virginiasprintseries Archives

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]

Scarborough wins sprint to photo finish checkers at Hagerstown

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (May 21, 2022) – John Scarborough was the photo finish winner, in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car event co-sanctioned Saturday by the Virginia Sprint Series and Laurel Highlands Sprint Series at Hagerstown Speedway. Heats kicked off the night with Scarborough and Andrew Boyer taking wins before it was off to the feature. Scarborough and Tylor Cochran paced the field to green with Scarborough shooting out like a jet and trying to get away with Reed Thompson, Cochran, Scott Lutz and Donnie Hendershot chasing. Everything was going Scarborough’s way until a caution for a slowing car bunched the field up. On the restart, Scarborough tried to get away again but Cochran found his grove and stayed close as Hendershot made his way to third. With two laps to go, Cochran was on a charge and was right there as the white waved. Coming to the checkered flag on the bottom groove, Cochran inched ahead with Scarborough still up high, but at the line he was able to use the momentum to streak back by Cochran and win [Read More]

‘Bullet’ Bill Rice tops the Mountain

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (April 30, 2022) – Bill Rice held off a charging Caleb Harris for his first Virginia Sprint Series win of the year, where the mountain roars, Shenandoah Speedway. Jerald Harris won the trophy dash before it was off to the Saturday IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature. Rice and Harris paced to green with Rice out first but by lap two Bill Mullis got by for the lead. All was good up front until lap seven when Mullis ended his night against the turn three fence after contact. Rice took off again and held off a fast closing Caleb Harris at the line. At the strip it was Rice, Caleb Harris, and French Grimes. The Virginia Sprint Series will next head to Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth City, N.C,. on Friday, May 13 for the first Fast Friday race of the year.

Duke is RaceSaver Sprint king at Hagerstown

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (April 23, 2022) – After winning his heat race, Ken Duke raced hard all feature taking the lead with four laps to go and going on to the Saturday IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature win at Hagerstown Speedway. Twenty cars were on hand for the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series and Virginia Sprint Series co-sanctioned event as the red clay oval was perfectly smooth sticky and dust free. The feature lined up with Scott Lutz and Chris Humblet pacing to green with Lutz out first and Duke in with the rest of the field dicing for a spot. Lutz and Duke stayed on the bottom as 10th starting Jerald Harris found a high line to his liking and was a rocket as he made it to third by lap two. Harris swept into the lead on lap four up high, leaving Lutz and Duke to race for second with John Scarborough closing in. Laps clicked off as the track stayed great and Harris was flying out front by himself with Duke [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]

Hubbard smokes foes for Virginia Sprint Series win

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (Sept. 25) – Billy Hubbard raced to the front like a cat with its tail on fire, then paced his right rear tire which he had smoking hard to the finish for his third Virginia Sprint Series feature win of the year Saturday at Shenandoah Speedway. Matt Mullins and Chris Ware were on the front row as the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car event went green with Mullins out first and Ware moving to the bottom. Jerald Harris was making a quick trip up high to the front right away and by lap two he was on Mullins and going by for the lead. With Harris out front and looking strong, Mike Leraas made it to second and was chipping away at the lead with Hubbard working through the field to third. As the halfway flags were shown, Leraas shot to the lead with Harris holding off Hubbard. Hubbard got by Harris and took after Leraas as Harris was having a tire go down causing him to slow. Hubbard was really [Read More]

Mullins flies to first Virginia Sprint Series checkers

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (Aug. 7) – Matt Mullins joined the Virginia Sprint Series four years ago after having raced other divisions. But being from Iowa, he always wanted to race a Sprint Car and Saturday night fulfilled a life-long dream of not just racing Sprinters but winning in one. Mullins and Chris Ware paced the IMCA RaceSaver field to green with Mullins out first, Ware right behind and Mike Leraas and Daren Bolac racing for third. Mullins was really rolling out in clean air while Ware tryied to stay in touch. Bolac made it to third with Leraas fourth. Mullins was still out front flying as Bolac and Leraas advanced. Brandon McLain made his way to fourth as Bolac was closing in on Mullins, but laps ran out as the leader flashed under the waving checkered flag for his first feature win. Next week it’s off to The Greater Cumberland Raceway in Cumberland, Md., with the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series on Saturday night Aug. 14. Feature results – 1. Matt Mullins; 2. Daren [Read More]

Ware is fastest in Fast Friday finale

By Jim Haines ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (July 23) – It’s been a few years of top finishes but no wins since 2017 but that all changed as it was back in the Virginia Sprint Series winner’s circle for Chris Ware at Dixieland Speedway. Ware shot back to take the win in the final Fast Friday event of the year for the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car series at Elizabeth City. He and Matt Mullins paced the field to green with Mullins out first up high and Ware right behind with Daren Bolac in third. Ware kept on the pressure, Mullins bobbled off turn two and Ware shot to the front, bringing Jerald Harris with him on the bottom. Ware was smooth out front as Harris chased with Billy Hubbard now third and Mike Leraas fourth. Hubbard slipped and spun in turn two, resetting the field and giving them a chance at Ware but off he went again with Harris still second and Leraas third. The leader started getting into the back of the field as Harris [Read More]

Melair dominates IMCA RaceSaver Sprints at Hagerstown

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (June 19) – Nobody watching Mike Melair would ever have known this would become his first win in an IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car victory Saturday at Hagerstown Speedway. Thirty cars vied in the event co-sanctioned by the Virginia Sprint Series, Pennsylvania Sprint Series and Laurel Highland Sprint Series and Melair tuned up for the main event with a dominating heat win. Melair and Jason Roush then paced the feature field to green with Melair out front up top and Mikell McGee falling in behind before a car got a little too sideways causing a few cars to get together. Once back to green, Melair was off again followed by McGee and soon Ryan Lynn was chasing them down in third. Lap after lap, Melair stayed smooth, never putting a wheel wrong even as traffic came up. Melair’s brother Domenic came through the field and was soon on Lynn for third and using the brother’s high line to do it. With laps winding down, Mike Melair and McGee were still staying [Read More]

Three RaceSaver series run Saturday at Hagerstown

HAGERSTOWN, Md. – The Pennsylvania Sprint Series will join two other IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car series this Saturday night for a Father’s Day Weekend special program at Hagerstown Speedway. PASS, the host Virginia Sprint Series and the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series will vie for supremacy June 19 on the half-mile track alongside Conococheague Creek in Washington County, Md. Four weeks ago, PASS regular Dave Grube invaded a VSS/LHSS co-sanctioned race at Hagerstown and came away with the victory. An earlier RaceSaver date was rained out. In 2019, VSS stalwart Jerald Harris was a winner, along with former PASS drivers Zach Newlin and Scott Ellerman. A large field of cars is expected Saturday, including Grube and the last two IMCA RaceSaver national champions, Ken Duke and Garrett Bard. Local entries are expected to include Donnie Hendershot, a PASS winner earlier this season, and Dylan Shatzer, a former LHSS winner at Hagerstown and a winner this season at Hesston Speedway. It will be Kids’ Hot Dog Night at the speedway, plus Dads will get $5 off general [Read More]