BRL LM S22 R8 Recap

20 May 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 8
Late Model Series | Southern National Motorsports Park
Photograph By: Michael Goodman

In the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series presented by Gargamel’s Kitchen at Southern National Motorsports Park, Michael Goodman from 8 Ball Motorsports emerged as the winner. The race saw Aiden Young start on the pole, while Michael Goodman began in 3rd position.

Early on, an incident occurred on lap 6 in turn 2 involving multiple drivers. Although it didn’t initially bring out a caution, the unaware leaders narrowly avoided contact with cars still trying to turn themselves around on the backstretch. Unfortunately, Mike Holloway couldn’t avoid Mike Allen in the confusion, resulting in contact and bringing out the first caution of the night.

Racing resumed on lap 13 with Young still in the lead. However, Goodman utilized the outside lane to make his way around Young and took the lead on lap 15. Goodman held onto the lead during a long green flag run but faced mounting pressure from Matt Hoose, who had climbed up to 2nd place and was rapidly closing in on the lead with the race entering its final 10 laps.

On lap 92, a miscalculation from Goodman while maneuvering through lap traffic led to contact with the rear of Lowell Jewell’s car, sending Jewell around and bringing out the second caution of the night. Hoose, showing great sportsmanship, lifted off the throttle to allow Goodman to retain his position for the restart with only 3 laps remaining. Hoose commented after the race, “I didn’t want to pass him that way. It did run through my mind real quick, but I just slowed up so I didn’t get involved in anything and just let him have it.”

Before Hoose could make a final attempt for the lead, another caution emerged on lap 99 due to an incident further back in the field involving Joseph Snyder and Rubin Altice battling for 7th place. Goodman then took the checkered flag on the final lap under caution, securing his victory.

Jeffery Hardin from Loose Luggs finished in 5th place and currently leads the point standings, holding a 15-point advantage over Snyder. The next event in the series will take place at Hickory Motor Speedway on June 3rd, and fans can tune in live at 8:55 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network to catch all the action.

BRL LM S22 R7 Recap

13 May 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 7
Late Model Series | Irwindale Speedway
Photograph By: Michael Goodman

The Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series Season 22 Round 7 presented by Gargamel’s Kitchen at Irwindale Speedway was an exciting and intense race that saw plenty of drama, close racing, and unexpected twists and turns.

Michael Goodman started the race on the pole position, with Jeffery Hardin starting in 9th, Aiden Young starting in 11th, Matt Hoose starting in 14th, and Mike Holloway starting in 15th. Chris Davis quickly moved up to 2nd, clearing ahead of Mark Hertzog on the 6th lap of the race. However, he got loose as he cleared ahead, forcing Hertzog to lift and fall back to 4th behind Jason Menda.

With passing being a tough task at Irwindale Speedway, most drivers were forced to run single file along the high line just to maintain their positions. Despite this, Aiden Young was aggressive in using the inside line to try and move forward in the field, managing to move up to 8th place.

However, the first caution of the night came out on lap 37 when Menda and Hertzog made contact as Hertzog was trying to reclaim lost positions from earlier in the night. Goodman was in control of the field as racing resumed on lap 43, with Bruce Pearson battling with Lowell Jewell over 3rd, with Jewell managing to hold onto the position.

Young saw the success Jewell had and got in behind him to clear up into 4th. By the halfway mark of the race, Goodman had stretched out his lead to over 1 second ahead of Davis.

Lap 59 saw the second caution of the night when Joe Segalla had to check up to avoid getting into the back of Stephen Spies and was hit from behind by Mike Allen, collecting Joseph Snyder in the resulting slide.

As racing resumed on lap 65, Young was up to 3rd and trying to take 2nd place away from Davis, but had to lift to avoid sliding up into him. Pearson had contact with Kurt Smith on lap 70 and slid onto pit road sideways, while further up in the field a checkup caught Mike Holloway out, sending him hard into the outside wall and flipping him onto his roof, bringing out the third caution of the night.

Goodman led the field around again to take the green flag on lap 76, with Menda quickly pushing back up through the field and battling with Hardin after recovering from his earlier incident with Hertzog. Menda aggressively slid his car up the track to overtake Davis for 2nd place.

After a failed crossover from Davis, Davis tried to slot up behind Menda, but Jewell had already filled the gap. Davis came up and brought out a caution on lap 85, pinching Jewell into the outside wall and sending Davis around, collecting several drivers in the chaos as Davis fell back to 16th.

Racing resumed on lap 91, with Menda making several attempts on the lead, but Goodman running a defensive line to block him. Another caution came out with 7 laps remaining from contact between Jeffrey Kemper and Jewell.

The green flag came back out for a 2 lap shootout to the checkered flag. Michael Goodman with 8 Ball Motorsports led every lap of the race, taking the checkered flag and earning a well-deserved victory. Menda was able to hold off Hardin, coming home with 2nd place after an amazing recovery, while Hardin finished in 3rd.

With Hardin leading in the point standings for Loose Luggs, he now sits 10 points ahead of Joseph Snyder. The next event is on May 20th at 8:55PM with the action brought to you exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!

BRL LM S22 R6 Recap

06 May 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 6
Late Model Series | Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
Photograph By: Michael Goodman

It was an intense night of racing in the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series presented by Gargamel’s Kitchen at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Ruben Altice led the field from the pole position with Lowell Jewell and Kurt Smith hot on his tail. Aiden Young started back in 15th, but he quickly made his way through the pack and found himself in the top 10 within the first 10 laps. However, a caution on lap 18 for a collision between Jason Menda and Jeffrey Kemper slowed the pace.

Altice continued to hold the lead after the restart, but another caution on lap 26 involving Kurt Smith and Donny Moore shook things up. On the restart, Menda made a bold move and passed Kevin Nunn and Mike Holloway to take third place. Meanwhile, Young was trying to make up for lost ground, but he lost control of his car and spun out, causing another caution.

Menda then overtook Jewell for second place and chased down Altice for the lead. He succeeded in passing Altice on lap 41, with Holloway following him into second. However, Menda’s lead was short-lived when he was caught up in a multi-car accident on lap 50. Jewell took advantage of the situation and moved into the lead, with Hoose hot on his heels.

Despite Hoose’s best efforts, Jewell maintained his lead until a caution on lap 80 for Davis spinning out. Jewell continued to lead after the restart, but Young made an aggressive move and passed Hoose for second place. Jewell held onto the lead until Young executed a daring move on the final green flag lap, overtaking Jewell and crossing the finish line under caution.

In the end, Young took the checkered flag ahead of Jewell, securing an exciting victory in a race filled with intense moments and multiple cautions. Jeffery Hardin remains in the lead of the point standings, followed closely by Joe Segalla and Donny Moore. The drivers of the Bootleg Racing League will next head to Irwindale Speedway on May 13th for another thrilling night of racing, exclusively broadcasted on the Virtual Grip Network at 8:55PM ET.

BRL LM S22 R5 Recap

29 April 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 5
Late Model Series | Lucas Oil Raceway
Photograph By: Michael Goodman

The Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series took on Lucas Oil Raceway in a thrilling race that saw several lead changes and exciting moments on track. Jeffery Hardin started in second place and quickly overtook pole sitter Steve Hilbert on the backstretch. Todd Liston followed closely in third, while Matt Hoose started the race in the 13th position.

Hoose wasted no time moving up the field, breaking into the top ten and patiently waiting for an opportunity to advance further. Hardin and Liston pulled away from the rest of the pack, with Hardin fiercely defending his lead against Liston’s persistent pressure.

As the race entered its second half, Lowell Jewell emerged as a challenger for the top positions, attempting to overtake Liston for second place. However, contact between the two drivers ended their hopes of victory and opened up the door for Adam Schoen and Hoose to move up into second and third place, respectively.

Schoen’s position was short-lived as a rare mistake sent him into the outside wall, allowing Hoose to move up to second and start chasing after Hardin. After leading for the first 66 laps, Hardin lost his lead to Hoose, who pulled away from the rest of the pack with open track ahead of him.

Michael Goodman quietly made his way up the field and secured the third position, quickly closing the gap between himself and Hoose in the final laps. However, Hoose was able to hold on to his lead, crossing the finish line just 0.108 seconds ahead of Goodman.

With Mike Holloway maintaining his lead in the points standings, the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series heads to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on May 6th for the next event, exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.

BRL LM S22 R4 Recap

22 April 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 4
Late Model Series | Martinsville Speedway

At Martinsville Speedway, the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series saw Matt Hoose from Thunder Ridge Racing take the checkered flag in a thrilling race. Hoose began the race from the pole position, while other notable drivers included Todd Liston, Donny Moore, Mike Holloway, Jeffery Hardin, and Kurt Smith, who started from various positions on the grid. As the green flag waved, Hoose took an early lead, with Lowell Jewell hot on his heels. However, the field was chaotic in the opening laps, with drivers struggling to settle into a single-file formation. Joe Segalla found himself stuck on the outside, losing positions to other drivers.

Holloway, on the other hand, quickly made up positions and began to climb through the field, with Hardin following suit. Segalla was eventually able to slot into the inside line in 13th and started his climb back up the field. Despite the challenges from other drivers, Hoose was able to maintain a 1-second lead over the rest of the field in the first 15 laps of the race. Unfortunately, a lap traffic incident caused a pile-up in turn 4, which collected several drivers, including Jeffery Hardin, Kurt Smith, and Adam Schoen, and brought out the first caution on lap 23.

After the restart on lap 29, Hoose again took the lead, with Bruce Pearson battling Jewell for 2nd. However, contact in the middle of the field brought out another quick caution, which halted the action. The racing resumed on lap 35, with Jewell eventually taking 2nd place from Pearson, while Hoose quickly pulled away again. Holloway, who had been climbing through the field quietly, was up to 4th place as the drivers crossed the halfway point of the race.

On lap 62, Darryl Wineinger tried to pass Donny Moore for 5th place, but contact caused a blockage on the track, which collected multiple drivers who couldn’t avoid the incident in time. This caused another caution flag, but Hoose was still in control of the field, with Jewell in 2nd. Holloway quickly took 3rd place from Pearson as the green flag came back out and started pressuring Jewell going into the last 30 laps of the race. Meanwhile, Segalla had started his climb back up the field and was running in 7th place, closing on Smith ahead.

Hardin and Pearson battled side by side for 4th place, but they collided with each other, and both hit the outside wall, allowing Smith to pass around both drivers. Segalla saw an opportunity and quickly dove low to move up into 5th place without incident. Holloway got a nose under Jewell, clearing into 2nd place on lap 82, with Smith taking advantage and pushing Jewell back to 4th place. Segalla and Schoen battled side by side, with Schoen eventually taking away 5th place.

In the final laps of the race, Smith and Holloway battled door to door for 2nd place, but Holloway made contact with the outside wall, dropping back to 4th place before he was able to recover. Hoose was the dominant driver throughout the race and took the checkered flag unchallenged as he crossed the finish line.

Holloway currently leads the point standings by one point over Moore, and the next event for the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series will take place on April 29th at Lucas Oil Raceway. Fans can catch all the live action on the Virtual Grip Network at 8:55PM ET.

BRL LM S22 R3 Recap

15 April 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 3
Late Model Series | USA Speedway
Photograph by: Michael Goodman

On a warm evening at USA Speedway, the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series was in full swing with a packed crowd cheering on the racers. The race was already promising to be exciting as drivers Mike Allen and Todd Liston started on the front row. As the green flag waved, Liston surged ahead, clearing Allen to take the lead on the backstretch. Behind them, Mike Holloway and Michael Goodman started making moves, with Goodman pushing his way up to fourth place.

For the next few laps, the drivers settled into a rhythm, staying mostly single file as they conserved their equipment. Liston and Holloway managed to break away from the pack, building up a lead of over a second on third-place driver Jeffrey Hardin. But the drivers knew that they had to keep pushing if they wanted to maintain their positions.

As the second half of the race began, Liston continued to dominate, with Holloway still patiently waiting for an opportunity to make a move. Hardin was starting to close in on the leaders, while the other drivers began to get more aggressive, jostling for position.

Then, on lap 46, Holloway made his move, diving under Liston to take the lead. Hardin saw his chance and tried to overtake Liston for second, but Liston tried to block him, resulting in a spin that collected Goodman and Matt Hoose behind them, causing the first caution of the night. Although Young also sustained significant damage, he managed to continue running, and when the race resumed, he was in third place behind Hardin.

As the front runners began to pull away, drivers further back in the field began to make more daring moves, resulting in another caution. But when the green flag flew again, Hardin managed to hold onto his position, even when Young tried to overtake him. With only ten laps to go, the top three drivers built up a significant lead over fourth-place driver Donny Moore.

Holloway continued to bide his time, waiting for his chance to make a move on the leaders. With only two laps to go, he tried to pass Hardin but misjudged his braking point and made contact, causing Hardin to lose control momentarily. Goodman saw his chance and quickly surged ahead, taking the white flag. Hardin managed to hold off Young for second place, while Holloway and Joseph Snyder battled it out for third.

In the end, Goodman took the checkered flag, with Young securing the points lead over Jason Menda. The crowd erupted into cheers as the drivers celebrated their hard-fought victories. The Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series would be back in action in a week, taking on the challenging Martinsville Speedway. Fans eagerly awaited the next thrilling installment of this exciting series.

BRL LM S22 R2 Recap

08 April 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 2
Late Model Series | Myrtle Beach Speedway
Photograph by: Michael Goodman

J R Shepherd with Different Path Motorsports took the lead in the last 9 laps to take the checkered flag at Myrtle Beach Speedway in the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series presented by Gargamel’s Kitchen. It was an exciting night of racing, filled with intense battles for position and nail-biting moments for both drivers and fans alike.

Lowell Jewell started on the pole, taking the green flag and holding onto the lead for the first 30 laps. However, Donny Moore quickly emerged as a strong contender, battling Jewell for the top spot. Meanwhile, J R Shepherd started the night in 17th place, but he was patiently moving up through the field, picking off drivers one by one.

As the race progressed, Jason Menda also began to make his move, starting in 10th place and quickly pushing toward the front. Jewell put up a good fight, but Moore was eventually able to get a nose to the inside, taking control of the lead.

Menda, now in fifth place, found himself stuck behind Joe Segalla and Matt Hoose, who were running side by side and battling for third. But Menda was determined, and he eventually cleared around both drivers to take third place. He quickly closed on the rear bumper of Jewell, finally clearing into second place on lap 46.

With the race now in the second half, Menda was up on Moore’s bumper, pressuring him for the lead. He was finally able to secure the top spot on lap 54, becoming only the third different leader up to that point. Meanwhile, Shepherd had broken into the top 10 and was now running more aggressively, quickly moving up into third place and closing the gap to Moore.

Shepherd eventually got around Moore for second place on lap 74, keeping the pressure high on Menda. Aiden Young, who had been struggling to get through the dense traffic and was running in 13th place, started quickly climbing up the field, jumping up several positions in the late stages of the race and reaching eighth place with just 17 laps to go.

As the laps ticked by, Menda continued to hold off Shepherd, who was looking for any opportunity to take the lead. Shepherd got his nose to the inside of Menda on lap 88, and the two drivers battled side by side for multiple laps. Finally, after a tense back-and-forth, Shepherd was able to clear himself out front, leading the last nine laps to take the win.

“I just really, really enjoy this racecar, this limited late model,” Shepherd said after the race. “You really have to kind of play a chess game with this car and understand what it’s going to need in the long run.” His hard work and determination had paid off, and he had emerged victorious in what had been a thrilling night of racing.

The next round of the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series will be held on April 15th at USA Speedway, with Mike Allen on the pole. Fans can catch all the action live at 8:50PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!

BRL LM S22 R1 Recap

25 March 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 1
Late Model Series | New Smyrna Speedway
Photograph by: Michael Goodman

Tyler Shadduck began the race on pole position, with Aiden Young starting alongside him. As the green flag dropped, Young settled into second place behind Shadduck, while Michael Goodman and Jason Menda engaged in a fierce battle for third, running side by side for the first five laps. Goodman eventually managed to secure the position.

On lap 14, the first caution was called due to contact between Rubin Altice and Steve Hilbert, which spun Hilbert around on the track. When the race resumed on lap 20, Menda and Goodman found themselves battling once again for third place, with neither driver willing to back down. Unfortunately, on lap 21, the two drivers made contact, causing a large pile-up on the track. Shadduck, who had been forced onto the grass to avoid a car that was trying to turn around on the track, had to pit to have his right front fender fixed. He rejoined the pack in eighth place.

As racing resumed on lap 27, Young was still leading, with Goodman in second place. However, on lap 29, the third caution was called after Mike Allen and Bruce Pearson collided coming out of turn three. When the green flag was waved again on lap 35, Shadduck was pushing aggressively through the pack to try and regain his position at the front. He quickly overtook Adam Schoen and Matt Hoose before setting his sights on Jeffrey Hardin for fourth place. On lap 54, Shadduck managed to clear Stephen Spies to take third place.

The fourth caution came out on lap 57 due to a collision between Joseph Snyder and Donny Moore, which resulted in Snyder spinning on the track and collecting several other drivers. Young was still leading when the green flag was waved on lap 62, but Shadduck was hot on his heels. Goodman managed to defend his position in third place, while Hardin moved up to fourth. Meanwhile, Menda was making a strong recovery from his earlier incident and had worked his way back up to sixth place.

On lap 65, the fifth caution was called when Spies and Hardin collided, causing another large pile-up on the front stretch. When the race resumed on lap 71, Shadduck used the restart to overtake Goodman and move into second place behind Young. The sixth caution was called on lap 73 after Menda and Schoen collided coming out of turn two, causing several drivers to spin.

With only 12 laps remaining, Young was working hard to defend his position against Shadduck, who was putting pressure on him. Menda attempted to overtake Shadduck for second place, but was unable to do so. In the end, Young managed to hold on to his lead and cross the finish line first, with Shadduck coming in second and Menda in third. Goodman was named the “Soup of the Day” driver, with an over-under set at fifth place. He ultimately finished the race in fourth place, while Matt Hoose rounded out the top five.

When interviewed after the race, Young said, “I just had to stay smooth… I wasn’t giving this one up. I just knew I had to stay focused and forget the mirror was even there.” Fans of the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series are no doubt looking forward to the next event with excitement and anticipation. Lowell Jewell finished the night in 15th place, but he had reason to celebrate nonetheless. His performance during the race earned him pole position for the next Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series event, which would take place on April 8th at 8:55PM ET at Myrtle Beach Speedway.

BRL LM S21 R11 Recap

18 March 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 21 | Round 11
Late Model Series | Five Flags Speedway

Joseph Snyder with Rougarou Racing took his first win in the series and the final checkered flag of the season tonight in the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series presented by Gargamel’s Kitchen at Five Flags Speedway ahead of Mike Holloway and Michael Goodman. “All I worked on this week was saving tires and I guess it paid off there because the guys I let by early, they kind of lost their tires and I got back into it”, Snyder shared with us as drivers were putting their cars on the trailers.

Michael Goodman threw down the quickest lap in qualifying clocked at 16.679 starting the night off in 10th from the Bootleg Racing League grid invert with Kevin Nunn sitting on the pole. “It’s a little bit of pressure”, Nunn commented before returning to his car to grid up, “I did learn a lot last week since I had the front tire blow at 82 laps, so I know I’m going to try to conserve a bit more this time around.” Coming out of turn 4, Nunn had a strong launch and quickly went single file ahead of Donny Moore.

Most of the field shuffled to get slotting in single file in the opening laps looks to preserve their equipment with so many laps ahead of them. Mathew Thunhorst was running back in 10th and was patiently taking one position after another as he moved up through the field. Moore took advantage of a mistake made by Nunn on lap 16 to overtake for the lead resulting in Nunn getting stuck on the outside and dropping far down in the running order. Snyder looking under Moore but could make it work allowing Lowell Jewell to take a look under Snyder pushing him back to 8th before slotting back in line behind Michael Goodman.

Thunhorst was up to 5th with the first 30 laps completed as Moore continued to lead the field around with Jewell tight on his bumper. Lowell saw his chance and dove low taking the lead going into lap 35 with Todd Liston following him through. Thunhorst took advantage of the situation to get around into 3rd place. Thunhorst started to turn up the aggression getting around Liston for 2nd and closing on Jewell only 40 laps into the night. Going into lap 42, Thunhorst secured the lead and started to break away from the rest of the field with Jewell and Liston still running 2nd and 3rd.

Matt Hoose was up 5 spots running in 4th and quickly closing on Liston going into the 2nd half of the night with Snyder close behind making a strong recovery. Liston was able to get a nose under Jewell with Hoose following him through pushing Jewell back to 4th with Stephen Spies closing the gap with a group of cars following him as the field merged back together from 2nd place back to 10th. Thunhorst had nearly a 3 second lead going into lap 60 as Hoose overtook Liston for 2nd.

With the laps quickly counting down, Thunhorst had extended his lead out to over 5 seconds with 25 laps remaining. Hoose still held onto 2nd place with Michael Goodman now running in 3rd. Spies was under pressure from Snyder making a strong charge back to front of the pack. Snyder continued his impressive pace making quick work of the drivers ahead clearing into 2nd place with 14 laps to go. Going into the final 10 laps, the gap between Snyder and Thunhorst was shrinking quickly.

Snyder continued to push in the final moments gaining on Thunhorst fast closing by 0.4 seconds each lap. Snyder caught Thunhorst in turn 3 making contact just as the caution flag and white flag came out together when Thunhorst had to check up unexpectedly with his right front tire giving out. Joseph Snyder lead the drivers around the final lap under caution to take the checkered flag with Mike Holloway, Michael Goodman, Kurt Smith, and Mathew Thunhorst round out the top 5 tonight at Five Flags Speedway.

J R Shepherd ran away in the point standings taking the season championship tonight with 471 points. Michael Goodman held onto 2nd place with 419 points. Lowell Jewell secured 3rd place with 377 points over Mathew Thunhorst with 344 points. Joseph Snyder rounds out the top 5 drivers with 342 points going into the final round of the season. Next season for the Bootleg Racing League kicks off at New Smyrna Speedway on March 25th with all of the intense racing action brought to you live at 9PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!

BRL LM S21 R10 Recap

11 March 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 21 | Round 10
Late Model Series | South Boston Speedway

J R Shepherd with Different Path Motorsports took another win tonight in the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Series at South Boston Speedway ahead of Kenny Kibbey and Matt Hoose. “Definitely a new car, completely different than the old limited late model”, Shepherd commented at the end of the night, “The gameplan from the beginning was just to try to run a decent pace and not abuse that right front.”

J R Shepherd continues his streak of qualifying at the top of the boards with a fast lap put down at 15.173 starting the night off in 10th with the Bootleg Racing League grid invert giving control of the field over to Bryan Dehn to take the green flag. Ruben Altice started alongside Dehn on the outside and was able to slot in behind the leader off the jump, but an opening lap caution took away his strong start as multiple drivers came together going into the first corner blocking the track.

Several drivers were caught up in the incident, but drivers such as Kenny Kibbey and Shepherd slipped through to take the green flag from 4th and 5th going into lap 8 with Dehn still in control of the field. As racing resumed, Altice wasn’t as lucky with Joseph Snyder getting a nose under him off the jump with Shepherd and Donny Moore both lining up to follow him through. Kibbey was able to get down behind Snyder knocking Altice further and further back until Altice was able to drop down in front of Todd Liston in 6th.

Matt Hoose was up to 11th from starting 23rd and was quietly moving up through the field with the first 20 laps completed. Kibbey struggled to get around Moore as Dehn, Snyder, and Shepherd started to pull away with the lead building over 1 second between themselves and Moore. The laps started to quickly count down as the drivers settled into their grooves and got more comfortable with the new Late Model Stock with the field starting to spread out around the track.

Shepherd cleared into 2nd place on lap 33 and set his sights to Dehn as Kibbey worked to slowly reel the leaders in. Dehn was negotiating through dense lap traffic with Shepherd pressuring him going into lap 40. Shepherd was aggressively looking under and was able to eventually get his nose to the inside and take the lead away on lap 43 with Snyder trying to take advantage and get 2nd place away. Kibbey had caught the battle for 2nd and patiently waiting for an opening before clearing around Dehn into 3rd.

Going into the 2nd half of the night, Shepherd was starting to walk away with the lead as Kibbey dove under Snyder for 2nd over 1 second behind the leader. Jeffery Hardin was one of the drivers caught up in the opening incident and was now making his way back up through the field up to 7th showing a strong pace. Shepherd continued to pull away from Kibbey lap after lap with lap traffic at all points around the track. Hardin continued his push to the front climbing up to 6th and pressuring Stephen Spies ahead.

With 20 laps remaining, Hardin was looking to the inside of Spies, but lap traffic forced him to stay single file. Their battle caught the back of Snyder and they both quickly made their way around moving Spies up into 4th going into the final laps. Hardin saw an opportunity on lap 95 and got his nose to the inside pulling ahead of Spies securing 4th. Going into the last 4 laps, contact between Altice and lap traffic resulted in 3rd, 4th, and 5th place getting collected on the front stretch bringing out the caution and ending Hardin’s great charge up through the field.

J R Shepherd had stretched his lead out to over 3 seconds before the caution came out and took the checkered flag under yellow flag conditions with Kenny Kibbey, Matt Hoose, Joseph Snyder, and Lowell Jewell rounding out the top 5 tonight at South Boston Speedway.

J R Shepherd is the unofficial season 21 champion currently with 471 points, 100 points ahead of Michael Goodman in 2nd place. Lowell Jewell holds onto 3rd place with 345 over Mathew Thunhorst with 345 points. Joseph Snyder rounds out the top 5 drivers with 301 points going into the final round of the season. Next week, the Bootleg Racing League is heading to Five Flags Speedway on March 18th to close out the season with all of the intense racing action brought to you live at 9PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!