Hilltop Fan Fest
by Ken Cunningham

MILLERSBURG OH - Oct. 7 - It has been a busy inaugural season at Hilltop Speedway in Millersburg Ohio as 21 races have been completed featuring a wide variety of dirt track racing that included special attractions like Midgets, 410 Sprints, and Limited Late Models along with the weekly program of Late Models, Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Trucks. The latest show featured live music and a hog roast that made for a very entertaining evening. As the season winds down only two shows remain on the schedule. On October 14 the Modifieds will remove their roofs and race for a $1,000 first place prize. Race fans enjoy these rare events because the drivers can easily be seen driving around the tight corners and manuevering through the sometimes hazardous lapped traffic. All regular divisions will also be in competition and Late Model drivers from around the region are invited in order to tune up for the season ending Halloween Havoc event held on October 28. Late Models will compete for a $3,000 first place prize along with Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Trucks.

 

Hilltop recently switched to Saturday nights as neighboring tracks have closed for the season and will resume our regular Friday nights next spring. This week Ty Myers enjoyed a visit to victory lane by claiming the first heat over a very strong running Jeremy Canada while Doug Drown battled Rick Bond, Ryan Markham, and Keith Berner to win the fast dash. The main event began with Drown inside pole position alongside Markham and after several competitive laps Markham took command of the lead. Drown could easily catch the Flyin 5 of Markham but lapped traffic came into play which Markham handled with skill and went on for the win. Drown closely trailed with George Lee, Keith berner, and Rocky Owens completing the top five finishers. A new track record was set by Jess Hartman for the Modified division with a lap of 15.382 seconds. Mitchell Lam and Mitch Basich claimed heat wins while Kevin Morehouse won the fast six race. The feature saw lots of side by side action between Kevin Potts and Derrick Hubbard along withVernon Mardis and Drake Riley running mid pack while up front a three way battle between the high riding Jess Hartman, Kevin Morehouse, and the always strong running Kyle Brown . At the checkers it was Brown in first followed by Morehouse, Hartman, Hubbard and strong running Rory Reed.

 

The Mini Stocks came out in strong numbers with Dustin Hostetler and Tom Ogel claiming heat wins while Ed Ray won the fast dash. The feature event was worth $500 to the winner and the race began with an exciting three way battle for the lead between Cody Rinard, Ed Ray, and Josh Morrow but at the end of the race Morrows Mighty MO prevailed for the big win. Cody Rinard and a hard charging Terry Adkins closely followed with Ed Ray and Tim Jensen completing the top five. Pure Stocks were next on the track and Dave Haven Sr. battled Fred Snyder for the lead during early in the feature but retired early due to mechnical woes leaving Snyder to race with Dave Haven Jr., for the remainder of the event. Paul Holmes charged ahead to battle Frank Oriti in an exciting exchange for the lead that ended with a spin and Oriti sent to the tail. Holmes then held on for a first Hilltop win over Haven Jr., Snyder, Chad Craver, and Brett Burgess. Oriti rebounded for a top ten. Dave Caskey and Jeff Funk were tops in the Mini Truck heats with Caskey claiming a first Hilltop feature win. Chaz ODell followed his teammate across the line for second with Jesse Combs, Gail Wallace, and Funk filling the top five.

 

LATE MODELS
Fast Time - George Lee 14.039
Heat 1 - Ty Myers, Jeremy Canada, Chester Elliott
Dash - Doug Drown, Ryan Markham, Keith Berner, George Lee, Rick Bond, Clint Coffman
Feature - Markham, Drown , Lee, Berner, Rocky Owens, Bond, Canada, Elliot, Myers, Coffman, Trevor Phillips, Ron Hoopingarner, Randy Pollock, Josh Mc Morrow

MODIFIEDS
Fast Time - Jess Hartman 15.382 (NTR)
Heat1 - Mitch Basich, Rory Reed. Kevin Potts
Heat2 - Mitchell Lam, Howard Fraley, Lou Ennis
Dash - Kevin Morehouse, Kyle Brown, Jess Hartman, Brandon Morrow
Feature - Brown, Morehouse, Hartman, Derrick Hubbard, Reed, Bruce Miller, Morrow, Lam, Potts, Basich, Ennis, Terry McIntire, Drake Riley, Ernie Scott, Dave Kelley, Vernon Mardis, Howard Fraley, Jeremy Scott, Chris Asbury

MINI STOCKS
Fast Time - Tanner Wilson 18.979
Heat1 - Dustin Hostetler, Charlie Ray, Dale Beckett
Heat2 - Tom Ogel, Tim Jenson, Joe Yoder
Dash - Ed Ray, Cody Rinard, Josh Morrow, Terry Adkins, Wilson, Allen Summers
Feature - Morrow, Rinard, Adkins, Ed Ray, Jenson, Summers, Ogel, Josh Hershberger, Brett Adkins, Lewis McConnell, John Gardner, Jim Hudson, Jeff Jackson, Brian Dawson, Roy Halsey, Hostetler, Wilson, Beckett, Charlie Ray, Robert Graber, Joe Yoder

PURE STOCKS
Heat1 - Dave Haven Sr., Skip Bright, Ron Hixenbaugh,
Heat2 - Fred Snyder, Brett Burgess, James Arms,
Heat3 - Frank Oriti, Paul Holmes, Dave Haven Jr.
Feature - Paul.Holmes Haven Jr., Snyder, Chad Craver, Burgess, Bill Goerz, Keith Tish, Oriti, Keith Thomas, John Holmes, Ken Duncan, Haven Sr., Josh Robinson, Mike Duncan, Arms, Josh Grove, Hixenbaugh, Bright

TRUCKS
Heat1 - Dave Caskey, Chaz O'Dell, Bob Myers
Heat2 - Jeff Funk, Jesse Combs, Gail Wallace
Feature - Caskey, O'Dell, Jesse Combs, Wallace, Funk, Tom Pringle, Tim Jensen, Jeremy Lynch, Myers, Tim McLoskey, Tiffany Combs, Jerry Gardner