Senic Wins 5th Annual Jim Hitt Memorial

(Kerens, W.V. -7-04-15) On the fourth try, (on July 4 no less) Elkins Raceway finally got the 5th annual Jim Hitt Memorial in the books. The Hitt Memorial presented by; Hitt’s Garage, Middletown Homes, TKS Construction, Holbrook Nursing Home, High Point Construction and Mike Ross Inc, started last Friday night. Jared Hawkins was awarded the $180 Fast Time (15.25) check in honor of Bob Scott presented by Robbie Scott. Then Robbie Scott collected the $200 for winning the dash courtesy of Rocky Hinzman. Chuck Harper and Jacob Hawkins won the heats. Then came the rain. But because all classes didn’t get their heats in, it was a total wash and was reset for Saturday. After showers all night and in the morning, officials canceled Saturday’s show and reslated it for Friday July 3. Hawkins again set fast time (14.78), but the rain stopped action before it ever really got started. Which brings us to Saturday July 4. An ugly sky didn’t look promising, but Ma Nature was kind enough to leave the sprinklers off. Also on the card was Breast Cancer Awareness, in which the Mini Wedge drivers passed their helmets, collecting $331.42.
In the Jenkins Ford Super Late Models Steve Wilmoth set the quickest timed lap of 15.22 and collected an extra $100 courtesy of Matt Smith. Chuck Harper and Jared Hawkins scored the prelims. Robbie Scott won the dash and pocketed $100 donated by Matt Smith.
As the 22 car field roared to life, Scott shot up the track in turns one and two after the right front tire blew. On the second attempt, Tim Senic, Wilmoth, Mike Benedum, Hawkins, and Shane Hitt filled the top five. On the fifth lap Devin Friese motored to fifth. Senic set a blistering pace as he caught the tail of the field on lap 10. Senic, Wilmoth, Hawkins, Benedum and Friese were the top five. Hawkins turned up the heat as he pulled even with Wilmoth by lap 12. The duo battled door to door, when on go round 14, Wilmoth dove in turns one and two a little too hot and looped his mount. Senic, Hawkins, Friese, Benedum and now Hitt were the top five. On the restart Chuck Harper slipped by Hitt for fifth. But lurking in the shadows was tenth starting Cody Hardesty. He moved to fifth on lap 17, and into fourth on the next circuit. Senic was still in command as he caught the back of the field again on lap 23. Hawkins turned up the wick as he peeked under Senic on circuit 26. The war began to rage as Hawkins pulled even with Senic by lap 30. Battling traffic, Senic made contact with the lapped car of Skip Hare, sending Hare around on the front chute. The top five at this point were Senic, Hawkins, Friese, Hardesty and Benedum. When the green returned, Senic slowly distanced himself from Hawkins. With yellows on lap 33 for Hitt, who blasted the ute tire in turn three, and on lap 37 for Cody Rogers who ran too high in turn four. Hawkins couldn’t make up any ground on Senic for the remaining go rounds. Senic, driving the Roy’s RV Super Center / Shaeffer Racing Oil ‪#‎S2‬ became the 5th different winner of the $5,000 to win Jim Hitt Memorial. Hawkins, Friese, Hardesty and Harper completed the top five.
The Budweiser FASTRAK Late Models lined up for $1,000 to win. At the drop of the green, Daniel Hill out dragged Jeff Maxwell, Tyler Bare, A J Spagnuolo and Chad Green to turn one. The first stoppage came early, on lap two, when Jamie McCloud went around in turn four. The yellow waved quickly again on circuit 3 when second running Maxwell broke loose in turn four. The green waved with Hill out front and Bare close behind. Chad Green, Spagnuolo and Tyler Stutler now completed the top five. The caution appeared on lap 15 when C J Johnson came around in turn two. While under yellow
third running Green pulled off due to motors problems. Bare could not mount a serious challenge for the Larry’s Western Shop / P D C Energy sponsored #8 of Hill. Bare had to settle for second. Spagnuolo crossed in third. Stutler was fourth and Greg Hicks was fifth.
With Brent Trimble and Jeff Fornash on the front row of the Performance Motors Modified feature, the tension was building. Two top runners starting side by side. As the green waved the tension vanished quickly as Trimble began to walk away from Fornash. The only excitement came watching Dave Defibaugh work his way to the front. Trimble parked his H & R Block / BB & T Auto Crushers ‪#‎1B‬ in victory circle for the sixth time in six races. Fornash, Defibaugh, Randy Bohan and James Nelson completed the top five.
As the fog started to roll in the West Virginia Pools Street Stocks began their feature. The race did get it’s full distance in before the thickness of the fog was too bad to see. After post race inspection, apparent winner John Tallman Jr. and second place Bryan Mitchell were disqualified. Giving third finishing Josh Mullenax driving the Dave’s Tree Service / Open Door Thrift Store #17 the win. Scott Bittinger was second, Jamie Keene, Steve Ramsey and Terry Towson rounded out the top five.
A very slim field of Miller’s Used Cars Mod Lites as Beau Newlon in the Newlon International #1, bested Logan Hitt in a heat race.
The BCT Construction Mini Wedges saw the A group, Haley Mahoney in her Brian Bulger / S & R Machine ‪#‎H88‬ scored a second checkerboard. Khole Howell, Brett Coberly, Ryan Hare, Grant Hutton, Colby Hutton, and Drystone Simmons completed the running order.
The BCT Construction B group also had a second time winner. Pressley Wilt piloting the Extreme Plastics / Shalewater Solutions #99 she edged Landon Marple by less than a foot at the line. Abbie Hudler-Pennington, Blake Runyon, Madison Taylor, and Kelsey Tincher completed the finish.
This week will be the canned food drive presented by Valley Steel. Also it’s Mid Season Championship with double points in all classes.
Jenkins Ford Super Late Models (22);
Time Trials; Fast Time
Steve Wilmoth 15:22 15:53
Shane Hitt 15:35 16:22
Devin Friese 15:43 15:64
Tim Senic 15:44 15:56
Mike Benedum 15:53 15:66
Robbie Scott 15:56 15:72
Chuck Harper 15:56 15:68
Jared Hawkins 15:59 15:69
Gary Dalton 15:72 N/T
Cody Hardesty 15:72 15:91
Charlie George 15:79 16:28
Joe Cox 15:88 16:28
Billy Holbert 15:94 16:90
Dusty Hamrick 16:00 16:22
Donnie Dotson 16:00 16:19
Butch McGill 16:09 16:25
Brett Benedum 16:22 16:28
Bob Hershman 16:29 16:34
Skip Hare 16:56 16:72
Cody Rogers 16:63 16:69
Ronnie Tincher 16:94 17:66
Shaun Poling 17:03 17:19
Heat 1: Chuck Harper, Gary Dalton, Charlie George, Donnie Dotson, Billy Holbert, Skip Hare, Brett Benedum, Ronnie Tincher.
Heat 2: Jared Hawkins, Cody Hardesty, Dusty Hamrick, Joe Cox, Butch McGill, Bob Hershman, Cody Rogers, Shaun Poling.
Dash: Robbie Scott, Tim Senic, Mike Benedum, Shane Hitt, Steve Wilmoth, Devin Friese.
Feature: Senic (3), Hawkins, Friese, Hardesty, Harper, Hamrick, Dotson, Holbert, McGill, Cox, Hershman, Rogers, B. Benedum, M. Benedum, Hitt, Hare, Scott, Wilmoth, George, Dalton, Poling, Tincher.
Budweiser FASTRAK Late Models (15)
Heat 1: Jeff Maxwell, A J Spagnuolo, Greg Hicks, C J Johnson, Dylan Lewis, Jamie McCloud, Richard Frazier.
Heat 2: Daniel Hill, Tyler Bare, Chad Green, Andy Spooner, Jason Defibaugh, Brian Youtzy. DNS: Jonathon Sines.
Feature: Hill (3), Bare, Spagnuolo, Stutler, Hicks, Lewis, Defibaugh, McCloud, Spooner, Frazier, Youtzy, Green, Johnson, Maxwell. DNS: Sines.
Performance Motors Modifieds (15)
Heat 1: Brent Trimble, Randy Bohan, James Nelson, Dustin Isner, Josh Revels, Joel Rogers, Matthew Chenoweth, Dave Defibaugh.
Heat 2: Jeff Fornash, Robin Maxson, Bill VanDeVander, Larry Atha, Kenny Rowback, Tyler Payne. DQed: Phill Jeffries.
Feature: Trimble (6), Fornash, Defibaugh, Bohan, Nelson, Jeffries, VanDeVander, Isner, Revels, Rowback, Atha, Payne, Rogers, Maxson. DNS: Chenoweth.
West Virginia Pools Street Stocks (18)
Heat 1: Anthony Arbogast, R D Isner, DQed; John Tallman Jr., Bryan Mitchell, Chad Judy, Brad Harris.
Heat 2: Josh Mullenax, Spec Yokum, Johnny Singleton, Jamie Keene, Ricky Vest, Terry Towson.
Heat 3; Scott Bittinger, Ronald Pyles, Steve Ramsey, Brian Blake. DNS: Ryan Gum, Kenny Vest.
Feature: Mullenax, Bittinger, Keene, Ramsey, Towson, Pyles, Yokum, Isner, Singleton, Blake, K.Vest DNS: Gum, Arbogast, R. Vest. DQed: Tallman, Mitchell, Judy, Harris