It’s been over a year since Darryl Hills last visited victory lane at Potomac Speedway, but that all changed on Friday night as he dominated the $2,000 to win Ed Canupp Memorial to clinch his first win on the season. Hills survived a challenge from DJ Myers in the Budweiser Super Late Model thriller to win, leading from start-to-finish.
“I got lucky I guess,” Hills said. “I had everything right tonight for about the first time. First win for a couple years, it feels good.”
Myers challenged Hills throughout the early stages of the 35 lap event but could never get around him. He would later hold off a late race charge by Jamie Lathroum to hold on to the runner up finish.
“I wasn’t sure at the beginning of the race, it was sort of a tire war,” Myers said. “He was going to pick the right tire, we picked a softer one. I don’t want to say his car was any better as he picked the right tire.”
Lathroum, a former winner in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, worked his way through the field to clinch the third position.
“Once the tires came in, the car was pretty good,” Lathroum said. “It’s just so hard to pass on a track like this, the top’s so good. The guy almost has to mess up for you to get around them.”
Four-time defending Super Late Model champion David Williams finished in the fourth position and Stevie Long finished fifth. Kenny Moreland, Dale Hollidge, Kenny Pettyjohn, Matt Quade and Jeff Pilkerton rounded out the top ten.
The race was slowed by caution flags on multiple occasions, the worst of which coming on the second lap for an accident involving Deane Guy and Jeff Pilkerton. Both drivers were okay, and Pilkerton was able to continue racing which allowed him to collect a 10th place finish. Guy’s car was too damaged to get back in the race.
Mike Latham held off a late charge by Kyle Nelson to win the Coors Light Street Stock feature in spectacular fashion. Nelson charged through the field in the final laps and drove in the final turn deep trying to make a pass on Latham. The two cars made contact coming down the front straightaway in a drag race to the finish line. Latham scored the win, his second of the season, while Nelson slammed the wall.
“I’ve got to tell you, we’ve got a good car this year,” Latham said. “I’ve got to thank everybody who helps me out. I wouldn’t be here without all my help. Nelson’s always tough to beat. He wanted that win just as bad as I did but we got him tonight.”
Ed Pope, Sr. scored the victory in the 50 lap B&B Welding Strictly Stock feature in convincing fashion with a 6.5 second interval over second place finisher Ray Bucci.
“Just another day at the track office,” Pope said. “Nobody got around me, nobody got close to me to pass me so I guess it was somewhat dominating.”
A scary crash occured on the first lap of the Stictly Stock feature when Greg Morgan’s car was overturned in a huge crash that brought out the red flag for several minutes. Morgan’s car was retired after the crash and the race resumed without incident.
Don Breach scored his first win of the season in the Quality Auto Body and Collission Hobby Stock feature event, holding off Shane Roloff and Travis Hopkins.
“It was tough coming,” Breach said. “We had three bad weeks and we didn’t think this would ever come so God blessed us with a safe race and we pulled it out.”
Roloff and Hopkins inherited the second and third positions after Brian Adkins and Thomas Pickeral spun ea
