Bolac sprints to winged win at Dixieland

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]

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]

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]