Gentry Streaks To Third Win In A Row At Hilltop
6 min readBy Mike Swanger
JR Gentry has been on a roll the last few weeks and he kept it going on Season Championship night at Hilltop Speedway Saturday night as he was the fast qualifier, won the dash, and lead all the way in the feature for the Holmes Tire Late Models driving the El Campensino Restaurant, Schaffer Oil and Weekley Electric #14. Mike Lonas led the field into turn one at the start but as they came out of turn two, Gentry powered his way past Lonas with George Lee on his tail as Ty Myers, Lonas, Brad Malcuit and 7th starting Charlie Duncan were bunched together for third. Duncan suffered a flat tire on lap 12 but would return and two laps later, Lonas and Malcuit went pitside with flats and not return to the race track. Duncan would work his back up using the extreme low line through the corners and challenge Myers for third as Wooster’s Gentry was still being shadowed by Lee. Lee tried the low line a couple of times to get past Gentry to no avail. With four laps to go Duncan cleared Myers for third and then as all four went into turn four with the checkered flag raised, Lee bounced off the wall to allow Duncan and Myers both to get by and end up second and third with Lee hanging on to fourth with Kyle Moore collecting fifth as Gentry posted his third win in a row. Duncan won the heat race and just by starting the feature, locked up his second Hilltop Speedway crown.
The Raceday Photo Modified main was caution filled as almost everyone in the field was in a skirmish of some kind. Nathan Loney won the dash to start on the pole and would set the pace for the first nine laps but when he bobbled coming out of turn four, that allowed Urichsville’s John Sluka to close in and as they went into turn one, made contact with Loney being charged with the caution as he would then go pitside. Sluka would become the race leader with Vic Hottinger, Matt Samples, Robin Duston , Jeff Votaw and fast qualifier Norm Aronhalt in pursuit. Following the Loney/Sluka incident, three more cautions were thrown before lap ten could get recorded as the last one was for Aronhalt, who was sent to the tail. As action finally got back to green flag action, Sluka and his Freight Station Oven Works #21j put some breathing room between himself and Samples who was fending off Hottinger for second while Aronhalt had worked his way back to fourth. They would finish in that order with Rick Mardis taking fifth. Votaw and Hottinger topped the heat races. Sluka’s win clinched his first Hilltop Championship.
Miamisburg’s Brandon Gardner and Ryan Wisecaver would win the heats of the Street Stocks to start on the front row with Kyle Dickinson joining them in a race long three way battle for the lead. Wisecarver put the early pressure on the Schaffer Oil, Innovative Graphics and GLR #27g of Gardner but Dickinson would take over second with six laps to go and tried everything he could to get by Gardner but came up short as Gardner won his 7th feature of the season and mark up his 45th win overall at Hilltop. Wisecarver, who locked up his first Hilltop Championship, held off a late run by Todd Swim finished third with Charlie Dawson taking fifth.
A big crash at the start of the Mini Stock Main wiped out five cars with Tyler Beckett ending up on his lid in the infield just past the flag stand but was ok. Once the race went green, it was all Jordan James as the Loudonville driver put the Lochevale Farms, E. A. Construction, E.A. Excavating #83 into victory lane for the sixth time this year. Chris Priebe, who was the other heat winner with James, finished seconds as Gary Hensel Jr. outdueled Jason St. John for third with Jerry Adkins filling out the top five. Brad Hensel’s sixth place finish earned him his first Hilltop Championship.
John Large led the opening seven laps of the Bugs-R-Gone Truck feature but after a caution flag, Cole Lillibridge of Warsaw motored by on the restart to park the Dillion’s Pumping Service #52 in victory lane for the 7th time this year. Kevin Potts snuck by Large on the last lap to grab second with Jerry Gardner and Brad Phillips rounded out the top five. Large and Gardner notched the heat wins. Potts, just by starting the feature won his fourth straight championship.
Destine Bates, Aiden Fritter and Tanner McLoughlin each led two laps of the A-1 feature for the Mike’s Service Mini Wedges with McLoughlin leading the most important one, the last one, to win his third feature of the season at Hilltop aboard the McLoughlin Auto Sales and 2Brothers Motorsports #59. Bates finished second as Tristen Brown locked up the points title with a third place finish. Caiden Black and Fritter filled out the top five. Braxton Wilson went flag to flag for the A-2 feature win as the Coshocton based, Morehouse Logging and A&B Constuction #28 was followed by Tyler Tennant, Logan Duncan, Danny Selway and Kryssa Beagle. Heat winners were Brown, Nick Large and McLoughlin.
Powder Puff winners were Jessica Mardis (mods), Bobbi Grandstaff (l.m.), Chelsea Chilcote (s.s.), Katie Thomas (minis), Amanda Wilson (trucks) and in the open wedge race, it was Jeff Carpenter.
The next race at Hilltop Speedway will be the Week end on the Hill September 28th and 29th. Watch the website for more info at www.hilltopspeedway.org
HILLTOP SPEEDWAY RESULTS
Saturday, August 17, 2013
HOLMES TIRE LATE MODELS
Dzugan Fire & Rescue Fast Qualifier JR Gentry 14.718
Dash Gentry, Mike Lonas, George Lee, Bryan Casey, Brad Malcuit, Ty Myers
Heat 1 Charlie Duncan, Shane McLoughlin, Hiram Bachmann, Mike Enos, Dan Snyder, Kyle Moore, Brian Giaugue, Jeff Wages, Justin Patterson
Feature JR Gentry, Charlie Duncan, Ty Myers, George Lee, Kyle Moore, Hiram Bachmann, Jeff Wages, Dan Snyder, Brian Giaugue, Bryan Casey, Brad Malcuit, Mike Lonas, Shane McLoughlin, Mike Enos, Justin Patterson
RACEDAY PHOTO MODIFIEDS
Fast Qualifier Norm Aronhalt 16.066
Dash Nathan Loney, John Sluka, Jimmy Smith, Matt Samples, Tanner Wilson, Aronhalt
Heat 1 Jeff Votaw, Jason Graham, Robin Duston, Rory Reed, Mike Mizer, Ernie Scott
Heat 2 Vic Hottinger, Denny Benjamin, Rick Mardis, Robin Lashley, Mark Enos
Feature John Sluka, Matt Samples, Vic Hottinger, Norm Aronhalt, Rick Mardis, Denny Benjamin, Rory Reed, Jason Graham, Jeff Votaw, Robin Duston, Mark Enos, Mike Mizer, Robin Lashley, Nathan Loney, Tanner Wilson, Jimmy Smith, Ernie Scott dns
STREET STOCKS
Heat 1 Brandon Gardner, Charlie Dawson, Bob Chilcote, Denny Shear, Chaz O’Dell, Gary Hensel Sr., Brian Simpson, Milton Smith, Allan Hixon, Jon Preston
Heat 2 Ryan Wisecarver, Kyle Dickinson, Todd Swim, Quinten Lewis, Jason Shairer, Cliff Staley, Mark Fergunson, Brad Parker, John Wilson
Feature Brandon Gardner, Kyle Dickinson, Ryan Wisecarver, Todd Swim, Charlie Dawson, John Wilson, Chaz O’Dell, Brad Parker, Denny Shear, Quinten Lewis, Gary Hensel Sr., Jason Shairer, Brian Simpson, Cliff Staley, Bob Chilcote, Allan Hixon, Mark Fergunson, Milton Smith, Jon Preston dns
MINI STOCKS
Heat 1 Jordan James, Gary Hensel Jr., Jerry Adkins, Trae Schonauer, Jeff Barker, Colten Priebe, Billy Parsons, James Priebe, Colten St. John, Mike Beckert
Heat 2 Chris Priebe, Jason St. John, Dustin Daugherty, Brad Hensel, Greg Thompson, Tim Workman, Mark Adkins, Tyler Beckett, Terry Adkins, Jim Blaker
Feature Jordan James, Chris Priebe, Gary Hensel Jr., Jason St. John, Jerry Adkins, Brad Hensel, Dustin Daugherty, Trae Schonauer, James Priebe, Jeff Barker, Mark Adkins, Mike Beckert, Colten St. John, Jim Blaker, Colten Priebe, Terry Adkins, Billy Parsons, Tim Workman, Tyler Beckett, Greg Thompson dns
BUGS-R-GONE TRUCKS
Heat 1 John Large, Cole Lillibridge, Brad Phillips, Josey Lillibridge, Travis Winterringer, Travis Potts, Moose Workman dns
Heat 2 Jerry Gardner, Kevin Potts, Jim Large, Dewey Powell, Dave Giaugue, Scott Harman dns
Feature Cole Lillibridge, Kevin Potts, John Large, Jerry Gardner, Brad Phillips, Travis Winterringer, Dave Giaugue, Josey Lillibridge, Travis Potts, Jim Large, Dewey Powell, Scott Harmon dns, Moose Workman dns
MIKE’S SERVICE MINI WEDGES
Heat 1 Tristen Brown, Hannah Rose, Braden Renfrew, Anthony Graham, Tyler Tennant, Logan Duncan
Heat 2 Nick Large, Destinie Bates, Aiden Fritter, Braxton Wilson, Brooke Dawson, Noah Bubeck
Heat 3 Tanner McLoughlin, Caiden Black, Zoe Stafford, Kryssa Beagle, Danny Selway, Billy Dawson
A-1 Main Tanner McLoughlin, Destinie Bates, Tristen Brown, Caiden Black, Aiden Fritter, Nick Large, Zoe Stafford, Hannah Rose, Braden Renfrew
A-2 Main Braxton Wilson, Tyler Tennant, Logan Duncan, Danny Selway, Kryssa Beagle, Anthony Graham, Noah Bubeck, Brooke Dawson, Billy Dawson
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