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 SLM S21 R5 Recap
28 April 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 21 | Round 5
Super Late Model Series | Lucas Oil Raceway
During the Bootleg Racing League Super Late Model Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway, Aiden Young with Gambler Motorsports claimed his first win of the season. He managed to hold onto the points lead going into the next round, five points ahead of J R Shepherd, who finished second.
The race began with David Traylor starting on the pole and getting a great jump off the start, with Makayla Steffes and Joe Segalla following close behind. As the drivers scrambled to get to the outside line, Steffes got loose coming out of turn two on the second lap and was tagged by Jeffrey Hardin, causing both drivers to fall back to the rear of the field for the restart.
Traylor managed to hold onto the lead as the racing resumed, with Segalla running in second and Ryan Salvatore and Lowell Jewell battling over third. Young was conserving his equipment in 10th place, while Shepherd followed Matt Hoose’s lead and began to move up into sixth.
Fifteen laps into the race, Traylor pulled away from the field by almost two seconds, with Segalla and Jewell battling over third. Jewell made contact with the outside wall, and Segalla was able to pull away, while Hoose and Shepherd both pressured Jewell for third. Young was right on Salvatore’s bumper, looking for an opportunity to move forward.
On lap 22, Jewell got loose in turn 2, causing Hoose to make contact with him. Shepherd also got caught up in the incident, while Young sustained front left damage, and the caution flag came out on the track.
As the green flag came out, James Tiernan was up to ninth, quietly moving up through the field with speed to challenge the leaders later in the night. By lap 34, Shepherd caught Traylor and took the lead away, while Tiernan cleared around Young and was up to fourth, challenging Michael LeMieux for third.
The field settled into running single file as they approached the halfway point of the race, with drivers starting to think about pit strategy under green flag conditions. Tiernan was in third, with Young and Hoose following close behind, while Shepherd continued to lead the field ahead of Traylor.
Several drivers had come down pit road, but the leaders waited. Tiernan was the first to come down on lap 95, followed by Shepherd on the following lap, but he waited a few laps longer before coming down on lap 99. Young had a faster stop than Shepherd, allowing him to hold position ahead of Shepherd as he rejoined the track.
To make matters worse, Shepherd struggled to negotiate through dense traffic running side by side battling over positions throughout the field while Young had open track ahead of him, giving him a solid six-second lead over Shepherd. The top five had yet to come down pit road, with Young running in sixth, the first driver one lap down on lap 105.
On lap 108, Young was able to run down Salvatore, the leader, and reclaim his lost lap. Shepherd cleared the leader, getting back on the lead lap on lap 123, and was running in sixth, still over six seconds behind Young, as a caution came out on lap 124. Tiernan was in the lucky dog spot as the caution came out, setting the field up for an exciting finish.
Young won the race off pit road by a significant margin, while Shepherd rejoined the track in seventh place. Salvatore and Kurt Smith took the front row as the green flag came back out on lap 129, with Young wasting no time in going for the lead. Shepherd, on the other hand, aggressively weaved through traffic and got into second place just one lap later, keeping Young in sight. Tiernan managed to clear around Rory Collins for third place, while Young and Shepherd pulled away from the rest of the field.
As the laps counted down, Shepherd’s strategy began to reveal itself. During the last pit cycles, Shepherd opted to get four new tires, while Young only took right side tires to save time. With 20 laps remaining, Shepherd had caught up with Young and was pressuring him to force a mistake. Shepherd was looking to the inside of the corners, but couldn’t match Young’s pace on corner exit. He tried to get ahead by diving to the inside in each corner, but Young ran a more defensive line, staying lower on exit and blocking Shepherd’s momentum.
Shepherd seemed to be getting frustrated, throwing the car to the inside more aggressively as the laps quickly counted down. However, any tire advantage Shepherd may have had was disappearing with each failed pass attempt. The race was complicated by the fact that they caught up with lap traffic, making it even more challenging for Shepherd to overtake Young.
As they came out of the final corner, Young managed to hold onto his lead, taking the win by just 0.191 seconds at the line. The Bootleg Racing League will move to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on May 5th for round 6, with the action going live at 8:10PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.
PGRL S4 R10 Recap
25 April 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 4 | Round 10
Premier Series | Talladega Superspeedway
Photograph by: Michael Chrobok
At the *Chuckles* I’m in Danger 250 presented by MC2 Editing Services in the Pretty Good Racing League at Talladega Superspeedway, Scott Eckrich of Loud Pedal Motorsports secured his fifth win of the season in dramatic fashion, crossing the finish line backwards ahead of Cody Dempster. The race started with Clarence Bonner on pole, while Eckrich started in 16th.
The drivers quickly shuffled lines, experimenting with 3-4 wide racing, and forming well-organized top lines. Lap 9 saw a close call when the majority of the field had to fan out to avoid a pile-up. All drivers maneuvered without making contact, and the racing continued, with packs splitting into smaller groups going into lap 10.
Jake Silvia led the front pack, while Cosmin Ioanesiu led the second group in 9th. Ioanesiu closed in on the leaders, swelling the leading pack to over 20 drivers. Meanwhile, Joe Hassert led the next pack back in 22nd, 1.5 seconds behind the main pack.
After the first 15 laps, Dempster led with Silvia pushing him. On lap 21, Loud Pedal Motorsports, consisting of Eckrich, Michael Chrobok, Jeff Ward, Brian Greenlee, Brian Yaczik, and Woody Mahan, came down pit road to try and overtake the lead in the coming laps. Seven laps later, Apex Simsport drivers, Silvia, Dempster, and Jordan Harnish, along with drivers from other teams, joined them.
Loud Pedal Motorsports’ strategy paid off, and they cleared ahead of Apex Simsport as they rejoined the track. The leading pack, with Eckrich out front, worked together more effectively than the other groups, with a gap growing between them and Dempster leading the 2nd pack.
On lap 38, Aiden Graetz and Brady Cure had a miscommunication while bump drafting, causing the only caution of the night and collecting Joe Hassert and Gael Brooks. The drivers took the break to come down pit road for fresh tires, and Saif Faries took control of the field to take the green flag.
The drivers shuffled to link up with teammates and charged towards the front. Pete Baskins, with Jeff Ward pushing, took the lead away from Dempster, crossing the halfway point of the night and taking bonus points before dropping back and giving the lead back to Dempster.
With 30 laps remaining, the front three packs merged back together, and Apex Simsport drivers worked hard to maintain the lead with Ioanesiu in tow. The front pack settled into a single file line on the bottom of the track to check off laps leading up to the end.
In the final laps, Loud Pedal Motorsports made their move, and Apex Simsport moved back up to the high line. Chrobok pushed Yaczik, getting alongside Dempster and Silvia. Coming out of the final corner, Eckrich moved up as Silvia and Dempster went side by side trying to block the track. A bump from Dempster sent Eckrich onto the apron and under Silvia. The move sent Silvia up the track, across Dempster’s nose, spinning down the front stretch. Dempster came down again, trying to stop Eckrich’s advance, but a hit from Vincent Crow and another from Saif Faries knocked Eckrich across the line to take the checkered flag backwards 0.004 seconds ahead of Dempster.
With the win, Eckrich extended his lead in the point standings by 79 points over Chrobok. The next Pretty Good Racing League event is the MARSS Properties Vacation Rentals 200 at Dover Motor Speedway on May 2nd, with the action going live at 8:55PM ET only 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 SLM S21 R4 Recap
21 April 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 21 | Round 4
Super Late Model Series | Martinsville Speedway
At Martinsville Speedway, the Bootleg Racing League Super Late Model Series kicked off with an electrifying start. The tension was palpable as drivers like John Wilson and Jeffrey Hardin revved up their engines, eager to take the lead. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, and the roar of engines filled the air.
The race started off with Chris Davis taking the lead from Wilson, but not for long, as an early caution caused the field to stack up again. Davis regained the lead after the restart, with Joe Segalla hot on his heels. But, the pace was soon halted once again by another quick caution.
As the race resumed on lap 14, Wilson held onto 2nd place, while David Traylor moved up to 3rd. Shepherd and Young were also in the mix, determined to make their way up the leaderboard. Shepherd charged ahead, overtaking Wilson and positioning Traylor ahead of Young. The field then single-filed around the track, as Shepherd aggressively chased down Davis.
The moment came when Shepherd took the lead on lap 27, leaving Young to fight for 2nd place with Davis. Davis didn’t go down without a fight, but eventually conceded to Young, who was then almost 4 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
With 50 laps completed, Smith and Hoose charged forward, catching up to Wilson. Smith swiftly overtook Wilson for 3rd, while Hoose took 4th place. An opportune caution on lap 70 allowed the field to come down pit road, with Shepherd coming out ahead of Young, ready to take the green flag on lap 77.
As the race continued, Shepherd held his lead, with Hoose and Young not far behind. Young and Smith fiercely battled for 3rd, with Young finally reclaiming the position. With 45 laps to go, Shepherd and Hoose broke away from Young by over 2 seconds. However, Young made a comeback, overtaking Hoose for 2nd place off a restart with 20 laps to go.
As the race came to an end, Shepherd was untouchable, taking the checkered flag with Young and Hoose coming in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. The drama did not stop there, as Young still held the lead in the points standings, but only by 4 points ahead of Shepherd. The Bootleg Racing League Super Late Model Series was far from over, with the next race set to take place at Lucas Oil Raceway. Fans could hardly wait for the next round of high-speed thrills and adrenaline-pumping action, live on the Virtual Grip Network at 8:10 PM ET on April 28th.
PGRL S4 R9 Recap
18 April 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 4 | Round 9
Premier Series | Martinsville Speedway
At the Wallriders Rejoice 200 presented by Octane93 on Twitch, Jake Silvia from Apex Simsport claimed victory at Martinsville Speedway in the Pretty Good Racing League. The race started with Brian Greenlee on pole position, while Scott Eckrich began in 15th and Jeff Ward in 28th. With 23 cautions thrown and 113 laps run under yellow flag conditions, including the final lap, pit strategy was often negated by the frequent restarts. Seven lead changes occurred throughout the 200-lap race.
Silvia took the lead on lap 25, with Ward quickly making up ground and breaking into the top 10 by lap 30. Meanwhile, Eckrich was challenging Cody Dempster for 4th, then pressuring Creighton Carter, ultimately resulting in contact that sent Carter to the back of the pack. Eckrich continued to gain momentum through the frequent restarts, challenging Silvia for the lead with 50 laps completed. Although he managed to edge ahead of Silvia on lap 77, another caution soon halted the action, requiring a restart.
Eckrich opted to pit under caution on lap 116, along with Ward, and both drivers found themselves back in the top 10 by lap 131, while Silvia remained in the lead. Despite Eckrich’s efforts to advance back to the front, he found himself blocked by several drivers and ultimately spun low on the track, falling back to 15th. Meanwhile, Ward was making progress and was back up to 4th, with the leaders in sight.
With 50 laps remaining, Ward had climbed to 2nd place and was putting pressure on Silvia for the lead. Although it appeared that Ward had the faster car and attempted to overtake Silvia going into the final 10 laps, another caution prevented any further moves, and Silvia took the checkered flag under yellow flag conditions. After the race, Silvia acknowledged, “That’s kind of the nature of this racing. I decided to pit real early, give up the stage win… and try to focus on the long game. It almost bit me in the end.”
Scott Eckrich maintained his points lead, holding a 62-point advantage over Michael Chrobok in 2nd place. The Pretty Good Racing League will next tackle Talladega Superspeedway on April 25th for the “Chuckles” I’m in Danger 250 presented by MC2 Editing Services, with the action going live at 8:55PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!
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.
PGRL S4 R8 Recap
11 April 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 4 | Round 8
Premier Series | Bristol Motor Speedway
Scott Eckrich with Loud Pedal Motorsports won his 4th race in a row at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Get Dirty at Bristol, Get Clean with Mane ‘n Tail 125 beating Jake Silvia to the line by 0.205. It was a hard-fought win for Eckrich, who had to battle his way through the field from his 10th place starting position. The race was filled with intense battles and high-speed action, and the fans were treated to an unforgettable night of racing.
The race got off to a thrilling start, with Jeff Ward starting on the pole after winning his heat race earlier in the evening with rookie Shane Davis to his outside. Silvia started 3rd, rookie Brandon Beyke started in 7th, and Eckrich started in 10th. In the opening laps, it was clear which drivers had more dirt racing experience as the field quickly started to get spread out. Davis was keeping the pressure high on Ward out front allowing Siliva to close the gap and make it a 3-wide fight for the lead. Lap traffic complicated matters as Silvia and Davis were forced to lift to avoid contact and Ward jumped out to a 1.5 second lead ahead.
Despite the early dominance of Ward, it was clear that the race was far from over. Eckrich was quickly moving up through the field into 5th with the first 10 laps completed. Many drivers were struggling to wrestle the NASCAR Cup Series cars around the dirt track. On lap 14, Daivs had reeled Ward back in and was fighting for the lead when a lap down driver lost control of his car in front of the leaders collecting Ward and essentially taking away his chances of winning the race. With no cautions thrown for the event, multiple drivers were forced down pit road with damage going several laps down with only 20 laps completed. Davis was one of those drivers that had to get damage fixed before he could continue running, giving the lead of the race to Eckrich.
The entire field was spread out around the track with several seconds between each driver, making the remainder of the night more of an endurance event with the overall goal to just make it to the end in one piece. The one and only competition caution was thrown on lap 65 dividing the race in half and allowing the drivers to get a splash of fuel. Only 5 drivers were still on the lead lap as the green flag came back out and racing resumed with Eckrich still in control of the field.
Silvia took advantage of the restart and stayed close to Eckrich using the outside wall to try to get a run on the leader. Eckrich was able to hold the lead but not able to pull away from Silvia as he had in the first half of the night. Silvia was letting his car contact the outside wall as he continued to try to build up runs on Eckrich and was able to take the lead away on lap 77. Patience paid off for Eckrich as he slowly set Silvia up for a pass and overtook for the lead on lap 92.
Silvia showed his displeasure with the pass giving several taps to Eckrich’s bumper and taking the lead back on lap 98. Eckrich tried to get under Silvia going into the corner, but Silvia cut down hard, and the two slammed doors with tempers starting to flare as the battle for the lead continued. Silvia was running much more aggressively wall riding through the corners trying to get a strong run out to take the lead back from Eckrich but unable to complete the move with 15 laps remaining. Silvia made hard contact into the rear of Eckrich almost sending the leader around, but Eckrich continued to hold onto the lead with the laps quickly counting down.
But Eckrich, showing his veteran experience, held on and continued to defend his lead, even when the track was blocked by Vincent Crow, who was three laps down. Silvia tried to make a move on the inside, but Eckrich was able to defend his line and cross the finish line just 0.205 seconds ahead of Silvia.
After the race, Eckrich spoke about the intensity of the battle for the lead. “I worked my butt off tonight,” he said. “It was a hell of a battle at the end. It was definitely really fun here, it’s hard with these next-gen cars just to get the cars to take any sort of line that you want them to.”
The win extended Eckrich’s lead in the point standings, with Michael Chrobok now 50 points behind in second place. The Pretty Good Racing League will now move on to Martinsville Speedway for the Wallriders Rejoice 200 presented by Octane93 on April 18th, which will be broadcast live at 8:50 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network.
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 SLM S21 R2 Recap
07 April 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 21 | Round 2
Super Late Model Series | Myrtle Beach Speedway
Different Path Motorsports driver J R Shepherd emerged victorious in an epic showdown at Myrtle Beach Speedway, as he beat Aiden Young to the finish line in the Skitter Creek Super Late Model Series with the Bootleg Racing League. Rory Collins and Joe Segalla led the field off the start, while Shepherd started from the sixth position and Young was twelfth on the grid. James Tiernan, the previous round’s winner, began the race in thirteenth, while Matt Hoose started on the inside of row seven alongside Tiernan.
As the green flag dropped, multiple drivers had to slow down, causing a chain reaction that resulted in some cars shuffling for position. Collins built an early lead, with Chris Davis moving into second and Shepherd quickly advancing to third by lap five. The frequent cautions allowed some drivers to pit, but the short green flag runs broke up the pit strategies. Davis attempted to overtake Collins for the lead by going around the outside, but he fell back when Shepherd passed him to claim second place. Shepherd then passed Collins to take the lead on lap 15.
Fifty laps into the race, Shepherd and Davis had pulled away from the rest of the pack, with John Heyn in third place, battling with Tiernan and Jason Menda. Heyn quickly lost ground as Tiernan and Menda closed in on Davis. Another caution on lap 60 brought Tiernan within reach of second place, but Davis managed to hold on to the position, with Menda settling for fourth.
Menda tried to overtake Davis for second place and succeeded on lap 98, while Tiernan fell back after getting loose. The second half of the race saw increased aggression, with multiple cautions causing the running order to shift as drivers pitted in small groups. Mark Hertzog briefly took the lead before Jeffery Hardin claimed it on lap 135, with Shepherd in eleventh place.
Shepherd began aggressively pushing his way back up through the field, with Tiernan right behind him. Young, who had a rough start and was involved in several incidents, made a strong recovery to take third place. Shepherd quickly passed Moore to claim second place, with Tiernan back in fourth. Shepherd and Young battled for the lead through multiple restarts in the final 40 laps.
In the end, Shepherd emerged victorious, beating Young to the finish line by 0.042 seconds after running side by side and leaning on each other coming out of the final corner. “It was really tough on the outside, not a lot of grip out there,” Shepherd said after the race. Next up, the Bootleg Racing League will head to USA Speedway on April 14th, with Tom Hilbert starting from pole position. Fans can catch all the action live at 8:10PM ET on the Virtual Grip Network!
Virtual Grip Network 