LEE SWEEPS LATE MODEL DOUBLE HEADER FOR THE "DIRTY BIRD BASH" BY WINNING SATURDAY NIGHT'S SPIDER BARNETT MEMORIAL AT HUMMINGBIRD SPEEDWAY. FORADORI PICKS UP FIRST CAREER FEATURE WIN. GORDON AND HADDEN WIN AGAIN.
By: Dave Resinger
Hummingbird Speedway closed out its 2022 season this past weekend with a two-day event. Saturday evening’s show was the annual Spider Barnett Memorial. Barnett, a former driver for many years, passed away in 2020 and this race is held in remembrance of him.
Jon Lee continued his winning ways after picking up a win on Friday and repeated to take home the big paycheck for Saturday’s race also in the Carns Powersports / Mountain Extreme Powersports Super Late Models. Andrew Gordon dominated the field in the Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks. Other winners were Jake Foradori in the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors’ Bureau Pure Stocks and Shawn Hadden in the Sunny 106 4-Cylinders. Two special events were held at the end of the evening… A Four-Cylinder Powder Puff race, with Kim Nelson bringing home the checkers, and a Pure Stock Mechanic’s Race, where Nick Anderson got the win.
First to take the track were the Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks. Jim Bloom started on the pole after winning the lone heat race. But all eyes were on Andrew Gordon who was unable to run the heat due to mechanical issues. He started at the tail of the field but passed all competitors to take the lead by lap two. From that point on, it was a battle for the runner up spot, waged by Bloom, Dave Shagla, and Bruce Hartzfeld. They raced hard, but clean, with Shagla, Hartzfeld, and Bloom following Gordon across the line at the end.
Next up was the Sunny 106 4-Cylinder class. Josh Frantz and Adam Bales led the 18-car field to the green flag. They ran that way for the first half of the race, with Zach Frantz close behind in third. But, again, the car to watch was one that had problems earlier in the night and started at the rear. In this class, that was Shawn Hadden, Hummingbird’s 2022 4-Cylinder point champ. He had progressed from starting last to 6th when a caution flew at the halfway point, giving him the chance he needed to have a shot at the leaders. But the racing up front was still controlled by Frantz, Bales, and now Matt Urey who had joined the mix and took the lead on lap nine. Hadden moved into third on lap 12 and eventually took the lead with two laps to go and held on to get the win. Josh Frantz came home in second, then Urey, Bales, and Zach Frantz.
The headline event was the Carns Powersports / Mountain Extreme Powersports Super Late Models. And they did not disappoint, putting on a great show for the fans. Jon Lee had been the fast qualifier but started sixth after a random redraw of the top heat race finishers. Michael Lake started on the pole, with Wyatt Scott to his outside. Behind them were Levi Yetter and Paul Kot in row two, then Doug Eck and Jon Lee. At the drop of flagman Earl Jackson’s green, Scott, Lake, and Yetter were three-wide for the lead on the first lap. Clay Ruffo joined the mix to make it a four-car battle. By lap four it was Yetter running high and Eck low for the top spot. The leaders encountered lapped traffic by lap nine and Ruffo spun trying to get under a slower car, relegating him to the back of the pack. The battle continued for the lead, with Lee and Scott side-by-side for third also. Scott slowed on the frontstretch just before the halfway point, and he then pitted. At this point it was Yetter, Eck, Lee, Paul Kot, Lake, and Colton Flinner. Lee got by Eck for second on lap 20 and took the lead from Yetter on the next lap. He never looked back, holding the lead through several cautions, and taking the win. Behind him at the checkers were Eck, Ken Schaltenbrand, Kot, and Dwayne Brooks.
The final regular event was the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau Pure Stocks feature. Tim Steis and Bruce Hartzfeld Jr. made up the front row by virtue of them winning their heat races qualifying events. Steis took the early lead, followed by Jake Foradori, Hartzfeld, and Dustin Challingsworth. They ran that way for a number of laps, with Foradori putting pressure on Steis for the lead. Foradori finally got by Steis on lap 11 and went on to take the win, his career first. Challingsworth, Hartzfeld, Steis, and Anthony Schoonover rounded out the top five.
A four-cylinder “powder puff” race was held with Kim Nelson showing the way, leading from flag to flag. Following her across the line at the end were the #114 car (driver unknown), then Tessa Spearing, Stephanie Mayes, and Erika Killinger.
Closing out the season was a Pure Stock Mechanic’s Race. Nick Anderson got the win in a great run., followed by Jake Sirline, Ryder Kuklinskie, Peach Caltagarone (despite being penalized for jumping the initial start), Zack Hetrick, and Mark Ehrenberger.
A swap meet is planned for October 15th and the annual award picnic is October 16th, with tickets available by calling 814-653-8400. More information is available on the track’s website, www.hummingbirdspeedway.com.
RESULTS
CYPRESS CLOCK & GIFT SHOP PRO STOCKS
1. Andrew Gordon
2. Dave Shagla Jr.
3. Bruce Hartzfeld
4. Jim Bloom
5. Zack Gustafson
6. Bill Reeves
SUNNY 106 4-CYLINDERS
1. Shawn Hadden
2. Josh Frantz
3. Matt Urey
4. Adam Bales
5. Zach Frantz
6. Devin Kaufman
7. Isaac Irvin
8. Ernie Irvin
9. Devon Trayer
10. Kevin Killinger
11. Carl Killinger
12. Kevin Wice
13. Shane Wagner
14. Shawn Burgess
15. Jeremy Harris
16. Heidi Miller
17. Caelan Hughes
18. Christina Killinger
19. (DNS) John Brown
CARNS POWERSPORTS / MOUNTAIN EXTREME POWERSPORTS SUPER LATE MODELS
1. Jon Lee
2. Doug Eck
3. Ken Schaltenbrand
4. Paul Kot
5. Dwayne Brooks
6. Dylan Fenton
7. Clay Ruffo
8. Rod Phillips
9. Orvis Newcome III
10. Wyatt Scott
11. John Weaver
12. Joe Loffredo
13. Levi Yetter
14. Colton Flinner
15. Rich Runyan Jr.
16. John Brady
17. Michael Lake
18. Joshua Powell
19. Bo Lockwood
20. (DNS) Dylan Ceece
PENNSYLVANIA GREAT OUTDOORS VISITORS’ BUREAU PURE STOCKS
1. Jake Foradori
2. Dustin Challingsworth
3. Bruce Hartzfeld Jr.
4. Tim Steis
5. Anthony Schoonover
6. Renae Meyer
7. Josh Bloom
8. Ray Gearhart
9. Dalton Gustafson
10. Mitch Stiles
11. Devin Dickey
4-CYLINDER POWDER PUFF
1. Kim Nelson
2. #114 (driver unknown)
3. Tessa Spearing
4. Stephanie Mayes
5. Erika Killinger
PURE STOCK MECHANIC’S RACE
1. Nick Anderson
2. Jake Sirline
3. Ryder Kuklinskie
4. Peach Caltagarone
5. Zack Hetrick
6. Mark Ehrenberger