MANSFIELD — It was a winning weekend for local stock car driver Kyle Moore, who tasted victory twice in one night at Hilltop Speedway on Friday, Aug. 4, winning both the late model and street stock feature events.
Moore, a second-generation driver from Mansfield, used his skills and talent to conquer the dirt track in Millersburg.
Driving the #1 Platinum Designs sponsored late model, Moore took the “high groove” around the 1/3-mile oval, racing hard and fast as he made his way to the front of the feature event from his sixth starting spot.
the first of two wins for him at Hilltop Speedway on August 4.
By the midway point of the 20-lap feature, Moore was on the tail of race leader Larry Bellman (59) of Wooster.
Moore and Bellman raced nose-to-tail and side by side for five laps till Moore managed to slip past Bellman in Turn Four, and into the top running spot. From there, Moore developed a sizeable gap pver the rest of the field, leading all remaining laps.
With the checkered flag in the air, Moore waved to the crowd as he crossed the finish line, adding another victory to his racing career.
“The racing is really great here (at Hilltop), fast racing surface,” Moore said. “I’m thankful to be here.
He also thanked his family, fans and sponsors for their support.
Moore’s “need for speed” continued as he climbed into the McKenzie Concrete, Joyride Transport sponsored #21D street stock, owed by local businessman Bob Daugherty. The track announced a “bounty” had been placed on 3-time winner Gary Hensel (28H) of Wooster.
The $400 bounty money would be paid to the driver who scored the feature win over Hansel.
Drivers from over five counties answered the call, setting their eyes on passing Hensel
and taking home the bounty winnings.
With Hensel and Moore on the starting row of the feature, fans were preparing for a fierce battle between these two talented drivers. As the green flag waved, Hensel jumped into the lead, with Moore hot on his tail.
The two raced nose-to-tail for several laps till Moore made an aggressive move on Hensel, power-sliding the 21D machine into the lead, sending Hensel back to the runner-up
position.
But Hensel wasn’t giving up as he chased Moore lap after lap in an effort to regain the
advantage in a quest to score his fourth consecutive victory.
On the final lape, Hensel pulled alongside Moore out of Turn Four, in a last-ditch effort to regain the lead as the two raced towards the finish line.
But Hensel couldn’t get up the momentum to pull ahead of Moore, who finished the race seconds ahead of Hensel.
“The car ran good, the track was great,” Moore said. “This is awesome, just amazing, two feature wins in one night!”
In other racing action, Zanesville driver Jesse Wisecarver (101) won the modified feature; Billy Dawson (7D), of Lakeville, scored a feature win in the mini stock division and veteran driver Jimmy Smith (280) earned another mod-lite feature win.
