrance. It is a great place to take your kids to do some fun kids club activities as well as meet some drivers 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.
Results:
Virgile Iron & Steel Pro Stocks
1st) #1M Gary Miller Jr.
2nd) #818 Bob Connor
3rd) #28 Fuzzy Fields
4th) #55C Brandon Connor
5th) #2 Cregen Brady
6th) #104 Allen Lamb
7th) #44 Jim Challingsworth
8th) #43 Pernell Beimel
9th) #18 Devin Dickey
10th) #37A Jim Bloom
11th) #60 Sheddy Graham
Hoosier Racing Tire 358 Modifieds
1st) #7S Jimmy Holden
2nd) #66F Kyle Fink
3rd) #11X Robert Garvey
4th) #28H Hayden Holden
5th) #72 Trent Ogden
6th) #93 Shannon Casher
7th) #51 Aaron Casher
8th) #50 Craig Casher
Scaife's Automotive & Repair LLC. Pure Stocks
1st) #34 Tim Steis
2nd) #88 Josh Fields
3rd) #46 Dustin Challingsworth
4th) #54S Mitch Stiles
5th) #54 Wayne Truitt
6th) #14C Cody Cassler
7th) #37B Josh Bloom
8th) #50 Ashley Kilhoffer
9th) #4N Kim Nelson
10th) #14M Paul Metz Jr.
11th) #56K Renae Meyer
12th) #01D Dominic Marchiori
13th) #55X Andy Frey
14th) #14 Jake Foradori
15th) #10-4 Jeff Smallwood
16th) #211 Casey Wolfe
17th) #24 Lester Hudson
18th) #150 Ryan Kemery
19th) #97W Cody Wolfe
Srock Contracting Super Late Models
1st) #36 Paul Kot
2nd) #20J Doug Eck
3rd) #14 Clay Ruffo
4th) #24 Tyler Wyant
5th) #13X Kenny Schaffer
6th) #711 Todd English
7th) #9J Joe Loffredo
8th) #18 Rich Runyan Jr.
9th) #3-D Bill Davis
10th) #1B Dwayne Brooks
11th) #32 Billy Dickson
12th) #67 Cody Lucas
13th) #96 John Brady
Semi Late Models
1st) #3xAA Doug Surra
2nd) #27C Ed Connor
3rd) #23 B.J. Hudson
4th) #44 Dan Smeal
5th) #3H Shawn Hadden
6th) #69 Gary Little
7th) #60 Jeremy Lippert
8th) #X47 Nathan Brady
9th) #47 Adam Nixon
10th) #9N Nick Loffredo
11th) #7* Craig Bainey
Brooks Services Four-Cylinders
1st) #114 Zach Lennox
2nd) #916 Sam Regitz
3rd) #158 Camden Frantz
4th) #H14 Luke Hoffner
5th) #4T1 Allen Robison
6th) #1 Ben Lehane
7th) #15S Greg Snell
8th) #96B Hunter Flook
9th) #36F Zack Frantz
10th) #3H Shawn Hadden
11th) #44B Bruce Long
12th) #6A Anthony Sones
13th) #79 Devon Trayer
14th) #64E Isaac Exley
15th) #35K Heidi Miller
16th) #21B Nevaeh Helsel
17th) #842 Brayden Seippel
18th) #22A Austin Beamer
19th) #58R Ryan Lippert
20th) #8F Sam Fye
21st) #11 Jim Boyer
22nd) #73 Greg Kiehl
23rd) #29L Josh Lindenmuth
Economods
1st) #6 Dave Shagla
2nd) #0 Dennis Asel
3rd) #50 Bob McMillen
4th) #54 Shawn Lindemuth
5th) #71 Nate Fleck
6th) #83E Ed Vogel
7th) #569 Blake Joiner
8th) #29 Rodney Hartman
9th) #29L Johnny Lindenpitz