Hudson, Hutira, and Frantz Win Big on Ina's Memorial At The Bird
For Immediate Release
Saturday, August 9th, 2025
By: Steven Curry - Race Reporter
Reynoldsville- The 12th Annual Ina's Memorial was held Saturday night at Hummingbird Speedway with the Homak Penn Ohio Pro Stocks taking center stage for a 25-lap, $1,500/win special. The race is run every year to honor and remember the life of track co-founder and Louie's wife, Ina Caltagarone, who passed away back in 2011. After passing the #17 of Jackson Humanic for the lead coming to the white flag, the #4 of Brett Hutira took the checkers to notch his first career Penn Ohio Pro Stock Championship Series victory as well as his first Hummingbird victory in his first visit. Co-headlining the night with the Pro Stocks, were the Gio's BBQ Semi Late Models and Brooks Services Four-Cylinders. The Semi Late Models competed in a 20-lap, $1,150/win special courtesy of Away From Home Pet Resort and Earl & Taylor Jackson with the #23 of B.J. Hudson taking the checkers for the third time this season, securing the increased payday. The Four-Cylinders ran a 20-lap, $1,000/win special courtesy of division sponsor Brooks Services with the #23 of Zack Frantz collecting his second win of the season and the increased pay. In addition to those specials, the Srock Contracting Super Late Models and D. Fenton Fabrications & Mechanical Pure Stocks also ran for an increased purse courtesy of Lee & Holly Srock (Super Lates) and Rapid Roadside Service LLC (Pure Stocks). Paul Kot in the #36 took the checkers for the second time in the Super Late Models, while Josh Fields took his third trip to Dunlap Lawn & Garden Victory Lane in the Pure Stocks. The #50 of Bob McMillen was victorious for the second time this season in the Economod feature.
The Gio's BBQ Semi Late Models kicked off the feature racing action with the two winningest drivers in the division, Doug Surra and Nick Erskine leading the field to green for their 20-lap, $1,150/win special. Surra jumped out to the lead on the start as last week's winner Erskine was under attack from both Tyler Rougeux and B.J. Hudson for second. Surra came around to lead lap 1 as both Rougeux and Hudson were able to work their way past Erskine to move into second and third, respectively. The first of two consecutive caution flags was displayed later that lap with no additional laps getting completed between the cautions. Following the cautions, it was Surra leading the way on the restart over Rougeux and Hudson. Hudson used the momentum on the highside to clear Rougeux and put the pressure on Surra for the top spot. At the line to complete lap 2, it was Hudson again using the momentum on the top side to edge ahead of Surra for the lead as Gary Little did the same to get ahead of Rougeux for the third position. Rougeux was able to retake third from Little on the inside the following lap. A couple of more laps were completed before the final caution flag of the race was thrown. On what was ultimately the final restart, Hudson led the way over Surra and Rougeux. On lap 6, Dan Smeal used the inside line to his advantage to make the pass on Rougeux to move into a podium position in third. The top 3 broke away from the rest of the field and raced closely through about the halfway point or so before Hudson and Surra began to gap Smeal a bit. Surra gave Hudson all he could handle throughout the entire second-half of the race, but it did not phase Hudson as he held on to pick up his third win this season and collect the $1,150 payday as well as his fourth career win in a Semi Late at Hummingbird. Surra, Smeal, Little, and Kyle Shannon rounded out the top 5. Surra and Erskine won the heat races.
Fuzzy Fields and Andrew Gordon led the Homak Penn Ohio Pro Stocks trackside for their 25-lap, $1,500/win Ina's Memorial special for Race #4 of the 2025 Touring Series. Fields got out to the lead on the start and edged out Gordon at the line to lead the opening lap with Jackson Humanic following behind in third. Following a lap 1 caution flag, Gordon was able to use the momentum on the highside to power past Fields for the top spot and lead lap 2, just before another caution flag was displayed. A couple of additional caution flags came out with still only two laps completed. On the restart following the cautions, it was Gordon still out front over Fields and Humanic. On lap 3, both Humanic and Brett Hutira were able to make their way past Fields to move into second and third, respectively. One lap later, Humanic was able to work his way around Gordon to take the race lead just before another caution. A couple of laps after the restart, on lap 6, Hutira made the pass on Gordon for the second position. Then, on lap 7, Tim Bish was able to work his way past Gordon to move into third behind the leaders. Another lap was completed before another caution. On the ensuing restart, the race stayed green all the way until lap 19, with the top 3 still Humanic, Hutira, and Bish. Hutira was beginning to challenge Humanic for the top spot as he was running the highside and Humanic the lowside before the final caution on lap 19. On the final restart, it was Humanic on point with Hutira and Bish close behind. Hutira went right back to the top side trying to get the momentum built back up to make another run at Humanic. Hutira closed in on the back bumper of Humanic as they got the two-to-go signal from flagman Earl Jackson. Hutira powered off of turn 4 on the high line and took the race lead from Humanic as the white flag was displayed. Humanic gave it everything he had on the final lap to try and get back around Hutira, but to no avail as Hutira held on to take the checkers in his first appearance at the Bird. The win was Brett's first win in over a year and it was his first career Penn Ohio Pro Stock Series victory. Humanic, Bish, Jason Black, and Brandon Connor completed the top 5. Dennis Curry Jr., Gordon, and Bish won the heat races. Curry Jr. was fastest overall in Time Trials.
The Srock Contracting Super Late Models were next to the track with Paul Kot and Denny Fenton on the front row for their 25-lap feature event. Kot pulled out to the lead on the initial start and led lap 1 over Fenton and Kenny Schaffer. The opening five laps of the race were completed before a caution for a wreck in turns 1 and 2 involving Fenton, Schaffer, and others brought about the first and only restart. Fenton got the second spot back as the caution was charged to Schaffer which in turn moved Clay Ruffo into the third spot for the restart. On the lone restart, it was Kot leading the way over Fenton and Ruffo. Ruffo was able to use the highside to his advantage to make the pass on Fenton for second as they completed lap 6. Kot began to check out on Ruffo, Fenton, and the rest of the field as the laps clicked away. The race went caution-free the rest of the way as Kot cruised to his second win of the season over Ruffo, Denny Fenton, Dylan Fenton, and Schaffer. Kot became the first repeat winner in the division this season as he notched his 38th career win in a Super Late Model at the Speedway. Kot won the lone heat race.
Isaac Exley and William Kephart led a stout field of Brooks Services Four-Cylinders into the 1/3-mile bullring for their 20-lap, $1,000/win special courtesy of division sponsor Brooks Services. Kephart got the lead on the start and led the opening lap over Exley and newcomer Bruce Betres. On lap 2, both Betres and Shawn Hadden were able to make a three-wide pass on Exley to move into second and third, respectively. The first six laps of the race were completed before a caution for a spin in turns 3 and 4. While under caution, Hadden encountered mechanical gremlins that forced him to retire from the event. That moved Greg Kiehl into the third position behind Kephart and Betres for the restart. On the restart, it was Kephart leading the way as Betres was under attack from Kiehl and Zack Frantz for second. On lap 7, both Kiehl and Frantz were able to make their way past Betres to move into second and third. As the field received the cross-flags from flagman Earl Jackson on lap 10, Frantz was able to complete the pass to the inside of Kiehl for the second spot. The top 3 ran in fairly close proximity to one another for the next couple of laps until Kephart's car went up in flames entering turn 1 on lap 12. The red flag was displayed immediately as safety crews extinguished the flames. The flames were the result of a blown motor which ended Kephart's night. That moved Frantz into the lead with Kiehl second and now Allen Robison in third for the restart. The race would see one more caution flag and restart the rest of the way, but it did not phase Frantz as he held off Kiehl and Robison to capture his second checkered flag of 2025 at Hummingbird as well as the $1,000 prize. The win for Zack was the eighth of his career at the track. Betres and Exley completed the top 5. Exley, Kephart, and Hadden won the heat races.
The Economods were the penultimate event of the evening as they hit the track for their 15-lap main. Johnny Lindenpitz and Bob McMillen made up the front row. McMillen jumped out to the lead and led lap 1 over Lindenpitz, Ben Ecelberger, and Cory Wolfe. On lap 2, Wolfe was able to make the pass to the inside of Ecelberger to move into the third position behind McMillen and Lindenpitz. Ecelberger took his car to the pit area around lap 5 or 6 with some sort of mechanical issue, but returned to the track a number of laps later and laps down. Despite one caution flag in the middle stages of the race, the field ran as-is the rest of the way enroute to McMillen taking his second trip to Dunlap Lawn & Garden Victory Lane this season. Bob's win was his division-leading seventh career victory in an Economod. Lindenpitz, Wolfe, and Ecelberger rounded out the field. McMillen won the lone heat race.
A pair of youngsters in Dominic Marchiori and Austin Fenton made up the front row for the final event of the evening, the 15-lap D. Fenton Fabrications & Mechanical Pure Stock feature race. Marchiori edged out to the lead on the start and led the opening lap as last week's winner, Josh Fields, beat out Fenton at the line to grab the second spot. On lap 2, Tim Steis was able to make the pass to the inside of Fenton to move into third behind the leaders. After a couple of caution flags with only a handful of laps getting completed, it was still Marchiori showing the way with Fields and Steis following behind. On lap 7, Mitch Stiles was able to work his way past Steis to move into the third position. At halfway on lap 8, Steis was able to get back past Stiles to retake third. After some more cautions with only a few additional laps getting completed between them, it was still Marchiori at the point over Fields and Steis. On the lap 11 restart, Marchiori felt the pressure from both Fields and Steis for the top spot. On lap 12, Fields, Steis, and Stiles were all able to work their way past Marchiori on the inside to move into first, second, and third, respectively. Another lap was completed before the final caution flag of the race was displayed with two laps remaining. On the final restart, Steis put all sorts of pressure on Fields for the race lead. The two raced bumper-to-bumper and door handle to door handle over the course of the final two laps, but in the end it was Fields narrowly edging out a charging Steis by just over 0.100 of a second for his third win in 2025 and his second straight. The victory was his division-leading 38th career win in a Pure Stock. The top 5 was completed by Steis, Stiles, Marchiori, and Fenton. Andy Frey, Steis, and Fields won the heat races.
Speedway Notes: 78 cars were in attendance for Ina's Memorial. That breaks down to: 13 Semi Late Models, 19 Penn Ohio Pro Stocks, 7 Super Late Models, 19 Four-Cylinders, 4 Economods, and 16 Pure Stocks. We will be back in action this coming Saturday, August 16th, with a regular six-division program. It will be a non-points night for the Brooks Services Four-Cylinders due to the SCDRA Northeast show at Marion Center. Trophies on August 16th will be sponsored by Fire Now Church. More information regarding the August 16th 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:
Gio's BBQ Semi Late Models
1st) #23 B.J. Hudson
2nd) #3xAA Doug Surra
3rd) #44 Dan Smeal
4th) #69* Gary Little
5th) #11 Kyle Shannon
6th) #96R Tyler Rougeux
7th) #18 Rich Runyan Jr.
8th) #60 Jeremy Lippert
9th) #68 Ron Laubscher
10th) #28 Michael Samick
11th) #5X Nick Erskine
12th) #17 Deegen Watt
13th) #15 Andy VanCuren
Homak Penn Ohio Pro Stocks
1st) #4 Brett Hutira
2nd) #17 Jackson Humanic
3rd) #11B Tim Bish
4th) #5B Jason Black
5th) #55C Brandon Connor
6th) #44 Jim Challingsworth
7th) #3 Rich Howell
8th) #24C Dennis Curry Jr.
9th) #7W Bobby Whitling
10th) #101 Bruce Hartzfeld
11th) #299 Andrew Gordon
12th) #77 Nathan Brady
13th) #28 Fuzzy Fields
14th) #2 Cregen Brady
15th) #37A Jim Bloom
16th) #152 Kyle Corah
17th) #20J Hayden Fosnaught
18th) #1M Gary Miller Jr.
19th) #43* Shane Wagner
Srock Contracting Super Late Models
1st) #36 Paul Kot
2nd) #14R Clay Ruffo
3rd) #55 Denny Fenton
4th) #56 Dylan Fenton
5th) #13X Kenny Schaffer
6th) #983 Zack Gustafson
7th) #2P Skylar Park
Brooks Services Four-Cylinders
1st) #23 Zack Frantz
2nd) #13 Greg Kiehl
3rd) #4T1 Allen Robison
4th) #8 Bruce Betres
5th) #64E Isaac Exley
6th) #11H Gerald Hudson
7th) #8F Sam Fye
8th) #321A Bryanna Anderson
9th) #15S Greg Snell
10th) #44B Bruce Long
11th) #924 Shawn Williamson
12th) #850A Bryun Hackenberg
13th) #007 William Kephart
14th) #44C Shawn Cessna
15th) #3H Shawn Hadden
16th) #79 Devon Trayer
17th) #79A Avery Robinson
18th) #10JOK Bill Fuchs
19th) #5 Jesse Matney
Economods
1st) #50 Bob McMillen
2nd) #29L Johnny Lindenpitz
3rd) #131 Cory Wolfe
4th) #113 Ben Ecelberger
D. Fenton Fabrications & Mechanical Pure Stocks
1st) #88 Josh Fields
2nd) #34 Tim Steis
3rd) #54S Mitch Stiles
4th) #01D Dominic Marchiori
5th) #55 Austin Fenton
6th) #55X Andy Frey
7th) #14 Jake Foradori
8th) #37B Caleb Bloom
9th) #17 Cory Price
10th) #46 Dustin Challingsworth
11th) #18 Devin Dickey
12th) #516 Austin Hugill
13th) #50 Ashley Kilhoffer
14th) #14C Cody Cassler
15th) #56K Renae Meyer
16th) #10R Raven Fuller