virginiasprintseries Archives

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]

Harris provides fireworks at Langley for Virginia Sprints

By Jim Haines HAMPTON, Va. (July 6) – The Virginia Sprint Series’ annual visit to Langley Speedway for the Independence Day Weekend saw Jerald Harris go off like a rocket in the feature for his first win at the tidewater area venue. Matt Mullins and Bill Rice paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green in the Saturday show with Rice out first, Harris right on him and Mike Leraas in tow. On lap three, Harris showed changes made after the heat were the right ones as he went to the front and took off, leaving Rice to deal with Leraas for second. On the pavement the laps shoot by quickly and once Harris caught traffic, he used his patience to weave his way through and added to his lead. Rice and Leraas got caught behind a battle for positions when they got to the traffic and had to settle for racing for second as Harris was gone. Rice ended in the runner-up spot with Leraas third. Next it’s back to the dirt on [Read More]

Leraas leads last laps for Virginia Sprint Series win

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (June 29) – Mike Leraas led the last five times around the Shenandoah Speedway oval Saturday, becoming the eighth different winner in nine Virginia Sprint Series events this season. Chris Ware and Bill Rice paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Rice out first, leaving Ware to deal with Jerald Harris, Glenn Worrell and Leraas. Rice was a lane up and staying smooth as Harris tried every way to get by. After a caution tightened the field, Rice took off again with Ware, Leraas and Worrell in pursuit. Rice was leading still but Leraas and Worrell were on the way. With five to go, Leraas swept low and into the lead. Worrell made it by for second but ran out of time to catch Leraas Next it’s back for the annual trip to Langley Speedway in Hampton on Saturday July 6. Feature results – 1. Mike Leraas; 2. Glenn Worrell; 3. Bill Rice; 4. Jerald Harris; 5. Chris Ware; 6. Matt Mullins; 7. Charlie Ware; 8. French Grimes.

Harris hustles to Hagerstown IMCA RaceSaver win

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (June 15) – His return visit to Hagerstown Speedway ended with Jerald Harris in victory lane. Eighteenth in the main event at last month’s East Coast Nationals, Harris showed he had a good handle on the setup he needed on a super-fast sticky track as he went up high on the start and streaked to the Saturday IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car win. David Grube II and Drew Ritchey were second and third, respectively, in the co-sanctioned Laurel Highlands Sprint Series, Pennsylvania Sprint Series and Virginia Sprint Series event. Erin Statler and Harris paced the field to the initial green with Harris staying high and taking the lead with Statler right on his tail and Grube in tow. Ken Duke, Zack Newlin and Ritchey worked their way up as Grube got by Statler, but Harris stayed straight smooth and fast as traffic came into play. After a red for a car getting in to the guardrail it was back at it for a run to the checkers. Harris took off and [Read More]

Ellerman sprints to IMCA East Coast Nationals crown

By Jim Haines HAGERSTOWN, Md. (May 24-25) – Scott Ellerman used his outside front row starting spot to the best possible outcome Saturday night, staying smooth and never letting challengers move him off his line to the finish of the East Coast Nationals main event at Hagerstown Speedway. The IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car checkers were good for $1,000. Ellerman, who admitted to not having much luck at the draw, had run third in the final heat and was left with the number two pill and outside pole start. “This win means a lot,” said Ellerman, who beat fellow Pennsylvania Sprint Series regular Ken Duke to the finish by maybe a car length. “We’ve had motor trouble and we’ve had car trouble. It’s been real frustrating. We definitely got our confidence back.” Christian Rumsey, Steven Kenawell and Jonathan Jones rounded out the top five in the holiday weekend special, co-sanctioned by PASS, the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series and the Virginia Sprint Series. Jacob Gomola and Ellerman paced the field to green, with Ellerman grabbing the lead [Read More]

Parade of different winners continues as Humphries tops Natural Bridge Sprint show

By Jim Haines NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (May 18) – On the first summer-like day Tom Humphries figured out what he needed to get back to victory lane. Humphries topped the Saturday Virginia Sprint Series feature at Natural Bridge Speedway, becoming the fifth different IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car tour winner in as many events so far this season. Charlie Ware and Bill Rice started on the front row as the field went green with Rice out first. Rice tried to gap the field but Humphries stayed right on him. Jerald Harris made his way after the front two, first getting by Charlie Ware and then Daren Bolac. Humphries was by Rice and checking out as Harris closed, going low into second to take up the chase. The laps clicked off as Harris kept closing as they went under the white flag they were side-by-side. Going in to turn one, Humphries had a cleaner line and pulled out a car length on Harris and he held it under the waving checkered flag. Next it’s off to Hagerstown [Read More]

Harris flies fastest in sprint to Dixieland checkered flag

By Jim Haines ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (May 10) – Jerald Harris moved to the top and took off for his first win of the year to top a Fast Friday Virginia Sprint Series field at Dixieland Speedway. Charlie Ware and Bill Rice paced the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car field to green with Harris going to the top and flying around to lead lap one with Rice holding off John Karklin for second and Bronzie Lawson in fourth. Karklin got by Rice as did Lawson and Brandon McLain, but Harris was up high and rolling, keeping distance on the field. The top group was racing hard to catch Harris as the laps were clicking off with Andy Best and Jake Karklin trying work up through the field before laps ran out. After a quick caution for a spin, Harris was back to the top and rolling. Lawson fell out but was replaced by Best. With the white flag in sight, Best was under John Karklin and Jake Karklin was all over his dad for third. As [Read More]

Keeton collects Shenandoah Virginia Sprint Series victory

By Jim Haines SHENANDOAH, Va. (April 27) – The Norfolk Southern Railroad across the street from Shenandoah Speedway rumbles and roars when it rolls by, but on Saturday night Mike Keeton made his own noise and looked to be on rails as he sped to the Virginia Sprint Series feature win. The feature-only IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car event rolled to green with Josh Perreault and Chris Ware on the front with the two staying side by side until lap two the Ware edging out front. Bill Rice came up to challenge Ware but his night ended early with a flat right front tire in the infield. On the restart, Ware jumped out but Keeton took over the top spot and sped away. Jerald Harris and Glenn Worrell got by Ware but chasing down Keeton was not going happen without a caution as he powered to the win. The next race will be the first Fast Friday event of the year at Dixieland Speedway on Friday, May 10. Feature results – 1. Mike Keeton; 2. Jerald Harris; [Read More]