Fields, Lee Win Big On Grady’s Decision Night At The Bird
10 min read
Derek Bobik Photo
By: Steven Curry – Race Reporter
Reynoldsville- It was another special night at Hummingbird Speedway on Saturday night as we hosted Grady’s Decision Night for the second straight year. Grady’s Decision, a 501c3 non-profit organization, was created to present a glimpse of God’s love to families experiencing premature births as well as those families with children needing specialized medical attention. There was a huge Chinese Auction and other fundraisers to benefit Grady’s Decision. At the end of the night, approximately $6,800 had been raised for this great cause. Two specials headlined the on-track activity on Saturday night. The PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau Pure Stocks had a 20-lap, $500/win special while the Carns Powersports/Mountain Extreme Super Late Models had a 35-lap, $3,000/win, and $300/start special. In the 20-lap, $500/win Pure Stock special, it was the #88 of Josh Fields taking the lead on lap 11 and leading the rest of the way enroute to capturing the big payday. The win was the 6th of the season for Fields and his 27th career Pure Stock win at the track. His 27 Pure Stock wins are the most of any driver in the division as he moved into sole possession of first on the win list. In the 35-lap, $3,000/win, $300/start Super Late Model special, it was the #5L of Jon Lee leading from green-to-checkered as he cashed in on the $3,000 prize. The win was Lee’s first of the season at Hummingbird in just his second visit. Three of our four other regular divisions were also in action with the exception of the Swanson Heavy Truck Repair Semi Late Models as they had the evening off. In the Andy Man’s Car Care Economods, it was the #50 of Bob McMillen taking the checkered flag in a caution-free feature. McMillen became the first repeat winner in the division on their eighth race of the season. In the Sunny 106 Four-Cylinders, it was newcomer Adam Pletcher parking his #13 in victory lane. The win was the first of the season at the Bird in his first visit. The Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks concluded the evening with the #84S of Josh Seippel notching career win #1 at Hummingbird.
The Andy Man’s Car Care Economods kicked off the feature racing action with their 15-lap feature event. Bob McMillen and Mike Anderson led the field to the opening green flag. McMillen got out to the lead on the start and led lap one over Anderson and Brad Curran Jr.. On lap 4, last week’s feature winner, Orin Taylor, made the pass on Curran Jr. to move into the third position behind McMillen and Anderson. McMillen began to extend his lead over Anderson, Taylor, and the rest of the field as the race neared halfway. At the halfway mark on lap 8, it was McMillen continuing to lead the way over Anderson and Taylor. McMillen led the rest of the way as he went on to win for the second time this season in a caution-free feature. The win was the second for McMillen in the Economod division. McMillen also became the first repeat winner in the division in what was the eighth race of the season for them. Anderson, Taylor, Royce Stanley Jr., Curran Jr., and Gary Sullivan rounded out the field. McMillen won the heat race.
Tim Steis and Justin Watt led a field of 18 PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau Pure Stocks trackside for their 20-lap, $500/win special. After two quick caution flags to start the race, the first lap finally got completed with Steis leading the way over Josh Fields and Watt. Another lap was completed before another caution flag was displayed. Another lap was completed on the restart before a caution for a spin in turn 4 set up another restart. On the restart, it was Steis leading the way over Fields and Watt. A few more laps were completed, to lap 6, before the caution flag was displayed again for a wreck on the backstretch. One lap was completed on the restart before yet another caution flag came out for a spin in turn 2. At the halfway point on lap 10, Fields was challenging Steis for the lead, but Steis still led the way at the line with Fields and Watt following behind. One lap later, on lap 11, Fields was able to get the lead from Steis as he nearly spun out coming out of turn 4, just before the caution flag came out once again. The race made it to lap 13 before another caution flag was displayed. Steis gave Fields all he could handle on the restart with Watt following behind. On lap 17, Watt took his car to the pit area which moved Jenna Pfaff into the third position behind the leaders. The race stayed green all the way until the final lap when a caution for a wreck in turns 1 and 2 brought about a green-white-checkered finish. On the final restart, it was Fields that jumped out to the lead over Steis as Mike Calhoun looked to the inside of Pfaff and completed the pass to move into third. Steis made one last attempt for the lead in turns 3 and 4 of the final lap but it was not enough as Fields held on to record his sixth win of the year at the Bird and collect the $500 payday. The win was the 27th career Pure Stock win for Fields which put him in sole possession of first place on the win list, overtaking current Semi Late driver Doug Surra. Fields was followed by: Steis, Calhoun, Pfaff, Jake Foradori, Casey Wolfe, David Lowe, Dustin Challingsworth, Ashley Kilhoffer, Renae Meyer, Shawn Lindemuth, Watt, Andy Frey, Cody Cassler, Devin Dickey, Wayne Truitt, Fuzzy Fields, Cody Wolfe, and Noah Bloom. Steis, Watt, and Fields won the heat races.
The Carns Powersports/Mountain Extreme Super Late Models were next to the track with Ryan Montgomery and Jon Lee leading a stout field of 18 cars to the opening green flag for their 35-lap, $3,000/win, $300/start special. Montgomery pulled out to the lead on the start, but he was quickly overtaken by Lee on the highside as Lee led the opening lap over Montgomery and Dylan Cecce. Lee began to extend his lead over Montgomery and Cecce as the laps clicked away. The first ten laps of the race were completed with Lee continuing to lead the way over Montgomery and Cecce. On lap 11, Wyatt Scott made the pass on Cecce to move into the third spot behind Lee and Montgomery. At the cross flags on lap 18, it was Lee still leading the way over Montgomery and Scott. The race remained under green flag conditions all the way until lap 23 when a caution for a spin on the backstretch set up the first restart of the race. On the restart, it was Lee out to the lead as Scott challenged Montgomery for second. On lap 24, Scott made the pass on Montgomery to move into the second spot behind Lee. The final caution flag of the race came out later that lap and set up what would ultimately be the final restart. Lee jumped out to the lead on the restart over Scott and Montgomery. At the five-to-go signal on lap 30, it was still Lee out front over Scott and Montgomery. Scott tried to close in on Lee in the closing laps as they worked their way through lap traffic, but it was to no avail as Lee led from green-to-checkered enroute to his first win of 2022 at the track. Lee collected the $3,000 prize as well as the $100 Fast Time award for being the quickest in time trials courtesy of Scott Martinez. Doug Surra (who moved up to run with the Supers since the Semi Lates were off) earned the $100 Hard Charger award courtesy of Scott Martinez after he drove from 16th to 9th. Scott, Montgomery, Chad Wright, Paul Kot, Greg Oakes, Denny Fenton, Kenny Schaffer, Surra, Joe Loffredo, Scott Alvetro, Derek Rodkey, Rod Phillips, Orvis Newcome lll, Nathan Brady, Cecce, Dylan Fenton, Dwayne Brooks, and Doug Eck rounded out the field. Lee, Montgomery, and Scott won the heat races. Lee set Fast Time in time trials.
Blake Joiner and Ben Lehane led the Sunny 106 Four-Cylinders to the track for their 15-lap feature race. Joiner got out to the lead on the start and led lap one as Shawn Hadden took the second position from Lehane. On lap 2, newcomer Adam Pletcher made the pass on Lehane on the inside to move into the third position behind Joiner and Hadden. Later that lap, the first and only caution flag of the race was displayed for a stopped car on the frontstretch. This set up what would ultimately be the final restart. On the final restart, it was Joiner out to the point over Hadden and Pletcher. On lap 4, Pletcher made the pass on Hadden on the inside to move into the second spot behind Joiner. At halfway on lap 8, it was Joiner continuing to lead the way over Pletcher and Hadden. Pletcher really began to put the pressure on Joiner for the race lead on the outside over the course of the next 4 laps or so before Pletcher completed the pass and took the race lead on lap 12. Joiner tried to fight back in the final few laps, but it was to no avail as Pletcher held on for his first win at the speedway this season in his first visit. The win was his second career Four-Cylinder win at the track. Joiner was DQed following the race which moved the entire field up a position in the results. Pletcher was followed by: Hadden, Dave Smail, Lehane, Randy Albert, Christina Killinger, Devon Trayer, Brooks Kaufman, Ernie Irvin, Heidi Miller, Mitch Stiles, Cory Price, and Joiner. Price and Hadden won the heat races.
The Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks concluded the evening of racing with their 20-lap main on the 1/3 mile bullring. Fuzzy Fields and Bob Connor led the field to the opening green flag. Fields got out to the lead initially on the start, but he was overtaken by Connor at the line on the highside to lead lap one over Fields and Josh Seippel. On lap 4, Fields was able to retake the top spot from Connor on the lowside. Fields continued to lead the way over Connor and Seippel until a caution for a spin on the backstretch on lap 9 set up the first restart of the race. On the restart, Seippel got a good restart on the highside and was able to make the pass on Connor for second and began to challenge Fields for the top spot. As the field came out to the halfway mark on lap 10, Seippel was able to edge out Fields for the lead with Connor following behind in third. A couple of laps later, on lap 12, Jim Bloom made the pass on Connor to move into third behind the leaders. The second and ultimately final caution flag of the race came out on lap 14 with Seippel still leading the way over Fields and Bloom. On the final restart, it was Seippel out to the lead as Bloom was able to take the second position from Fields. Then, on the white flag lap on lap 19, Connor was able to work his way back into the top 3 as he made the pass on Fields to move into third. No one had anything for Seippel though once he got out front as he would hang on for his first career Hummingbird Speedway victory. Bloom, Connor, Fields, Michael Oakes, Erik Wise, Brian Fabiano, Ray Reynolds, and Pernell Beimel rounded out the field. Fields and Connor won the heat races.
Speedway Notes: 66 cars were in attendance for Grady’s Decision Night. That breaks down to: 6 Economods, 19 Pure Stocks, 19 Super Late Models, 13 Four-Cylinders, and 9 Pro Stocks. We will be back in action this coming Saturday, August 6th, with Ina’s Memorial Shootout. The Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks will take center stage as they do battle on the 1/3 mile bullring for a $1,500 payday. This race will also be a bonus points race for the Penn Ohio Pro Stock Championship Series. Sharing the spotlight with the Pro Stocks will be the Sunny 106 Four-Cylinders. There will be an increased payout for the Four-Cylinders as well. Our four other regular divisions will be in action too including the Carns Powersports/Mountain Extreme Super Late Models, Swanson Heavy Truck Repair Semi Late Models, Andy Man’s Car Care Economods, and PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau Pure Stocks. 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. You can also follow the track on Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Results:
Andy Man’s Car Care Economods
1st) #50 Bob McMillen
2nd) #76 Mike Anderson
3rd) #21T Orin Taylor
4th) #57S Royce Stanley Jr.
5th) #C17 Brad Curran Jr.
6th) #47S Gary Sullivan
PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau Pure Stocks
1st) #88 Josh Fields
2nd) #34 Tim Steis
3rd) #22 Mike Calhoun
4th) #33 Jenna Pfaff
5th) #14 Jake Foradori
6th) #6/2P Casey Wolfe
7th) #21 David Lowe
8th) #46 Dustin Challingsworth
9th) #50 Ashley Kilhoffer
10th) #56K Renae Meyer
11th) #54L Shawn Lindemuth
12th) #00 Justin Watt
13th) #55X Andy Frey
14th) #14C Cody Cassler
15th) #18 Devin Dickey
16th) #54 Wayne Truitt
17th) #28X Fuzzy Fields
18th) #97W Cory Wolfe
19th) #37B Noah Bloom
Carns Powersports/Mountain Extreme Super Late Models
1st) #5L Jon Lee
2nd) #x3 Wyatt Scott
3rd) #CJ1 Ryan Montgomery
4th) #6 Chad Wright
5th) #36 Paul Kot
6th) #22 Greg Oakes
7th) #55 Denny Fenton
8th) #13X Kenny Schaffer
9th) #3xAA Doug Surra
10th) #9J Joe Loffredo
11th) #64 Scott Alvetro
12th) #14R Derek Rodkey
13th) #1P Rod Phillips
14th) #66N Orvis Newcome lll
15th) #77 Nathan Brady
16th) #18* Dylan Cecce
17th) #56 Dylan Fenton
18th) #1B Dwayne Brooks
19th) #20 Doug Eck
Sunny 106 Four-Cylinders
1st) #13 Adam Pletcher
2nd) #3H Shawn Hadden
3rd) #81S Dave Smail
4th) #1 Ben Lehane
5th) #17 Randy Albert
6th) #8K Christina Killinger
7th) #79 Devon Trayer
8th) #25B Brooks Kaufman
9th) #98E Ernie Irvin
10th) #35K Heidi Miller
11th) #54 Mitch Stiles
12th) #88 Cory Price
13th) #569 Blake Joiner
Cypress Clock & Gift Shop Pro Stocks
1st) #84S Josh Seippel
2nd) #37A Jim Bloom
3rd) #V2 Bob Connor
4th) #28 Fuzzy Fields
5th) #22JR Michael Oakes
6th) #24W Erik Wise
7th) #35 Brian Fabiano
8th) #23JR Ray Reynolds
9th) #43 Pernell Beimel
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