Hilltop Speedway
June 23, 2012
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GENTRY GENERATES 1st HILLTOP LATE MODEL WIN; 2 MODIFIED WINS IN A ROW FOR SMITH; GARDNER, HENSEL JR., & STILLION RETURN TO VICTORY CIRCLE; JACK LARGE TOPS TRUCK MAIN

by Mike Swanger
MILLERSBURG, OH (June 23) - JR Gentry has been knocking on the door of victory lane at Hilltop Speedway the last couple of seasons and has two second place finishes this year, but Saturday night he was finally able to knock the door down to victory lane as the popular Wooster driver went flag to flag for his 1st win at Hilltop in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Ryan Markham and Gentry won the heats to start on the front row of the Holmes Tire Late Model feature with Gentry popping into the lead at the drop of the green. The caution flew on lap two when fast qualifier George Lee tagged the turn one wall, ending his night. As the green flag reappeared, Markham and dash winner Mark Gardiner dueled for second behind Gentry and that would last until lap nine when Markham went high in turn three and banged the wall to end his night two laps later as he pulled pitside. Gentry and his El Campensino Restaurent, Pitt Stop Auto Clinic, and Quality Fiberglass #14 started to open a gap from Gardiner as Charlie Duncan started to pressure Gardiner for second as Eric Smitley had pulled into fourth from his ninth starting position as Brad Malcuit, Aaron Phillis and Wayne Maffett Jr. raced for fifth. With five laps to go, Gardiner made contact with a lapped car and was sent to the end of the line, putting Duncan in second. Using the high groove, Gentry held Duncan at bay the last five laps for the win as Smitley took third with Maffett Jr. working his way into fourth during the last five laps as Malcuit hung on to fifth in front of a fast closing Bryan Casey.

It was dejavu for Nashport’s Jimmy Smith in the Raceday Photo’s Modified main as for the second week in a row he won a heat race to start on the front row with fellow heat winner Vic Hottinger and once again Smith powered into the lead and led all the way for his second win in a row aboard the Service Welding and B&G Painting #280. Hottinger would pester Smith for 18 laps but could never wrestle the lead away from Smith. As the fans had one eye on the two front runners, their other eye was on Norm Aronhalt, who had won the dash to start third, but elected to start tail and go for a $400 bonus if he could win. At the halfway mark Aronhalt was challenging for sixth but made contact with Ryan West and had to go tail again. With Smith and Hottinger up front, fast qualifier John Sluka, Eddie Wilson and Beau Bradley was wheeling and dealing for third. West moved into fifth after a lap 13 caution for Wilson and on the restart slipped past Bradley for fourth and then took third from Sluka three circuits later as Aronhalt was on the move again into fifth. Smith got some breathing room with two to go when Hottinger bobbled in turn two that allowed West by as Aronhalt pulled past Sluka and as the checkered flag was waving, Smith won by three car lengths over West who edged out Aronhalt for second as Hottinger and Sluka filled out the top five.

Heat winners Kyle Moore and Kenny Daughriety Jr. set the pace for the Street Stock feature with Moore taking the lead for the first two laps as Miamisburg’s Brandon Gardner moved into second with Jeremy Dickerson testing Daughriety Jr. for third. Dickerson brought out the caution on lap four after spinning as Gardner had just claimed the lead. Daughriety Jr. moved back into second on the restart as Brandon Craver and Joe Spearman trailed. A caution with seven to go for Bob Fry bunched the field up and Dickerson, who had moved back into the top five, was charged with a jump start at the end of the race as it went non stop from that point. For Gardner and the Schaeffer Oil, Rowtac, and GLR #g27 fourth win of the year and his 36th career victory at Hilltop. Daughriety Jr. finished second followed by Craver, Dickerson, after being penalized two places for the jump start, and Spearman.

Applecreek’s Gary Hensel Jr. and his McKenzie Concrete, Albert Miller Garage Doors, and Lechevale Farms #28h led all the way to post his second win of the season in the Mini Stock Main. It was not an easy race to win for Hensel Jr. as Jerry Adkins applied early pressure and then Terry Adkins put the heat on late in the race but could never get by. Jerry Adkins took home third as Brad Hensel squeezed past Greg Thompson on the last lap for fourth. Jerry Adkins and Hensel Jr. won the heats.

With five second place finishes in the Bugs-R-Gone Trucks this season, Warsaw’s Jack Large, who was the heat winner, drove into victory lane for the first time this year by edging points leader Kevin Potts. Jack Large led the way for the first 9 laps as Potts inched past on lap ten but the Performance Auto #x07 reclaimed the point on the next lap and finish out front. John Large was right behind the two leaders for third as Gordon Zimmer and Jerry Gardner rounded out the top five.

Coming out of turn four at the end of lap two of the Wedge feature, Destiny Bates and Richville’s Cody Stillion made contact with Bates spinning and bringing out the caution. On the restart, Stillion and his A-1 Towing #25 pulled away from the field and score his second win of the season and increase his points lead. Braxton Wilson held on to second as Bates was closing fast with Hannah Rose and Tristen Brown filling out the top five. The girls ruled the heat races as Bates and Rose were the winners.

The next action at Hilltop Speedway will be Thursday, June 28th with the UNOH All Star Sprint Speedweek in town with the Raceday Photos Modifieds in action with an increase in their purse. Race time will be at 8 pm. There will be no racing at Hilltop Speedway on Saturday, June 30th.
 
HILLTOP SPEEDWAY SUMMARY
June 23, 2012
HOLMES TIRE LATE MODELS  (15)
Fast Qualifier   George Lee  14.455
Dash        Mark Gardiner, Lee, Charlie Duncan, Brad Malcuit
Heat   1    Ryan Markham, Bryan Casey, Eric Smitley, Blaine Aber, Hiriam Bachmann, April Snyder
Heat   2    JR Gentry, Aaron Phillis, Wayne Maffett Jr., Keith Tish, DJ Cline (dns)
Feature    Gentry, Duncan, Smitley, Maffett Jr., Malcuit, Casey, Phillis, Aber, Gardiner, Bachmann, Tish, Snyder, Markham, Lee, Cline (dns)
 
RACEDAY PHOTOS MODIFIEDS  (16)
Fast Qualifier   John Sluka   16.246
Dash        Norm Aronhalt, Beau Bradley, Sluka, Bruce Miller
Heat   1    Jimmy Smith, Rick Mardis, Eddie Wilson, Kevin Shairer, Mike Hutchinson, Justin Morey
Heat   2    Vic Hottinger, Jason Graham, Ryan West, Eddie Rose, Kevin Davis, Eric Singhaus
Feature    Smith, West, Aronhalt, Hottinger, Sluka, Bradley, Miller, Wilson, Shairer, Morey, Graham, Davis, Hutchinson, Singhaus, Mardis (dns), Rose (dns)
 
STREET STOCKS  (14)
Heat   1   Kyle Moore, Brandon Gardner, Joe Spearman, Tink Wilson, Tom Wilson, Dave Giaugue, Robert Smith
Heat   2   Kenny Daughriety Jr., Jeremy Dickerson, Brandon Craver, Bob Chilcote, Charlie Dawson, Jason Shairer, Bob Fry
Feature   Gardner, Daughriety Jr., Craver, Dickerson, Spearman, Chilcote, Dawson, Moore, Shairer, Fry, To. Wilson, Smith, Ti. Wilson, Giaugue
 
MINI STOCKS  (15)
Heat   1   Jerry Adkins, Terry Adkins, Doug Hensel, JR Carpenter, Kevin Markey, Tim Dockery, Dustin Daugherty, Kenny Long
Heat   2   Gary Hensel Jr., Greg Thompson, Brett Adkins, Brad Hensel, Matt Kemp, Jason St. John, Arlen Kemp
Feature   Hensel Jr., T. Adkins, J. Adkins, B. Hensel, Thompson, B. Adkins, D. Hensel, St. John, Carpenter, M. Kemp, Dockery, Markey, Daugherty, Long, A. Kemp
 
BUGS-R-GONE TRUCKS  (9)
Heat   1   Jack Large, Kevin Potts, David Potts, John Large, Jerry Gardner, Gordon Zimmer, Brad Phillips, Ben Brannon, Logan Brannon
Feature   Ja. Large, K. Potts, Jo. Large, Zimmer, Gardner, B. Brannon, L. Brannon, D. Potts, Phillips
 
WEDGES  (9)
Heat   1   Destiny Bates, Cody Stillion, Braxton Wilson, Tristen Brown, Nick Large
Heat   2   Hannah Rose, Taylor Huggins, Evan Large, Logan Burns
Feature   Stillion, Wilson, Bates, Rose, Brown, Huggins, N. Large, E. Large, Burns