virginiasprintseries Archives

Bolac flies to RaceSaver win at home track

By Jim Haines ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (May 14) – The first visit to his home turf at Dixieland Speedway this season had local fans happy as Daren Bolac swept the evening, winning his heat and leading ever lap of the Virginia Sprint Series feature Friday night. Chris Ware and Bolac paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Bolac out first with Mike Leraas and Ben McCall giving chase as the high line showed to be the fastest. Soon after, Dylan Shatzer, Billy Hubbard and C.J. Faison were after McCall for third. Bolac and Leraas inched away from the field as the third place battle raged lap after lap on the tricky, fast oval. McCall tried to close on Leraas but slipped up, spun and had to rejoin the back of the field, leaving Shatzer, Faison and Hubbard to continue to race for third. Bolac and Leraas stayed smooth to keep their space but Shatzer had to really rim ride to keep his advantage as he tried everything to close in but the [Read More]

Defending champion smokes Virginia Sprint Series foes

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (April 17) – The first dirt race of the year for the Virginia Sprint Series was an exciting one as defending champion Mike Leraas made his way to the front and fought off race-long challengers and a failure at the last lap but held on for the Saturday win at Natural Bridge Speedway. Matt Mullins and Chris Ware paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green. Ware was out first with Leraas, Bill Rice and Jerald Harris giving chase. Leraas got by, leaving Rice and Harris to fight with Ware for second. Ware got high in turn two with Harris getting by Rice to go after Leraas and Rice in a solid third. A quick spinner tightened up the field after they had caught the back of the field. Leraas was off again and Harris was right on him with Rice staying tough in third. The top two went after it lap after lap until coming down for the white flag Leraas started to smoke badly. But even with [Read More]

Hubbard gets first RaceSaver win in VA Sprint Series opener

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (April 10) – Billy Hubbard has raced stock cars for many years and after stepping into an IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car last year he has been a quick study, sweeping Saturday’s opening night Virginia Sprint Series show at Shenandoah Speedway. Matt Mullins and Hubbard paced the field to green with Hubbard out front first and Mike Keeton hanging close with Jerald Harris getting to third quickly. Hubbard showed lap after lap the car was working as Keeton kept the pressure on and Harris stayed within striking distance of both as the race wore on. Keeton gave it a final push as the laps were winding down but it would not be enough as Hubbard flashed under the checkered flag for his first win in a Sprint Car after many wins in other divisions. At the line it was Keeton, Harris, Bill Rice and Mullins making up the top five. Next week it’s the first dirt race of the season at Natural Bridge Speedway on Saturday, April 17.

Harris brings broom, sweeps Virginia Sprint Series twinbill

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (Sept. 19) – On the first clear, cool night of the year, Jerald Harris had a hot night on track by topping both features for the Virginia Sprint Series at Natural Bridge Speedway. The make-up event for the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature rained out in August had Daren Bolac out first at the drop of the green and running smooth out front with Mike Leraas in tow. The 20-lap feature was going by fast as the track surface was changing and Leraas was closing in with Mike Keeton and Harris catching up fast as well. Leraas got by for the lead with the back of the field quickly coming into his path. With the white flag out, Leraas and Bolac were still up front on the lower side but Harris moved up and was gaining ground fast. Coming off turn four to the checkers, the last car on the lead lap bobbled, causing Leraas and Bolac to lift. Harris seized the moment to go high next to the wall, [Read More]

Virginia Sprint Series win at Shenandoah goes to Leraas

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (July 18) – On the hot, humid, summer day, the real heat was on the track as Mike Leraas won his first Virginia Sprint Series race of the season by a few feet. Saturday’s feature-only pavement show for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars at Shenandoah Speedway had Chris Ware and Leraas pace the field to green with Leraas out first and Jerald Harris on his bumper. Bill Rice raced with Ware to get third as the front two were already hard at it for the top spot lap. Rice got by Ware as Billy Hubbard was all over Rice for third. Lap after lap, Harris got in the turns better but Leraas was better on the exit and they were never more than a few feet apart. Hubbard got by Rice for third with a few laps to go. Harris edged closer as the white flag waved and set up a dash for the finish. With the checkered flag in the air, Harris moved high to the outside and put on [Read More]

Rice rockets to Langley Virginia Sprint Series win

By Jim Haines HAMPTON, Va. (July 4) – Bill Rice showed his heat race win was no fluke as he was a rocket all night en route to his first Virginia Sprint Series win of the year Saturday at Langley Speedway. Rice and Matt Mullins paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Rice out first and staying low and fast. After a shuffle at the front, Daren Bolac settled into second with Mike Leraas and Jerald Harris following closely. Harris made the move to work his way to second while Mike Keeton was showing speed after a pit stop on the start and was up to fourth. Rice continued to lead as Harris closed with Leraas and Keeton next. Harris was less than a second off the pace as the white flag waved but could get no closer as Rice flashed under the checkered flag first. On Saturday, July 11, the series is at Natural Bridge Speedway for the first visit of the season. Feature results – 1. Bill Rice; 2. Jerald Harris; 3. Mike [Read More]

Shatzer rumbles to Hagerstown feature win

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (June 20) – There was threatening weather in the skies overhead but the real thunder was on track as Dylan Shatzer sped to his second Virginia Sprint Series win of the year Saturday at Hagerstown Speedway. Tom Humphries and Scott Lutz paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Lutz going straight to the bottom and the front. Shatzer, winner of the June 5 series lidlifter at Dixieland Speedway, had shown he liked the top and went straight to it for the lead on lap one. Lutz, Tom Humphries and Jerald Harris were on the chase until Humphries broke and coasted to the pits. On the restart, Harris took the high line to second and chased Shatzer with Lutz and Donny Hendershot racing for third. The laps clicked by but Harris could only get close as Shatzer went under the waving checkered flag for the popular home Feature results – 1. Dylan Shatzer; 2. Jerald Harris; 3. Scott Lutz; 4. Donny Hendershot; 5. Brad Mellott; 6. Daren Bolac; 7. [Read More]

Shatzer sails in opener for Virginia Sprint Series

By Jim Haines ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (June 5) – Dylan Shatzer’s first trip to the tidewater area ended up being smooth sailing but much faster all the way to the Friday night Virginia Sprint Series win at Dixieland Speedway. The IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car season-opening feature was lined up with Jake McLain and Shatzer on the front row. With the green flag waving Shatzer was out first with McLain and Bronzie Lawson fighting for second right away. The track was fast with Shatzer showing smooth was the way to go as he kept pulling away lap after lap with Lawson getting to second and setting his sights on the front. Tom Humphries made his way to third by lap 15. After a quick yellow to push a stalled car from the track, Shatzer took off and the laps ran out, leaving Lawson in second and Humphries third. The next Virginia Sprint Series race will be June 13 at Natural Bridge in Virginia or June 20 at Hagerstown Speedway. Feature results – 1. Dylan Shatzer; 2. Bronzie Lawson; 3. [Read More]

Ritchey sprints to seventh of season at Hagerstown

HAGERSTOWN, M.D. (Sept. 22) – Drew Ritchey won his seventh IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car event of the season on Sunday by leading every lap of the 25-lap feature at Hagerstown Speedway. It was his third win in the Pennsylvania Sprint Series and came in an event co-sanctioned by PASS with the Virginia Sprint Series and the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series Hagerstown joined Bedford, Path Valley, Cumberland and Hesston on Ritchey’s trophy list, with Bedford and Path Valley having fallen twice to the 24-year-old Sprinter.. Ritchey survived an early duel with Ken Duke Jr. and then a wild lap 20 restart, during which eventual runner-up Ryan Lynn and Dave Grube challenged for the top spot. Scott Lutz reclaimed third place in the final laps, with Grube coming home fourth and Jaremi Hanson fifth. Lutz and Hanson had come through from fifth-row starting spots. Duke, who got the nose of his car inside of Ritchey early, tangled with the leader on lap 14 and spun, but recovered and came home 11th. Thirty drivers vied in the finale. [Read More]

Bolac blazes at The Bridge for first Sprint win of season

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (July 13) – Daren Bolac changed almost everything after his heat and it really paid off as he took his first Virginia Sprint Series win of the year Saturday at Natural Bridge Speedway. Bill Rice and Bolac rolled the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Bolac out first, Rice staying low in second and Mike Lerass and Nick Tucker fighting for third. Lerass used Bolac’s line to get a run on Rice and was quickly in second. Jerald Harris and Scott Lutz made their way to the front and soon got by Rice. The rest of the field stayed in pursuit of the front duo, who continued a mistake-free high line, low line battle. With 10 to go, Harris and Lutz got past Tucker and tried to chase down the lead pair. Bolac had the high line working coming out of the corners and Leraas has the low line working better getting into the corners. Leraas was trying everything and with two laps to go got close on [Read More]