By NICK SCHWIEN

nschwien@dailynews.net

Two weeks earlier, all Ronnie Hill could think about was what might have been.

Despite having a fast car, the modified driver couldn't make his way around cars ahead of him, and he eventually finished third.

On Friday night at RPM Speedway, Hill was in the same position. Only this time, the Sharon Springs driver got around the cars in front of him, then blasted his way to his first win of the season.

"It was a long time coming," Hill said after Friday's win.

On May 29, Hill won his heat, the cash dash and then settled for third despite having one of the fastest modifieds on the track. He said following that race that he found something that worked well at RPM.

Hill, despite blowing an engine just six days earlier at WaKeeney Speedway, used that same set-up Friday night to best the field.

"I figured out a little bit on the set-up that works well here," he said. "I found a little secret."

While Hill might have the secret set-up, the glory in the early laps went to Jerry Teel, who also was fast in his heat race.

Teel, from Hays, started on the pole and moved out to a comfortable lead while the rest of the pack battled it out for position.

Teel used the bottom of the track to his advantage until it became too rough and he moved up a bit in order to save his car from any damage.

"A lot of times it's a mixed blessing because you can't see where everybody else is running," Teel said about leading early in the race. "I didn't really want to try different spots. Then by the time he got around me, it was too late."

Hill made his move at the halfway point, edging past Teel by using the rougher low line.

"I thought there's no way anybody was going down there," Teel said. "By the time I thought that, he was gone."

Hill wasn't gone for good, though.

Three cautions bunched up the field, allowing Teel and the rest of the field to keep Hill within striking distance.

"It was the longest race I've ever run," Hill joked. "It was long. The nerves start to wear on you."

Hill was able to hold off the field on the restarts and drive away with the win, followed by Teel, Jason Schoenberger -- who won the May 29 race -- Matt Fabrizius and Marty Clark.

"It's a big morale booster," Teel said about his second-place finish. "All that hard work you put in on the car, it feels good."

The victory for Hill was his first since a win during a Blood, Sweat and Tears modified show at Thomas County Speedway in Colby early last season.

"It's super," he said. "I was needing a win after blowing a motor last week. It was awesome tonight."

* B.J. Dauer of Marquette won his fifth straight race at RPM Speedway this season in the hobby stock class. Dauer started outside the fifth row and once he was around traffic, he pulled away from the field. Jerry Hudson finished second, followed by Kurtis Pihl, Mark Normandin and Luke Pfannenstiel.

* Terry Cunningham started outside the front row in the stock feature and led every lap on his way to victory. Jason Davis was second, and Cory Struckhoff was third. Travis Sherfick and Dustin McClurg round out the top five.

* Jamie Rice started outside on the front row and held off the field in the sport compact feature. Jesse Dunlap, Allen Rice, Michael Smith and Nick Wolff rounded out the top five.

* Josh Rice had the car to beat all night in the Northern sport mod class, proving it by winning the feature. Joe Couse, Duane Wahrman, Troy Robinson and Bret Conness finished second through fifth, respectively.

* Next racing action at RPM Speedway will be July 11 and 12 during the Ellis County Fair. The two-day show is scheduled to host the second annual Wheatshocker Rebel Nationals featuring the 305 sprint cars of the United Rebel Sprint Series. The IMCA sport compacts and Northern sport mods also will compete both nights, along with the hobby stock class on that Saturday. Races begin at 7 p.m. July 11 and 6 p.m. July 12.