Elkins Raceway
July 6, 2014
_______________________________________

New faces find in victory circle at Elkins Raceway

KERENS, WV (July 4) - Another great crowd saw new faces in victory circle as Friday Night Thunder was presented by West Virginia Pools at the Elkins Raceway. And lot of happy kids went home with fists full of candy courtesy of Mountain Valley Bank.

In the Jenkins Ford Super Late Models, Gary Dalton and Bob Gordon grabbed the heat wins. As the green flag dropped, Gordon jumped to the lead with Dalton, Billy Holbert, Chuck Harper and Shane Hitt in tow. Cody Hardesty made his way into the top four by lap four. Gordon continued to hit his marks lap after lap. In a caution free 25 lapper, Gordon, driving the Kevin Roy Trucking / B B & T Auto Crushers #31, snared his first win since July 23, 2010. Dalton, Holbert, Hardesty and Tim Senic would finish second through fifth.

On the second try at green, Greg Hicks out ran Jamie McCloud to the point in the Budweiser FASTRAK feature. With Hicks showing the way, sixth starting Shawn Jett began to move forward. On lap three Jett was in third, and motored to second on lap five. Jett could not reel in Hicks as the circuits clicked off. A caution with two go rounds to go, gave Jett the break he needed. But when racing resumed, Jett could not make a bid for the lead. Hicks piloting the Corridor H Tire / Triple E Services #1H got his first win almost a year. His last came July 12, 2013. Jett had to settle for second. Kyle Thomas crossed in third. Matt Lopez and Kris Southern were fourth and fifth.

In the Fast 'N Friendly Pharmacy Modifieds, Dave Defibaugh took the lead at the outset and never relinquished it. Although he was never seriously challenged, Defibaugh had a pack of hungry dogs nipping at his heels. When the checkers fell, Defibaugh in the Bob's Mini Mart / D & B Enterprises #77 claimed his third win. Brent Trimble, Shawn Davis, Phill Jeffries, and Mike Murphy finished close behind.

For the second week in a row, the Miller's Used Cars Street Stocks had yellow fever. Although this week they did get the full distance in. John Tallman Jr. snared the front spot at the outset, but Brian Mitchell took it away on lap one. Mitchell continued to command, but Scott Bittinger climbed from his eighth starting spot and began to apply pressure to Mitchell. But on lap seven, Bittinger came around in turn two reliving the pressure. Anthony Arbogast closed in late but could not make a bid for the lead. It was the Wizard Race Cars / Performance Engineering #M1 first win of the year. Arbogast crossed in second. Ryan Watson, Tallman, and Rick Knicley were third through fifth.

The actual second red flag of the night happened in heat two for the Street Stocks as Kenny Vest launched over another car in turn one flipping and his car destroying it. Vest was taken to the hospital for observation, but is reportedly sore but ok.

In the High Lines Oversize Load Escorting Mod Lites, Beau Newlon would lead wire to wire enroute to his first checkerboard since June 21, 2013. The Newlon International #1 bested Travis Harper, Randy Kerns, Logan Hitt, and Trey Watson.

The first red flag of the night came in heat one of the Mod Lites, As Beau Newlon, Ryan Harris, and Trey Watson were battling three wide down the back chute, they touched. resulting in Harris flipping and barrel rolled multiple times. The chassis and cage done it's job perfectly. Ryan walked away, sore but unhurt.

Paije Bragg fended off Garrett Jones in the Darren's Pizza Shack Mini Wedges in their heat and again in the feature to put her John Watson Trucking / Taylor Truck and Dozer Service #8 in victory lane for the fourth time. Braydon Beachler, Brett Coberly and Ryan Gum completed the top five.

The 7-4-14 Summary;

Super Late Models (10); Bob Gordon, Gary Dalton, Billy Holbert, Cody Hardesty, Tim Senic, Chuck Harper, Shane Hitt, Steve Wilmoth, Shawn Poling, Vince Toler.

Heat 1: Dalton, Harper, Hitt, Poling, Toler.
Heat 2: Gordon, Holbert, Hardesty, Senic, Wilmoth.

FASTRAK (14): Greg Hicks, Shawn Jett, Kyle Thomas, Matt Lopez, Kris Southern, Garrett Paugh, Corey Metheny, Henry Hornsby III, Chad Green, Travis Brown, Gary May, Jamie McCloud, Mike Ball, Joey Jenkins.

Heat 1: McCloud, Hicks, Lopez, Green, Metheny, Hornsby, May.
Heat 2: Thomas, Paugh, Jett, Brown, Southern, Jenkins, Ball.

Modifieds (17): Dave Defibaugh [3], Brent Trimble, Shawn Davis, Phill Jeffries, Mike Murphy, Robert Smith, Dustin Isner, Matthew Chenoweth, Randy Bohan, Nick Wilson, Josh Revels, Ronnie Tincher, Kenny Rowback, Larry Atha, Emerson Payne, Robin Maxson. DNS; James Nelson.

Heat 1: Trimble, Defibaugh, Maxson, Payne, Tincher, Jeffries, Bohan, Nelson, Murphy.
Heat 2: Davis, Smith, Isner, Revels, Rowback, Atha, Wilson, Chenoweth.

Street Stocks (18): Brian Mitchell, Anthony Arbogast, Ryan Watson, John Tallman Jr., Rick Knicley, Samantha Rogers, Chad Todd, R D Isner, Jamie Keene, Brian Blake, Josh Rovello, Josh Mullenax, Ricky Vest, Scott Bittinger, Brian Youtzy, Teresa Vaughn, Richard Moats. DNS: Kenny Vest.

Heat 1: Tallman, Mitchell, Arbogast, Knicley, Keene, R. Vest, Todd, Youtzy, Isner.
Heat 2: Bittinger, Watson, Mullenax, Rogers, Vaughn, Rovello, Blake, K. Vest, Moats.

Mod Lites (8): Beau Newlon, Travis Harper, Randy Kerns, Logan Hitt, Trey Watson, A J Spagnuolo, Ritchie McCauley. DNS; Ryan Harris.

Heat 1: Newlon, McCauley, Watson, Harris.
Heat 2: Harper, Kerns, Hitt, Spagnuolo.

Mini Wedges (11): Paije Bragg [4], Garret Jones, Braydon Beachler, Brett Coberly, Ryan Gum, Abby Watson, Allen Bonner, Khole Howell, Wayne Bonner, Colby Hutton, Ryan Hare.

Heat 1: Watson, Beachler, Hare, Coberly, W. Bonner, Hutton.
Heat 2: Bragg, Jones, Gum, A. Bonner, Howell.

*Note for feature starting lineups. At Elkins Raceway there is a "last weeks winner inversion" in place. It states " when a driver wins his / her feature, on their next visit they will start eighth in their next feature." Specials do not apply.

** Next week, July 11,12, Budweiser presents the 4th annual Elkins Raceway Legends Memorial weekend. On Friday night is the 4th annual Jim Hitt Memorial for the Jenkins Ford Super Late Models battling for $5,000 to win, with $300 to start. Plus it will be Breast Cancer Awareness Night. On Saturday is the 4th annual Richard Skidmore Memorial for the Jenkins Ford Super Lates squaring off for another $5,000, and $300 to start. If a driver can sweep the weekend he will pocket a cool $2,000 bonus! On Friday Robbie Scott is awarding the fast qualifier $180 in memory of his Dad, Bob Scott. On Saturday the Skidmore family will hand the fast qualifier $200 in memory of the patriarch Richard.

Also on both nights, the Budweiser FASTRAK Late Models will battle for $1,000 to win. The Fast 'N Friendly Pharmacy Modifieds vie for $600 to win. The Miller's Used Cars Street Stocks will race for $400 to win. The High Lines Oversize Load Escorting Mod Lites will be racing for $300 to win. All classes will have increased payouts down through. The Darren's Pizza Shack Mini Wedges will start the evening off both nights. In addition: on Saturday, Elkins Raceway's famous Fireworks display!

General admission for Friday and Saturday is $15. But if you bring your wrist band Saturday (July 12) from Friday (July 11) you will receive $5 off!

Previous winners of the Jim Hitt Memorial: 2011 Jared Hawkins, 2012 Jason Covert, 2013 Butch McGill.

Previous winners of the Richard Skidmore Memorial: 2011 Jacob Hawkins, 2012 Paul Wilmoth Jr., 2013 Paul Wilmoth Jr.