virginiasprintseries Archives

Harris rockets to Virginia Sprint Series checkers

By Jim Haines HAMPTON, Va. (July 1, 2023) – During the Virginia Sprint Series’ annual visit to Langley Speedway leading into the July 4 holiday, the rocket turned out to be on track with Jerald Harris streaking to sweep the night. Harris and Matthew Leach paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Harris out first and bringing Billy Hubbard along as Leach and Chris Humblet fought for third. Harris was running hard but trying to save tires as the key to keeping fast on pavement is to keep tire wear to a minimum. A restart at halfway after an accident clean up meant they would all get a crack at Harris but he proved to be up for it ,staying strong out front. Laps clicked off until Billy Hubbard had to retire after breaking a wheel to slow the field, an incident that gave the now second-running Humblet. Harris shot off on the restart with Humblet close behind, but nothing would stop Harris from flashing under the checkered flag and becoming the [Read More]

Spahr sprints to Hagerstown win

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (June 17, 2023) – Already a six-time winner in Pennsylvania Sprint Series action this season, Logan Spahr became a first-time winner in two other IMCA RaceSaver series Saturday night. Spahr collected the checkers at Hagerstown Speedway in the event co-sanctioned by the Virginia Sprint Series, Laurel Highlands Sprint Series and PASS. The annual meeting of the three series was another great event with 43 cars checking in. Michael Alleman and Ken Duke paced the field to green with Alleman out first and right away joined by Austin Reed. Duke and the front group swapped the lead every lap. Alleman was fast on the bottom while Reed stayed to the top. Spahr showed up and moved to second as Reed started to fade with mechanical problems but Duke was right there to take up the charge. Spahr found a new line and moved to the front, leaving Alleman and Duke to fight it out for second. After a quick caution for a spinner it was back at it but nobody would catch Spahr as [Read More]

Co-sanctioned Hagerstown show next for PASS

By Frank Buhrman HAGERSTOWN, Md. (June 15, 2023) – The River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series will make its only 2023 appearance at Maryland’s Hagerstown Speedway this Saturday, joining a co-sanctioned program hosted by the Virginia Sprint Series and also involving the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series. It’s a Dad’s Night Out special program for Father’s Day weekend, with the IMC RaceSaver Sprint Cars racing, along with the wingless super sportsman cars that normally run at Path Valley Speedway, and the track’s regular late model sportsman division. PASS has only run in seven races at Hagerstown (although some teams have run more when VSS was racing there without the PASS co-sanction) and no driver has won more than once, which creates an opportunity for those drivers with single wins who plan on racing: Ken Duke, Jerald Harris, a VSS regular, Stevie Kenawell and Mike Melair. One could end the evening as the first two-time winner for a PASS race. To do that, though, they’ll have to overcome Logan Spahr, who won the first six PASS races [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]

First Fast Friday to Faison

By Jim Haines ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (May 12, 2023) – On the first warm night, the Virginia Sprint Series took to the Carolina coast for its first Fast Friday event of the year at Dixieland Speedway and Delaware hot shoe C.J. Faison came out on top of the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car main event. Faison and Billy Hubbard paced the field to green with Faison sticking to the bottom with Hubbard and Jerald Harris right behind. Faison tried to get away and at first that strategy was working but Harris made his way to second and, after a spinner caused a caution to tighten the field, would stay right there. Laps were clicking off as Lance Christie made his way to third but all Harrison could do was to get close as waving checkered flags flew over Faison, the third different winner in as many series events so far in 2023. Next it’s off to Hagerstown Speedway this Saturday, May 20 with the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series for a co-sanctioned event.

Rhodes sprints to IMCA RaceSaver win at Winchester

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 [Read More]

Leavell’s Natural Bridge success spans seasons

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (April 15, 2023) – The first Virginia Sprint Series race of the year showed that Joe Leavell had not lost his touch from his winning ways from last year at Natural Bridge Speedway. The Waynesboro ace wasted no time going to the front in Friday night’s opener for the IMCA RaceSaver series and was on a rail to take the win. Leavell had been a double winner at Natural Bridge last season, getting the second of those victories in the 2022 tour finale. Daren Bolac and Caleb Harris paced the field to green this time around and Bolac and Harris stayed glued nose to tail until Harris moved to the front, running the higher line. Leavell went around Bolac and began working on Harris early on. The laps clicked away in the caution-free feature and nobody was going to prevent Leavell from going to the front. The pack stayed in pursuit and kept him in sight but never made a challenge even in traffic as he cruised under the [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]