Hilltop Speedway
June 9, 2012
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LEE LASERS HILLTOP LATE MODELS; CLINE CLICKS TO MOD CHECKER; GARDNER GRABS BONUS BUCKS; K. POTTS & J. ADKINS REPEAT WINS; STILLION SCORES 1st WEDGE VICTORY

by Mike Swanger
MILLERSBURG, OH (June 9) - Mid Season Championships and Fan Appreciation night brought out another big crowd on a warm evening at Hilltop Speedway for another action packed night of racing. Putting in long hours overnight replacing broken parts on the Cowen Truckline, LSI, & Bert Transmissions #61 from the night before, paid off for George Lee as he set fast time, won his heat race and then led flag to flag in the Holmes Tire Late Model main as the Loudonville driver pocketed his 4th win of the season at the Holmes County speedplant. He was challenged early on by Eric Myers and Charlie Duncan, who would spin and bring out the caution on lap five. Lee started to pull away from the field as Myers and Ryan Markham would duel for second as Rick Bond and Mike Lonas trailed them. As the race hit the halfway mark and Lee having a straight away lead, Markham took control of second as eighth starting Jason Flory powered past Bond and Lonas for fourth as Myers kept after Markham. Flory would make it a three way battle for second. As the final laps clicked off and Lee well in front, the fans attention was for second as Markham was able to hold off Flory for second at the finish line with Myers in fourth and Lonas taking fifth as JR Gentry and Duncan was right behind. Lee, Myers and Bond posted the heat wins.

It took three attempts to get the first lap of the Raceday Photos Modified feature recorded as fast qualifier Lance Elson would have DJ Cline, Rick Mardis and Kevin Morehouse hounding him for the lead once the race got going. Coming out of turn four to wrap up lap four, Elson, who won the Renegades of Dirt opener at Hilltop in May, spun out to bring out the caution and ended his chance for the win. That would put Cline of St. Clairsville into the top spot with Morehouse on his rear bumper. As the race wore on, Morehouse tried every inch of the track to swipe the lead away but Cline and his Northstar Polaris, Quicktime Performance Parts, and Ohio Valley Awards #4 hugged the low groove lap after lap and secure his first win at Hilltop. Mardis fended off runs by Vic Hottinger, Nathan Loney, Darrell Mayer and Ryan West for third as Hottinger would claim fourth and West took fifth. Heat winners were Elson, Cline and Mardis.

Heat winners Kenny Daughriety Jr. and Jeremy Dickerson started on the front row of the Street Stock feature but that would not last long as Dickerson banged the front wall at the end of the first lap ending his night and then with Bob Daugherty and Miamisburg’s Brandon Gardner, who started ninth, putting the pressure on Daughriety Jr. for the lead on lap six, Daughriety Jr. spun in turn one. Daugherty would inherit the point and keep it for the next four circuits and then Gardner would take to the top groove and edge past Daugherty coming out of turn with five to go. As the checkered flag flew, Gardner and his Rowtac, Schaeffer Oil, and GLR #g27 had a five car length lead for his third win of the season, the 35th all time win at Hilltop, and the bonus money as he won on Friday night at Wayne County Speedway. Joe Spearman finished a solid third as Daughriety Jr. came back to take fourth as John Wilson rounded the top five.   

Millersburg’s Jerry Adkins grabbed the lead from the outside front row of the Mini Stock Main and then spent the rest of the race holding off Brett Adkins for the first two laps as he was replaced in second by Gary Hensel Jr on lap three. Hensel Jr. would try to get by the TH Mfg #101 of Adkins using the extreme high side of the track and with two laps to go, bounced off the front wall and giving up second to Terry Adkins and giving Jerry Adkins some breathing room. Hensel Jr. collected himself and nipped Terry Adkins at the finish line for second. For Jerry Adkins, it was his third trip to victory lane this season. Brett Adkins and Jason St. John filled out the top five. Jerry Adkins, Brett Adkins and Hensel Jr. notched the heat wins.

After an aborted start of the Bugs-R-Gone Trucks feature, John Large would set the pace of the opening eight laps with Mitch Caskey in hot pursuit as he could edge past Large at different times but never was the leader of a lap. Kevin Potts was right behind the two front runners waiting on his chance to make a move on both. That chance came on the completion of lap eight when Large slipped sideways and Caskey went high in turn four, Potts powered past and closed the door on the pair and post his fifth win of the year aboard the Sunbury based Welders on Wheels, Eagle Insurance, and D&D Agri Hauling #8k. Large held on to second over Caskey as Jerry Gardner and Logan Brannon filled out the top five. Jack Large and Caskey headed the heats.

Second heat winner Cody Stillion breezed to his first Mini Wedge win at Hilltop as he lead all the way in the Al’s Towing #25. The Uhrichville seven year old was never challenged as Hannah Rose was a distant second followed by first heat winner, Nick Large, Braxton Wilson and Josey Lillibridge.
Two nights of racing at Hilltop Speedway this week as the Ohio Outlaw Motorsports take over on Friday, June 16th with Motorcycles and Quads and the next night a regular program with the six class’ of cars back in action.
 
HILLTOP SPEEDWAY SUMMARY
Saturday, June 9, 2012

HOLMES TIRE LATE MODELS  (18)
Fast Qualifier    George Lee   14.361
Heat   1   Lee, Charlie Duncan, Tom Baker, Keith Tish, Brandon Leyda, Dave Hornikel
Heat   2   Eric Myers, Mike Lonas, Jason Flory, DJ Cline, Travis Leyda, Jimmy Morey
Heat   3   Rick Bond, Ryan Markham, JR Gentry, Coby Bartrum, Aaron Phillis, Hiriam Bachmann
Feature   Lee, Markham, Flory, Myers, Lonas, Gentry, Duncan, Baker, Bond, Phillis, Bartrum, Bachmann, B. Leyda, Morey, Hornikel, T. Leyda, Tish, Cline
 
RACEDAY PHOTOS MODIFIEDS  (20)
Fast Qualifier    Lance Elson   15.432
Heat   1   Lance Elson, Vic Hottinger, Ryan West, Robin Duston, Sid Danals, Virgil Eaches, Eddie Wilson
Heat   2   DJ Cline, Kevin Morehouse, Darrell Mayer, Hilton Eppley, Jason Graham, Kevin Shairer, Jimmy Smith
Heat   3   Rick Mardis, Nathan Loney, Matt Samples, Robert Page, Kevin Davis, Larry Kugel
Feature   Cline, Morehouse, Mardis, Hottinger, West, Mayer, Wilson, Eppley, Graham, Loney, Kugel, Shairer, Elson, Page, Samples, Duston, Danals, Eaches, Davis, Smith
 
STREET STOCKS  (16)
Heat   1   Kenny Daughriety Jr., Bob Daugherty, Bob Fry, Jason Shairer, Brandon Gardner, Cody Daughriety, Tom Wilson, Dave Giaugue
Heat   2   Jeremy Dickerson, Joe Spearman, Quinton Lewis, Bill Goerz, Kenny Daughriety Sr., Raymond Hixon, Robert Smith, John Wilson
Feature   Gardner, Daugherty, Spearman, Daughriety Jr., J. Wilson, Fry, Lewis, Giaugue, Daughriety Sr., Smith, C. Daughriety, Goerz, Hixon, Dickerson, Shairer, T. Wilson
 
MINI STOCKS  (20)
Heat   1   Brett Adkins, Kyle Moore, Chris Priebe, Dustin Daugherty, Elliott Robinson, Arlen Kemp, Randall Whicker (dns)
Heat   2   Jerry Adkins, Terry Adkins, Jordan James, Tim Dockery, JR Carpenter, Jason St. John, Steve Miller
Heat   3   Gary Hensel Jr., Kevin Markey, Matt Kemp, Moose Workman, Mike Rose, Greg Thompson
Feature   J. Adkins, Hensel Jr., T. Adkins, B. Adkins, St. John, Priebe, M. Kemp, Daugherty, Miller, Robinson, Carpenter, A. Kemp, Markey, James, Moore, Workman, Dockery, Rose, Thompson (dns), Whicker (dns)
 
BUGS-R-GONE TRUCKS  (10)
Heat   1   Jack Large, Mitch Caskey, John Large, Kevin Potts, David Potts, Jerry Gardner, Logan Brannon, Rebekah Brannon, Stan Braxton, Cole Lillibridge
Feature   K. Potts, Jo. Large, Caskey, Gardner, L. Brannon, Braxton, R. Brannon, Ja. Large, D. Potts, Lillibridge (dns)
 
WEDGES  (11)
Heat   1   Nick Large, Livia Large, Logan Burnes, Taylor Huggins, Brayden Morey
Heat   2   Cody Stillion, Hannah Rose, Destiny Bates, Braxton Wilson, Josey Lillibridge, Tristen Lillibridge
Feature   Stillion, Rose, N. Large, Wilson, J. Lillibridge, Burnes, T. Lillibridge, Huggins, Morey, Bates, L. Large (dns)