naturalbridgespeedway Archives

Mountain Blast Off for Moyac Missile

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (Sept. 21, 2024) – Natural Bridge Speedway, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, saw Moyac Missile Daren Bolac blast off and take the Virginia Sprint Series win Saturday night. This IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car race was a special feature-only event as part of the Tommy Bare Memorial Weekend. After a rain delay held up the feature, Matthew Leach and Bolac paced the field to green with Bolac out first on the lightning-fast track. Bolac was trying to take off but Dylan Shatzer and Jerald Harris broke away first to try to run him down. The trio was flying around, inching away from the rest of the pack until half-way when Shatzer went too high in turn three and four, going over the bank an ending his challenge. On the restart, Bolac and Harris took off with Matt Mullins now in third with the laps running down. Harris had closed a few times trying different lines and with the rear of the field coming up had another chance to make a charge. [Read More]

Harris saves best for last at Natural Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (Aug. 17, 2024) – On a very warm, humid summer race night Jerald Harris waited until three laps to go to sweep into the lead for his fourth Virginia Sprint Series win of the season. Saturday’s IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature at Natural Bridge Speedway was paced to the green with Chris Humblet and Dylan Shatzer on the front row as the flag waved. Shatzer went to the cushion and it was the quick way around as Harris was racing with Humblet. Harris got by and started to close in, but a quick caution for a stalled car tightened up the field went green. Shatzer stayed fast with Harris behind and Humblet, Daren Bolac and Caleb Harris staying close as the laps clicked off and the back of the field came up to the leaders. With three to go, Jerald Harris got a run on the outside and went to the front going into turn three, then charged the rest of the way to the checkered flag with Shatzer [Read More]

Harris brings broom to Natural Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL Bridge, Va. (May 25, 2024) – On the first hot humid night of the season, Jerald Harris was on a hot streak sweeping his heat and feature for his second Virginia Sprint Series feature win of the year. Harris and Matthew Leach paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field at Natural Bridge Speedway to green and Harris was out first with Leach, Chris Humblet and John Scarborough in tow. On lap two, Leach spun in turn two to reload the field and Harris took off again with Humblet and Scarborough racing for second. On lap five, Leach and John Smith got together, ending the night for both. Harris took off with Humblet and Scarborough right with him Dylan Shatzer and Caleb Harris were racing for fourth. Scarborough got by Humblet and was using the low line to close in on Harris that liked the higher line. Shatzer got by Humblet to get to third as the laps were clicking off fast. Traffic came into play as the race was winding down [Read More]

Hendershot takes opener at Natural Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (April 13, 2024) – On a windy and sunny day, Donnie Hendershot flew like the to finish first in the season opening race for the Virginia Sprint Series at Natural Bridge Speedway. Hendershot and Jerald Harris paced the Saturday night IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green. Hendershot used the low line to gain the lead with Harris staying high while John Scarborough used the low line and was on Harris quickly. Scarborough made it to second as Hendershot continued out front and with the laps winding down, traffic was coming up and that allowed Scarborough to close in. With the white flag waving, Scarborough was within striking distance as he made the final push but Hendershot stayed strong streaking under the waving checkered flag. At the line it was Scarborough, Jerald Harris, Caleb Harris and Matthew Leach completing the top five behind Hendershot. On Saturday, April 20, the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highlands Sprint Series will join up at Hagerstown Speedway for the second race of the [Read More]

Much traveled Scarborough is RaceSaver winner at Natural Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (May 27, 2023) – Being an IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car driver from Vermont, John Scarborough has traveled a lot. He says Natural Bridge Speedway in Virginia has become one of his favorite tracks and he showed why Saturday night by sweeping the night, topping his heat race and then the Virginia Sprint Series main event. Scarborough and Aaron Leach pacing the field at the start with Scarborough hugging the bottom and staying out front as fourth starting Jerald Harris quickly made his way to second. The top two stay glued to each other as they left the rest to trade spots all through the race. With the 20 laps going quickly, traffic was in Scarborough’s favorite line as Harris made a final push with two to go, getting inside the leader, but he could not make the pass and Scarborough flashed under the waving checkered flag first. It was Jerald Harris, Daren Bolac, Caleb Harris and Leach completing the top five behind him. Scarborough became the fourth different winner [Read More]

Natural Bridge checkers are second of season for Leavell

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (Sept. 24, 2022) – A clear autumn race night had an unexpected rain delay but it didn’t slow Joe Leavell from jetting to the front to take his second Virginia Sprint Series win of the year Saturday at Natural Bridge Speedway. Fan Appreciation Night at Natural Bridge had a fan meet and greet, after which a rain delay had the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars run a feature-only event. Caleb Harris and Bill Rice paced the field to green. Rice shot out front up high on the start and had Harris and Mike Leraas chasing. The track surface had changed from warmups after the shower and it was lightning fast as Rice continued to fly out front. Leavell, winner of the May 28 feature at Natural Bridge Speedway, found a groove and was closing in getting to second. Right before halfway, Leavell was there and not long after into the lead with Rice keeping up with him as they entered traffic in the closing laps. Lerass made it to third and was [Read More]

Shenandoah checkers are VSS second straight for Harris

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (Sept. 17, 2022) – Jerald Harris made it two Virginia Sprint Series feature wins in a row Saturday night, following his run to the checkers at Natural Bridge Speedway with the Saturday checkers at Shenandoah Speedway. The feature-only event had Caleb Harris and Bill Rice leading the field to green, with Rice out first and Harris closing in a couple laps while bringing Billy Hubbard along with him. Rice had a good line and kept them off until lap eight when Jerald Harris went high and made the pass stick. Hubbard kept working on Rice to make sure Harris didn’t get away and got a big run to second as quickly as he could. Harris and Hubbard were going after the top spot lap after lap but at the cost of tire smoke. Harris used a higher line and Hubbard was trying a low line but with a few laps to go, Hubbard coasted to the infield, done for the night leaving Harris out front and nursing his tires to [Read More]

Harris is fastest mover at the Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (Aug. 20, 2022) – Jerald Harris in the Harris Moving Sprinter showed he can move on track as well winning both his heat and feature, sweeping the Virginia Sprint Series show Saturday evening at Natural Bridge Speedway. Caleb Harris and Bill Rice paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature to green with Rice out first and Jerald Harris right behind up high on the oval. Rice stayed out front after a quick yellow with Harris second and Lance Christie, Matt Mullins and Joe Leavell rounding out the top five. The front three stayed right with each other as Leavell made his way to fourth. At halfway, Rice had started to get loose and Harris pounced, going low to the top spot and leaving Rice to battle with Christie. Christie went by and Leavell made it to third not long after. The front pack was close as the laps clicked off, trying different lines to make it to the lead. The front three were all within a few car lengths [Read More]

Local favorite Leavell sprints to first series win at Natural Bridge

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (May 28, 2022) – The second trip for the Virginia Sprint Series to Natural Bridge Speedway on a perfect day had a first-time winner as local favorite Joe Leavell was first to the checkers. Bill Rice and Caleb Harris paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature with Rice like a bullet out first leading but soon to be joined up front by Jerald Harris and Leavell not letting. Harris and Leavell were closing in, leaving Rice no room for error as the three were all under a blanket with Leavell low and Harris up high. With the end coming quick Leavell made his move low on Rice while Harris made a move high, slipped and brushed the wall. Leavell came out with the lead but Harris regrouped and challenged for the front spot. Harris edged closer with traffic everywhere as the lead group made its way through but ran out of time to catch up and deny Leavell the career-first win. Rice took third. The series takes a few [Read More]

Late pass sparks Bolac in Virginia Sprint Series opener

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (April 16, 2022) – Daren Bolac streaked by the race-long leader with a few laps to go for the Saturday night win in the 2022 season debut for the Virginia Sprint Series at Natural Bridge Speedway. The feature-only IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car event had Mike Keeton and Bolac on the front row of the fast banked oval they went green with Keeton out first and Bolac in tow. After a couple of quick cautions it went back green with the front two unable to get away from the field as Jerald Harris, Joe Leavell and Chris Humblet stayed within striking distance. Laps clicked off as Leavel got by Harris. The top three were getting very close as lapped traffic was coming up. Keeton was right on a car to put a lap down when Bolac made his move to the bottom and got to the lead. Keeton moved over to try to regain the lead at the same time Leavel popped over his tire and ending his night. Keeton [Read More]