Hilltop Speedway
June 2, 2012
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JACOBS, LONAS & STUHLDREHER REGISTER 1st HILLTOP WINS; WISECARVER, DICKERSON & K. POTTS RETURN TO VICTORY CIRCLE

by Mike Swanger
MILLERSBURG, OH (June 2) - Despite a heavy rain shower that lasted about 20 minutes just past 4 pm, causing the start of racing to be delayed until after 8 o’clock, the large crowd was not disappointed with the first visit of the season by the Sprints and Modlites at Hilltop Speedway. The Sprint heats took a toll on the field as Rob Chaney would win the third heat but as he crossed the finish line, the powerplant in his machine seized up ending his night while Cole Duncan’s ride did the same in the first heat as he was running second. Chris Smith hit the wall in turn one in the first heat to stop his night early. Shawn Hubler and Lee Jacobs won the first two heats to start on the front row of the feature and before the opening lap was complete, Nick Patterson flipped in turn three. On the restart, Jacobs grabbed the lead with Hubler in pursuit as Caleb Helms, Andrew Palker and Danny Mumaw dealing for third. Palker took third on lap five and closed in on Hubler for second as Jacobs increased his lead. Down the backstretch on lap 19, Palker made a move to the inside of Hubler and the two made contact that sent Hubler sliding sideways into the infield, far enough off the track that no caution flag flew and Palker started to close in on Jacobs as Mumaw took third from Helms. Two laps later, Palker tried to slip under Jacobs for the lead in turn four and the pair touched sending them spinning and collecting Mumaw in the process. Palker’s sprinter was damaged enough to end his night as Jacobs and Mumaw got the places back. On the restart, Mumaw made a run at Jacobs for the lead but came up short on the slide job and Jacobs of Holmesville and his Rick Ferkel owned, Shorty’s Truck Repair, Smith Farms, and www.slapitup.com #0 pulled away the remaining last 8 laps as Helms held on to third in front of Jason Dolick and Broc Martin.

Like the Sprints, the Holmes Tire Late Models lost a couple of cars before the first lap was recorded as the field was three wide going into turn three that caused some bumping to happen and cars go spinning as the second starting row of Ryan Markham and George Lee sustained damage to their vehicles to send them pitside for the race along with Cody Scott. At the drop of the green flag, Lance Elson took control of the race over Wayne Maffett Jr. but Mansfield’s Mike Lonas hustled past Maffett Jr on lap three and quickly reeled in Elson. Lonas used the highside of turn four on lap 8 to storm past Elson for the point as 12 starting JR Gentry moved into third. At the halfway mark, Gentry maneuvered past Elson for second and utilizing the top groove, roared past Lonas on lap 15 for the lead. Lonas and his Smitley Towing, Fultz Fabrication, and Eddleblute Truck Repair #5L, hung with Gentry and with five to go reclaimed the lead when Gentry bobbled in turn four and held on for his first win. Elson took third holdin off Rick Bond and Mark Gardiner. Heat wins were claimed by Maffett Jr., Elson, Lee and Markham as Chester Elliott won the last chance race.

Zanesville’s Jesse Wisecarver went flag to flag for the Raceday Photos Modified win aboard the Formation Cementing, A&W RootBeer, and Ron & Tami Jewett Motorsports #101. Darrick Hubbard took second from Jason Graham on lap four and challenged Wisecarver throughout the middle part of the feature, who would pull away as the laps wound down as Aaron Scott would edge past Hubbard on the last circuit to take second as Larry Kugel and DJ Cline filled out the top five. Wisecarver, Graham, Scott and Hubbard topped the heats with Robert Page scoring the last chance win.

Jeremy Dickerson of Mansfield out raced Kyle Dickinson into turn one of the Street Stock main and never looked back to put the Ohio Door & Sash and Griff’s Racing Engines #44d into the winners circle for the second time this year. Justin Patterson moved past Dickinson on lap two and stayed with Dickerson early on but mechanical woes would slow him late in the race as Kenny Daughriety Jr. and John Wilson took advantage of a Dickinson slip with five to go for second and third. Dickinson held off Roger Drouhard to hang on to fourth. Dickerson and Dickinson won the heats.

Points leader Kevin Potts expanded his point lead in the Bugs-R-Gone Truck feature as he lead all the way for the win. The Sunbury based Proscape Landscaping, Tickets Galore and JWC Electrical Services #8k was hounded by Jerry Gardner as the two heat winners stayed one and two the whole race. David Potts and Jack Large dueled for third with Potts winning that battle as Tom Garlick rounded out the top five

The Modlites made their 2012 debut at Hilltop with East Canton’s Brian Stuhldreher besting the field as he won the heat and then held off Nick Crider in the feature. Crider made a couple of runs at Stuhldreher’s #17 but could never take the lead. Tim Hawkins, Andy Heath and Josh Crider rounded out the top five.

Mid Season championships are set for next Saturday, June 9th for all six regular class’ as race time is 7 pm at Hilltop Speedway
 
HILLTOP SPEEDWAY SUMMARY
Saturday, June 2, 2012
SPRINTS  (19)
Heat   1   Shawn Hubler, Caleb Helms, Mitch Harble, Nick Patterson, Cole Duncan, Jordan Harble, Shelia Rankin
Heat   2   Lee Jacobs, Jason Dolick, Broc Martin, Gary Rankin, Chris Plascak, James Pooler
Heat   3   Rob Chaney, Andrew Palker, Danny Mumaw, Bryce Dickson, Aaron Middaugh, Chris Smith
Feature   Jacobs, Mumaw, Helms, Dolick, Martin, Middaugh, G. Rankin, S. Rankin, J. Harble, Pooler, Palker, M. Harble, Dickson, Plascak, Patterson, Hubler (dq), Chaney (dns), Duncan (dns), Smith (dns)
 
HOLMES TIRE LATE MODELS  (26)
Heat   1   Wayne Maffett Jr., Mark Gardiner, Cody Scott, Garrett Krummert, Chester Elliott, Kyle Moore, Hiriam Bachmann
Heat   2   Lance Elson, Mike Lonas, Matt Robinette, Aaron Phillis, Travis Leyda, David Liles (dns)
Heat   3   George Lee, Rick Bond, DJ Cline, Eric Smitley, Brad Malcuit, James Fisher, James Morey
Heat   4   Ryan Markham, Charlie Duncan, JR Gentry, Keith Tish, Matt Irey, Brandon Leyda
L. C.  #1  Elliott, Irey, Morey, B. Leyda, T. Leyda, Fisher, Malcuit (dns), Moore (dns), Bachmann (dns), Liles (dns)
Feature   Lonas, Gentry, Elson, Bond, Gardiner, Duncan, Smitley, Irey, Maffett Jr., Tish, Robinette, Elliott, Phillis, Krummert, Cline, Lee, Markham, Scott
 
RACEDAY PHOTOS MODIFIEDS  (25)
Heat   1   Jesse Wisecarver, Matt Samples, Nathan Loney, Josh Morrow, Eddie Wilson, Sid Danals, Kyle Warner
Heat   2   Jason Graham, Ryan West, Robin Duston, Vic Hottinger, Robert Page, Ty Samples
Heat   3   Aaron Scott, DJ Cline, Rob Melzer, Jimmy Smith, Virgil Eaches, Kevin Davis
Heat   4   Darrick Hubbard Sr., Larry Kugel, Beau Bradley, Kevin Shairer, Rick Mardis, John Sluka
L. C.  #1   Page, Mardis, Wilson, Danals, T. Samples, Eaches, Davis, Sluka (dns), Warner (dns)
Feature   Wisecarver, Scott, Hubbard Sr., Kugel, Cline, West, Hottinger, Graham, Shairer, Page, Bradley, Morrow, Loney, Smith, Mardis, Melzer, Duston, M. Samples
 
STREET STOCKS  (14)
Heat   1   Kyle Dickinson, Roger Drouhard, John Wilson, Kenny Daughriety Jr., Dave Giaugue, Gary Hensel Sr., Scott Richardson
Heat   2   Jeremy Dickerson, Justin Patterson, Joe Spearman, Raymond Hixon, Robert Smith, Jason Shairer, Tom Wilson
Feature   Dickerson, Daughriety Jr., J. Wilson, Dickinson, Drouhard, Spearman, Smith, Giaugue, Shairer, Patterson, Hensel, Hixon, T. Wilson (dns), Richardson (dns)
 
BUGS-R-GONE TRUCKS  (13)
Heat   1   Jerry Gardner, David Potts, Jack Large, Steve Large, Jim Large, John Large, Brad Phillips
Heat   2   Kevin Potts, Mitch Caskey, Cole Lillibridge, Tom Garlick, Logan Brannon, Darrick Hubbard Jr.
Feature   K. Potts, Gardner, D. Potts, Ja. Large, Garlick, Caskey, Hubbard Jr., J. Large, S. Large, Jo. Large, Brannon, Lillibridge, Phillips (dns)
 
MODLITES  (7)
Heat   1   Brian Stuhldreher, Nick Crider, Tim Hawkins, Andy Heath, Wayne Kintz, Donna Hart, Josh Crider
Feature   Stuhldreher, N. Crider, Hawkins, Heath, J. Crider, Hart, Kintz