Red Light Racing Skitter Creek Modified Series – Season 16 Preview
by Eric Stout 8/26/2026
Coming off his championship effort in Season 15, Dalton Williamson is looking to retain the torch against the strongest and deepest field the Skitter Creek Modified Series has seen. Three-time champion Eric Stout, along with Season 15 Rookie of the Year, Hayden Austin, Season 12 Champion Jeff Aho and “Always There” Fred LeClair will give Williamson all the pressure he could ask for in the championship chase.
As has become the standard, the Red Light Racing admin team has cooked up an exciting, creative and challenging schedule. The double-header nights will return, with a wrinkle, and the series will once again visit a road course. The series also welcomes some new drivers although the names are not so new to many drivers in the field and the broadcast team with VGN. There’s lots on tap, so let’s dive in…
The Schedule
For the second season in a row, the schedule will feature both the SK Modified and the Tour Modified. The majority of the races will stay in the SK as that is at the heart and history of the series.
The season will open out west at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. While only a ½ mile oval, the high banks allow it to race much faster than its diminutive length. Eric Stout won the series’ last stop at Kern on his way to a championship in Season 14.
From there the series will visit Myrtle Beach and New Smyrna in weeks 2 and 3. USA International makes its return to the schedule, as well, hosting the Tour Modifieds in week 4.
Week 5 will see the first 50/50 night at “The Steel Palace” Oswego Speedway. Two weeks later the series will travel to Sonoma Raceway to take on the lone road course of the season. This race has drawn a lot of attention from the drivers with opinions being split on its inclusion. While a road course is not new to the series, a track this technical is.
Many people have October 22nd circled on their calendars as the series heads to its own “Tricky Triangle”, Concord Speedway. Week 9 will feature a true double-header. There will be two 60 lap feature races – one in the SK Modified and one in the Tour Modified. The series has never attempted this before and it will be a unique challenge for the drivers. Balancing practice and preparation, for each, will be key in having a successful night.
For the first time since 2022, the series returns to the famed Milwaukee Mile. Series admins have been trying to land this on the schedule for several seasons and, finally, they were successful. Although it will draw comparisons to “The Magic Mile” in New Hampshire, Milwaukee is much more technical and will require more patience to be successful.
The home stretch features some classics: Langley, Southern National and South Boston. The penultimate race heads south to Virginia for 100 laps in the Tour Modified at Martinsville Speedway. This will be an excellent test of speed, patience and tire management before heading back north to the series’ home track of Stafford Motor Speedway. With the depth of talent on the roster, it should not be too far of a stretch to assume that the 100 lapper at Stafford will be for all the marbles.
The Drivers
Williamson will surely be the championship favorite. His speed and consistency make him a favorite to win each and every week. En route to his fifth title, Williamson was a top-five machine boasting 18 of them in 20 races. It should also be noted that he got stronger as the season went on which is surely a sign of the proverbial rust being shaken off from his 3 season absence. On his season outlook, the champ didn’t have much to say. He’ll let his racing do the talking.
Stout is coming off a season of promise, success but, ultimately, disappointment. Despite leading the series in poles, laps led and wins, he fell short of defending his title due to Williamson’s consistency, self-inflicted mistakes on the track and one very untimely mechanical failure at Stafford. Stout is keenly aware of what could have been in Season 15. “I knew early in the season, despite a couple wins, I’d left points on the table. You can’t do that against this field and a guy like Dalton.” Stout is sure to bring the speed, but the question is, can he keep the wheels on it for 18 weeks to wrestle the crown away from Williamson.
Jeff Aho bounced back into form boasting 13 top 10 finishes, 5 of those being top 5’s, although he was unable to find the winner’s circle. Look for Aho to work on improving his 9.4 starting position by placing more emphasis on his qualifying effort. We know Jeff has the speed to win but he must find the consistency while hot lapping to compete for the championship.
Hayden Austin was a story all of Season 15. Austin was steady in his first campaign with the SCMS which netted him 2 poles and 2 wins. More impressive was his 6 top 5’s. With a full season under his belt, his experience should pay dividends in Season 16. Austin notes the strong competition each week. Coming into the season, Austin said he’s “focused on being more consistent and making smarter decisions” when put in difficult spots.
Fan favorite Fred Leclair avoided a sophomore slump. After an 8th place finish in the championship standings during his first season, “Always There” backed up his strong rookie season with a 5th place overall finish highlighted by a win at Oswego in his home state of New York. Look for LeClair to continue to improve and be fighting, consistently, for top-5’s.
Not to be forgotten are teammates Bill “Eggs” Benedict and Ethan “The Mountain” Troutman. Eggs has found victory lane in each of his first two campaigns and will look to continue that trend. He’s shown very good speed on the larger, NASCAR-style tracks. Troutman was bit by the bad luck bug last season. After contending for the title in his rookie season, Troutman found himself without a win in Season 15 which is very surprising considering the consistent speed and racecraft he shows week in and week out.
The Allen family stable of drivers will also be returning to the series. “Papa” Ken took down his first series victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in thrilling fashion where he outdueled Stout and Aho. “Kid Lemon Lime”, Luke Logan Allen also found the winner’s circle in thrilling fashion using the chrome horn on champion Dalton Williamson to take home the win at North Wilkesboro. Luke appears to be hitting his stride as a young racer showing speed but also maturity. Admin Eric Stout has noted several times that it is only a matter of time before Luke is the championship front runner. Look for both Allens to contend for wins, this season, and the youngster to announce himself as a championship contender.
There are also a handful of drivers looking to re-establish their place in the pecking order. Josh “Granny Hips” Buckley is looking to build on his consistency and racecraft. The league veteran is eager to find victory lane, something that’s escaped him since his Season 14 win at Langley, but also keep his nose in the hunt for the title. His paddock mate, AJ Hamel, looks to bounce back after a sour season. Hamel showed great pace but had poor luck. Mechanical issues took him off the grid for the remaining handful of races. Hamel is a safe bet to contend for multiple wins. The final SRR driver, Patrick Stout, was another solid contender, taking home a win at Thompson on 50/50 night, but some bad luck and missed races kept him out of the championship top-10. Under the tutelage of his veteran teammates, the younger Stout has shown great speed. With another season under his belt, he can easily be a top-10 driver night in and night out and, with some luck, be a championship contender.
Teammates Brian Bianchi and Rex Hoyle will also return to the series full-time. Bianchi, who has competed for titles in Red Light and taken home a title in YesterYear Racing, has the racecraft to compete. His strength is his ability to manage pace and equipment and be there at the end. He’ll need to improve on his qualifying prowess to fully capitalize on his skillset but he’s shown he’s capable. Bianchi won pole at Stafford last season but he’ll need to improve on his 12.7 average starting position if he wants to be a contender once again.
Series favorites like Rob Higgins, Devin Visnaw, Brian Neff and Glenn Jamieson will return to competition as well as seasoned Red Light Veteran, Geoffrey Souza. Each driver has shown flashes of speed. Visnaw and Neff are still searching to break through for their first series win but each have been close and have the skill to do it. Souza is best known for showing off his talents on Monday nights as a part of the Red Light Racing Scrambler Series. With a championship to his credit, it’s clear he has the speed and skill to compete with the best. Look for Souza to come into his own on Thursday nights in his first full-time season with the SCMS.
The Newcomers
Season 15 welcomes a handful of newcomers. Some are more well known to the field of drivers than others. Chris Stofer has joined the league after following the series on VGN. Chris boasts an impressive 4,000 irating. Marlowe Strautmann will also join the roster and has shown good speed and clean racecraft in the recruiting races leading up to the start of the season. Strautmann also hails from a small island off the coast of New Zealand. With the addition of Argentina’s Ricardo Cano last season, he will add to Red Light’s international flair. Ruben Altice makes the jump from the BRL to join Red Light full time this season. Altice is well known for his exploits in a late model on Saturday nights. Fans should be eager to see his skills put to the test in a modified.
Last, but certainly not least, is the man known in YYR as the “Ice Man.” We’re talking about, of course, James Lowe. Lowe is well known throughout short track circles for being one of the fastest, cleanest and toughest to crack racers out there. James boasts championships in the BRL and is well on his way to one, this season, in YYR. Lowe has all the skills you’d expect in a champion. He qualifies well, he manages his race well and he keeps his nose clean. Lowe will be a fantastic addition to the league and will surely disrupt the two-man show atop the points standings.
Bring on Season 16
Simply put, this is the strongest field the Skitter Creek Modified Series has ever put together. A stacked championship chase, a schedule that finally delivers a true double-header and a long-awaited return to Milwaukee, and a rookie class ready to shake up the standings—there is a lot to be excited about. Whether Williamson makes it five, Stout finally breaks through, or a newcomer crashes the party, one thing is certain: Season 16 is going to deliver. As always, you can catch all of the SCMS action on the Virtual Grip Network. The legendary voices of Bill “Soup” Zach and J.R. “The Institution” Shepherd will be back in the booth calling the action and calling it like they see it.
YYR Announces Champion Lineup for 2026 IROC
The drivers who won a 2025 championship in their respective leagues and are invited to this year’s International Race of Champions Series are:
- J.R. Shepherd – Bootleg Racing League (defending champion)
- Andrew Kotska – The OBRL
- Greg McDaniel – VLS iRacing
- Tom Ogle – YesterYear Racing League
- Chris Davis – Bootleg Racing League
- Josh Robinson – The OBRL
- Chris Hammett – Red Light Racing League
- David Shreve – Skitter Creek Drivers Club
- Sean Foltz – The OBRL
- Andrew Hess – Stars & Stripes Racing League
- Scott Negus – YesterYear Racing League
- Matt Watkins – The OBRL
- Jerry Isaacs – The OBRL
- Roger Hurley – The OBRL
- James Lowe – Bootleg Racing League
- Aiden Young – Bootleg Racing League
- Eric Stout – Red Light Racing League
- Chris Worrell – Bootleg Racing League
The 2026 season starts on February 17th at 8:25pm ET at Daytona International Speedway. Catch all the season coverage right here on VGN!
BRL Late Model Invitational S31R11 | New Smyrna Speedway
Season 31 of the BRL Late Model Invitational featured its Championship night for Season 31, Round 11, racing at New Smyrna Speedway. Chris Haizlip and Tom Hilbert led the field to green. A caution came out on Lap 1. Racing resumed on Lap 6 with Haizlip and Hilbert at the front. The #25 moved up to second on Lap 6. Kurt Smith passed Hilbert for third on Lap 7. Smith then overtook Hilbert on Lap 9, and Ruben Altice advanced to third. Smith passed Haizlip on Lap 10 for the lead, with Altice moving into second. Haizlip was stuck on the outside line, dropping back. By Lap 14, the field was single-file.
On Lap 18, Altice tried to find a lane past Smith but lacked enough momentum. Bruce Pearson got alongside Hilbert on Lap 23 but couldn’t make the move to third. Pearson tried again on Lap 24. James Lowe also threatened to go low for a three-wide attempt, but everyone settled back into position. The race continued single file on Lap 28, with Smith and Altice starting to pull away from the pack. On Lap 30, Pearson looked inside Hilbert off turn 2 but still lacked enough momentum. Lowe got inside Pearson on turn 3 of Lap 32, racing side by side for fourth. Lowe completed the pass on Lap 33, then immediately set his sights on Hilbert, getting to the inside on the backstretch of Lap 35. However, Lowe didn’t have enough to complete the move.
The leaders shortened their lead on Lap 37, with Lowe finding room inside Hilbert on turn 4 to take third. Lowe quickly pursued Altice on the backstretch of Lap 39, challenging for second, but Altice defended his position. Lowe attempted to get underneath Altice on Lap 45 but was shut out again. On Lap 48, Lowe successfully got inside Altice, leading to a battle for position that was halted by a caution. Racing resumed on Lap 53 with Smith and Altice at the front. Smith got a great start, allowing Lowe to duel with Altice into turns 1 and 2. Lowe passed Altice for second, and Altice then had to fend off Chris Davis for third. A caution was called on Lap 53.
Racing resumed on Lap 59 with Smith and Lowe at the front. Lowe then overtook Smith in Turn 3 on Lap 61, taking the lead on Lap 62. Smith stayed on the outside and had Altice pass by for second, while Chris Davis moved into third. By Lap 73, Lowe had established an almost one-second lead over Altice. Caution again on Lap 76. Racing resumed on Lap 82 with Lowe and Altice at the front. Lowe’s strong restart allowed Davis to challenge Altice on the inside. Altice used the outside line effectively to pass Davis and maintain his second position.
After the restart, on Lap 82, Lowe continued to extend his lead, with over a second advantage as the white flag flew. James Lowe won Season 31, Round 11, at New Smyrna Speedway. Ruben Altice finished second, and Chris Davis came in third. Kurt Smith ran a solid race and is well-positioned to defend his points and be crowned the Season 31 Late Model Invitational Champion!
Highlights
🏆 James Lowe wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 31 Round 11 race at New Smyrna Speedway.
🚀 Chris Davis was the biggest mover, gaining nine spots, racing from 12th to 3rd!
🏁 Kurt Smith is the Season 31 BRL Late Model Invitational Champion!
YYR Tour Modified Series S2R10 | Langley Speedway
YYR Tour Mod Series Season 2, Round 10, kicked off at Langley Speedway this past Tuesday with Jerry Isaacs and Scott Negus on the front row based on their qualifying efforts. Negus qualified only 0.007 seconds behind Isaacs’ 14.719. Isaac gets a great start, but Negus slips back a bit at the restart. Cars went three wide into turn three, but everyone came out unscathed. Brian Neff moved up to second. By lap 5, the race settled into mostly single-file racing. Tom Ogle, in third, made a move to pass Neff on lap 7 to take second place. At 25 laps, the top three drivers had a two-second lead over the rest of the field. Ogle pressured Isaacs from lap 25, attempting to find an opening, but lost some ground on lap 30. He increased the pressure again on lap 40, trying to peek inside on corner exits of Isaacs, but got a little loose on turn 4 at lap 41 and had to reset. Neff tried to get inside Ogle on lap 59, and they made contact. Ogle saved it but lost several spots. Isaacs had a clear lead of about two seconds by lap 61. Ogle had to pit due to damage.
After the dust settled, the top three were Isaacs, Neff, and Chris Davis. Neff then began his challenge for the lead, appearing to have slightly more speed on corner exits, but Isaacs ran a solid, defensible line. Isaacs got loose and spun out on lap 76, bringing out a caution on lap 77. That moved Brian Neff into the lead, with cars pitting except for Neff. Racing restarted on lap 82, with Neff controlling a late restart, bunching up the field before rocketing off. Chris Davis moved into second, with Eric Essary in third. With fresh tires, Davis made a move past Neff on lap 88. Neff dropped to fifth after getting loose and running too far outside. Essary moved to second, and Negus advanced to third. Essary fought hard for the lead over many laps but couldn’t get around Davis, who held strong. On lap 137, Essary got loose again, allowing Wannamaker to challenge, but Wannamaker got too high and lost momentum. Essary also got loose again, so Wannamaker took the inside and passed Essary for second.
Caution came out on lap 139. Cars pitted again during this caution. Racing resumed on lap 144 with Davis leading. Davis got loose on lap 146, and Wannamaker took the inside. They raced side by side into turn 3, with Wannamaker taking the lead. Isaacs followed for second. Ken Allen took over third, pushing Davis back to fifth. By lap 156, the first three drivers were pulling away from the rest. On lap 160, Isaacs passed Wannamaker for the lead and took it on lap 161. Ken Allen then rolled inside of Wannamaker to take second, with Wannamaker dropping to third. By lap 200, Isaacs led by 1.5 seconds over Allen in second.
A caution came out on lap 200. During the final round of pits under caution, Isaacs took four tires, dropping from first to eighth. Racing resumed on lap 206 with Allen out front. As laps wound down and the top spots grew more aggressive, Essary moved past Negus on lap 224 for second. Davis then passed Negus for third. With 17 laps remaining, Essary moved inside of Allen and made a bold pass for the lead. With five laps to go, Essary had extended his lead to 1.5 seconds. On lap 248, Davis looked inside of Allen and took second. Essary ultimately won the YYR Tour Mod Series Season 2, Round 10, after a bold move 17 laps earlier. Chris Davis finished second, and Ken Allen secured third. Be sure to tune in for more excitement and nostalgia at the YesterYear Tour Mod Series Season 2, Round 11 race at Oxford Plains Speedway on Tuesday, September 23rd, at 8:30pm ET on VGN!
Highlights
🏆 Eric Essary wins the YYR Tour Modified Series Season 2 Round 10 race at Langley Speedway.
🚀 Ken Allen was the biggest mover, gaining eight spots, racing from 11th to 3rd!
🏁The race had six leaders with six lead changes. Jerry Isaacs led 118 laps, Chris Davis led 58 laps, Ken Allen led 32 laps, Eric Essary led 17 laps, Allen Wannamaker led 14 laps, and Brian Neff led 11 laps.
BRL Late Model Invitational S31R09 | Kern Raceway
Season 31 Round 09 launched with a green flag at Kern Raceway, with John Wilson and Ryan Senneker leading the field at the start. Senneker goes high and yields track position, allowing Mark Hertzog to take the lead. Bruce Pearson battles Wilson for second and secures the position. This enables Kurt Smith to also challenge Wilson, moving into third. Pearson pressures Hertzog to challenge for the lead on Lap 10, while James Lowe passes Smith for third. Pearson tries to get under Hertzog but loses momentum, allowing Lowe to overtake Pearson for second. Lowe gets inside Hertzog on Lap 14; they race down the backstretch and into the corners, but Lowe crosses the line ahead to take the lead, with a caution on Lap 15. Hertzog was in front at that moment of caution to reclaim the lead.
Racing resumes on Lap 20 with Hertzog and Lowe at the front. Hertzog clears for the lead on the restart, with Lowe settling behind on the inside, then immediately crossing back under Hertzog to vie for the lead. Lowe has a half-car length advantage in turn four when a caution occurs on Lap 22. Racing resumes on Lap 27 with Lowe and Hertzog leading. Lowe gets a strong restart and pulls ahead, while Brennan Myers makes a move to block Hertzog for second, but Hertzog gets a good run and holds second. Caution on Lap 32.
Racing resumes on Lap 35, with Lowe and Hertzog at the front. Lowe starts strong, and Hertzog falls back slightly. Myers tries to pass Hertzog on the inside for second, but Hertzog maintains good momentum and reclaims second. Caution on Lap 38. Racing resumes on Lap 42 with Lowe and Hertzog still at the front. Lowe gets another good restart, and Hertzog battles Myers for second. They race side by side, with Myers gaining a slight lead and making contact, which forces Hertzog into the marbles, bringing out a caution on Lap 46.
Racing resumes on Lap 49 with Lowe and Myers at the front. Lowe gets a great start, allowing Ken Allen to challenge Myers. Allen dives deep into the corner and makes contact with Myers, taking second. Myers fights back on Lap 53 to reclaim second from Allen. Meanwhile, Todd Liston moves in to battle Allen for third and takes the position. On Lap 55, Lowe holds a second lead over Myers. Lapped traffic causes a three-wide situation involving Myers and Liston, and Liston capitalizes by moving to second. Allen then challenges Myers for third; Allen makes the pass but drifts too high, allowing Myers to retake the position.
With 10 laps remaining, Lowe has a commanding three-second lead over second-place Liston. A caution occurs on Lap 91 due to a hardware issue for Liston, moving Myers to second and John Wilson to third. Racing resumes on Lap 96 with Lowe and Myers at the front. They restart strongly and begin to separate from the pack. Wilson is under pressure from Allen and Smith for third. James Lowe crosses the finish line as the winner of Season 31 Round 09, with Brennan Myers in second and John Wilson third. BRL will be off for Labor Day Weekend, so everyone have a safe and fun weekend!
Highlights
🏆 James Lowe wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 31 Round 09 race at Kern Raceway.
🚀 James Lowe and Matt Hoose were the biggest movers, gaining 10 spots each!
🏁 The race featured two leaders with three lead changes. James Lowe led 81 laps followed by Mark Hertzog with 19 laps.
YesterYear Racing IROC Series | S1R3 | Atlanta Motor Speedway
The YesterYear Racing IROC Series delivered an exhilarating showdown in Season 1, Round 3 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, evoking nostalgia for the iconic 1985 IROC series. Bruce Pearson started on pole via point standing invert, with John Wilson alongside him in the front row. As the race went green, coming into turn 1, Pearson and Tom Ogle battled for the lead, and Ogle is credited with the lap 1 lead. Todd Liston, in third, began battling with Pearson. Pearson was running solo in the top line and making it work early to contend with Ogle and Liston in the top three.
On lap 6, Sean Foltz gained great momentum on the inside and moved into the top three. Pearson attempted a block but was unsuccessful, and Ogle/Pearson and Foltz/Liston formed inside and outside pairs battling for the lead. Foltz, the big mover at this point, was up seven spots. On lap 12, Foltz took the lead after gaining momentum. Ogle then took over and continued leading, with the outside momentum working as they approached the line, while Foltz was always close in second.
On lap 26, Ogle began to fade back, shaking up the front. Foltz took the lead and the top line, with Liston still providing help. J R Shepherd moved up on the inside line to be in the top three and challenged Foltz for the lead on the inside. As the cars passed for lap 33, Foltz and Shepherd exchanged lines, but Foltz had the lead across the line. Shepherd responded and took the lead back on lap 34. Josh Robinson entered the fray on lap 35 and took over to battle Shepherd.
On lap 44, Robinson got a huge run, cut to the inside, and passed Shepherd for the lead, even throwing a slide job block on Shepherd. Shepherd tried working the bottom to get back past Robinson, but Robinson had help from Ogle. Green flag pit stops began for a few drivers on lap 48. After some green flag stops, Robinson held the lead, with Lloyd Moore and Tom Ogle in second and third on lap 61. Robinson yielded the lead and pitted on lap 65, with Ogle, Pearson, and Loeschen close behind.
Moore was now the leader and the only car yet to pit, with Shepherd and Foltz in second and third but a lap down as of lap 65. Moore pitted with 16 laps remaining, impressively hanging onto the lead for a long stretch with fuel and tires. Shepherd, Foltz, Robinson, and Ogle (second through fourth) were 30 seconds behind. They managed to pass Moore and Robinson, and Shepherd moved to first and second with 14 laps to go. As the white flag flew, Ogle and Robinson battled for the lead, with Tom Ogle winning the Season 1, Round 3 IROC race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, while Josh Robinson finished second and J R Shepherd finished third.
HIGHLIGHTS!
🏆Tom Ogle wins Season 1 Round 3 of YesterYear Racing IROC!
Josh Robinson, J R Shepherd and Allen Wannamaker were the biggest movers of the race, finishing up 9 spots for each driver.
🏁There were 5 leaders with 12 lead changes. Shepherd led the most laps with 27 followed by Ogle with 24 laps, Moore with 23 laps, Robinson with 19 laps and Foltz with 7 laps.
BRL Late Model Invitational S31R04 | Langley Speedway
Season 31 Round 04 racing action kicked off at Langley Speedway on Saturday, July 19th. Steve Hilbert and Chris Haizlip lead the field to green. Hilbert gets a great start, with Todd Liston right behind to take second from Haizlip. Lowell Jewell moves inside and takes third as Haizlip begins to fall back. Ruben Altice overtakes Jewell on Lap 3 to claim third. By Lap 10, Hilbert holds nearly a one-second lead. Altice advances to second, and Chris Davis moves around Liston for third on Lap 13. Altice starts closing in rapidly on Hilbert’s lead. He dives inside in turn 2, battles for the lead, and takes it on Lap 15. Davis also advances to second. A caution occurs on Lap 16. Racing resumes on Lap 21 with Altice and Davis at the front. Altice surges ahead, catching Davis by surprise, but Davis reasserts himself on the inside. Hilbert secures third on the restart. Hilbert begins to fall back as Mike Holloway moves into third. John Wilson then slips inside Holloway to take third on Lap 33. Meanwhile, Altice and Davis maintain a two-second lead over third place on Lap 38. Wilson advances to second, passing Davis on Lap 41. Tre Blohm moves past Davis for third on Lap 60. A caution comes out on Lap 61. Racing resumes on Lap 65 with Altice and Wilson at the front. Altice gets a strong start, with Blohm slipping inside Wilson to take second. Hoose follows Blohm, overtaking Wilson for third; both Blohm and Hoose had gained 17 spots at that point. With 24 laps remaining, Hoose moves inside Blohm to take second. Wilson also passes Blohm, dropping him to fourth. With 12 laps to go, James Lowe overtakes Blohm for third. As the checkered flag drops, Ruben Altice crosses first, winning Season 31 Round 04 at Langley. John Wilson finishes second, and James Lowe takes third.
Be sure to come back for more thrilling Late Model racing as the series heads to Oswego Speedway on July 26th. Broadcast begins at 9:15pm ET on VGN!
Highlights
🏆 Ruben Altice wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 31 Round 04 race at Langley.
🚀 John Wilson and Tre Blohm were the biggest movers of the race, gaining 13 spots. Wilson raced from 15th to 2nd while Blohm raced from 19th to 6th.
🏁 The race featured two leaders with only one lead change. Ruben Atlice led 87 laps followed by Steve Hilbert with 13 laps.
BRL Late Model Invitational S31R02 | Southern National Speedway
Season 31 Round 02 at Southern National Speedway delivered an exciting late model race packed with action and close battles throughout. The race started with Chris Haizlip and Benny Ellison leading the pack. Haizlip quickly jumped to an early lead, but Ellison fought back and on Lap 2 powered around Haizlip on the high side to take the top spot. The racing intensity continued as Bruce Pearson and Lowell Jewell battled fiercely for third place, with Jewell eventually passing Pearson after a tight inside move.
A caution on Lap 16 paused the race, but upon restart on Lap 21, Ellison and Haizlip remained at the front. Jewell made a bold move to overtake Haizlip for second, and soon Chris Davis challenged for third, passing Haizlip. After some side-by-side action, Todd Liston slipped past Haizlip for fourth, then moved into third after bumping with Davis.
As the race progressed, Davis made a move inside Ellison on Lap 36 and took the lead on Lap 38. Ellison stayed high, allowing Liston to slip inside for second, while Jewell fell back to fourth. With 25 laps remaining, traffic began to play a role, and Lowe started closing in on Davis. In a dramatic late-race move, Lowe surged inside and overtook Davis with eight laps to go, claiming the lead.
The finish was chaotic, with leaders navigating through lapped traffic and off-pace cars, but Lowe kept his composure and acquired the win. Chris Davis finished second, and Todd Liston secured third.
Fans can look forward to more exciting late model action on Saturday, July 12th at 9:15pm ET on VGN, as BRL takes a break for the 4th of July weekend.
Highlights
🏆 James Lowe wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 31 Round 02 race at Southern National Speedway.
🚀 James Lowe was the biggest mover, gaining 14 spots, racing from 15th to 1st!
🏁 The race featured three leaders with two lead changes and only one caution. Chris Davis led the most laps with 58, followed by Benny Ellison with 36 and James Lowe with 6.
BRL Late Model Invitational S30R011 | New Smyrna Speedway
BRL Late models took off for the final round of Season 30 at New Smyrna Speedway. James Lowe had a commanding lead in the point standings and barring a massive catastrophe had the championship pretty much wrapped up with any finishing position in the race.
The thrilling Season 30 Round 11 kicked off with Kurt Smith and Jason Menda in the front row. Smith surged ahead at the start, leaving Menda trailing. Tom Hilbert, originally in 3rd, was shuffled outside and began to lose positions as Chris Davis capitalized on the opportunity to move up into 3rd place. By Lap 6, Menda had closed the gap on Smith, seeking a chance to overtake, while Davis remained close behind, making the competition fierce among the top three.
The first caution waved on Lap 20, leading to a restart on Lap 25 with Smith and Menda still battling in front. Smith once again launched effectively, but Menda managed to clear him for 2nd, as Davis and Todd Liston engaged in a fight for 3rd. Although Liston fought hard on the outside, Davis secured the position.
Another caution came out on Lap 27, and when racing resumed on Lap 31, Smith maintained his lead, but Davis seized an opportunity to dive inside Menda, only for Menda to defend his position. Caution again on Lap 33 halted the action. The race restarted on Lap 38, where a late start by Smith allowed Menda to grab 2nd while Davis settled back into 3rd to avoid contact.
Continuing the action, Lap 42 brought another caution, followed by a restart on Lap 46 where Smith started a bit earlier this time. Menda fell back into 2nd as Davis and James Lowe battled fiercely for 3rd. Menda encountered a setback on Lap 54, crashing into the wall and allowing Lowe to take 2nd, while Ruben Altice soon joined the fray, surging to challenge Menda for 3rd.
As Lap 70 approached, Lowe began to challenge Smith for the lead, but Smith held his ground. With just 25 laps remaining, Smith regained control, and with 13 laps left, Lowe made another push for the lead. However, Smith continued to dominate from the top line, fending off each attempt by Lowe.
With 5 laps to go, Lowe made one last bid to pass Smith, but Smith’s momentum was too strong. On the final lap, Smith successfully defended his position to claim victory in Season 30 Round 11 at New Smyrna Speedway. Ruben Altice secured the final podium spot in 3rd.
In a remarkable end to the season, James Lowe emerged victorious in the BRL Late Model Season 30 Championship. Congratulations to Lowe and all season champions!
Highlights
🏆 Kurt Smith wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 30 Round 11 race at New Smyrna Speedway.
🚀 Ruben Altice was the biggest mover, gaining 12 spots, racing from 15th to 3rd!
🏁 James Lowe wins the Season 30 BRL Late Model Invitational Championship!
YesterYear Racing IROC Series | S1R2 | Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course
The YesterYear Racing IROC Series delivered an exhilarating showdown in Season 1 Round 02 at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course, evoking nostalgia for the iconic 1985 IROC series. Jeff Aho started on pole, with Tom Ogle alongside him in the front row. As the race commenced, Aho took an early lead, but J R Shepherd quickly moved past Ogle to claim second place.
Shepherd’s aggressive driving paid off as he maneuvered around Aho to take the lead. Chaos ensued when the top three drivers experienced a dramatic spin, allowing Josh Robinson to capitalize and surge into the lead. Meanwhile, Christian Loschen was hot on Robinson’s tail, remaining just 0.3 seconds behind.
By Lap 7, Shepherd had recovered from the incident and reclaimed third place, setting his sights on the leaders. Loschen made a strategic decision to pit on Lap 11, which allowed Shepherd to move into second place. As the race progressed to Lap 14, Shepherd closed the gap on Robinson to just half a second, intensifying the battle for the lead.
On Lap 15, with both drivers trading positions through the corners, Shepherd successfully executed a pass for the lead. With five laps remaining, Robinson made his pit stop for fuel but faced a 15-second deficit. Despite a quick 6.5-second pit stop, he retained second position but found himself significantly behind Shepherd.
Shepherd’s pit stop on Lap 16, conducted with precision, saw him maintain a commanding 16-second lead over Robinson. As he cruised into the final lap, Shepherd extended his lead to 18 seconds. Ultimately, J R Shepherd crossed the finish line first, securing a definitive victory in the YYR IROC Series Season 01 Round 02. Josh Robinson finished strong in second place, while Christian Loschen rounded out the podium in third, finishing a substantial 44 seconds behind the leader.
HIGHLIGHTS!
🏆J R Shepherd of BRL wins Season 1 Round 2 of YesterYear Racing IROC!
Allen Wannamaker was the biggest mover of the race, finishing 5th after starting 12th!
🏁There were 1 lead changes with two leaders. J R Shepherd led 31 laps while Josh Robinson led 14 laps.
Virtual Grip Network 