BRL OUTLAWS S36 R5 Recap
27 July 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 36 | Round 5
Outlaw Modified Series | Kern Raceway
On Saturday, July 27th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series ran the 5th round of Season 36 at Kern Raceway. Going into the night, Todd Liston held a slim 1-point lead in the standings over Bruce Pearson. John Wilson started on the pole, leading a smaller-than-usual field of 13 drivers, which led to long green flag runs.
Wilson had a strong start, breaking away from Tom Hilbert, who quickly found himself defending the 2nd spot against Liston. After several laps of side-by-side battling, Liston managed to secure the position and set his sights on Wilson. Meanwhile, Stephen Spies, last week’s winner from Slinger Speedway, was making rapid progress through the field. Within the first 10 laps, Spies had moved into the top 3 and began reeling in Liston and Wilson.
Fifteen laps into the run, Liston caught up to Wilson’s rear bumper, but before he could attempt a pass for the lead, a caution from a spin further back in the field restacked the grid for a restart on lap 25. When racing resumed, Spies took advantage of the restart to challenge Liston, engaging in several intense laps of door-to-door racing. Liston successfully defended his spot for the time being and soon after made a decisive move under Wilson, swiftly taking the lead. Spies also capitalized on the opportunity to move up to 2nd place.
As the laps ticked by, Liston and Spies broke away from the rest of the field, with Spies staying tight on Liston’s bumper. They continued to battle for the lead, and once again, Liston used the outside line to defend his position, with Spies temporarily conceding the fight. On lap 65, Spies made another attempt and this time managed to gain the upper hand, clearing Liston a few laps later.
Liston patiently waited behind Spies, letting his tires cool down before making a last-moment attempt to reclaim the win. However, Spies held on, crossing the finish line just 0.07 seconds ahead of Liston, becoming the first repeat winner of the season. Despite losing the race win, Liston had a strong points night as the series heads to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Catch the next round of the BRL on Saturday, August 3rd, with the action going live at 7:40 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!
BRL Late Model Invitational S27R05 | Kern County Raceway
Lowell Jewell and Joseph Snyder started on the front row for the green flag. Jewell had a strong start but went a bit high off turn two, allowing Chris Haizlip to briefly take the lead before Snyder swiftly raced back up to reclaim the lead. A major collision occurred on Lap 8, prompting the caution. Racing resumed on Lap 14 with Snyder and Haizlip on the front row, and Snyder maintained the lead with Haizlip settling into 2nd. Jewell managed to overtake Haizlip and secure 2nd place by making a move inside on turn 3. On Lap 18, Liston passed Wilson for 3rd. Another caution was issued on Lap 28. Racing resumed on Lap 35 with Snyder and Liston leading the pack. They battled side by side, and although Snyder managed to maintain the lead, they collided on Lap 38, leading to another caution. Racing resumed on Lap 42 with Mike Holloway and Kurt Smith at the front. Holloway retained the lead, and Wilson attempted to pass Smith for 2nd. Wilson then vied for and secured the lead, surpassing Holloway on Lap 46. By Lap 49, the field had settled down, with the top three drivers separating from the rest by about a second. On Lap 67, Holloway engaged in a battle for 1st place with Wilson and ultimately secured the lead. Blohm also made a move, passing Wilson for 2nd, while Wilson settled for 3rd. Another caution was called on Lap 72. Racing resumed on Lap 77 with Holloway and Blohm in the lead. Holloway made a good start, and Blohm tucked into 2nd before making a thrilling move inside Holloway into turn 1 on the restart. They raced side by side down the backstretch, with Blohm finally securing the lead. However, Holloway reclaimed the lead on Lap 82, with Wilson passing Blohm for 2nd and Smith taking 3rd position from Blohm. Mike Holloway clinched the lead to secure back-to-back Late Model victories in Season 27, with John Wilson taking 2nd place and Kurt Smith finishing 3rd.
Be sure to join us for more thrilling late model racing action in Round 6 of Season 27 at Nashville Fairgrounds next Saturday, August 3rd, at 7:40 PM ET.
Highlights
🏆 Mike Holloway wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 27 Round 05 race at Kern County Raceway.
🚀 Mike Holloway was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 1st, up 12 spots.
🏁 The race experienced five leaders with six lead changes: Holloway led 37 laps, Snyder led 35 laps, Wilson led 21 laps, Blohm led 6 laps, and Haizlip led 1 lap.
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
BRL Late Model Invitational S27R04 | Slinger Speedway
Mike Holloway and Joe Segalla led the field to the green flag. There was some contact at the start that almost caused a caution, but the drivers were able to continue without stopping. Holloway secured the lead from Segalla. The first caution occurred on lap 11. Racing resumed on Lap 17 with Holloway and Segalla still leading the pack. On the restart, Holloway did not manage to clear Segalla, who stayed strong on the outside. Eventually, Holloway secured the lead, and Bruce Pearson followed to take 2nd place. On Lap 21, Tom Hilbert battled Segalla to take 3rd. By Lap 28, the whole field was single file, but Todd Liston was putting pressure on Tom Hilbert and made an inside pass on Lap 30. Liston then made another inside move on Pearson to take 2nd place on Lap 34. By lap 36, Holloway had a 3-second lead on the field. Stephen Spies and Kurt Smith worked their way up the field as they passed Segalla for 4th and 5th place, respectively. The caution came out on Lap 60. Racing resumed on Lap 66 with Holloway and Liston in the lead. Spies pressured Holloway on the restart and took 2nd place from Liston. Brennan Myers and Kurt Smith battled side by side on Lap 70 for a few laps before Myers completed the pass for 5th place. Spies started putting pressure on Holloway on Lap 73, but the caution came out in Lap 74. Racing resumed on Lap 80 with Holloway and Spies on the front row. They raced side by side into turns 1 and 2, and Spies managed to get a great drive on the backstretch to try to take the lead, but they continued to race side by side for a couple of laps before Holloway was able to secure the lead. He then attempted the crossover move right across Liston’s nose, but wasn’t able to make it work against Holloway. In the end, Mike Holloway won Season 27 Round 4 race at Slinger, with Stephen Spies taking 2nd place and Brennan Myers taking 3rd place.
Highlights
🏆 Mike Holloway wins the BRL Late Model Invitational Series Season 27 Round 04 race at Slinger Speedway.
🚀 Stephen Spies was the biggest mover of the race, finishing in 2nd, up 11 spots.
🏁 There were four lead changes and two leaders with Mike Holloway leading 97 laps and Stephen Spies leading 3 laps.
🌟 The race featured intense battles and impressive displays of skill from the drivers.
BRL OUTLAWS S36 R4 Recap
20 July 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 36 | Round 4
Outlaw Modified Series | Slinger Speedway
On Saturday, July 20th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series ran 100 blistering laps around Slinger Speedway for the 4th round of Season 36. Joe Segalla started the night on the pole, flanked by Donny Moore on the front row. As the green flag dropped, Segalla maintained the race lead, but Moore stayed close behind, keeping the pressure up. The field quickly became a hornet’s nest, with drivers shuffling aggressively to make up positions, resulting in an early caution.
When racing resumed on lap 13, Moore got a better start than Segalla and took the race lead around the outside after several intense laps running side by side. Segalla attempted a crossover move on Moore but got loose and quickly lost another position to Stephen Spies, who had climbed up from 5th. The race continued with a series of short green flag runs, during which Spies worked over Moore, looking to take the race lead. Despite getting to the inside several times, Spies couldn’t complete the pass on Moore early in the night.
As the race entered the second half, Moore still held the lead with Spies close behind. On lap 55, coming out of turn 2, hard contact between Spies and Moore caused Moore to lose his composure, giving Spies a solid foothold on the inside. A few laps later, Spies completed the move, taking control of the race lead, with Moore slotting into 2nd. From there, Spies demonstrated his dominant pace, pulling away from Moore and ultimately claiming the checkered flag.
Meanwhile, Todd Liston had a rough night, finishing back in 12th, but he still managed to hold onto the points lead by a single point over Bruce Pearson going into the next round. The Bootleg Racing League will be back next Saturday, July 27th, at Kern County Raceway for the 5th round of the season. Catch all the action live at 7:40 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!
BRL LATE MODELS S27 R3 Recap
13 July 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 27 | Round 3
Late Model Series | Hickory Motor Speedway
On Saturday, July 13th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series ran 100 laps at Hickory Motor Speedway. John Wilson started the night from the pole and dominated the early stages, taking advantage of the tight track where passing proved difficult, resulting in shorter green flag runs. Chris Haizlip and Adam Schoen engaged in a fierce battle for second place, trading positions with each restart, while Tom Hilbert watched patiently from fourth.
Twenty laps into the race, Schoen secured the second spot from Haizlip, and the top three began to build a gap ahead of Joe Segalla in fourth during the first longer green flag run of the night. Schoen gradually closed in on Wilson, aiming to challenge for the lead while the tires were still fresh enough to facilitate a relatively quick pass. Despite Schoen’s efforts, Wilson managed to defend his lead as the race approached the halfway point.
A caution disrupted the action, putting Wilson back under pressure as racing resumed on lap 56. Todd Liston quietly maneuvered into position to make a move for second off the restart, quickly tucking in behind Wilson. Liston’s move left the door open for Stephen Spies, who charged through to take the final podium spot. The front runners continued to chase each other, running single file as the laps quickly counted down.
On lap 69, Spies made his move, diving under Liston and swiftly taking the second spot before setting his sights on Wilson out front. With 23 laps to go, Spies stuck his nose down low, diving under Wilson and quickly taking control of the race lead, bringing Liston with him and knocking Wilson back to third. Liston kept the pressure on Spies in the final laps, but Spies successfully held onto the lead through a green-white-checkered (GWC) finish to claim the race win.
The Bootleg Racing League will be back next Saturday, July 20th, at Slinger Speedway for the next round. Catch all the action live at 9:10 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!
BRL OUTLAWS S36 R3 Recap
13 July 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 36 | Round 3
Outlaw Modified Series | Hickory Motor Speedway
On Saturday, July 13th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series ran 100 laps at Hickory Motor Speedway. John Wilson started from the pole, and the first half of the race was marked by chaotic short green flag runs between frequent restarts. Despite the interruptions, Wilson managed to get strong launches each time, maintaining his lead at the front.
Meanwhile, Bruce Pearson and Stephen Spies were steadily making their way forward through the field. As the race moved into the second half, Wilson found himself under increasing pressure from both Pearson and Spies, who were locked in a battle for the second spot right behind him. Todd Liston also began to push more aggressively, climbing through the field and positioning himself as a contender in the latter stages.
A pivotal restart on lap 68 provided Pearson with an opportunity he fully exploited. He got a good jump off the restart, staying alongside Wilson and pinching him down in the corners lap after lap. Wilson eventually had to concede the lead, and Pearson took over the front on lap 72, with Wilson slotting in just ahead of Spies.
A late-race caution bunched the field up again, setting up for a restart with only three laps to go. Pearson and Spies were on the front row, with Pearson still in control. He got another excellent launch, breaking away from the pack as Spies and Wilson battled for second. Contact between Spies and Wilson triggered a large pile-up on the backstretch, collecting much of the field and shaking up the order behind Pearson.
As the drivers lined up for a green-white-checkered (GWC) finish, Todd Liston and Adam Schoen rounded out the podium. Liston made a strong attempt for the lead in the final laps but couldn’t wrest the victory away from Bruce Pearson. Pearson held on to win, with Liston finishing second and Schoen completing the podium.
The Bootleg Racing League will return next Saturday, July 20th, at Slinger Speedway for the next round. Catch all the action live at 7:40 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!
BRL LATE MODELS S27 R2 Recap
29 June 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 27 | Round 2
Late Model Series | Thompson Speedway
On Saturday, June 29th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series hosted the second round of season 27 at Thompson Speedway. Jeffrey Hardin from Loose Luggs started the night on pole, and a strong start helped him initially hold off Mike Holloway, who quickly closed in to keep the pressure on in the opening stages. The early laps featured several short green flag runs interrupted by quick cautions, making it somewhat easier for Hardin to maintain his lead.
Jeffrey Kemper showed significant speed, racing aggressively while conserving his tires, making him a legitimate threat for the win. Seventeen laps into the race, Kemper capitalized on a mistake from Holloway to claim second place, allowing Lowell Jewell to move up to third. Hardin held onto the lead, but Kemper soon closed in, looking for opportunities high and low to challenge him. Despite Kemper’s efforts, Hardin managed to fend him off, while John Heyn climbed into third to start pressuring Kemper.
Holloway, recovering from his earlier troubles, quietly moved back up toward the front, reclaiming third from Heyn. Kemper made a rare mistake on lap 38, going wide out of turn 4, allowing Holloway to move back up to second, with Heyn following into third. Kemper quickly recovered, holding onto fourth and staying within reach of Heyn.
As the race entered its second half, Hardin still led with Holloway close behind. Heyn battled Kemper for third but eventually tucked into fourth ahead of Jewell. Hardin and Holloway built a sizable gap over Kemper as Heyn’s renewed battle with Kemper slowed both drivers, putting the leaders over two seconds ahead with 40 laps to go. A caution soon after brought the field back together.
As the race approached its conclusion, Holloway and Kemper battled for second while Hardin began to pull away again. Just as it seemed Hardin would cruise to victory, a late-race caution set up a green-white-checkered (GWC) finish. Hardin got a great jump on the restart, pulling ahead of Kemper and Rubin Altice, who were now battling for second. Donny Moore pushed hard, rubbing doors with Altice in an attempt to take third.
In a shocking upset, coming out of the final corner, Moore, Altice, and Adam Schoen went three-wide and made contact, sending all three drivers into the grass. Todd Liston, who had been watching the battle from sixth place, slipped through the chaos to claim the final podium spot behind Hardin and Kemper.
The Bootleg Racing League will return after the Independence Day holiday for the next round at Hickory Motor Speedway on July 13th. Catch all the action live at 9:10 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!
BRL OUTLAWS S36 R2 Recap
29 June 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 36 | Round 2
Outlaw Modified Series | Thompson Speedway
On Saturday, June 29th, the Bootleg Racing League’s Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series hosted its second round of season 36 at Thompson Speedway. Kurt Smith secured the pole position and immediately faced heavy pressure from Lowell Jewell, Joe Segalla, and Stephen Spies as soon as the green flag dropped. Segalla managed to stay glued to Smith’s rear bumper in the opening laps but struggled to maintain pace when the battle for second intensified. Spies persistently attempted to pass Segalla on the inside, slowing them both and giving Jewell opportunities to vie for the third spot.
The race began with a lengthy green flag run until lap 29, when contact between Allen Wannamaker and Tom Hilbert caused Wannamaker to spin in turn 1, bringing out the caution flag. When racing resumed, Smith maintained his lead while Spies resumed his attempts to get around Segalla for second. Meanwhile, John Wilson quietly worked his way up through the dense traffic, breaking into the top five and soon thereafter overtaking both Spies and Segalla for third place behind Jewell.
As the race progressed into the second half, Jewell increased his pressure on Smith, attempting to force an error. The laps ticked down quickly, with Smith and Jewell pulling away from Wilson in third. Much of the field was running single file around the track, making passing challenging, but Smith continued to dominate at the front. Near the end, contact between Smith and lap traffic nearly caused Smith to spin, but he managed to keep control. Unfortunately, further contact between Smith and Jewell resulted in severe damage to Jewell’s car, sending him to pit road and promoting Wilson to second for the restart.
Smith opted for the outside lane for the final restart, a strategy he had employed all night. He got a great jump off the line, breaking away from Wilson. Wilson fought hard to maintain a podium position but contact with Todd Liston sent him off into the grass on the front stretch. Smith, having led every lap, came around to claim his first win of the new season. Liston capitalized on the incident to finish second, with Donny Moore rounding out the podium.
The Bootleg Racing League will return after the Independence Day holiday, with the next round at Hickory Motor Speedway on July 13th. Catch all the action live at 7:40 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!
BRL LATE MODELS S27 R1 Recap
22 June 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 27 | Round 1
Late Model Series | Southern National Speedway
On Saturday night, June 22nd, the Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series kicked off its new season at Southern National Speedway. Todd Liston from Indy Autosport started on the pole, with Adam Schoen alongside him. As the green flag dropped, Liston quickly established a lead while Tom Hilbert battled both Schoen and Stephen Spies for the second spot. Spies eventually seized an opportunity to pass under Hilbert, causing a chain reaction that saw much of the field file into a single line and leaving Hilbert to drop quickly through the ranks.
John Wilson, running quietly in fourth, followed Schoen patiently while Spies began to reel Liston in at the front. The field, aware of the long race ahead, prioritized tire conservation over aggressive maneuvers, opting for strategic single-file racing. As they crossed the halfway mark, Wilson managed to pass Schoen for third, and the front runners began closing the gap on Liston, who was still in the lead.
Liston encountered trouble while lapping Jeffrey Kemper, whose resistance to going a lap down disrupted Liston’s pace. This allowed Spies and the others to close in quickly, putting Liston under significant pressure. With laps ticking down, Spies kept up the pressure, trying to force a mistake from Liston. In the final 20 laps, John Wilson, known as the Canadian Goose, decided to make his move. He dived low under Spies, who was focused on challenging Liston, and secured the second spot just before a late-race caution slowed the action.
When racing resumed on lap 93, Wilson, starting from the outside line in second, quickly overtook Liston for the lead going into turn three. With only four laps remaining, contact in the middle of the field brought out another caution, setting up a Green-White-Checkered (GWC) finish. In the final two laps, Wilson, representing Team CDR, proved unstoppable, coming around to claim the first checkered flag of the new season. Todd Liston finished second, and Kurt Smith rounded out the podium in third.
The Bootleg Racing League continues next Saturday, June 29th, at Thompson Speedway. Catch all the exciting action live at 9:10 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!
BRL OUTLAWS S36 R1 Recap
22 June 2024
Bootleg Racing League | Season 36 | Round 1
Outlaw Modified Series | Southern National Speedway
On Saturday night, June 22nd, the Bootleg Racing League kicked off the new season of the Outlaw SK Modified Invitational Series with a thrilling 100-lap race at Southern National Speedway. Bruce Pearson of Loose Luggs started on the pole, but it would prove to be a chaotic night with loose track conditions causing trouble for many drivers and leading to multiple caution periods.
With the long straightaways, drivers found themselves running nose to tail, making passes difficult. Throughout the first half of the race, Pearson managed to maintain the lead through each restart, despite only short green flag runs. The battle for second place was fiercely contested between Lowell Jewell, Todd Liston, and John Wilson each time racing resumed.
Meanwhile, VGN’s own Ricky Hardin was making a quiet but determined move up through the dense traffic. Starting from the back, Hardin had worked his way into the top five by the halfway point, emerging as a serious contender for the race win. In the later stages of the race, Wilson made a strong push, overtaking Liston for second place and beginning to apply pressure on Pearson for the lead. Shortly after, Hardin seized an opportunity to get low under Liston, moving up to third with 20 laps to go.
With just 9 laps remaining, unfortunate contact between Hardin and Wilson caused Wilson to get loose and drop back to fourth behind Liston. Wilson made a quick recovery and stayed within reach of the leaders while Hardin began challenging Pearson for the lead. As the white flag waved, Hardin and Pearson made contact going into the first corner, taking both drivers out of contention and leaving an opening for Liston.
Liston shot through the gap, taking the race lead and claiming the first checkered flag of the season. Following closely behind, Donny Moore capitalized on the chaos, moving up from sixth to finish in second place, with Wilson rounding out the podium in an exciting final lap.
Next Saturday, June 29th, the Bootleg Racing League will be at Thompson Speedway. The action will go live at 7:40 PM ET, exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!
Virtual Grip Network 