Hummingbird Celebrates Track Owners' 97th Birthday And The Fans
For Immediate Release
Saturday, August 2nd, 2025
By: Steven Curry - Race Reporter
Reynoldsville- It was a very special night at Hummingbird Speedway Saturday night as track owner Louie Caltagarone was recognized before the races for his 97th birthday that was celebrated last week. Fans and drivers alike paid tribute to him by wearing straw hats like Louie has always worn and singing Happy Birthday. Dozens of cupcakes were also distributed to all those that wanted one. It was also Fan Appreciation Night at the track with $10 general admission for all in attendance. Then, at intermission, all of the cars were brought out onto the track and the fans were able to go down trackside and meet and greet with their favorite drivers while door prizes were given away before the night's feature action began. Extra money was donated to the paydays in 5 of our 6 divisions courtesy of Curry Racing, Lee & Holly Srock, Rapid Roadside Service LLC, and #007 Kephart Racing. Three drivers collected their second win of 2025 at the Bird, while three others notched their first wins of the season at the 1/3-mile bullring. Among those that collected their second wins of the season were the #24C of Dennis Curry Jr. in the Ken Schaffer Excavating Pro Stocks, the #7 of Coleton Longwell in the Economods, and the #88 of Josh Fields in the D. Fenton Fabrications & Mechanical Pure Stocks. Those capturing their first checkers of the season were the #03 of Doug Eck in the Srock Contracting Super Late Models, the #007 of George Kephart in the Brooks Services Four-Cylinders, and the #5X of Nick Erskine in the Gio's BBQ Semi Late Models.
The evening's feature racing action commenced with the Ken Schaffer Excavating Pro Stocks. A pair of "Jim's" made up the front row with Jim Challingsworth and Jim Bloom leading the field to the green flag from Flagman Earl Jackson for their 20-lapper. Bloom was able to get out to the lead on the start and lead lap 1 as Dennis Curry Jr. edged out Challingsworth and Fuzzy Fields for second at the line in a three-wide battle. On lap 2, a charging Fields was able to make the pass on both Curry Jr. and Challingsworth to move into the second spot. Just after the second lap was completed, Curry Jr. and Challingsworth got together on the frontstretch while battling for third, bringing out the first caution flag of the race. This moved Gary Miller Jr. into third for the restart. Miller Jr. got a great restart and was able to make passes on both Fields and then Bloom to lead lap 3. On lap 4, Curry Jr., rebounding from the early incident, edged ahead of Fields for third on the highside. Curry Jr. was able to grab the second position from Bloom on lap 5 just before another caution flag was displayed. Mechanical issues forced Bloom to retire from the race, which moved Fields back into third for the restart. One lap was completed on the restart before the car of the race leader Miller Jr. came to a stop in turn 2 with a mechanical woe, ending his evening prematurely. Curry Jr. inherited the top spot with Fields second and Cregen Brady now in third. On lap 9, Cregen Brady looked to the inside of Fields and made the pass to move into second behind Curry Jr. At the halfway point on lap 10, it was still Curry Jr. leading the way over Cregen Brady as Challingsworth was able to move into third after getting past Fields. The top 3 remained unchanged all the way until the white flag lap on lap 19 when Cregen Brady spun out of second place in turn 2. The spin moved Challingsworth and Rich Howell into podium positions for a green-white-checker finish. The green-white-checker finish did not phase Curry Jr. as he cruised to his second win of the season and his 5th career Pro Stock win at Hummingbird. Challingsworth, Howell, Fields, and Cregen Brady rounded out the top 5. Miller Jr. and Curry Jr. won the heat races.
Gary Sullivan and Coleton Longwell led the Economods trackside for their 15-lap feature event. Sullivan was able to jump out to the lead on the start, but Longwell was able to use the momentum on the top side of turns 3 and 4 to make the pass and lead the opening lap with Bob McMillen following behind in third. A couple of laps later, on lap 3, McMillen was able to make the pass to the inside of Sullivan for the second position. At the halfway mark on lap 8, it was Longwell out front with a sizable lead over McMillen and Sullivan. Later on lap 8, a lapped car spun in turns 3 and 4 right in front of Longwell and collected him, cutting down a tire. Longwell was forced to pit from the lead to change the tire and rejoin the race at the back of the field. This moved McMillen to the lead with Sullivan second and Branden Porter in third for the restart. Only a couple of laps were completed on the restart before another caution flag was displayed. Longwell had already driven up to fourth in just those two laps. Longwell was able to make pretty quick work of Porter and Sullivan on the restart to move into second behind McMillen on lap 11. Following another caution, it was McMillen leading the way over Longwell and Sullivan. McMillen and Longwell raced hard, but clean, for the race lead in the closing laps with Longwell taking the lead for good as they came to the line to take the white flag. Longwell held on to make it back-to-back wins at the Bird in a thriller. McMillen, Sullivan, Porter, and Justin Milburn completed the top 5. McMillen won the heat race.
The Srock Contracting Super Late Models were next to the track for their 25-lap feature race. Kenny Schaffer and Paul Kot led the field to green. After a couple of quick caution flags to begin the race, including one involving Kot, it was Schaffer that pulled out to the lead and led lap 1 over Doug Eck and Denny Fenton. On lap 2, Eck was able to use the inside line to his advantage to make the pass on Schaffer for the top spot. Then, on lap 3, Denny Fenton was able to work his way past Schaffer to move into second behind Eck. A few laps later, on lap 6, Kot, who was recovering from the earlier incident, made the pass on Schaffer for third. The race remained under green flag conditions all the way until lap 10 with the top 3 being Eck, Denny Fenton, and Kot. On the restart, it was Eck out front over Denny Fenton, and Kot. At halfway on lap 13, Eck continued to lead the way over Denny Fenton as Dylan Fenton passed Kot for the third position. After another caution later that lap, the race saw its final restart. On lap 15, Kot was able to work his way back up to a podium position in third behind Eck and Denny Fenton after getting around Dylan Fenton. No one had anything for Eck throughout the final 10 laps of the race as Eck went on to take his first trip to Dunlap Lawn & Garden Equipment Victory Lane this season. The win was Doug's 12th career win at the Speedway. The rest of the top 5 were Denny Fenton, Kot, Clay Ruffo, and Dylan Fenton. Schaffer and Kot won the heat races.
Dustin Challingsworth and Tim Steis led the field of 16 D. Fenton Fabrications & Mechanical Pure Stocks into the 1/3-mile bullring for their 15-lap feature. A three way battle for the race lead began right from the start as Josh Fields joined Challingsworth and Steis with Steis edging out Fields at the line to lead the opening lap and Challingsworth in third. On lap 2, Steis went wide in turns 3 and 4 which allowed both Fields and Challingsworth to get by to the inside and move into first and second, respectively. On lap 3, Steis used the low line to his advantage to make the pass on Challingsworth to move into second behind Fields. A few laps later, on lap 6, Challingsworth was able to work his way back past Steis for second. Challingsworth and Steis battled side-by-side over the course of the next five laps with the two swapping positions twice before Challingsworth secured the second position, bringing Jake Foradori with him as he moved into third. All of this as Fields began to pull away from the field ever so slightly. Foradori started to put the pressure on Challingsworth as the race entered its final laps. No one had anything for Fields after he took the lead on lap 2 and led 14 of 15 laps on his way to capturing his second checkered flag of 2025. The win was Josh's 37th career Pure Stock victory at the Bird, leading all drivers. In a photo finish, Foradori was able to edge out Challingsworth by 0.024 seconds for second. Steis and Mitch Stiles completed the rest of the top 5. Fields, Steis, and Challingsworth won the heat races.
The penultimate event of the evening was the 15-lap Brooks Services Four-Cylinder feature with all 19 cars in attendance taking the green flag. George Kephart and Shawn Hadden made up the front row, with Kephart getting out to the lead on the start. Mechanical issues plagued Hadden right from the start, allowing Devon Trayer and Greg Snell to get by and move into second and third. A lap was completed before a caution for Hadden's stopped car in turn 3, forcing him to retire from the race. On the restart, it was Kephart leading the way over Trayer and Snell. On lap 2, Isaac Exley was able to make the pass on Snell to move into third. A few laps later, on lap 5, newcomer Bill Fuchs was able to work his way past Exley for the third position behind Kephart and Trayer. Trayer was able to keep the pressure on Kephart for the top spot as the race neared its halfway point on lap 8. The race stayed green all the way until lap 12 when there was a caution for a spin in turns 3 and 4. This setup what would ultimately be the final restart of the race. It was Kephart leading the way on the restart with Trayer and Fuchs following closely behind. Trayer gave it his all in the closing few laps, but it was not enough as Kephart held on to notch his first career win at Hummingbird. Trayer, Fuchs, Luke Hoffner, and Brett Hanley rounded out the top 5. Hadden, Kephart, and Trayer won the heat races.
B.J. Hudson and Deegen Watt led the Gio's BBQ Semi Late Models to the track for their 20-lap main to conclude the evening. Hudson jumped out to the lead on the initial start and led lap 1 over Watt and Nick Erskine. The first four laps of the race were completed before a caution for a spin in turns 1 and 2 brought about the first restart of the race. On the restart, it was still Hudson showing the way as Erskine challenged Watt for the second spot. On lap 5, Erskine was able to make the pass on Watt to move into second behind Hudson. One lap later, on lap 6, Doug Surra made the pass on Watt for third just before the second and ultimately final caution flag was displayed for a spin in turn 3. On the ensuing restart, Hudson led the way over Erskine and Surra. On lap 9, Tyler Rougeux was able to work his way past Surra on the inside line to move into third as Erskine began to challenge Hudson for the lead on the high line. At the halfway mark on lap 10, Hudson continued to narrowly lead over Erskine and Rougeux. A couple of laps later, on lap 12, Erskine was able to use the momentum on the highside to power past Hudson and take the race lead. Erskine began to check out on the field as the race neared its final laps. Erskine cut down his right rear tire on the final lap, but because of the lead that he had built up, he was able to limp across the line for his first win of the season. The win for Erskine was his 31st career win in a Semi Late Model at the Bird, ranking second among all drivers. Hudson, Rougeux, Surra, and Kyle Shannon completed the top 5. Hudson and Watt won the heat races.
Speedway Notes: 73 cars were in attendance for Fan Appreciation/Louie's 97th Birthday Bash. That breaks down to: 12 Pro Stocks, 8 Economods, 9 Super Late Models, 16 Pure Stocks, 19 Four-Cylinders, and 9 Semi Late Models. We will be back in action this coming Saturday, August 9th, with Ina's Memorial Shootout. The Penn Ohio Pro Stock Touring Series will headline the evening with a $1,500/win special to honor Hummingbird Speedway co-founder and Louie's late wife, Ina Caltagarone. In addition, the Semi Late Models are now back on the card and will do battle in a $1,000/win special along with the Four-Cylinders. Super Late Models, Economods, and Pure Stocks will be in action as well. Trophies on August 9th will be sponsored by the Caltagarone Family. More information regarding the August 9th 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:
Ken Schaffer Excavating Pro Stocks
1st) #24C Dennis Curry Jr.
2nd) #44 Jim Challingsworth
3rd) #3 Rich Howell
4th) #28 Fuzzy Fields
5th) #2 Cregen Brady
6th) #47 Shawnee Sturgeon
7th) #32 Louis Belisle
8th) #1M Gary Miller Jr.
9th) #77 Nathan Brady
10th) #37A Jim Bloom
11th) #152 Kyle Corah
12th) #43* Shane Wagner
Economods
1st) #7 Coleton Longwell
2nd) #50 Bob McMillen
3rd) #47S Gary Sullivan
4th) #2 Branden Porter
5th) #71 Justin Milburn
6th) #131 Cory Wolfe
7th) #5S Eric Smith
8th) #09 Kyle Adkins
Srock Contracting Super Late Models
1st) #03 Doug Eck
2nd) #55 Denny Fenton
3rd) #36 Paul Kot
4th) #14R Clay Ruffo
5th) #56 Dylan Fenton
6th) #96 John Brady
7th) #2P Skylar Park
8th) #983 Zack Gustafson
9th) #13X Kenny Schaffer
D. Fenton Fabrications & Mechanical Pure Stocks
1st) #88 Josh Fields
2nd) #14 Jake Foradori
3rd) #46 Dustin Challingsworth
4th) #34 Tim Steis
5th) #54S Mitch Stiles
6th) #24 Lester Hudson
7th) #50 Ashley Kilhoffer
8th) #18 Devin Dickey
9th) #37B Josh Bloom
10th) #23S Ryan Shaffner
11th) #14C Cody Cassler
12th) #55X Andy Frey
13th) #49 George Bailey
14th) #55 Austin Fenton
15th) #56K Renae Meyer
16th) #01D Dominic Marchiori
Brooks Services Four-Cylinders
1st) #007 George Kephart
2nd) #79 Devon Trayer
3rd) #10JOK Bill Fuchs
4th) #H14 Luke Hoffner
5th) #23 Brett Hanley
6th) #15S Greg Snell
7th) #13 Greg Kiehl
8th) #44B Bruce Long
9th) #4T1 Allen Robison
10th) #11B Brad Brown
11th) #778 Duane Hinderliter
12th) #79A Avery Robinson
13th) #44M Dan McClain
14th) #11H Gerald Hudson
15th) #13KC Josh Lindenmuth
16th) #64E Isaac Exley
17th) #8F Sam Fye
18th) #11 Jim Boyer
19th) #3H Shawn Hadden
Gio's BBQ Semi Late Models
1st) #5X Nick Erskine
2nd) #23 B.J. Hudson
3rd) #96R Tyler Rougeux
4th) #3xAA Doug Surra
5th) #11 Kyle Shannon
6th) #17 Deegen Watt
7th) #60 Jeremy Lippert
8th) #72 Dave Buchanan
9th) #18 Rich Runyan Jr.