Hanley Picks Up First Career Win At The Bird
For Immediate Release
Saturday, July 12, 2025
By: Steven Curry - Race Reporter
Reynoldsville- A few weeks removed from the last racing action at Hummingbird, sweltering and sunny conditions welcomed fans and race teams back to the track for the fourth night of racing of the 2025 season. Two trophies were presented to all of the feature winners due to the rainout back on June 28th. The trophy sponsors for the night were Prontocks - In Memory of Troy Wells and Candy's Styling Studio. The #23 of Brett Hanley headlined the feature winners on Saturday night as he picked up his first career feature win in the Brooks Services Four-Cylinders. The Srock Contracting Super Late Models and Gio's BBQ Semi Late Models were both competing for some extra money courtesy of Lee & Holly Srock and Penny Kay. The Super Late Models were competing for $1,400/win, while the Semi Late Models were vying for $1,000/win. In the end, it was the #36 of Paul Kot in the Super Lates and the #3xAA of Doug Surra in the Semi Lates taking home the increased paydays. The remaining winners all visited victory lane for the first time this season including the #7 of Coleton Longwell in the Economods (also first career win at Hummingbird), the #88 of Josh Fields in the D. Fenton Fabrications & Mechanical Pure Stocks, and the #84S of Josh Seippel in the Ken Schaffer Excavating Pro Stocks.
The Economods kicked off the feature racing action with Bob McMillen and Brendan Warner leading the way for their 15-lapper. Warner jumped out to the lead on the start and led lap 1 over McMillen and Coleton Longwell. On lap 2, Longwell was able to use the highside to his advantage and edge ahead of McMillen for the second spot. A blanket could have been thrown over the front three as Longwell and McMillen both put the pressure on Warner for the race lead for the next handful of laps. Longwell was able to make the pass on Warner for the lead on lap 6. Longwell began to extend his lead over Warner, McMillen, and the rest of the field as the race neared halfway. As the field received the cross-flags from Flagman Earl Jackson on lap 8, it was still Longwell leading the way over Warner and now Dave Shagla as he made the pass on McMillen for third. Longwell went unchallenged throughout the entire second-half of the race as he cruised to his first career Hummingbird Speedway victory in a caution-free feature. Warner, Shagla, McMillen, and Johnny Lindenpitz rounded out the top 5. Warner and McMillen won the heat races.
Next to the track were the D. Fenton Fabrications & Mechanical Pure Stocks with Noah Bloom and Andy Frey out front to begin the 15-lap feature event. Frey got out to the lead on the start and led the opening lap over Bloom and Josh Fields. On lap 2, Fields was able to use the momentum on the high line to make the pass on Bloom for second. On the restart following a caution flag later that lap, Tim Steis began to challenge Bloom for the third spot. On lap 3, Steis was able to complete the pass to move into third behind Frey and Fields. After another caution flag a lap or so later, the race saw what was ultimately its final restart. It was Frey still leading the way over Fields and Steis. Fields put the pressure on Frey to the inside for the first few laps after the restart. On lap 7, Frey got too high in turns 1 and 2 and caught the wall off of turn 2, which allowed Fields to move into the lead and Steis and Mitch Stiles to move into second and third, respectively. At halfway on lap 8, it was Fields leading the way over Steis and Stiles. Fields was able to maintain a little over a half-second lead throughout the rest of the race on his way to capturing his first checkered flag at the Bird this season. The win was Josh's 36th career Pure Stock victory at Hummingbird, leading all drivers in the division. The top 5 was completed by Steis, Stiles, Dustin Challingsworth, and Bloom. Fields and Challingsworth won the heat races.
Newcomer Chad Homan and Denny Fenton led the Srock Contracting Super Late Models trackside for their 25-lap, $1,400/win feature race. Homan got the lead on the start and led the way on lap 1 as Doug Eck got the second spot from Fenton. On lap 2, Eck went wide in turns 3 and 4 which allowed both Fenton and Paul Kot to get by and move into second and third, respectively. Kot put the pressure on Fenton for the second position over the next handful of laps. On lap 6, Kot was able to make the pass to the inside of Fenton to take the second spot behind Homan. Kot then took the battle to Homan as the top 2 ran side-by-side for the next few laps, putting on a great show for the fans. On lap 10, Kot was able to clear Homan for the top spot. Kot began to extend his lead a bit as the race neared halfway. At the halfway mark on lap 13, it was Kot out front with Homan second and Fenton third. The race remained under green flag conditions until lap 17 when the lights went out around the track due to the lighting system overheating because of the hot temperatures. After a short delay to get the lights back on, racing resumed with Kot leading the way over Homan and Fenton. After another caution flag, Eck was able to work his way past Fenton for third on lap 19. Eck and Homan swapped positions on laps 20 and 21. Then, with just a couple of laps remaining, Fenton was able to regain the third spot behind Kot and Homan. No one had anything for Kot in the closing laps as he picked up his first win at Hummingbird this season. The win was Paul's 37th career Late Model win at the Bird. The rest of the top 5 were Homan, Fenton, Clay Ruffo, and Anthony Marotto. Kot and Eck won the heat races.
The Brooks Services Four-Cylinders entered the 1/3-mile bullring next for their 15-lap feature with Brett Hanley and Hunter Flook making up the front row. Hanley jumped out to the lead on the start and led the opening lap as Allen Robison and Greg Kiehl were able to work their way past Flook to move into second and third just before a caution flag was displayed. Following the caution flag, on lap 2, Devon Trayer was able to move into the third position after making the pass on Kiehl. Following another quick caution flag, on lap 3, Trayer made the pass on Robison for second just before yet another caution flag was displayed. While under caution, Trayer had a mechanical issue that forced him to retire from the race. This moved Robison back into second and Flook into third for what was ultimately the final restart of the race. On the final restart, it was Hanley leading the way over Robison as Flook was challenged for third by Isaac Exley. On lap 4, Exley made the pass on Flook to move into third. At the halfway point on lap 8, the lead had tightened between Hanley and Robison, but Hanley still led the way with Exley following behind them in third. With just a few laps remaining on lap 12, Exley pulled off to the pit area, relinquishing the third spot back to Flook. Hanley extended his lead over Robison, Flook, and the rest of the field in the closing laps enroute to his first career feature win. Robison, Flook, Greg Snell, and Bryun Hackenberg completed the top 5. Hackenberg, Hadden, and Robison won the heat races.
B.J. Hudson and Doug Surra led the Gio's BBQ Semi Late Models to the track for their 20-lap, $1,000/win main. Surra pulled out to the lead on the initial start and led lap 1 over Hudson and Nick Erskine. Surra led the opening five laps of the race before a caution for Erskine's car stopped in turn 4. Erskine was forced to retire from the race with a mechanical issue, moving Tyler Rougeux into the third spot for the restart. A jumbling of positions over the next couple of laps due to caution flags resulted in Surra continuing to lead the way with Rougeux now in second and Hudson in third. At the cross-flags on lap 10, it was still Surra out front over Rougeux and Hudson. No one had anything for Surra throughout a caution-free second half of the race as he went on to make it back-to-back wins at the Bird. Doug's win was his 33rd Hummingbird victory in a Semi Late Model, leading all drivers in the division. Rougeux, Hudson, Rich Runyan Jr., and Jeremy Lippert rounded out the top 5. Surra and Hudson won the heat races.
The Ken Schaffer Excavating Pro Stocks concluded the evening with their 15-lapper. Nathan Brady and newcomer Brent Marotto led the field to the green flag. Brady got the lead on the start and led the opening lap over Marotto and Jim Bloom. On lap 2, Bloom was able to use the inside line to his advantage to make the pass on Marotto for the second spot. One lap later, on lap 3, Josh Seippel was able to make his way past Marotto for third. Another lap was completed before a caution for a spin in turn 4 brought out the first caution flag of the race. On the restart, it was still Brady out front as Seippel used the momentum on the highside to make the pass on Bloom for the second position. At halfway on lap 8, it was Brady still showing the way over Seippel and Bloom as they both began to close in on Brady. One lap later, Seippel was able to use the highside to power past Brady and take the top spot. A couple of more caution flags came out the rest of the way, but it did not phase Seippel as he picked up his first win of the season at Hummingbird. The win was Seippel's 5th career Pro Stock triumph at the Speedway. The top 5 was completed by Brady, Bloom, Marotto, and Dennis Curry Jr.. Bloom and Marotto won the heat races.
Speedway Notes: 61 cars were in attendance for the fourth night of racing for the 2025 season. That breaks down to: 8 Economods, 14 Pure Stocks, 8 Super Late Models, 15 Four-Cylinders, 8 Semi Late Models, and 8 Pro Stocks. There is no racing this coming Saturday, July 19th, because of the Jefferson and Clearfield County Fairs. We will be back in action the following Saturday, July 26th, with a regular 6-Division Program on the card. Trophies on July 26th will be sponsored by GFY Racing Supply. More information regarding the July 26th racing action and future events will be posted to the track Facebook page and website, so keep it tuned there for the latest. Gates open at 4:00 with racing beginning at 7:00. The Ken Schaffer Excavating 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, visit the tracks' Facebook page, or visit the tracks’ website at www.hummingbirdspeedway.com.
Results:
Economods
1st) #7 Coleton Longwell
2nd) #12* Brendan Warner
3rd) #6 Dave Shagla
4th) #50 Bob McMillen
5th) #29L Johnny Lindenpitz
6th) #47S Gary Sullivan
7th) #99V Kevin Vanderhoof
8th) #131 Cory Wolfe
D. Fenton Fabrications & Mechanical Pure Stocks
1st) #88 Josh Fields
2nd) #34 Tim Steis
3rd) #54S Mitch Stiles
4th) #46 Dustin Challingsworth
5th) #37B Noah Bloom
6th) #14 Jake Foradori
7th) #01D Dominic Marchiori
8th) #56K Renae Meyer
9th) #50 Ashley Kilhoffer
10th) #55X Andy Frey
11th) #49 George Bailey
12th) #23W Tim Welsh
13th) #18 Devin Dickey
14th) #55 Austin Fenton
Srock Contracting Super Late Models
1st) #36 Paul Kot
2nd) #91 Chad Homan
3rd) #55 Denny Fenton
4th) #14R Clay Ruffo
5th) #15 Anthony Marotto
6th) #03 Doug Eck
7th) #983 Zack Gustafson
8th) #11 Kyle Shannon
Brooks Services Four-Cylinders
1st) #23 Brett Hanley
2nd) #4T1 Allen Robison
3rd) #96B Hunter Flook
4th) #15S Greg Snell
5th) #850A Bryun Hackenberg
6th) #13 Greg Kiehl
7th) #44B Bruce Long
8th) #22L Zach Lennox
9th) #12T Tim Teneyck
10th) #64E Isaac Exley
11th) #3H Shawn Hadden
12th) #79 Devon Trayer
13th) #79A Avery Robinson
14th) #8F Sam Fye
15th) #13KC Josh Lindenmuth
Gio's BBQ Semi Late Models
1st) #3xAA Doug Surra
2nd) #96R Tyler Rougeux
3rd) #23 B.J. Hudson
4th) #18 Rich Runyan Jr.
5th) #60 Jeremy Lippert
6th) #68 Ron Laubscher
7th) #44 Dan Smeal
8th) #5X Nick Erskine
Ken Schaffer Excavating Pro Stocks
1st) #84S Josh Seippel
2nd) #77 Nathan Brady
3rd) #37A Jim Bloom
4th) #15M Brent Marotto
5th) #24C Dennis Curry Jr.
6th) #1M Gary Miller Jr.
7th) #152 Kyle Corah
8th) #28 Fuzzy Fields