Watson, Hitt Take Career Firsts At Elkins

(Kerens, W.V. 05-08-15) The second week of racing is now in the books at the Elkins Raceway. Car counts and fans grew in numbers. And two Mini Wedge graduates win their first career ‘upper class’ features!
In the Jenkins Ford Super Late Models, Steve Wilmoth and Gary Dalton shared prelim honors. At the drop of the green, S Wilmoth Billy Holbert, Dalton, Tim Senic and Paul Wilmoth filled the top five slots. P. Wilmoth hoping to make it two wins in a row, motored to fourth on lap three. The first stoppage came on lap nine when Robert Smith looped his mount in turn four. Racing continued as Dalton and P. Wilmoth battled for third. The two made hard contact, dropping Dalton two spots, and Wilmoth fell drastically. S. Wilmoth continued to show the way with Holbert applying pressure, but could not make a successful bid. S. Wilmoth driving the NAPA of Clarksburg / Quicktime Suspension ‪#‎S1‬ collected his first win of the season. Holbert crossed the stripe in second. Senic was third. Cody Hardesty and Bob Gordon were fourth and fifth.
It almost looked to be a ‘repeat’ in the Budweiser FASTRAK finale. Shawn Jett driving the crate motor #S1 owned by Steve Wilmoth, grabbed the point with Derek Rogers, Daniel Hill, Tyler Stutler and Chad Green in tow. Jett looked poised to put the Wilmoth team car into victory circle, as he turned back every thing Rogers could throw at him. After a lap one yellow, the race stayed green until lap 14. Greg Hicks broke loose coming out of turn four brining out the caution. On the restart, Rogers got under Jett and gained the lead, but another yellow voided the pass. With the green waving again, Rogers pulled door handle to door handle. The duo fought for the spot when Rogers gained the advantage on lap 16. The Amos Paving / Insure America #23 of Rogers collected his first checkerboard since week 4 of 2013. Jett had to settle for second. Hill, (last week’s winner >) Garrett Paugh, and Green completed the top five.
The Performance Motors Modifieds had an interloper in the pits. Veteran of the AMRA wars, Nick Corbitt made the long tow from Waverly. Corbitt blasted to the front at the outset. But Dave Defibaugh snagged the spot on lap one. Defibaugh held Corbitt at bay, while sixth starting (for winning last week) Brent Trimble moved to third by lap six. On the next go round Trimble passed Corbitt and set his sites on Defibaugh. Just as last week, with the laps dwindling, the scene was the same. Defibaugh first, Trimble second. But unlike last week the track ahead of them was clear. The front pair roared into turn four, Trimble drifting to the high side. As the duo exited turn four, Trimble, in the H & R Block Multiservices / Estel Contracting ‪#‎1B‬ scored his second checkers in a row. Defibaugh again was the bridesmaid. Corbitt crossed in third. Matthew Chenoweth and Thomas Sigler were fourth and fifth.
In the West Virginia Pools Street Stocks Bryan Mitchell made his first outing. He used his outside pole starting position to his advantage. When the green unfurled Mitchell out dragged Ryan Watson to turn one. Mitchell, the defending track Champion, lead the entire distance for the apparent win. But in post race inspection, Mitchell suffered the double whammy. He was too light at the scales and had illegal parts. That would now give Ryan Watson, driving the John S. Watson Trucking / Lost Creek Salvage #93 his first career Street Stock victory. That also moved Chad Judy to second. John Tallman Jr. to third. Fourth would be opening night winner Anthony Arbogast. And Brad Harris rounded out the top five.
In what started as a seemily drama free Miller’s Used Cars Mod Lite feature, was quickly changed on lap six. The former two time Mini Wedge and defending Mod Lite track Champion, Logan Hitt, was running comfortably in fifth place. Then, karma steps in. The top four cars were involved in a wreck in turns one and two. That gave Hitt the front spot. But it still wasn’t a given. Hitt drove a flawless remainder of the feature. He held off a late challenge from Tyler Riggs to claim his first career Mod Lite checkerboard. Riggs crossed the line in second. While Beau Newlon, John Cogar, and Ron Harris filled out the top five.
On a normal night the B C T Construction Mini Wedges can set the tone for the evening’s racing. Thankfully this week, it wasn’t the case. As the A group feature was completing lap one, a number of karts got together on the front chute stopping the race. Last weeks winner Abby Watson was one of the drivers involved. Unfortunately, Abby complained of back and neck pain and was transported to the Hospital for evaluation. Painfully, but thankfully a case of ‘whiplash’ was the culprit. Hopefully Abby will be back quickly. When the racing continued, Paije Bragg (defending track Champion) in the John Watson Trucking / Taylor Construction #8 would grab her first win of the season. Garrett Jones, Haley Mahoney, Khole Howell, and Brett Coberly were the remainder of the top five.
In the ‘B’ group, Abbie Hudler – Pennington driving the Tommy Pennington Racing #37, in only her second outing would win her first career feature. Last week’s winner Blake Runyon was second. Third was Pressley Wilt. Fourth and fifth went to Kelsey Tincher and Madison Taylor.
Jenkins Ford Super Late Models (16):
Heat 1: Steve Wilmoth, Billy Holbert, Tim Senic, Cody Hardesty, Skip Hare, Bob Gordon. DNS; Nick Corley, Dusty Swecker.
Heat 2: Gary Dalton, Charlie George, Paul Wilmoth Jr., Chuck Harper, Dusty Hamrick, Shane Hitt, Shaun Poling, Robert Smith.
Feature: S. Wilmoth, Holbert, Senic, Hardesty, Gordon, Dalton, Hamrick, Hare, Harper, P. Wilmoth, George, Hitt, Poling, Smith. DNS; Corley, Swecker
Budweiser FASTRAK (14)
Heat 1: Shawn Jett, Derek Rogers, Tyler Stutler, Garrett Paugh, Troy Frazier, Trey Watson, Andy Spooner.
Heat 2: Daniel Hill, Chad Green, Jamie McCloud, Greg Hicks, Joe Bowie, Brian Youtzy, Corey Metheny.
Feature: Rogers, Jett, Hill, Paugh, Green, Stutler, McCloud, Frazier, Spooner, Watson, Hicks, Bowie, Metheny, Youtzy.
Performance Motors Modifieds (17)
Heat 1; Brent Trimble, Nick Corbitt, Dave Defibaugh, Thomas Sigler, Dustin Isner, Robin Maxson, Tyler Payne, Kenny Rowback, Chase Thacker.
Heat 2; Matthew Chenoweth, Josh Revels, Randy Bohan, Larry Atha, Keith Miller, Bill VanDeVander, James Nelson, Sam Henderson.
Feature: Trimble, Defibaugh, Corbitt, Chenoweth, Sigler, Bohan, Isner, Atha, VanDeVander, Maxson, Miller, Revels, Henderson, Nelson, Thacker, Payne. DNS: Rowback.
West Virginia Pools Street Stocks (12)
Heat 1: Ryan Watson, Chad Judy, Jamie Keene, Brad Harris, Rick Knicely, Teresa Vaughan.
Heat 2: Anthony Arbogast, John Tallman Jr., Chad McLean, Ryan Gum, Zach Bohan. DQed: Bryan Mitchell.
Feature: Watson, Judy, Tallman, Arbogast, Harris, McLean, Keene, Vaughan, Bohan, Knicely, Gum. DQed: Mitchell.
Miller’s Used Cars Mod Lites (9)
Heat 1: Tyler Riggs, John Cogar, Dean Ward, Ron Harris, Taylor Espinoza.
Heat 2; Mitch Ward, Beau Newlon, Logan Hitt, Zak Kimbrew.
Feature: Hitt, Riggs, Newlon, #26, Harris, D. Ward, Espinoza, M. Ward. DNS: Kimbrew.
B C T Construction Mini Wedges (20)
B Group Feature: Abbie Hudler – Pennington, Blake Runyon, Pressley Wilt, Kelsey Tincher, Madison Taylor. Heat: Runyon.
A Group Feature: Paije Bragg, Garrett Jones, Haley Mahoney, Khole Howell, Brett Coberly, Ryan Hare, Wayne Bonner, Mitch Thomas, Haley Smith, Colby Hutton, Braydon Beachler, Abby Watson, Allen Bonner, Grant Hutton, Kolbe Kimbrew.
Heats: Watson, Beachler.