Hilltop Speedway
July 28, 2012
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MAFFETT JR. MASTERFUL IN HILLTOP LATE MODEL WIN; ELSON, DICKERSON, ST. JOHN, K. POTTS & BATES RETURN TO VICTORY CIRCLE

by Mike Swanger
MILLERSBURG, OH (July 28) - A late afternoon shower put the racing surface of Hilltop Speedway into excellent condition and made for another night of fast and furious action in all divisions. The Holmes Tire Late Model main was like last week’s race with the top three less than a second apart for all 25 laps but this week it was Mansfield’s Wayne Maffett Jr., George Lee and Ryan Markham in the hunt for the win. Charlie Duncan and Maffett Jr., the heat winners, brought the field to the green flag as Maffett Jr. grabbed the point as dash winner Ryan Markham and quick timer George Lee slipped past Duncan on lap two. Markham and Lee would go the next half dozen laps side by side before Lee took control of second on lap eight. As Maffett Jr. ran the low groove and Lee running his favorite high line through the middle laps of the race, Maffett Jr. decided to put his Sluss Realty, Fultz Fabrication and Lucas-Day Racing #40 to the high side and block Lee’s path. For the second week in a row, Lee would have to try different lines to get past the leader as Markham would continue to be right behind the two front runners. With the laps winding down, Lee was able to get along side Maffett Jr. coming out of the corners but Maffett Jr. had Lee covered down the straightaways. With the crowd on their feet at the checkered flag, Maffett Jr. held on for his first win of the season with Lee second and Markham third as those three were just .75 of a second apart. With most eyes on the top three, there was a great race for fourth as ninth starting Eric Smitley and Duncan dueled the last half of the race with Smitley securing fourth with three laps to go as Duncan settled for fifth.

After a couple of aborted starts, Nathan Loney set the pace for the first lap of the Raceday Photos Modified feature before sixth starting and fast qualifier Lance Elson roared past on lap two with dash winner Kevin Morehouse taking second a circuit later. Those two would leave the rest of the field in the distance as Morehouse tried to stay with the Unique Walls & Ceilings and Mack’s Dry Wall #17e of Elson but the closest he could get was on the restarts of following a couple of cautions on laps seven and eleven. It would be Elson’s second win of the year as the Wellsburg WVa won the Renegades of Dirt May race at Hilltop and is ready for next weeks RoD show. Jimmy Smith finished third as points leader Ryan West claimed fourth with Beau Bradley in fifth. Heat winners were Loney, Bradley and Smith.

After a couple weeks of mechanical issues, Mansfield’s Jeremy Dickerson had his Ohio Door & Sash, Imperial Truck & Repair and Lias Tires #44d back together as he took the outside front row starting position and pulled away from the Street Stock field to collect his fifth feature win of the season at Hilltop. The race for second was a back and forth battle all race long between Joe Spearman and John Wilson with Spearman winning that tussle as Tony Cline was right behind that pair for fourth. After causing a caution on lap five, points leader Kenny Daughriety Jr. hustled back to finish fifth. Spearman and Dickerson notched the heat wins.

It was side by side and back and forth for the two heat winners of the Mini Stocks with Jason St. John being scored the leader of the first three laps of the feature with points leader Terry Adkins leading the way for the next five laps before St. John reclaimed the lead for the final four laps as the Glenmont driver would put the Tobacco Hut, Palmer Mechanical Contractors and Finish Line Auto Body & Towing #45 into victory circle for the second week in a row. Jerry Adkins ran a strong third as Moose Workman held off Brett Adkins for fourth.

Gordon Zimmer led the way for the opening five laps of the Bugs-R-Gone Truck main and that’s when Sunbury’s Kevin Potts took over for the rest of the race and place the Tickets Galore, Welders on Wheels and JWC Electrical Services #8k in victory lane for the 7th time this season. That ties him with Jeff Funk for the most wins in one year in the Trucks. Zimmer held off David Potts for second as Tom Garlick ran fourth as 80 year old Jim Large finished fifth. Zimmer and John Large won the heats but Large’s truck had mechanical woes as he finished the heat and did not start the feature.

Coshocton’s Destinie Bates and Cody Stillion won the heats of the Putt-N-Stuff Wedges to start up front for their feature but it was Bates (aka the Throttle Monster) leading all the way in her A&B Roofing, Moose Lodge #935 and Elliot’s Excavating #500 for her second win. Stillion ran second as Braxton Wilson beat out Triston Brown for third as first timer Konner Thomas filled out the top five.

A BIG Saturday night is on tap for August 4th as it will be Kid’s Night, the Renegades of Dirt Modified series plus a OOM Quad shootout and all the regular class’ on hand at Hilltop Speedway. Check out the website at www.hilltopspeedway.org for all the news at the track.

HILLTOP SPEEDWAY RESULTS
Saturday, July 28, 2012
HOLMES TIRE LATE MODELS - 14 Cars
Fast Qualifier George Lee 14.709
Dash Ryan Markham, Lee, Rick Bond, Justin Chance
Heat 1 Charlie Duncan, JR Gentry, Eric Smitley, Blaine Aber, Aaron Phillis
Heat 2 Wayne Maffett Jr., Dave Hornikel, Mike Lonas, Cody Smith, Hiriam Bachmann
Feature Maffett Jr., Lee, Markham, Smitley, Duncan, Lonas, Chance, Bond, Aber, Phillis, Smith, Gentry, Hornikel, Bachmann

RACEDAY PHOTOS MODIFIEDS - 21 Cars
Fast Qualifier Lance Elson 15.883
Dash Kevin Morehouse, Ryan West, Elson, Vic Hottinger
Heat 1 Nathan Loney, Denny Benjamin, Jeff Dovenbarger, Rick Mardis, John Sluka, Eddie Wilson
Heat 2 Beau Bradley, Rob Melzer, Bob Page, Vern Mardis, Ron Kahler, DeWayne Wright
Heat 3 Jimmy Smith, Robin Duston, Mark Gardiner, Justin Morey, Jason Morey
Feature Elson, Morehouse, Smith, West, Bradley, Hottinger, Duston, Benjamin, Melzer, Page, Kahler, Wright, Loney, Dovenbarger, Gardiner, R. Mardis, V. Mardis, Ju. Morey, Ja. Morey, Sluka, Wilson (dns)

STREET STOCKS - 16 Cars
Heat 1 Joe Spearman, John Wilson, Bob Chilcote, Tony Cline, Robert Smith, Jason Shairer, Heath Jessup, Dave Giaugue
Heat 2 Jeremy Dickerson, Kenny Daughriety Jr., Dustin Warner, Tim Coen, Dave McMillen, Scott Richardson, Brandon Welker, Mark Ferguson
Feature Dickerson, Spearman, Wilson, Cline, Daughriety Jr., Warner, McMillen, Coen, Giaugue, Jessup, Welker, Smith, Richardson, Chilcote, Shairer, Ferguson (dns)

MINI STOCKS - 16 Cars
Heat 1 Jason St. John, Jerry Adkins, Moose Workman, Jordon James, Matt Kemp, Mike Beckert, Greg Thompson, Tim Workman
Heat 2 Terry Adkins, Brett Adkins, JR Carpenter, Elliot Robinson, Tim Dockery, Jason King, Logan Martin, Kevin Markey
Feature St. John, T. Adkins, J. Adkins, M. Workman, B. Adkins, James, Markey, King, Robinson, Carpenter, Kemp, Beckert, Dockery, T. Workman, Martin (dns), Thompson (dns)

BUGS-R-GONE TRUCKS - 10 Trucks
Heat 1 John Large, David Potts, Kevin Potts, Jim Large, Cole Lillibridge
Heat 2 Gordon Zimmer, Tom Garlick, Brad Phillips, Jerry Gardner, Dustin Miller
Feature K. Potts, Zimmer, D. Potts, Garlick, Ji. Large, Phillips, Miller, Lillibridge, Gardner (dns), Jo. Large (dns)

PUTT-N-STUFF WEDGES -13 Cars
Heat 1 Destinie Bates, Triston Brown, Taylor Huggins, Triston Lillibridge, Josey Lillibridge, Evan Large
Heat 2 Cody Stillion, Braxton Wilson, Brayden Morey, Kyler Kidd, Nick Large, Logan Duncan, Konner Thomas
Feature Bates, Stillion, Wilson, Brown, Thomas, Huggins, Kidd, J. Lillibridge, J. Lillibridge, Morey, N. Large, Duncan,