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11
Jun

BRL LM S22 R10 Recap

10 June 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 10
Late Model Series | South Boston Speedway

Joseph Snyder, representing Rougarou Racing, celebrated his first checkered flag victory at South Boston Speedway in the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series, presented by Gargamel’s Kitchen. Steve Hilbert started the race on the pole position, with Snyder alongside him in 2nd.

Hilbert initially maintained the lead, but on lap 21, Snyder found an opportunity on the inside line and successfully cleared Hilbert to take the lead. From there, Snyder led the remaining 79 laps of the race, steadily extending his advantage over the rest of the 18-car field to over 6 seconds. Impressively, the entire 100-lap race went green, showcasing the skill and consistency of the drivers in the league.

After securing the win, Snyder expressed his surprise, stating, “I didn’t see anybody behind me, I was just driving easy, you know, trying not to use it up in case [a caution came out], so the car felt great.” He also added, “I thought everyone disconnected, that was the craziest race.”

Jeffery Hardin had a quiet race but finished in 3rd place, further solidifying his lead in the points standings. Hardin now holds a 26-point advantage over Snyder, who moved up to 2nd place with his victory, surpassing Joe Segalla.

The season finale is scheduled to take place at Five Flags Speedway on June 18th, and fans can catch all the thrilling action live at 8:50 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!

10
Jun

BRL SLM S21 R10 Recap

09 June 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 21 | Round 10
Super Late Model Series | South Boston Speedway

J.R. Shepherd, representing Different Path Motorsports, emerged victorious at South Boston Speedway in the Bootleg Racing League Super Late Model Series, presented by the Skitter Creek Motorsports Group. The race began with Lowell Jewell starting on the pole position, while Shepherd took off from 12th place, alongside his season rival James Tiernan.

Jewell maintained the lead for the first 61 laps, with Mark Hertzog and Tiernan battling for 3rd place. Unfortunately, contact between Hertzog and Tiernan resulted in Hertzog hitting the outside wall along the front stretch, leading to a caution. All drivers, except for John Wilson and Chris Davis, opted to pit for fuel during the caution period. This decision gave Wilson the lead, while Jewell held onto 3rd place when racing resumed on lap 68, ahead of Ryan Nardone.

Shortly after the restart, another quick caution occurred. Davis and Wilson chose to pit, allowing Jewell to regain the lead for the green flag on lap 76. Throughout the race’s first half, Shepherd and Tiernan worked their way through the field, running side by side and eventually breaking into the top 10.

On lap 89, Shepherd advanced to 2nd place and executed an aggressive move on the outside to overtake Nardone for the lead. For the first time in the race, there was a car between Shepherd and Tiernan, as Nardone settled into 2nd place ahead of Tiernan. However, Tiernan managed to surpass Nardone on lap 158.

Shepherd held off Tiernan’s challenges for the remainder of the race, securing the win. With this victory, Shepherd extended his lead in the point standings, now 36 points ahead of Jeffery Hardin, who finished 4th in the race.

The season finale is set to take place at Five Flags Speedway on June 17th, and fans can catch all the action live at 8:50 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!

7
Jun

PGRL S5 R3 Recap

06 June 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 5 | Round 3
Premier Series | World Wide Technology Raceway

Cody Dempster, representing Apex Simsport, emerged victorious at World Wide Technology Raceway in the Julesburg Farms 150, part of the Pretty Good Racing League. Brandon Beyke from Team Watson Racing started the race on the pole position, while Dempster began in 2nd place.

Dempster quickly capitalized on the green flag to take the lead, benefiting from Beyke’s rough start. However, Beyke swiftly recovered and remained in 2nd position. Jeff Ward and Colton Salek showcased impressive speed, rapidly advancing through the field towards the front of the pack early in the race.

However, an unexpected turn of events occurred on lap 40 when Ward’s engine failed, resulting in a caution that prematurely ended his race. Following a rapid pit stop under the caution, Eckrich found himself in 3rd place for the restart on lap 45.

Dempster continued to lead the field with Beyke in 2nd as racing resumed. On lap 90, both Eckrich and Salek received speeding penalties while entering pit road under green flag conditions, causing them to fall two laps down before rejoining the track. Notably, they were running in 2nd and 3rd positions at the time of their pit stops.

Dempster maintained his lead unchallenged for the remainder of the race, securing the victory. Salek, despite the penalty, retained his position atop the point standings, holding a narrow 1-point lead over Dempster.

The next event on the schedule is the PIXELCAR PRIDE Road Race Showcase at Sonoma Raceway, set to take place on June 13th. Fans can catch all the thrilling action live at 8:50 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!

4
Jun

BRL LM S22 R9 Recap

03 June 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 22 | Round 9
Late Model Series | Hickory Motor Speedway
Photograph By: Michael Goodman

Jeffery Hardin, representing Loose Luggs, emerged as the victor in the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series presented by Gargamel’s Kitchen at Hickory Motor Speedway. The race saw John Wilson, racing for Team CDR, start from the pole position, while Hardin began the race in 7th place.

Wilson held the lead for the first six laps until Bruce Pearson managed to make a move to the inside and overtake him for the top spot. The race was marked by a high number of cautions, which provided frequent restarts and aided Pearson in maintaining his lead going into the second half of the race.

Stephen Spies and Jason Menda engaged in a side-by-side battle for 2nd place, with Hardin patiently positioned behind them in 4th, waiting for an opportunity to advance. On lap 58, Spies seized an opening and dove low to take the lead from Pearson. Menda and Hardin followed suit, advancing to 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.

Menda put pressure on Spies lap after lap and managed to take the lead on lap 78. However, his lead was short-lived as Hardin maneuvered his way past Menda, going for the top spot. Menda attempted to block Hardin in the corner but the contact resulted in Menda spinning and undoing his progress, allowing Hardin to claim the lead with 15 laps remaining.

Hardin displayed his signature patient and calculated driving style for the remainder of the race, fending off challenges from Spies and Adam Schoen. With a caution coming out on lap 97, the race concluded under yellow flag conditions, and Hardin secured the victory.

With this win, Hardin maintains his lead in the point standings, now sitting 24 points ahead of Joe Segalla with two rounds remaining in the season. The next event is scheduled to take place at South Boston Speedway on June 10th, and fans can catch all the action live at 8:50 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!

3
Jun

BRL SLM S21 R9 Recap

02 June 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 21 | Round 9
Super Late Model Series | Hickory Motor Speedway

J.R. Shepherd of Different Path Motorsports emerged as the winner in the Bootleg Racing League Super Late Model Series at Hickory Motor Speedway. The race began with Chris Haizlip starting on the pole position, while Shepherd and his rival James Tiernan of Elbows Up Simsport started in 9th and 10th positions, respectively. John Wilson took the lead from Haizlip on lap 8 and held onto it until lap 68.

During the race, Shepherd made a swift charge through the pack and overtook Wilson to claim the lead, with Tiernan also making his way up to second place. Tiernan remained within 0.2 seconds of Shepherd, keeping the pressure on throughout the race. A caution on lap 89 allowed all drivers to pit for fuel and tires. Shepherd and Tiernan engaged in a tight battle off pit road, with Shepherd maintaining the lead for the restart.

As racing resumed on lap 97, Shepherd continued to lead the field in the second half of the race. Tiernan attempted several times to pass Shepherd but was unable to make a successful move. Meanwhile, Ryan Nardone showcased his ability to conserve his equipment, gradually increasing his speed during the long green flag run and closing the gap to the leaders.

In a dramatic finish, Tiernan made contact with the rear of Shepherd’s car coming out of the final corner, causing Shepherd to lose control. However, Shepherd managed to recover and crossed the finish line to take the checkered flag, securing the victory. With this win, Shepherd extended his lead in the championship standings, now holding a commanding 33-point advantage over Jeffrey Hardin, who sits in second place.

The next event in the series will take place at South Boston Speedway on June 9th, with live coverage available exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.

31
May

PGRL S5 R2 Recap

30 May 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 5 | Round 2
Premier Series | Charlotte Motor Speedway

Thomas George, racing for Steel Horse Motorsports, emerged victorious in the MARSS Properties Vacation Rentals 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Pretty Good Racing League Premier Series. Adam Jurski started on the pole position, while George began the race from the 20th spot on the grid.

Jurski put up a strong fight to maintain his lead for the first 27 laps, battling against drivers like Cody Dempster and Jake Silvia. However, Michael Chrobok seized the lead on lap 28. The first caution of the night occurred on lap 34 when Silvia made significant contact with the outside wall following a checkup incident. Jurski reclaimed the lead as the race resumed on lap 38.

Just three laps later, Dempster executed an aggressive move along the outside to jump from 3rd to 1st place. Meanwhile, George quietly made progress through the field, gaining an impressive 11 spots within the first 50 laps. On lap 68, a collision between Brandon Beyke and Colton Salek along the front stretch prompted another caution period.

Racing resumed on lap 73, with Chrobok back in the lead. However, a substantial wreck involving Jeff Ward, Scott Eckrich, Travis McQuistion, and several other drivers unfolded coming out of turn 2, bringing out another caution. Chrobok once again took the green flag on lap 78.

During the second half of the race, a long green flag run forced drivers to make two pit stops under green flag conditions, repeatedly shuffling the running order. Chrobok held onto the lead with Ward, George, and Drew Carroll in close pursuit. In the final 30 laps, frequent cautions disrupted the race, forcing George to give his all in multiple short runs in his #6 Valvoline car to maintain the lead.

As the final caution emerged with just two laps to go, George navigated the final lap under caution to secure the victory. Colton Salek, representing Norse Force Racing, maintained his points lead, sitting four points ahead of Jeff Ward in the championship standings.

The next event in the series, the Julesburg Farms 150, will take place at the World Wide Technology Raceway on June 6th. Fans can catch all the action live at 8:50 PM ET, exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.

24
May

PGRL S5 R1 Recap

23 May 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 5 | Round 1
Premier Series | Darlington Raceway

Scott Eckrich, racing for Loud Pedal Motorsports, emerged as the winner in the Alliance VR 200 at Darlington Raceway in the Pretty Good Racing League Premier Series presented by Alliance VR. Jake Silvia started on the pole alongside Jeff Ward, while Eckrich began the race in 22nd position.

Silvia and Ward engaged in an intense battle for the lead, with Silvia managing to hold onto the top spot as they entered lap 5. The race was punctuated by frequent caution periods, which made pit strategies less critical in the first half of the event.

Eckrich made a remarkable charge through the field, climbing 12 spots into the top 10 within just 30 laps of his run, demonstrating impressive speed and determination. Meanwhile, Michael Chrobok showcased a strong pace, maintaining the lead through the multiple restarts.

Colton Salek and Ward engaged in a thrilling battle for the lead, with Salek ultimately securing the 10 bonus stage points for leading at the halfway point. As the race progressed, tensions rose between Eckrich and Silvia, resulting in multiple instances of contact between them and heated exchanges over the radio.

Salek dominated the second half of the race, but in a bold and aggressive move, Eckrich made a daring dive low through turns 3 and 4, managing to get underneath Salek and take the white flag. Eckrich led the final lap as chaos ensued in the field, causing a shuffle in the running order as drivers scrambled to navigate through wrecked cars along the backstretch. Vincent Crow capitalized on the confusion, jumping from 6th to 2nd place, while Salek crossed the finish line in 3rd.

With his strong performance, Salek, racing for Norse Force Racing, took the points lead, holding a 5-point advantage over Jeff Ward. The next event in the series, the MARSS Properties Vacation Rentals 300, will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30th. Fans can catch all the action live at 8:50 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.

23
May

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.

21
May

BRL SLM S21 R8 Recap

19 May 2023
Bootleg Racing League | Season 21 | Round 8
Super Late Model Series | Southern National Motorsports Park

It was an intense and thrilling race at Southern National Motorsports Park in the Bootleg Racing League Super Late Model Series presented by Skitter Creek Motorsports Group. James Tiernan, driving for Elbows Up Simsport, emerged victorious after a dramatic last-lap pass on J R Shepherd to claim the checkered flag. Tiernan had started the race in 10th position, right behind Shepherd. Rory Collins began the race on the pole.

The excitement started early on as a caution came out on lap 3, with Tiernan getting caught in the chaos when Ryan Salvatore and Tom Hilbert made contact in turn four. After the restart on lap 9, John Wilson took the lead from Collins on lap 36. However, Kurt Smith seized the lead from Wilson on lap 41, with Shepherd quickly moving up to 2nd place. Shepherd wasted no time and claimed the lead on lap 43 as another caution was triggered by contact between Austin Boelke and Lowell Jewell, resulting in Jewell’s car rolling over in turn 1.

The green flag waved again on lap 49 with Shepherd controlling the field. Unfortunately for Tiernan, his misfortune continued when he made contact with Wilson on lap 59, sending him crashing hard into the outside wall along the front stretch. This incident brought out another caution, while Shepherd resumed the lead on lap 65.

As the race progressed into the second half of the night, Tiernan showcased his skills by navigating his damaged car through the field, climbing back into the top 5 and maintaining a strong pace. On lap 137, during a long green flag run, Tiernan decided to pit, getting fresh tires, a quick splash of fuel, and repairing some of the damage to his #03 Tunacan machine. He rejoined the track two laps down.

Shepherd made his pit stop on lap 141. During the pit cycle, Tiernan managed to regain his lead lap status and was running in 4th place, with Austin Boelke leading the field. However, Boelke chose to stay out on older tires. The green flag waved again on lap 155, and both Shepherd and Tiernan quickly overtook Boelke to battle for the lead. Shepherd successfully defended his position lap after lap until the final lap.

Coming out of turn four and heading towards the white flag, Tiernan made a decisive move, getting underneath Shepherd and seizing control of the lead. He held on to it, crossing the finish line to secure the checkered flag.

With his 2nd place finish, Shepherd takes the lead in the championship standings, now 28 points ahead of Jeffery Hardin. Aiden Young, who missed the event, fell back to 3rd place in the standings, trailing Hardin by 9 points. The next race will take place at Hickory Motor Speedway on June 2nd, and fans can catch all the action live at 8:10 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.

15
May

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!