Rick’s Racing Roundup: Powell Secures Track Championship at Thunder Mountain


While the south was being terrorized by Hurricane Florence, sunny skies graced Northwest Pennsylvania where Thunder Mountain Speedway completed their season championship races this past Friday.

(Photo: Dave & Wyatt Scott made history Saturday at Hummingbird Speedway with their wins. Photo by Penny Kay)

It was Mike Maresca who returned to score another super-late-model victory while Charles Powell secured the track championship. Other 2018 champions crowned included Tim Bish in the street stocks, DJ Clark in the four cylinders, and Doug Surra in the semi lates. This Friday the Penn-Ohio Pro Stock Series will visit Thunder Mountain for the Scott Winslow Memorial. The late models, semi lates, and four cylinders will also be on the card with racing at 7:30 p.m.

Fans were greeted by sunny skies and more than a full card of racing Saturday where Hummingbird Speedway closed out their 2018 season. Not only was there plenty of racing this past Saturday there were also several firsts at the Speedway.

Headlining the action was the Third Annual Eric Witherite Memorial which found the “Slow Ride” David Scott in victory lane taking home the $3,000 winner’s check. History was made when his son Wyatt Scott also visited victory lane by winning the make-up late-model feature. It was the first time a father and son have won features on the same night in the same class at Hummingbird, a true rarity in racing.

Mike Anderson doubled up by winning the regular and make-up pure stock features while John Campisano did the same in the 4-cylinder class. Hummingbird also crowned the youngest division champion in the history of the track when 16-years old Raven Fuller finished atop the pure stock points Saturday. Other track champions for the season included Chris Farrell in the late models, Brandon Conner in the street stocks, and Eric Luzier in the 4-cylinder class. Another first Saturday found Doug Surra and Nick Erskine tied for the top spot in the semi-late points at the end of the night making them the first ever co-champions in the history of the track.

While racing is over for the season at Hummingbird, the track will have a racer’s flea market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29. Then on Saturday, Oct. 20, the track will honor their season champions and weekly competitors at the end-of-the-season banquet. Details and tickets are available by calling 814-653-8400.

Andrew Gordon continued his winning ways Saturday at Lernerville Speedway be topping a field of 47 cars in the Penn-Ohio Pro Stock Series event. Steve Kenawell came out on top in the 305 sprint car feature while Jonathan Jones and Ron Aurand rounded out the podium. Meanwhile, track champion Corey McPherson dominated the stock car feature adding another win to his already impressive resume. Tyler Dietz also visited victory lane by taking the honors in the Penn-Ohio Pro Stock non-qualifiers race.

The World of Outlaws sprint car series will make its second and final appearance in Western Pennsylvania when they invade Lernerville Speedway for the “Commonwealth Clash” this Saturday. The Outlaw are entering the home stretch on their 40th anniversary season, which Lernerville has been a part of for 39 years! Leading the charge will be current point leader and nine-time champion Donny Schatz driving for Tony Stewart Racing. Brad Sweet, who drives the Kasey Kahne owned NAPA parts 49 sprinter, sits second in points followed by last year’s Commonwealth Clash winner David Gravel in third.

Defending champion Donny Schatz will lead the Wolrld of Outlaws into Lernerville Speedway for the final time this season Saturday. Photo by Rick Rarer

Defending champion Donny Schatz will lead the Wolrld of Outlaws into Lernerville Speedway for the final time this season Saturday. Photo by Rick Rarer

Defending track champion and six-time winner this year, AJ Flick will lead the locals as they attempt to defend their home turf against the invaders. Ed Lynch Jr. was the last Lernerville regular to defeat the Outlaws when he won the Don Martin Memorial in 2002. Ed’s son Sye Lynch, George Hobaugh, Dan Shetler, and Carl Bowser are just a few of the Lernerville regulars that are expected to join Flick in taking on the Outlaws. Daryn Pittman, who just scored his eighth win of the season, sits fourth in Outlaw points is the most recent series winner. Joining the Outlaws this Saturday will be the Allegheny Sprint Tour featuring the 305 sprint cars.

Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway completed its final sprint car race of 2018 which saw Carl Bowser find victory lane for the second consecutive time with his new team. This Saturday the Penn-Ohio Pro Stock Series will return to Pittsburgh for the Wee Willie White Memorial and will be joined by the RUSH modifieds, sprints, and late models with racing at 7:00 p.m.

Rick’s Racing Roundup is brought to you by:

Allegheny Grille
Bauer Truck Repair
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Redbank Chevrolet
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About Rick

Rick Rarer, a Franklin resident, is the owner of Racestud.com and SprintCarNews.com. He has been covering racing for 18 years, taking racing photos for 13 years, and has covered races at over 100 tracks in 15 states. Most recently, Rick won the Bill Steinbach Media Award at the Lernerville Speedway Annual Awards Banquet.


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