For
Immediate Press Release
Wilmoth, Probst, Dohm, Shaffer and Meadows headline
in 'Hillbilly' weekend prelims!
Tyler County Speedway's Labor Day weekend
speed spectacular, known nationwide to dirt track racing fans as the 'Hillbilly
Hundred', set attendance records for both competitors and spectators, as the 2008
edition brought both from the 4 corners of the nation.
310 racers provided
the capacity plus crowds 3 nights of outstanding racing action at a track whose
reputation and popularity has skyrocketed in the last few years.
Friday
night's openers set the tone for the festival of speed, as Warren, Ohio's Kenny
Meadows battled Somerset, Pa.'s Lynn Knepper in a closing lap thriller that saw
the pair trade slide jobs and cross over passes at both ends of the 1/4 mile.
Following a final caution with only 5 laps remaining in their Wayside Furniture
Mod Lite 'Sour Mash 20' main, Meadows dove under race leader Knepper to take his
first lead in the event, only to have Knepper repay the favor with a slide job
of his own in turns 3 & 4. This scene repeated itself from this point on at
both ends of the track until Meadows was able to squeeze enough speed out of his
'Job Rite Pool & Spa # 10T' to hold off Knepper's last turn attempt to retake
the lead.
Meadows narrowly held off Knepper at the 'Camp Copperhead' Finish
Line, with Alan Knepper, Tony Tatgenhorst and Lynn Bartlett in pursuit.
Tatgenhorst
and Lynn Knepper won the qualifiers.
Zack Dohm of Cross Lanes, WV was
the winner in the 'Litman Excavating' KoM sanctioned crate Late Model 'Outerwears
Brown Jug 30'.
Dohm sped away from the field, leaving positional battles in
his rear view mirror. Second running Sonny Conley was busied fending off Arthur
Payne and Eddie Hambrick until a grinding lap 10 backstretch crash eliminated
the cars of Payne and Jim Quaigg. Both drivers were visibly shaken, but unhurt
otherwise.
Hambrick bypassed Conley on the restart, but was no match for the
high flying Dohm, whose 'Dohm Cycle Sales/ Melvin's Transmissions #25' has recently
made the 'AT&T victory lane' his new Tyler County mailing address.
Hambrick
turned in a fine 2nd place finish in his first 'Bullring' appearance of the year,
with Conley, Shane Hitt and Joel Prosser rounding out the top 5 finishers.
Dohm
and Michael Griffin scored heat race wins.
Saturday night was highlighted
with a pair of fan favorites, and neither disappointed the huge crowd in attendance.
With Friday night's qualifying prelims for the 45 car field in the book, the
American Motor Racing Association rolled out 24 of their finest to do battle in
the Sistersville Center Genesis Health Care 'Poske's Performance Parts White Lightnin
30' AMRA Nationals feature event.
An opening lap traffic jam as the field hit
the back stretch led to flat tires and dashed hopes for a handful of title contenders.
Once
racing began in earnest, 2008 TCS track point champion Brian Probst set out to
put an exclamation point on an already steller season. Probst towed Jeremy Berwanger,
Kenny Johnson, Dave Defibaugh and Jess Hartman around the well groomed high banks,
choosing to run a lane lower than his pursuers.
Johnson made a brave outside
pass for second stick at the midway point, then set out to reel in Probst, who
had crafted a half straightaway lead.
Johnson's arrival at Probst's rear spoiler
on lap 24 ratcheted up the race's intensity level, as the rim riding Johnson looked
to have an open lane up high. Probst squeezed a little more speed out of his mount,
and Johnson continued a maniacal attack on the track's cushion, finally nosing
ahead on lap 27 only to lose his razor thin advantage when his car pushed slightly
in turn 2.
Probst regained his advantage, moved his line slightly and Johnson
couldn't find the speed necessary to wrestle the position from Probst as the Paden
City, WV driver screamed past flagman Jake Eddy's checkered flag.
Probst exited
the 'Forrestor & Son's Timber/ Bridgeport Equipment/ Yeater Racing #33' to
a $2000 pay day, the congratulations of his crew and family, and the applause
of an appreciative crowd, who paid the same tribute to Johnson for his thrilling
runner-up drive.
Dave Defibaugh grabbed the final podium finish position ahead
of Berwanger, while Hartman rounded out the top 5 finishers.
Heat winners
were Louie Krushansky, Berwanger, Defibaugh and Probst, with Joe Cox scoring the
B-main win.
The much anticipated 'Fibernet Hillbilly 50' for steel block
Late Models is always a fans delight, as 58 cars in attendance were whittled down
to a 22 car starting field through 5 quaifying heats and 3 consolations.
Ricky
Williams blasted off the pole starting position to take the early race lead, as
Sonny Conley, Paul Wilmoth Jr, Doug Horton and Steve Lucas slugged it out for
the runner-up spot.
Horton and Wilmoth began trading the third position on
lap 8 - 14, and Zack Dohm made his first appearance in the top 5 on lap 15.
Meanwhile,
22nd starting Freddy Carpenter was on an impressive charge from the final starting
position, using every lane on the table top smooth 1/4 mile, cracking the top
10 on lap 17.
By lap 21, Horton had found a line that suited him and surged
to 2nd, as the top 4 cars blitzkrieged the back markers in spectacular 3 and 4
wide action.
The action paused for a lap 22 caution, as Mark Banal stopped
on the track, bringing out the races 2nd and final caution before driving to the
pits under his own power.
On the restart, Horton immediately pressured Williams,
taking his first lead of the race on lap 27.
Williams stormed right back to
the point the following circuit, only to have Horton retake the lead on lap 31.
In
the meantime, Wilmoth went to the extreme high line and flashed by Horton to take
the lead position on lap 33.
Wilmoth's now blistering pace was simply too much
for the competition, as his closest competitor Horton began to fade with engine
woes.
Conley worked back into 2nd on lap 45, but had no chance at catching
'the Gambler', as the Clarksburg, WV hotshoe Wilmoth continued his 2008 dream
season with a impressive win in the 'AFB/ Hudkins Racing #8'.
Conley was second,
and Freddy Carpenter earned hard charger honors by finishing in third. Ricky Williams
and Zack Dohm made it a top 5 'clean sweep' for WV drivers.
Ricky Williams,
Sonny Conley, Jason Witherite, Paul Wilmoth Jr and Steve Lucas won the heats,
while Corey Conley, Gary Knollinger Jr and Randy Smithley were the b-main victors.
Ellenboro, WV's 'Flyin' Brian Shaffer certainly lived up to his nickname
in the WXCR 92.3 FM 'Lil Hilly 20' Pure Stock feature.
Shaffer first turned
back the determined efforts of Shawn Jett, then after Jett retired to the pits,
held off Danny Talbott's attempts to take the point.
Without a comfortable
lead, Shaffer never provided an opportunity for his tormentors, leading the 21
car field to the pay window in his 'Davis Ornamental Glass/ Ellenboro Exxon/ Big
Al's Guide Service #44'.
Talbott led Mel Furgeson, Greg Conger and Roland Bell
in a tightly grouped top 5 finish.
Heat winners were Shawn Jett, Brian Shaffer,
Mel Furgeson and Danny Thomas, with Bill Deem and John Watson taking the b-mains.
Custom Engraving and Award feature wins went to Ivan Wamsley and John
Schooler in the 4 cylinder divisions, and Anastasia Jones and Steven West in the
MWRA mini-wedge division.
The 40th annual Hillbilly Hundred weekend concludes
the 2008 racing season at the Tyler County Speedway.
BDS Racing Promotions
thanks it's many fans, sponsors and competitors who helped make this an competitive,
enjoyable and successful season for all.
results:
Mod Lite
'Sour Mash 20': Kenny Meadows, Lynn Knepper, Alan Knepper, Tony Tatgenhorst, Lynn
Bartlett, Sonny Conley, Jerry Cushing, Joe McFee, Zac Watson, Jamie Watson, Steve
Weekley, Robert McFee, Grover Harrison, Kyle Gist, Justin Nickles, Bobby Kimball,
Mitch Herrick, Brandon Fluharty, (dns - Todd Canter).
Crate LM 'Outerwears
Brown Jug 30': Zac Dohm, Eddie Hambrick, Sonny Conley, Shane Hitt, Joel Prosser,
Mike Allen, Daniel Hill, Steven Adkins Jr, Derek Doll, Randy Gibson, Brian Rush,
Joe Clutter, Jim Cochran, Michael Griffin, Jim Quaigg, Arthur Payne, Eddie Clendenin.
Poske's Performance Parts AMRA Nationals/'White Lightnin 30': Brian Probst,
Kenny Johnson, Dave Defibaugh, Jeremy Berwanger, Jess Hartman, Jason Brookover,
Robin Duston, Mike Wilson, Mike Basich, Ron Parrish*, Ron Miller, Lou Ennis, Dusty
Boley*, Josh Morrow*, Dustin Sprouse, Thomas Sigler, Jacob Hawkins*, Dale Keplinger,
Louie Krushansky, Mark Dickson, Donnie Nething, Phil Jeffries, Joe Cox, Chris
Basich. (* = provisional starter)
(dnq - consi #1: Del Cunningham, Darren
Glover, Robert Garnes, Steve Higgins, Vince Conrad, Jimmy Fordyce, JP Roberts,
Ryan Stoops, Robin Ours, Doug Hall, Gerald Deitch, Chris Garnes.
dnq - consi
#2: Gary Hensel, Mike Sprouse, Jeff Deyton, Buddy Brogan, Brandon Morrow, Frank
Wilson, Jesse Wisecarver, JP Roberts, Will Brogan.)
'Fibernet Hillbilly
50': Paul Wilmoth Jr, Sonny Conley, Freddy Carpenter*, Ricky Williams, Zack Dohm,
Tim Dohm, Steve Wilmoth, Shane Hitt, Corey Conley, Donnie Dotson, Dan Shrigley,
Steve Weigle, Marshall Wiblin, Doug Horton, Kyle Thomas, Randy Smithley, Jimmy
McCloud, Gary Knollinger Jr, Mark Banal, Steve Lucas, Kris Southern, Jason Witherite.
(dnq-
Gary Midcap, Tracy Sampson, Josh Coffman, Brad Hutson, Robbie Bostic, Chad Todd,
Ron Clevenger, Charlie Supplee, Lou Jacoby, Chad Justice, Steven Adkins Jr, Danny
Ruza, Randy Meador, Don Conley, Eddie Clendenin, Larry Kingseed, Dwight Henry,
Denver Gibson, Mike Allen, DJ Cline, Robby Thomas, Rod Gibson, Michael Griffin,
Justin Powell, Kevin Keene, Matt Flesher, Randy Gibson, Don White, Roy Roush,
Tim Stefanik, Jeremy Hudson, Pat Gillian, Skip Hare, Mike Sturm, Joel Prosser,
Tyler Carpenter and Trevor Phillips)
Pure Stock 'Lil Hilly 20': Brian
Shaffer, Danny Talbott, Mel Furgeson, Greg Conger, Roland Bell, Biff Brookover,
John Watson, Danny Thomas, Jason Maisey, Tommy Murphy, Chris Ice, Cody Henthorn,
Brad Thomas, Shawn Jett, Bobby Lilly, Scott Forrestor, Mike Mason, Billl Deem,
Jeff Fornash, Eric Francis, Tim Furgeson.
(dnq - Justin Hart, Steven Dotson,
Matt Smith, Joe McConnell, Randy Bohan, Scott Meeker, Matt Holcomb, Mark Hinton,
Donnie Dotson III, Dan Shuman & Ralph Underwood)
*****end of press
release*****
eserved
Tim Dohm
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