Hilltop Speedway
Red-hot Drown gets ADRA win at Hilltop
By Mike Swanger
Hilltop Speedway
Doug Drown talks about his 30-lap victory. (Diane Bemiller)
MILLERSBURG, Ohio (May 18) — Doug Drown of Wooster, Ohio, notched his fifth victory overall in his last six starts Saturday at Hilltop Speedway by capturing the American Dirt Racing Association’s inaugural Jerry Reed Memorial. Drown, who started outside the front row, earned $2,000. | Slideshow
Wooster's J.R. Gentry was second in the 30-lapper with pole-starting George Lee of Loudonville, Ohio, in third. Charlie Duncan and Todd Brennan rounded out the top five.
Lee set the pace at the outset with Drown hot on his hadeels. When Lee was blocked amid lapped traffic on the 13th circuit, Drown went low to swipe the lead.
Behind the frontrunners, Gentry, reigning ADRA champion Rod Conley and Duncan were among those battling for third.
By lap 20, Drown had a five-length led on Duncan with Gentry, Conley and Rick Bond also in the top five. A lap-24 yellow flew when Ryan Markham was charged with spinning out Brennan.
On the final restart, Drown stayed in control while Gentry powered past Duncan for third, then took second from Lee with three laps remaining. Gentry showed a nose to Drown late, but had to settle for the second spot as Drown notched his third victory of the season at Hilltop.
Notes: Drown’s Weekley Racing-owned Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Weekley Electric, EFCO Outdoor Power Equipment, Wooster Glass Company, DJ Directional Services and Hoosier Racing Tire. ... The victory was Drown’s first on the ADRA Dirt Masters Challenge Series presented by Suddenlink. .. Drown has lost only one race going back to April 26. His victories during the stretch have come at Hilltop (twice), Midway Speedway, Southern Ohio Speedway (for a career-high $12,000 Southern 100 payday) and West Virginia Motor Speedway. ... The event honored late pastor Jerry Reed, Hilltop’s long-time track chaplain. ... Friday’s ADRA event at Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg, Ohio, was rained out and rescheduled for May 24. ... After that, the series heads to Elkins Raceway in Kerens, W.Va., for June 28-29 action.
Jerry Reed Memorial: (1) Doug Drown, (2) J.R. Gentry, (3) George Lee, (4) Charlie Duncan, (5) Todd Brennan, (6) Rod Conley, (7) Wayne Maffett Jr., (8) Shane McLoughlin, (9) Scott Peltz, (10) Rick Bond, (11) Ryan Markham, (12) Aaron Phillis, (13) Eric Smitley, (14) Bryan Casey, (15) Weston Hutchinson, (16) Mike Lonas, (17) Dave Hornikel, (18) Brian Giaugue, (19) Doug Kenworthy. Fast qualifier (among 19 cars): Drown, 14.192 seconds. Heat race winners: Duncan, Markham. Dash winner: Lee.
Correction: Fixes runner-up finisher, adjusts complete rundown.
