By Jim Haines
WINCHESTER, Va. (April 29, 2023) – With most of the Eastern race tracks raining out, the return of IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars to Winchester brought a good field of sprinters to the Virginia oval co-sanctioned by the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highlands Sprint Series.
Zach Rhodes topped the 24-car main event for his first win in the sanctioned division.
Heats kicked off the night with Donnie Hendershot, A.J. Barton, Jarrett Rosencrance and Dave Grube taking wins. The feature lined up with Rhodes and Fred Arnold on the front row.
Rhodes had the best line at the start with Arnold dropping in for second right away, as the rest of the field tried to get their own line working to move forward. Rhodes liked the bottom and stayed glued to it with Arnold and Logan Jones fighting over second with the other positions changing every lap.
Jones made his way to second and Arnold fell to third with Donnie Hendershot and Dave Grube trying to run them down. Jones was all over Rhodes for the top spot but close to the end Rhodes built a little of a gap and held it as he flashed under a waving checkered flag.
Jones and Arnold rounded out the top three.
Austin Greenland topped the 11-car non-qualifiers’ feature.
Next week the Virginia Sprint Series is off before heading to the coast and Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth City, N.C., for the first Fast Friday race of the year on May 12.