virginiasprintseries Archives

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]

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.