Rudolph Captures First BRP Mod Tour Checkered Flag Of The Season At The Bird
For Immediate Release
Saturday, June 22nd, 2024
By: Steven Curry - Race Reporter
 
Reynoldsville- The BRP Modified Tour made their first of two scheduled visits to Hummingbird Speedway on Saturday night to headline the nights' racing action. Defending BRP Mod Tour Champion, the #25 of Erick Rudolph, took the lead on lap 12 and led the remaining 24 laps of the 35-lap feature on his way to the win in the first tour race of the season. The RUSH Stock Car Series was also in attendance for their second visit of 2024 with the #17X of Kaden Michael making it two-for-two at the Bird as he took the checkers in their feature. In our regular divisions that were in action, a pair of drivers notched career firsts. In the Srock Contracting Super Late Models, the #14 of Clay Ruffo captured his first career Super Late Model checkered flag, leading from start to finish. In addition to Clay's career first, the #916 of Sam Regitz collected his first career feature win in the Brooks Services Four-Cylinders. The #34 of Tim Steis made it two wins in a row in the Scaife's Automotive & Repair LLC. Pure Stocks. Two drivers took their first trips to Dunlap Lawn & Garden Victory Lane this season. Those drivers were the #55C of Brandon Connor in the Virgile Iron & Steel Pro Stocks and the #23 of B.J. Hudson in the Semi Late Models. The first Day Spa Tan PowderPuff Race of the year was held at the end of the night with the #15S of Brenda Snell picking up the win.
 
After qualifying events were completed, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Stock Cars took to the track for their 10-lap feature. The winner of the first RUSH Stock Car Race at Hummingbird back on June 1st, Kaden Michael, and Raiddan Wilson led the field to green. Michael got out to the lead on the start over Wilson and William Baker Jr.. Wilson spun in turns 1 and 2 on the opening lap, moving Baker Jr. into second for the lone restart of the race. On the restart, it was Michael out front over Baker Jr. and Wilson. The three ran that way the duration of the 10 laps, with some side-by-side racing between Baker Jr. and Wilson. In the end, it was Michael picking up the win over Baker Jr. and Wilson. The win for Michael was his second at Hummingbird in the second of three scheduled visits for the RUSH Stock Car Series. Michael won the lone heat race.
 
Garrett Krummert and Dave Murdick led the BRP Modifieds trackside for their 35-lap, $2,500/win feature race. Murdick edged out to the lead and led lap 1 over Krummert and defending BRP Mod Tour Champion, Erick Rudolph. On lap 3, Krummert was able to use the highline to his advantage to edge ahead of Murdick for the top spot. On a lap 4 restart following a few caution periods, Rudolph was able to look to the inside of Murdick for second and complete the pass on lap 5. Rudolph put the pressure on Krummert for the lead over the next several laps before making the pass on lap 12. Krummert kept Rudolph close over the next handful of laps as the race approached halfway. Rudolph began to extend his lead over Krummert, Murdick, and the rest of the field as the race reached its halfway mark on lap 18. The top 3 ran as they were all the way until lap 30 of the race. On lap 30, Dalton Slack, who made the haul all the way from Welland, Ontario, Canada, made the pass on Murdick for third. One additional caution flag would wave in the final 5 laps or so, but it did not phase Rudolph as he held on to capture the first BRP Mod Tour checkered flag of the season. Krummert, Slack, Murdick, and Andrew Smith rounded out the top 5. Rick Regalski, Murdick, Krummert, and Rudolph won the heat races.
 
The Scaife's Automotive & Repair LLC. Pure Stocks took to the track next with Ashley Kilhoffer and Dustin Challingsworth on the front row for their 15-lap main. Challingsworth got out to the lead on the start and led the opening lap over Kilhoffer and last week's feature winner, Tim Steis. Following a lap 1 caution flag, Caleb Bloom was able to work his way to the inside of Kilhoffer and make the pass for third on lap 2. A couple of laps later, on lap 4, Steis was able to use the low line to his advantage to overtake Challingsworth for the top spot as newcomer Anthony Fama made the pass on Bloom for the third position. The top 3 stayed as-is until the halfway point on lap 8 when Josh Fields made the pass on Fama for third just before another caution flag was displayed. The third position changed hands a couple of times throughout the second half of the race between Fields and Fama. In the end, it was Steis holding on through a couple additional caution periods to take the checkers over Challingsworth, Fields, Anthony Fama, and Joey Malobicky (subbing for Andy Frey). Steis, Challingsworth, and Kilhoffer won the heat races.
 
Clay Ruffo and Jon Lee led the Srock Contracting Super Late Models into the 1/3-mile bullring for their 25-lap feature. Lee jumped out to the early lead on the initial start, but Ruffo came back and edged ahead to lead lap 1 over Lee and last week's feature winner, Paul Kot. Following a lap 1 caution flag, Kot was able to use the low side on the restart to make the pass on Lee for second on lap 2. A few laps later, on lap 5, Doug Eck was able to work his way past Lee also on the low side to move into the third position behind Ruffo and Kot. Kot kept the pressure on Ruffo for the top spot for the next several laps as the race neared halfway. When the cross flags were displayed by starter Earl Jackson on lap 13, Ruffo was beginning to incrementally extend his lead over Kot, Eck, and the rest of the field. Ruffo went unchallenged throughout the entire second half of the race enroute to his first career Super Late Model victory by nearly two seconds over Kot. The rest of the top 5 were Eck, Kenny Schaffer, and Joe Loffredo. Lee and Ruffo won the heat races.
 
The Brooks Services Four-Cylinders were next to the track for their 15-lap feature race with Ryan Lippert and newcomer Jay Lowman (who hauled roughly five and a half hours from Dover, Delaware) on the front row. Lippert got out to the lead briefly on the start, but a charging Allen Robison, who started in the second row, got past both Lippert and Lowman to lead the opening lap. On lap 2, both Lippert and Lowman were shuffled out of their respective positions, allowing Greg Snell to move into second and Camden Frantz into third. Then, on lap 3, Sam Regitz made the pass on Frantz for third. A couple of laps later, on lap 5, both Regitz and Frantz were able to work their way past Snell to move into second and third respectively. Frantz was involved in an incident on lap 6 and was forced to restart at the tail of the field. That moved Lippert back up into the third spot for the restart behind Robison and Regitz. At the halfway mark on lap 8, Justin Forsythe was able to make the pass on Lippert to move into the third position. Regitz was able to take the lead away from Robison on lap 11, just before another caution flag was displayed. One additional caution flag came out in the final four laps or so, but it did not phase Regitz as he held on to notch his first career win over Robison, Forsythe, Lippert, and Shawn Hadden. Frantz, Robison, and Lowman won the heat races.
 
Jim Bloom and Brandon Connor led the Virgile Iron & Steel Pro Stocks trackside for their 20-lap feature event. Connor jumped out to the lead and led the opening lap over Bloom and Fuzzy Fields. Following a lap 1 caution flag, Fields was able to use the high side to his advantage and power past Bloom to move into second behind Connor. The top 3 of Connor, Fields, and Bloom ran that way for a large portion of the race. Fields and Bloom, however, did swap the second and third positions a couple of times in the late stages of the race with Fields ultimately getting the runner-up spot over Bloom. No one had anything for Connor as he led all 20 laps on his way to a dominating victory, his first this season at Hummingbird. The win was Connor's 21st career Pro Stock win at the Speedway. Fields, Bloom, Kyle Corah, and Jim Challingsworth rounded out the top 5. Gary Miller Jr. won the lone heat race.
 
The Semi Late Models concluded the regular racing program with their 20-lap main. Dan Smeal and B.J. Hudson led the field to green. Hudson got out to the lead on the start and led lap 1 over Smeal and Nick Loffredo. Smeal and Loffredo swapped the second position back and forth on laps 2 and 3 with Smeal retaking the spot for good on lap 3. On lap 5, last week's feature winner, Doug Surra, was able to make the pass on Loffredo to move into the third spot behind Hudson and Smeal. A couple of laps later, on lap 7, Surra was able to work his way past Smeal for the runner-up spot behind Hudson. Surra gave it all he had in the remaining 13 laps or so of the race, but it was not enough as Hudson held on to capture his first Semi Late Model checkered flag at the Bird. Completing the top 5 behind Hudson were Surra, Smeal, Ed Connor, and Loffredo. Smeal and Hudson won the heat races.
 
Speedway Notes: 100 cars filled the pit area on Saturday night for the fourth night of racing. That breaks down to: 3 RUSH Stock Cars, 25 BRP Modifieds, 15 Pure Stocks, 9 Super Late Models, 21 Four-Cylinders, 8 Pro Stocks, 12 Semi Late Models, and 7 PowderPuff Cars. We will be back in action this coming Saturday, June 29th, with Peluso Roofing Night and Topless Night. All divisions except the Four-Cylinders will be permitted to run topless. In addition, the RUSH Sprint Cars will be making their first visit of the season and the 358 Modifieds will be making their second visit. 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:
 
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply RUSH Stock Cars
1st) #17X Kaden Michael
2nd) #620 William Baker Jr.
3rd) #77 Raiddan Wilson
 
BRP Modifieds
1st) #25 Erick Rudolph
2nd) #29 Garrett Krummert
3rd) #3S Dalton Slack
4th) #61 Dave Murdick
5th) #5 Andrew Smith
6th) #777 Tyler Willard
7th) #9 Will Thomas
8th) #18 Colton Walters
9th) #165 Rex King Jr.
10th) #JD57 Jordan Ehrenberg
11th) #5C Ayden Cipriano
12th) #13 Rick Regalski
13th) #20P Mike Kinney
14th) #60 Tom Holden
15th) #03 Mark Frankhouser
16th) #9R Chad Reitz
17th) #29* Eric Beggs
18th) #64 Rodney Beltz
19th) #75 Jeff Miller
20th) #3K Shawn Kozar
21st) #11R Brad Rapp
22nd) #74 Kevin Green
23rd) #25B Steve Barr
24th) #35 Steve Slater
25th) #11X Robert Garvey
 
Scaife's Automotive & Repair LLC. Pure Stocks
1st) #34 Tim Steis
2nd) #46 Dustin Challingsworth
3rd) #88 Josh Fields
4th) #49 Anthony Fama
5th) #55X Joey Malobicky (subbing for Andy Frey)
6th) #89 Jeremy Fama
7th) #14C Cody Cassler
8th) #84 Charles Renner
9th) #37B Caleb Bloom
10th) #50 Ashley Kilhoffer
11th) #56K Renae Meyer
12th) #74B Harold Brown
13th) #54 Wayne Truitt
14th) #T1 Les Myers
15th) #54S Mitch Stiles
 
Srock Contracting Super Late Models
1st) #14 Clay Ruffo
2nd) #36 Paul Kot
3rd) #20J Doug Eck
4th) #13X Kenny Schaffer
5th) #9J Joe Loffredo
6th) #1B Dwayne Brooks
7th) #3-D Bill Davis
8th) #18 Rich Runyan Jr.
9th) #5L Jon Lee
 
Brooks Services Four-Cylinders
1st) #916 Sam Regitz
2nd) #4T1 Allen Robison
3rd) #F6 Justin Forsythe
4th) #58R Ryan Lippert
5th) #3H Shawn Hadden
6th) #1 Ben Lehane
7th) #15S Greg Snell
8th) #44B Bruce Long
9th) #910 Travis Timko
10th) #D3 Dennis Harrison lll
11th) #73 Greg Kiehl
12th) #64E Isaac Exley
13th) #901 Wesley McKeel
14th) #21B Nevaeh Helsel
15th) #158 Camden Frantz
16th) #5K Ky Stiver
17th) #2A Jay Lowman
18th) #79 Devon Trayer
19th) #74 Roger Kummerer
20th) #67 Joe Waters
21st) #14D Michael Phillipson
 
Virgile Iron & Steel Pro Stocks
1st) #55C Brandon Connor
2nd) #28 Fuzzy Fields
3rd) #37A Jim Bloom
4th) #152 Kyle Corah
5th) #44 Jim Challingsworth
6th) #18 Devin Dickey
7th) #1M Gary Miller Jr.
8th) #10R Raven Fuller
 
Semi Late Models
1st) #23 B.J. Hudson
2nd) #3xAA Doug Surra
3rd) #44 Dan Smeal
4th) #27C Ed Connor
5th) #9N Nick Loffredo
6th) #X47 Nathan Brady
7th) #113 Ben Ecelberger
8th) #3H Shawn Hadden
9th) #68 Ron Laubscher
10th) #7* Craig Bainey
11th) #47 Adam Nixon
12th) #60 Jeremy Lippert
 
Day Spa Tan PowderPuffs
1st) #15S Brenda Snell
2nd) #F6 Brook Grove
3rd) #7 Samantha Lippert
4th) #4T1 Melissa Rock
5th) #73 Janna Kiehl
6th) #1 Olivia Lawer
7th) #23 Tessa Hadden