virginiasprintseries Archives

Hubbard roars at the Mountain

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (July 16, 2022) – Drivers had a hot and sunny day at Shenandoah Speedway and Billy Hubbard was the hottest as he went to the front and held off a charge from Matt Mullins for his first Virginia Sprint Series win of the year. It was a feature-only IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car Saturday event on the pavement and Chris Ware and Chris Humblet paced the field to green, with Humblet out first up high on the oval. Hubbard and Jerald Harris quickly joined the fight up front. Hubbard got by, leaving Humblet to Harris as the laps clicked by. Hubbard led as Harris made his way to second as last race winner Mullins made his way toward the front from 10th starting. Harris was closing as the leader caught the rear of the field but at the same time his handle seemed to be going away. Mullins got by Harris and could see Hubbard not far ahead, but Hubbard had saved enough to hold off a closing Mullins for the [Read More]

Mullins saves best for last in Langley RaceSaver win

By Jim Haines HAMPTON, Va. (July 2, 2022) – The annual Fourth of July Weekend event for the Virginia Sprint Series was a show case for patience as Matt Mullins led early, gave it up to save his tires and then blasted back by with a few laps to go for the win Saturday at Langley Speedway. Chris Humblet and Mullins had paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Mullins out first and Humblet and Jerald Harris in tow. Mullins was smooth out front as Harris got to second and Billy Hubbard followed. Hubbard made it to second and took off like a jet after Mullins, who was catching the back of the pack as the pavement laps really clicked off. Mullins stayed smooth and straight as Hubbard showed speed but also tire smoke and at lap 15 he found the lead as Mullins stayed on plan. Hubbard was on it lap after lap as Mullins kept him in range and as the tires were going away he pounced. Mullins really closed in [Read More]

Kenawell Makes it a Double Weekend with Hagerstown win

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (June 18, 2022) – Stevie Kenawell stared the weekend winning with the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series at Dog Hollow Speedway and then followed it up at the Annual Dad’s Night Out weekend at Hagerstown Speedway by wiring the feature from pole to checkers. The Hagerstown event has been a highlight since the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series, PASS and Virginia Sprint Series got together at Hagerstown a few years ago for the once a year three series race. Kenawell and Dylan Shatzer paced the feature field to green and Kenawell took off with Shatzer in tow. The whole field was dicing for positions in all grooves behind them. Quickly it became a race for second as Kenawell really had the family-owned sprinter dialed in, just a straight arrow lap after lap as Austin Reed made his way to second with Shatzer still third. Even as racers made huge gains headed toward the front spots, the race lap after lap was Kenawell’s in hand. After a couple re-starts he just stayed in the zone to keep [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]

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]