SURRA, CONNOR, LEE, SHAGLA, FRANTZ, AND STEIS BEAT THE HEAT AT HUMMINGBIRD SPEEDWAY
By Dave Resinger
June 21, 2025
After numerous rainouts to begin the season, Mother Nature finally cooperated with a dry evening for racing. Instead of wet conditions, the temperatures were hot and so was the racing action. Those visiting Victory Lane were Doug Surra, Brandon Connor, Jon Lee, Dave Shagla, Zack Frantz (subbing for Shawn Hadden), and Tim Steis.
The appropriately named "heat races" were run to set the fields for feature events, and the Gio's BBQ Semi-Lates were the first to take the track. Dan Smeal and Caleb Whiteford led the 13-car field to flagman Earl Jackson's green flag. Smeal led lap one, followed by Nick Erskine and Whiteford. Erskine lost a driveshaft on lap three ending his night. On the restart, it was Smeal, Doug Surra, Whiteford, and BJ Hudson leading the way. Smeal was strong and Surra and Whiteford battled for second until Whiteford suffered a mechanical failure and pitted. Smeal went high on lap six leaving room for several cars to get by. Surra and Hudson swapped the lead a few times. Smeal spun on lap eight, and at the halfway point Surra continued to lead the way. A number of cautions kept the field close, and Smeal worked his way back to the top five. But no one had anything for the leader as Surra went on to win, followed by Bernie Whiteford, Gary Little, Deegen Watt, and Smeal. Qualifying event winners were Surra and Erskine.
Next up were the Ken Schaffer Excavating Pro Stocks. Thirteen cars made the call, with Gary Miller and Jim Bloom on the front row. There were several early cautions before lap one was completed but when they finally got going Miller, Bloom, and Bruce Hartzfeld were the top three. Brandon Connor joined the mix and, although Miller pulled ahead, the race was on for second. Something broke on Miller's car at the halfway point and he was forced to retire from the event. Connor used the high side to get by Bloom and took the lead. Hartzeld pitted on lap thirteen leaving Connor, Bloom, Cregen Brady, Rich Powell, and Allen Lamb as the top five. Connor endured several more cautions and pulled away on each restart. As the checkers flew it was Connor, Bloom, Brady, Powell, and Fuzzy Fields. The three heat race winners were Bloom, Miller, and Powell.
Rod Phillips and Ken Schaffer led the Srock Contracting Super Late Models onto the track for their 25-lap feature event. Early cautions again plagued this race also. Dylan Cecee wasted no time in charging to the front. He was in third by the end of the first lap, trailing only Phillips and Schaffer, then took the lead on lap two. He looked to be the class of the field, with almost a straightaway lead by lap ten. But he suffered a mechanical failure giving the lead back to Phillips. Jon Lee got by Phillips on lap eleven and never looked back. The race after that was for second, as Phillips, Paul Kot, and Schaffer jockeyed for position. In the end it was Lee, Phillips, Kot, Schaffer, and Clay Ruffo making up the top five. Lee, Cecee, and Schaffer won the preliminary qualifying races.
The Economod class were ready to do battle next, with Johnny Lindenpitz and Dave Shagla on the front row. Shagla took the early led but had pressure from newcomer Arinna Samuelson. It was the 17-year old's first visit to the speedway, but she showed the veterans she knew her way around the track, running well in the early stages. Lindenpitz got by her for second and Bob McMillen (who was celebrating a birthday) followed. But McMillen got loose in turn four and Samuelson couldn't avoid contact. Damage sustained ended her night, with Shagla, Lindenpitz, Ben Ecelberger, Eric Smith, and Emily Stoyer making up the top five at the halfway point. Several more cautions forced drivers to the pits and as flagman Earl Jackson waved the checkered flag it was Shagla, McMillen, Lindenpitz, and Stoyer crossing the line in that order. Samuelson and Shagla were the heat race winners.
The Brooks Services 4-Cylinders had an 18-car field take the green flag, led by Zack Frantz (subbing for Shawn Hadden) and Dennis Harrison III on the front row. Frantz led early and the top four - Frantz, Joe Huber, Harrison, and Allen Robison - began to pull away from the rest of the field. There was plenty of side-by-side racing throughout the field. Huber put pressure on Frantz, trying to wrestle away the lead but was unable to do so. At the end it was Frantz, Huber, Robison, Brett Hanley, and Isaac Exley making up the top five. Tanner Lansberry, Robison, and J Huber copped the qualifiers.
The final feature event was the D Fenton Fabrication & Mechanical Pure Stocks. After a caution free race last week, fans were wondering if the 20-car field could pull it off again. They did not. Tim Steis and Lester Hudson were on the front row and ran one and two for several laps and were hen joined by Josh Fields, who had made his way to the front and eventually took second, then getting by Steis for the lead just before the halfway point. A multi-car accident on the backstretch involving Hudson and several others ended their night. Before the restart, Fields pitted with an issue but returned just before the field took the green. With five laps to go, Steis continued to lead, with Bruce Mowery trying everything he could to get by. Mowery made a bold move in turn one trying to get to the inside of Steis with two laps to go. There was contact and Mowery almost spun but regained control, losing several positions. As the race concluded, Steis won, followed by Jake Foradori, Dalton Gustafson, Mowery, and Fields (who had worked his way back through the field to fifth). Heat race winners were Mowery, Fields, and Dominic Marchiori.
91 cars packed the pit area on a hot Saturday night.
Hummingbird will be off with no racing on Saturday July 5th for the Independence Day holiday. Racing action will resume on Saturday July 12th.
RESULTS
GIO'S BBQ SEMI-LATES
1. Doug Surra (#3xAA)
2. Bernie Whiteford Jr. (#33JR)
3. Gary Little (#69*)
4. Deegen Watt (#17)
5. Dan Smeal (#44)
6. Tyler Rougeux (#96R)
7. Jeremy Lippert (#60)
8. Bill Phillips Jr. (#23JR)
9. Cory Price (#88)
10. BJ Hudson (#23)
11. Caleb Whiteford (#1)
12. Nick Erskine (#5X)
13. Brian Adams (#1A)
DNS: Rich Runyan Jr. (#18)
KEN SCHAFFER EXCAVATING PRO STOCKS
1. Brandon Connor (#55)
2. Jim Bloom (#37A)
3. Cregen Brady (#2)
4. Rich Powell ((#3)
5. Fuzzy Fields (#28)
6. Allen Lamb (#104)
7. Nathan Brady (#77)
8. Ray Reynolds (#61R)
9. Bruce Hartzfeld (#101)
10. Gary Miller Jr. (#1M)
11. Kyle Corah (#152)
12. Dennis Curry Jr. (#24C)
13. Dustin Challingsworth (#44)
DNS: Shane Wagner (#43*), Louis Belisle (#32)
SROCK CONTRACTING SUPER LATE MODELS
1. Jon Lee (#5L)
2. Rod Phillips (#HR1)
3. Paul Kot (#36)
4. Kenny Schaffer (#13X)
5. Clay Ruffo (#14R)
6. John Weaver (#W3)
7. Skylar Park (#2P)
8. Orvis Newcome III (#66N)
9. Brett Bingaman (#13)
10. Dylan Fenton (#56)
11. Dylan Cecee (#18*)
12. Zack Gustafson (#983)
13. Cody Lucas (#67)
14. Denny Fenton (#55)
DNS: Cody Wissinger (#11W)
ECONOMODS
1. Dave Shagla (#6)
2. Bob McMillen (#50)
3. Johnny Lindenpitz (#29L)
4. Emily Stoyer (#9JR)
5. Ben Ecelberger (#113)
6. Eric Smith (#5S)
7. Arianna Samuelson (#9G)
8. Cory Wolfe (#131)
BROOKS SERVICES 4-CYLINDERS
1. Zack Frantz (#3H)
2. Joe Huber (#8H)
3. Allen Robison (#4T1)
4. Brett Hanley (#23)
5. Isaac Exley (#64E)
6. Nevaeh Helsel (#21B)
7. Tanner Lansberry (#66)
8. KC Dunkle (#13KC)
9. Sam Fye (#8F)
10. Duane Hinderliter (#778)
11. Avery Robinson (#79A)
12. Devon Trayer (#79)
13. Cole Huber (#8JR)
14. Mike Roberts (#C13)
15. Shawn Cessna (#44C)
16. Dennis Harrison III (#42H)
17. Greg Kiehl (#13)
DNS: Chad Lidwell (#11L)
DQ: Cody Baughman (#15M)
D FENTON FABRICATION & MECHANICAL PURE STOCKS
1. Tim Steis (#34)
2. Jake Foradori (#14)
3. Dalton Gustafson (#83)
4. Bruce Mowery ($48)
5. Josh Fields (#88)
6. Ashley Kilhoffer (#50)
7. Renae Myer (#56)
8. Dustin Challingsworth (#46)
9. Greg Snell (#15S)
10. Dominic Marchiori (#01D)
11. Brent Lee (#215)
12. Lester Hudson (#24)
13. George Bailey (#49)
14. Andrew Frey (#55)
15. Austin Fenton (#55)
16. Caleb Bloom (#37B)
17. Mitch Stiles (#54)
18. Devin Dickey (#18)
19. Ryan Shaffner (#23S)
20. Greg Kiehl (#13)