No name tags needed in victory lane

Race fans mingled with drivers, many for the first time, at an autograph night meet-and-greet Sunday at New Humberstone Speedway.

However, name tags weren’t necessary in victory lane afterwards, with repeat winners sweeping all five of the regular divisions at the dirt track in Port Colborne.

Mitch Dumont of Welland and Chad Homan of Macedon, N.Y., near Rochester, each set the pace for the fourth time this season in the Pro 4 Truck and Late Model classes, respectively.

Former track titleist and onetime Mr. DIRT Car Sportman champion Cody McPherson of St. Catharines took home his third Humberstone checkered flag of the year as did Pete Reid of Stevensville in Thunder Stocks.

Port Colborne hotshoe Leroy Buscumb’s victory in Mini

Stocks was his second of the season at his hometown track.

Brian (Go Fast) Teeple nearly lived up to his nickname – in two divisions. The Thorold driver, who has become a regular in the 8-cylinder classes at Humberstone as well as at Merrittville Speedway in Thorold after graduating from Mini Stocks, was third in the Thunder Stock feature after starting the night with a second-place finish in the Pro 4 Truck main event.

The 15-lap truck feature was Teeple’s first time behind the wheel of two-time defending track champion Dylan Llord’s Chevy pickup in a race.

McPherson pulled away from the field for the victory in Sportsman after starting the 25-lap feature in the front row along with Emily Puchalski.

Rob Pietz took over the lead following a restart with seven laps remaining in the Late Model feature, but his time as the frontrunner was limited. Homan overtook Pietz three laps later with an inside move exiting Turn 2 and pulled away for the win.

Reid battled pole-sitter Barry Beck Jr. for the lead for much of the final half of the 20-lap Thunder Stock feature. He passed

Beck on the last lap for the win.

Evan Curtis and Buscumb shared the front row for the Mini Stocks feature and stayed there the rest of the way. Curtis took over the lead eight circuits in only to lose it one lap later to Buscumb who held on for the victory.

Teeple started the truck feature in the front row beside Dan--

ny Wurster and set the pace until there were eight laps remaining. That’s when Dumont moved into first and stayed there the rest of the way.

Following are the top five and heat winners from Sunday night’s racing program at Humberstone:

Sportsman, 25 laps: 1. Cody McPherson, 2. Jay Mallory, 3. Darrell Farraway, 4. Jordan Cosco, 5. James Michael Friesen. Heat winners: Greg Panunte, Adam Leslie.

Late Models, 20 laps: 1. Chad Homan, 2. Rob Pietz, 3. David Pangrazio, 4. Jeff Dayman, 5. Colton Ledingham. Heat winners: Pietz, Homan.

Thunder Stocks, 20 laps: 1. Pete Reid, 2. Barry Beck Jr., 3. Go Fast Teeple, 4. Ken Sargent, 5. Jesse McDonald. Heat winners: Jim Lampman, Dave Bailey.

Mini Stocks, 15 laps: 1. Leroy Buscumb, 2. Evan Curtis, 3. Gillian Hils, 4. Olivier Larocque, 5. Jay Moulton. Heat winners: Hils, Vincent Pagnotta, Curtis.

Pro 4 Trucks, 15 laps: 1.

Mitch Dumont, 2. Go Fast Teeple,

3. Craig Vlasic, 4. Danny Wurster,

5. Justin Towers. Heat winner: Dumont.

Weather permitting, racing returns next Sunday when the BEI Lightning Series visits Humberstone for its annual show. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with racing getting underway two hours later.