Racing Roundup: action-packed weekends at Hilltop and Wayne County Speedways
Warm temperatures and a fast-racing surface were the perfect combination for some great racing action at Evans Hilltop Speedway on Friday, July 20, where spectators witnessed the powerful 410 Sprints in action, along with the Modified, Super Stocks and Mini stocks. While fans filled the grandstands, race cars rolled into the pit area, preparing to do battle on the third-mile dirt track in Millersburg, OH.
In the 410 Sprint division, fast qualifier Danny Samms III and Jordan Ryan were on the front row at the start of 25-lap feature event. As these two young drivers brought the field down the front straightaway to start the feature, Samms charged into the race lead, putting Ryan back to second. Behind the leaders, a battle was brewing between Wooster driver, Lee Jacobs, Danny Smith and Brandon Spithaler, as these seasoned drivers battled for position, with their eyes set on tracking down the leader.
As the laps ticked away, Samms managed to maintain a healthy lead, but soon encountered the challenge of fellow competitor Jacobs, who tried every possible move, but couldn’t find his way around the leader for the top running position. On the final lap, Jacobs tried one last maneuver but had to settle for second place as the North Port, FL driver Danny Samms, crossed the finish line just seconds ahead of Jacobs. Danny Smith was credited with a 3rd place finish, Leyton Wagner finished 4th and Brandon Spithaler rounded out the top five finishers.
The Modified drivers put on one wail of a show all evening along, with plenty of wheel-to-wheel and side-by-side racing action. On the opening lap of the feature, pole sitter Colton Shaw, Mark Baier and Robin Duston raced three-wide out of turn one for the race lead. As the trio entered the back stretch, Shaw powered his #01 machine into the lead, ahead of Duston, putting Baier back to third. More great racing action could be witnessed throughout the field as all modified drivers sliced and diced their way to around the track, jockeying for position.
At the halfway point, Shaw had developed a sizable lead over the rest of the field, but intense racing action could still be witnessed behind the leader as every driver gave it all they had, racing a clean and consistent race lap after lap. With the checkered flag in the air, Bellville’s Colton Shaw added another victory of the season, finishing ahead of Mark Baier, Ryan Robey and BJ Cannon.
In Super Stock feature action, David Potts grabbed an early race lead, with veteran drivers Bob Daugherty of Mansfield and Kevin Potts, Sunbury, OH in hot pursuit. But it wasn’t long before Wooster Gary Hensel, driving the #28H super stock powered his way toward the front, landing on the tail of the #77 of David Potts. Potts, who had developed a sizeable lead, bobbled in turn two, allowing Hensel to slide past Potts and into the lead.
As the laps were winding down, Hensel managed to maintain his the top running spot, despite the efforts of his fellow competitors, and was awarded the feature win. Bob Daugherty finished 2nd, ahead of Kevin Potts, Logan Duncan and David Potts.
As the Mini Stock feature took to the racing surface, Colton St. John of Glenmont, jumped into the lead from his outside pole starting position as the green flag waved, but felt the pressure pole sitter Rodger Parsons, along with Billy Dawson and Kenny Long, as the trio raced after St. John during the final feature of the evening. St. John proved to be a strong runner early in the race but it wasn’t long before Dawson, driving his #7c machine, and #711 of Kenny Long began pressuring St. John. As the race continued, competitors raced behind the leaders as the laps were winding down. At the conclusion, it was Colton St. John picking up his third career feature win this season; following him across the finish line was Billy Dawson, Rodger Parsons, Kenny Long and Carl Schachel.
— Diane Bail-Bemiller
Wayne County Speedway
ORRVILLE – Brandon Spithaler never thought he would tame the 3-8-mile track at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway.
And then came Saturday.
Spithaler dominated the FAST Sprint Car Series’ fourth visit to WCS this season for 29 laps at the ultra-fast paperclipped-shaped oval, then withstood furious green-white-checkered charges from Florida’s Danny Sams and the Holmesville-based team of Lee Jacobs in highlighting the weather-delayed Fast Five Series program at “Orrville’s Historic Oval.”
Just six days after picking up the biggest victory of his career in the 38th DirtCar Summernationals finale, Moore silenced any remaining doubters by leading all 25 laps of the Malcuit Tavern Super Late Model main event, while Ryan Markham recorded his first career win in the Flynn’s Tire & Auto Service Center Modified 20-lapper. Rob Melzer continued his amazing string of top-five finishes this summer with his second win of the season in the 15-lap McKenzie Concrete Super Stock feature while Doug Hensel returned to his familiar victory lane post-race spot by wiring the field in the 12-lap JoyRide Transport Mini Stock finale.
For a split second, however, Spithaler saw the prospect of his second FAST Series victory of 2023 go out the window, as a late race caution bunched the field following a torrid pace set by the Evans City, PA ace from his inside row two starting spot that saw the teal No. 22 lapping cars well into the top-10.
Sams, Friday’s FAST series winner at Hilltop Speedway and former 410 and 360 winner at WCS, took his run at the lead in turns 1 and 2 before Jacobs’ last-ditch effort at the other end of the high-speed circuit came up short that enabled Spithaler to record his sixth overall win this season, a number good for a national top-10 ranking.
Spithaler’s victory also took on added incentive in the Pine Tree Towing and Recovery Sprint Car division by claiming the second of the season-long King of the County Series presented by Integrity Auto and Truck Sales of Bucyrus.
Spithaler came into Saturday’s pivotal event with a 33 point lead in the FAST Series standings as well, which was extended when misfortune again struck the Benjamin Steel No. 2 of Ricky Peterson late in the event after running fourth during much of the nearly non-stop race. Sams and Jacobs hung on for second and third, with Chris Myers bringing the yellow Tommy Popa-owned 38K home fourth followed by WCS fan favorite Danny Mumaw.
“We’ve crossed the stripe here while leading after receiving the white flag four times in my career, and to finally get that monkey off my back feels great,” said Spithaler. “I didn’t know how big of a lead l had, but i'm usually pretty good on restarts and it was a handful in hanging on. Danny’s been awfully fast here lately and l knew with how fast this place is that someone would be making a run.
“I’ve got to thank Tom Burkey from Superior Tank and Trailer for backing my team for my entire career, and he’s here tonight with us. Hopefully we can build on this and we’ll be back (for the Sept. 3 FAST return to WCS).”
Moore stayed red-hot in leading every lap of the Super Late Model main, but in typical WCS fashion, it was anything but easy.
Markham stayed within shouting distance of the “Mansfield Madman” in the early stages of the event, pulling alongside of the Platinum Designs 1* on numerous occasions with Dave Hornikel, Cody Scott and Thomas Baker in close pursuit.
Following a pair of mid-race cautions, Markham pulled his familiar 5M to Moore’s back bumper on laps 20 and 23 before fading in the closing laps with a nearly flat right rear tire. Moore survived a one lap shootout in picking up the victory with Hornikel, Scott, Baker, and Markham rounding out the top five.
“We’re on a roll right now, and we’ll just enjoy it while we can because you never know how long it will last,” said Moore. “We felt really good up on the cushion in one and two, but it’s a little different down in three and four. The Late Model division here is the best you’re going to see anywhere, and the track was just awesome and the best I've seen it.
“We’re thankful to everyone who helps us put this thing on the track every week, and like l said, we hope to keep rolling.”
Markham quickly erased the disappointment of the late-race misfortune in the SLM main by registering his career-first victory in a hard-fought Modified thriller.
Markham, subbing for Scott Peltz in the yellow 15, bolted to the front from his pole position then literally hung on from there in the wild and wooley 15-lapper. Colton Shaw dogged Markham throughout, before the blue 99 of Casey Butler, from the rear, joined Shaw’s “Dukes of Hazard” 01 in a three-car battle for the lead.
While Markham withstood the challenges, Shaw and Butler engaged in a classic battle for second with Butler narrowly edging Shaw for second at the stripe. Took Wiles and Ryan Robey rounded out the top five.
“I have to apologize to these guys of (the 15 crew), who do a great job, but I beat the fenders off this thing up on the fence trying to stay out front,” said Markham. “The track was perfect, and the fast way around is up on the guardrail. I didn’t really ever hear those guys behind me, but l knew they had to be there. This was a lot of fun, and l’d absolutely love to be able to do this again.”
While Melzer hasn’t had the fastest Modified week-in-and-week-out, he’s been the most consistent in any class at WCS this season and it paid off with his second victory of the season.
Melzer took command from his fifth starting spot on lap six while Moore methodically worked his way through the pack from row four with Chad Craver, Logan Duncan, and Brad Hensel in early pursuit.
Moore dropped from the event with mechanical issues on lap seven, however, with the opening paving the way for Hensel in challenging for the top spot. Melzer stayed glued to the cushion, though, and nudged Hensel at the stripe by a scant 0.673 seconds in his white 77.
Hensel, Codee Schneider, Duncan, and Luke Sprouse completed the top five.
“My guys have been telling me ‘get it up top, get it up top’, all season even though it’s not easy, but we ran the cushion around here tonight,” said Melzer. “You have some really fast race cars at the top of this division, and we’re just happy to be able to get another win.”
Doug Hensel, by his own standards, has had an up and down year in the Mini Stock class, but enjoyed his trip to WCS victory lane with an uncharacteristic dominating win on Saturday.
Hensel pounced on the field from his front row starting slot, and led every lap for his fourth triumph of 2023. Zack Hershey finished a solid second, with Kyle Petit, Johnny Bruce Sr., and Cody Musselman staying consistent at the top by coming home third through fifth.
“I think experience plays a huge role in how you handle the adversity of some disappointing nights, but this sure does feel better standing in victory lane,” said Hensel. “We’ve had some bad luck, some dumb luck with parts breaking, but we stay after it, and all the people who help us out, and most importantly my family, make it worth it.”
WCS will be back in action next Saturday evening with another edition of its Fast Five Series program with gates opening at 3 p.m. and hot laps at 6.
— Randy Worrell
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Racing Roundup: the latest from Hilltop and Wayne County Speedways
