Harper Takes Super Win At Elkins

By Jeff Yost

(Kerens, W.V. 07-25-15) The Mid Season Championship originally scheduled for July 3 finally got into the record books this week. Presented by Jody Parrack of State Farm Insurance. Double points night gave a very good crowd some edge of your seat side by side racing.
After Shane Hitt and Cody Hardesty notched heat wins in the Jenkins Ford Super Late Models, it took two tries get the feature under way. On the second try Chuck Harper jumped to the point with Hardesty, Billy Holbert, Bob Gordon and Hitt in tow. [Elkins Raceway policy is: When a driver wins a ’regular’ race, the following week (or next regular night of racing) the driver will start sixth in the feature, regardless what he accomplishes in his heat]. Harper smoothly maneuvered around the 3/8 mile as laps clicked off. Tim Senic moved into the top five on lap 10. Harper continued to pace the field as he built a full straight away cushion by lap 20. Behind him, Holbert and Hardesty had been battling for second, when Holbert pinned Hardesty behind a lapped car on circuit 21 to gain the spot. An emotional Harper scored his first win since August of 2014. The J C Distributing / J Rods Vending ‪#‎00H‬ crossed far ahead of Holbert, Hardesty, Gordon, Senic.
Daniel Hill blasted to the lead at the drop of the green in the Budweiser FASTRAK feature. Hill left little doubt that he was on a mission, after being disqualified last weekend for illegal valve spring height. Behind him Duane Moreland (driving the Tommy Pennington owned #37, normally driven by Jamie McCloud) and Derrick Shaw raged a war side by side. On lap nine, Jason Skipper got loose in turn two, and came around right in front of Hill. Hill had nowhere to go and slammed his right rear into the nose of Skipper. It resulting in Hills right rear wheel coming off ending his evening. Handing the lead to Moreland. Shaw turned up the heat as the front duo raced door to door as Shaw gained the advantage on lap 14, but a yellow voided the attempt. Back under green the battled played on. The remaining laps were side by side, as Moreland edged Shaw at the stripe for the win. It was the driver of the #37 Miller’s Used Cars / McDonalds of Elkins first victory since August 26, 2011. Following Maynerd across the line was Shaw, Greg Hicks, Kris Southern and Chad Green.
In the Performance Motors Modifieds, Dave Defibaugh shot to the lead with Randy Bohan, Steve Stover, Brent Trimble and Matthew Chenoweth close behind. A quick yellow on lap two bunched the field back up as Trimble took third on the restart. Trimble then began to apply pressure to Bohan, and took second, but a yellow on lap six for Chenoweth, who had a flat tire nullified the pass. On the restart Trimble got by Bohan and began to work on Defibaugh. Where have we seen this before? Trimble looked under Defibaugh on lap eight, no dice. On lap nine they were door to door, with Trimble inside and Defibaugh outside. A last stoppage came on lap 10. On the restart Trimble looked to the outside, again nothing there. On the next go round Trimble went to the inside, Defibaugh gave him plenty of racing room as Trimble gained the advantage. The ‪#‎1B‬ H & R Block / T & C Motorsports Photography notched his ninth win. That eclipses the previous most wins in s single season in the Modifieds. Set by Brent with 8 in 2013. For the seventh time Defibaugh was second to cross the stripe. Jesse Rupe was third, Bohan was fourth and Stover was fifth.
On the second try at green John Tallman Jr. grabbed the point, but as the train entered turn three , Tallman slowed and moved to the top rolling to a stop as the spring on the fuel pump broke.. That gave Zach Bohan the front spot. On lap two Jamie Keene poured on the steam as she was all over Bohan’s decklid. On the next go round Keene overtook Bohan for the slot. Yellows on laps three, restart, four, eleven, and thirteen slowed the race but not Keene. The Stewart’s Sanitation / Ryan’s Auto Repair #56 has been so close numerous times. But Friday night was her’s. It was the Belington’s driver’s first career win. Jamie became only the fourth female driver to win a ‘big’ car feature. Pam Coffman (Pure Stock) was the first in the mid 90’s. Teresa Vaughan (Pure Stock) in 2008, and Deana Groves (Modifieds) 2010. Completing the top five were, Bohan, Brad Harris, Erin Ramsey, and Ryan Watson.
With only six signing in in the Miller’s Used Cars Mod Lites, there was a feature only run. Mitch Ward driving the Ward’s welding and Fabrication / E & S Contracting #862 collected his fourth checkerboard. John Cogar, Zak Kimbrew, Logan Hitt, and Dean Ward filled out the top five.
The B C T Construction sponsored class has changed it’s name. The young guns of tomorrow are now the Mini Mods. The makeup feature from last Saturday stared the evening off. Paije Bragg in her John Watson Trucking / Taylor Construction #8 would notch her second trip to victory lane. Abby Watson, Grant Hutton, Braydon Beachler, and Brett Coberly.
In the “A” Group, Abby Watson and Paije Bragg swapped the lead nearly every turn. One would take the spot as the other would cross over and retake the spot. Coming to the stripe, Watson in the John Watson Trucking / High Lines Escorting Service #93 claimed her fifth win. Watson bested Bragg, Mitch Thomas, Garrett Jones, and Khole Howell.
In the B C T Construction Mini Mod “B” Group, Blake Runyon returned with a vengeance as he collected his fifth first place trophy. Pressley Wilt, Abbie Hudler – Pennington, Madison Taylor and Kelsey Tincher finished the top five.
Jenkins Ford Super Late Models (14)
Heat 1: Shane Hitt (3), Chuck Harper, Bob Gordon, Tim Senic, Steve Wilmoth, Billy Brown, Louie Krushansky.
Heat 2: Cody Hardesty (3), Billy Holbert, Skip Hare, Shaun Poling, Bob Hershman, Nick Corley, Charlie George.
Feature: Harper, Holbert, Hardesty, Gordon, Senic, Hitt, Wilmoth, Hershman, Poling, Brown, Krushansky, Corley, George, Hare.
Budweiser FASTRAK Late Models (15)
Heat 1: Duane Moreland, Greg Hicks, Chad Green, Trey Watson, Stanley Spooner, Jason Skipper, Brian Youtzy, Tyler Stutler.
Heat 2: Daniel Hill (6), Derrick Shaw, Kris Southern, Jason Defibaugh, Billy Conrad, Jonathon Sines, Troy Frazier.
Feature: Moreland, Shaw, Hicks, Southern, Green, Defibaugh, Watson, Stutler, Frazier, Spooner, Sines, Youtzy, Hill, Skipper, Conrad.
Performance Motors Modifieds (16)
Heat 1: Dave Deffenbaugh (5), Brent Trimble, Steve Stover, Jesse Rupe, Robin Maxson, James Nelson, Larry Atha, Tracy Cooper.
Heat 2: Randy Bohan (4), Matthew Chenoweth, Dustin Isner, Josh Revels, Keith Miller, Bob Williams, Bill VanDeVander, Tyler Payne.
Feature: Trimble (9), Defibaugh, Rupe, Bohan, Stover, Isner, Nelson, Atha, Miller, VanDeVander, Maxson, Revels, Payne, Chenoweth, Williams, Cooper.
West Virginia Pools Street Stocks (14)
Heat 1: Zach Bohan, Jamie Keene, Brad Harris, Ryan Watson, Spec Yokum, Erin Ramsey, Anthony Arbogast.
Heat 2: John Tallman Jr., Rick Knicely, Josh Rovello, Chad McLean, Josh Mullenax, Robert Isner, John Tallman Jr. DNS: Ryan Gum.
Feature: Keene, Bohan, Harris, Ramsey, Watson, Knicely, Arbogast, Yokum, Mullenax,
McLean, Rovello, Isner, Tallman. DNS: Gum

Miller’s Used Cars Mod Lites (6)
Feature: Mitch Ward, John Cogar, Zak Kimbrew, Logan Hitt, Dean Ward . DNS: Ryan Harris
B C T Construction Mini Mods “A” Group (16)
Feature: Abby Watson (5), Paije Bragg, Mitch Thomas, Garrett Jones, Khole Howell, Ryan Hare, Braydon Beachler, Wayne Bonner, Alan Bonner, Grant Hutton, Dalton Goode, Luke Hyre, Colby Hutton, Dystonie Simmons, Brett Coberly, Haley Mahoney.
Heats: Mahoney (5), Thomas (2).
B C T Construction Mini Mods “B” Group (5)
Feature: Blake Runyon (5), Presley Wilt, Abbie Hudler – Pennington, Madison Taylor, Kelsey Tincher.
Heat: Runyon (5)