Missed Gear – Page 3

Martinsville Whelen Modified Finale

October 27, 2023October 27, 2023 Missed Gear

It was eighth or better, for the most part. The finale race of the Whelen Modified Tour at Martinsville Speedway was focused for Ron Silk as his points coming in gave him a bit of a cushion. He managed to avoid catastrophe with a contact and spin about a third of the way through. His sixth pace run at the checkers kept his season points lead and the championship. It was his second (first in 2011) Whelen Modified championship.

Ryan Preece started on the front row beside pole winner Tyler Rypkema and kept his car either in front or in reach of it for the better part of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200. A total of ten cautions including three red flags shook the field up some but Preece managed his pace and his car well and drove it in for the win. Preece is no stranger to the modifieds but his Cup season with Stewart-Haas kept him busy so this was his first start in the Whelens for the year.

Photo Gallery – Thursday, October 26, 2023
Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 – NASCAR Whelen Modfied Tour – Martinsville Speedway

Car People Showcase

Movie Truck Throwback

October 15, 2023October 15, 2023 Missed Gear

There was a lot of action on tracks close by. There were oval Championships on the line at Pulaski County Motorsports Park to the South and the second day of a big, dirty Fall Classic weekend to the North at Natural Bridge Speedway.

Sometimes the choice is made for you… Pressure from family situations prevented a trip to either of these facilities with full schedules on for racing. For clarity, let’s just say that families going through a loved one struggling with Alzheimer’s and/or Dementia is an ordeal on many fronts…

However… It was determined that a quick excursion a little further North could be squeezed in and back to home ground in a rather expedient fashion. The remnants of a plan already in place fell into new order with a visit to White’s Travel Center in Raphine.

A long time friend from what could be a world away was there with what could also be determined as almost improbable. He and I performed together, traveled together and did any number of stand-up comedy shows in what memory serves as “the best of times… the worst of times…”.

Left – Pat Miller in “Maximum Overdrive” movie still. Right – Pat and myself (Steve) at White’s Travel Center with “The Goblin”

Mostly the “best”… As it were… But he also dabbled in a film career which is what brought me to Raphine. He was in a Stephen King movie which has fallen into a bit of a cult following status. The film is “Maximum Overdrive”. He is Pat Miller, “Joey” from “Maximum Overdrive”. I met up with him at the Large Car Magazine Truck Show as he was there in support of the replica of that “famous” Green Goblin Western Star hauling the “Happy Toys” trailer. The stories are his to tell but the truck is cool and as close to the original as is possible. (The original was destroyed in the movie…)

A photo gallery of some of the trucks on display and shared by their working drivers is below!

Race Day Showcase

Everyone Wins At VIR SpeedTour

October 10, 2023October 12, 2023 Missed Gear

Winners. Racing, like any sport, places emphasis on winning. Club racing and enthusiast track events, however, showcase more than Victory Lane. The focus on these events is sharing the experience of driving and improving the road skills to advance that experience. The phrase “everyone is a winner” is almost tailored to club races and gatherings. Yes, winning is fun and all that but experiencing your car and skill in that setting is also quite exhilarating. For many, winning is not the reason or the goal. Having a performance based automobile and being able to experience the car for what it was designed for is the focus. Putting amateur and professional drivers and their vehicles in the same space creates a dynamic display of design, color and speed.

For a cool October weekend, SpeedTour set the stage for these shared automotive experiences. This event is a vintage car show within a varied range of racing. The “winners” here are not only the owners and drivers but the fans that are there to see these fabulous cars in action.

Virginia International Raceway has hosted this event (and the Heacock Classic before) for several seasons. The setting is as much of a vintage beauty as the classic cars that are in the show. For racing fans, the Trans AM series offers a pure spectacle of American muscle and speed. The F4, FR America and the International GT are right there for speed but also throw world class variety in the mix. Let’s be real… F1 at COTA is a bit pricey and IndyCar doesn’t get that close to us here in Virginia but the SpeedTour gives us a very close view with the F4 and FR America! It is an authentic open wheel race experience in a beautiful setting.

Of course, a big part of the SpeedTour event is the SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) car show and vintage class racing. Ford GTs on track with an Aston Martin DB6, BMW 2002, split window ‘Vette and any number of MGs, Austin-Healeys and Sprites. Watching a classic Cobra race side by side with a vintage “whale tail” Porsche is almost as cool for the enthusiast fan as it is for the owner driver. As fans we get to enjoy these cars without that heavy maintenance price tag! It is a win-win for everyone!

Racing results can be found at the series websites: SVRA | Trans-Am | International GT | F4 US Champ | FR Americas

SpeedTour is a great showcase of Virginia International Raceway and an even better show of the variety of automotive design and progress. A photo gallery of the weekend is below!

Race Day Showcase

SMART Radford 99 at Pulaski County

October 3, 2023October 5, 2023 Missed Gear

It’s no secret that late season news from Pulaski County Motorsports Park has a future cast in a gray area. That will need a further look as information is available.

The season is winding down for 2023 with more racing to come and track champions still to be crowned. For this race day it was an odd Sunday afternoon start with racing rolling on under the lights. Saturday is the usual standard but other schedules for the feature forced racing to Sunday. The SMART Modified Tour was on, and in Radford for the “Radford 99”. The town name is what it is but the race is in honor of historic winning driver Paul Radford.

There was a bit of confusion over a scheduled “pit party” autograph and meet session that pushed the racing schedule back but they eventually got things moving. The feature SMART race “Radford 99” was flipped to the first race with the scheduled Sportsman opener moved to run just after.

Burt Myers seemed to start with control of the race but it was Samuel Rameau who took over and stayed strong for the finish. There were some yellow flags and a bit of concern with Bobby Labonte coming out of turn two and hitting the wall. The #18 seemed to loose a tire and hit the wall hard enough to shatter the right front suspension. He walked away and was seen later surveying the damage.

The local divisions took the track with the Sportsman running two 35 lap features. These were split by Super Street and visiting Mini Stocks. The Sportsman put hard fought laps on the track as Kyle Dudley qualified on top but it was front row challenger Jason Merriman who took the checkers twice. The Super Street had front row starter Matthew Gusler hit some bad luck and Tristen Barnes driving up for the win. The visiting Virginia Mini Cups also had the top spot qualifier (Noah Matthews) fall back as Zach Sprouse kept the front row hot for the win.

Radford 99 SMART Modified Top Three: Sammy Rameau, Matt Hirschman, Andrew Krause
Sportsman 1: Jason Merriman, Kyle Dudley, Charles Smith
Super Street: Tristen Barnes, Ray Sowers, Brent Bell
Mini Cup: Zach Sprouse, Nathan Thomas Jr, John Hager
Sportsman 2: Jason Merriman, Kyle Dudley, Anthony Barnes

Full Photo Gallery – Radford 99 SMART Modified Night – Pulaski County Motorsports Park

Race Day Showcase

Late Season Dirt at Natural Bridge

October 2, 2023October 5, 2023 Missed Gear

We’ve said it before with an earlier visit this season (2023)… Natural Bridge Speedway has made big moves forward after some deep questions about their future. The season has progressed and the cars, drivers and fans have joined the management with very positive results.

We made it back around for one of the “championship” nights for several divisions. The evening did get off the clock slightly with some of the practice and qualifying but green flag racing put the real show on.

The evening schedule presented seven races with Sportsman, Street Stock, Vintage Doubles, Late Model, Pure Stock, Ctates and the Rookies.

The show was lively but did stop down a few times for some tow truck cautions. Most notably coming out of turn 4 during the Late Model feature as Joe Leavell and Cody Wright got tangled and the cars had to be wrenched and pulled apart.

The Crates also pulled the tow truck out for Cecil Cash and Chris Brown as Brown’s #00 nosed into the rear of the #69 car. These were not the only yellow flag incidents on course but are noted for bringing out the tow and holding action for a bit longer than an average spin.

Fans are getting a show at NBS this season. There is parking and seating on both sides of the track with a good concessions offering and a new “VIP” view suite. The season still has action in store so check the schedule with more divisions going for the final championship plus a mid-October Fall Classic big weekend blow out!

Sportsman Top Three: Roger Rohrbaugh, Mike Ayers, Jonathan Wolfe
Street Stock Top Three: Ben Hamilton, Neil Murray, Jesse Murray
Vintage Sportsman: Andrew Fertig / Vintage Modified: Mike Houghtalin
Late Model Top Three: Derrick, Tyler Bare, Samuel Bryant
Pure Stock Top Three: Jacob McCormick, Sam Hamilton, Troy Fitzgerald
Crates Top Three: Ronnie Martin Jr, Joe Leavell, Ryan Adams
Rookies Top Three: Aiden Meade, Bradick Pruitt, Max Link

Full Photo Gallery – Natural Bridge Speedway – September 30, 2023

[Show as slideshow]

Race Day Showcase

Ward Races The #77 To The Win

September 25, 2023September 27, 2023 Missed Gear

There was fire coming in and smoke took him out. Bobby McCarty had an edge coming to Martinsville and practice pushed qualifying up a degree or two. He was also the “Triple Crown South Boston winner. (Brendan Queen came to Martinsville with the Langley win of the “Triple Crown”.) McCarty had the starting spot and had the early position. If he fell off the front he stayed close enough to challenged for it. It was practically his race for two thirds of it until the smoke came from under the hood and out the back and took McCarty and the #6 off the track.

Most of the “Triple Crown” hopefuls either had up front time or were close enough to keep pressure on. The final 25 laps following the scheduled pit stop option stirred the mix. The restart had most of the challengers within striking distance with Carson Kvapil next to Trevor Ward. Landon Huffman, Peyton Sellers, Doug Barnes and Brendan Queen were all there ready to push forward.

The final laps sparked some cautions and restarts and Peyton Sellers looked like he could repeat but fell back as Trevor Ward managed to battle to the inside of the #26. Kvapil had been running with Sellers but Ward on the inside managed to get by and pull Landon Huffman along with him. Ward and Huffman ran wheel to wheel pushing up front. Ward in the #77 had Huffman in the #22 on the outside as wheels rubbed and smoke flew from the contact. That bit of hard racing contact out of turn 4 made the #22 go loose allowing Ward to move in front but Huffman kept the heat on as Ward crossed the checkers with a half car lead for the win.

The finishing top 10: Trevor Ward, Landon Huffman, Carson Kvapil, Peyton Sellers, Doug Barnes, Mason Diaz, Kade Brown, Trent Barnes, Justin Hicks, Brendan Queen

The VSCU 300 win also put Ward on top of the average finishes in the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown contest. He collected the winner’s purse and the top “Triple Crown” award. Brendan Queen had a run well enough to earn the second prize and Peyton Sellers came away with the third place position.

Full Photo Gallery from Martinsville Speedway – Valley Star Credit Union 300

Race Day Showcase

Triple Crown Rain Day

September 23, 2023September 24, 2023 Missed Gear

It was coming… Every driver and team and official new it. The question hovered about as the day progressed.

Friday was the day to practice, dial in, tune up and prepare to qualify. The weather lingered in the southern Atlantic taking aim as laps and wrenches turned. The only plan, of course, was to stay on course. Get done what can be done. Let the chips fall, or the rain as it was, if that turns to be the case.

Which it was… Saturday was a push to Sunday. That decision came well ahead of scheduled activities so there would be little confusion.

For racing and positions, the Valley Star Credit Union 300 is the third race in the “Virginia Triple Crown”. The first two are South Boston Speedway and Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway. Bobby McCarty won at SoBo (Carson Kvapil crossed the checkers but failed post race inspection) and Brendan “Butterbean” Queen has the win from Langley. The two drivers finished 2nd (Butterbean at SoBo) and 3rd (McCarty at Langley) are 1/2 spot away from each other coming to Martinsville.

Trevor Ward, Brandon Pierce and Logan Clark are filling the top five bracket chasing the crown at Martinsville. Defending VSCU 300 Winner Peyton Sellers, coming off a Championship at Dominion Raceway, is joining drivers from across the region to challenge the track and points leaders for that Grandfather Clock prize.

Qualifying from Friday has Bobby McCarty showing top speed and will lead the first of four “heat” races setting the main event running order at the green. Landon Huffman will lead the second qualifying race. Carson Kvapil will lead off the third and Ryan Millington starts up front for the fourth. The top 10 of each go to the main. McCarty, and the other qualifying starters, have no guarantees so racing to the main will have the pressure on.

The 25 lap qualifying races start off at 1:00pm. Pre-race and introductions begin around 3:00pm with the main event set to go green at 5:00pm. This compressed schedule was set for Sunday after a major storm (Ophelia) swept the region through Saturday.

Photos From Friday – Valley Star Credit Union 300 – September 22, 2023