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Mike Swanger
MILLERSBURG, Ohio (March 27) - A big crowd didn't let the chilly conditions bother them as Hilltop Speedway opened up the 2010 racing season as five drivers remembered how to get back to victory lane from last season. Bryan Casey led the first lap of the Super Late Model feature but third starting Ryan Markham of Ashland motored by on lap two for the lead with Justin Chance taking second from first heat winner Casey on the next lap and then pestered Markham for the lead until the halfway point of the race. That's when Markham's #5m began to pull away and win his 15th career feature win at Hilltop by a straightaway as second heat winner Chance held on to second. Casey had his hands full holding off Ty Myers and Charlie Duncan for third as they filled out the top five.
After posting 8 wins last season, Hanover's Kevin Morehouse started on the outside front row of the Snyder Brothers Modified feature and beat last season's track champion, Larry Kugel into turn one for the lead that he would not give up. The Big 'O' Refuse, Rice Excavating, and Sam's Used Cars # 28 of Morehouse was hounded by Kugel all race long but pulled into victory lane for his 15th career win. Hilton Eppley controlled third until five laps to go when 2008 track champion Jess Hartman caught him for that position but Eppley held off George Lee for fourth. Kugel and Morehouse won the heats.
Heat winners Tyler Bryan and John Wilson started on the front row of the Street Stock main but before the first lap was complete, Wilson got sideways and collected Donna Canode and Todd Swim resulting in flat tires for both of them and all three going to the back of the field. Bryan would set the pace for the opening seven circuits with Newark's Jimmy Smith trying to find an opening to get by. Using the highside, the Hammon's Masonary #280 of Smith would take over on lap eight and then hold off a fast closing Wilson to score his second career win at Hilltop. Swim recovered to take third followed by Denny Shear and Kenny Daugherty Jr.
Dale Beckett of Millersburg went flag to flag in the Holmes Tire Mini Stock main for his fifth career win. The Beckett Auto Sales, Fortune Signs, Holmes Tire #4 was harassed all race long by last years track champ, Ernest Fortune as Beckett crossed the finish line by just a half car length ahead. Kevin Markey edged out Brad Lawhorn on the last lap for third with Casey Butler taking fifth. Jordan James and Butler topped the heats. Blain Markey brought out the red flag in the second heat race when he barrelrolled after hitting the retaining tire in turn four.
The Circle Track Mini Trucks added a new name to their winners list as Galena's Rolly Heyder led all the way to put the Jack Maxton Parts, All City Auto Wrecking and Rader Collision #10 into victory lane. For the first nine laps, John Large put the heat on Heyder before the right rear tire wore out on Large's #17. As that was happening, Scott Gray moved past last years champion, Jerry Gardner for second. Dustin Miller took fourth as Kevin Potts rebounded for fifth. Potts went rolling over four times in his heat race after hitting a tire.
Jesse Johnson beat Tanner Johnson for the Mini Wedge feature.
Action continues next Saturday, April 3 with the same six class' in action with an Easter Egg hunt for the kids before the races. Gates open at 4 pm. and first race at 7:30 pm.
HILLTOP SPEEDWAY SUMMARY
Saturday, March 27, 2010
SUPER LATE MODELS
Heat 1 Bryan Casey, Ryan Markham, Dave Hornikel, Steve Prince, Michael Stiltner, Doug Smith
Heat 2 Justin Chance, Charlie Duncan, Ty Myers, Mike Stiltner, Bobby Michaels
Feature Markham, Chance, Casey, Myers, Duncan, Hornikel, Mike Stiltner, Michaels, Prince, Stiltner (dns), Smith (dns)
SNYDER BROTHERS MODIFIEDS
Heat 1 Larry Kugel, Hilton Eppley, George Lee, Darrick Hubbard, Jess Hartman, Matt Samples
Heat 2 Kevin Morehouse, Aaron Phillis, Jeff Dovenbarger, Brian Hawkins, Korey Kimble
Feature Morehouse, Kugel, Hartman, Eppley, Lee, Phillis, Samples, Hubbard, Hawkins, Dovenbarger, Kimble
STREET STOCKS
Heat 1 Tyler Bryan, Donna Canode, Todd Swim, Jimmy Smith, Kenny Daugherty Jr.
Heat 2 John Wilson, Denny Shear, Brian Giaugue, Dave Giaugue
Feature Smith, Wilson, Swim, Shear, Daugherty Jr, D. Giaugue, B. Giaugue, Bryan, Canode
HOLMES TIRE MINI STOCKS
Heat 1 Jordan James, Dale Beckett, Brad Lawhorn, Dustin Cyrus, JR Carpenter, Randy Lee, Jeremy Swartz
Heat 2 Casey Butler, Ernest Fortune, Kevin Markey, Kevin Wright, Mike Hinkens, Blaine Markey, Bob Stamper
Feature Beckett, Fortune, K. Markey, Lawhorn, Butler, Cyrus, Wright, B. Markey, Hinkens, Swartz, Lee, Stamper, James, Carpenter
CIRCLE TRACK MINI TRUCKS
Heat 1 Jerry Gardner, Tom Garlick, Dustin Miller, Kevin Potts, Gail Wallace
Heat 2 Rolly Heyder, John Large, Logan Brannon, Scott Gray
Feature Heyder, Gray, Gardner, Miller, Potts, Brannon, Large, Wallace, Garlick
MINI WEDGES
Feature Jesse Johnson, Tanner Johnson
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