Dirt Racing – ROVA DRIVE

American All Stars Close The Season At Natural Bridge

November 12, 2023November 14, 2023 Missed Gear

The fans did not seem to be concerned. The drivers were there and ready to go. The weather offered some concern but cooperated for the best part of it. Granted, it could have been a few degrees warmer but for November you get what nature has in the bag.

The fans made it work with jackets, blankets or the comfort of their own cars overlooking the view of Natural Bridge Speedway. Competitors made it work with parking and pit sets on the hill off the back stretch. The track staff made it work with concessions ready to go, the track surface treated and ready to race and the schedule set for two days of racing.

This was the finale weekend for the American All Star Series (presented by PPM racing Products). This series races on tracks and draws competitors from Kentucky to Alabama and, yes, Virginia. The season turned laps on 18 tracks starting back in April at Bristol Motor Speedway (one week before the NASCAR Bristol Dirt Race). Points added up to champions being crowned at Natural Bridge.

The schedule was set for Friday & Saturday November 10 and 11. The weather earlier in the week was sunny and comfortably warm. However, that turned to Friday morning rain, a drop in temperatures and lingering clouds. The clouds faded overnight with sun overhead for Saturday but afternoon temps dropped to the 40s as the racing turned laps into the evening.

*Friday was not an option as I already had obligations in motion. There was a short schedule with Street Stock, Rookie and Late Model and open practice for Saturday Crates. Jesse Murray won Street Stock, Dakota Johnson won the Rookie and the Top Three in Late Model was Joey Leavell, Tyler Bare and Jon Dietz.

The impression continues to grow for NBS. The folks in charge continue to push this place forward focusing first and foremost on the fans who support it. The parking and staging areas were having some upgrades done, a VIP fan focused “suite” was open, lit and occupied and most notable there was a new and working scoreboard up in position over turns one and two. (No… I have no idea how long the old board had been dark and dormant.)

NBS also has a “reserved” parking system in place in which fans buy spaces so they can watch the race from their cars. As those temperatures dropped that seemed to be a “hot” option!

The track went hot a bit later than scheduled with qualifying and heat races for the main 60 lap Crate event. Once the laps started turning the afternoon and evening began to hum right along. The crown did not seem to mind that things were a bit off the clock and cheered from two crowded hillsides as the racing went on.

The Saturday races featured “Mini” Wedge Karts, Sportsman, Pure Stock and the Crates. The Crates were the main Saturday show with the four heat races, the 60 lap highlight, a “Dash for Cash” and the shorter “B” Main. The date was also Veterans Day and in tribute there was a “four wide” main event parade lap for the branches of the United States Military. For the fans, it was a great showing of talent from a wide region. For Natural Bridge Speedway, it was another crowd event for racers and fans to close the season with a rush.

The next year is certainly wide open. There seems to be a real foundation of care for this place that is shared among the organizers, promoters, racers and fans. It will be a pleasure to see what 2024 brings to Natural Bridge Speedway.

Racing Results Saturday November 11 2023 – American All Stars – Natural Bridge Speedway

Mini Wedge Top Three: Aty Evans, Brady Lilly, Emma Simmons
Sportsman Top Three: Bobby Thompson, Bryce Smith, Mike Ayers
ATC Bolts “B” Main Top Three: Greg Roberson, David Watts. Samuel Bryant
Pure Stock Top Three: Sam Hamilton, James Newton, Jacob McCormick
Pro Crate Main 60 Top Five: Logan Roberson, Will Roland, Cory Hedgecock, Russell Erwin, Joe Leavell
Powder Puff Winner: Britney Ayers

Despite Logan Roberson winning the feature, the “Dash” and the pole start, it was the crown of the AAS Touring Champion going to Jesse Lowe as the Weekly Champion title went to AJ Hicks. The Mini Wedge Title went to Brady Lilly.

Full Photo Gallery – November 11, 2023 – American All Stars – Natural Bridge Speedway

Race Day Showcase

Revival Or Rehab At Natural Bridge

May 8, 2023May 9, 2023 Missed Gear

To start… We’re not completely familiar with all that was, or is, going on at Natural Bridge Speedway. For that matter, we’re also not completely familiar with “dirt track” racing. It is a different animal. It is, in general, a slightly feral version of racing. The skill set is different. The cars are either completely different or, under the skin, built a bit different. They drive loose. They drive sideways. They drive a little wild.

This time last year (2022), Natural Bridge was… ? Well, our understanding was that the track was having some issues. Promotion and follow through on race day was getting a bit casual. Some of the basics of the facility had fallen to the back burner. There were ramblings of complaints from car counts to payouts to officials and general confusion. Fans were hit or miss and getting more missing as social media, fact or fiction, set the scale.

Then July happened. Someone made a bold and brash bunch of statements and promises. Essentially, this person decided that a bunch of money (allegedly) to fix this or that and promote the place and do a grand event with a truck show and big racing would be the thing and it was going to happen in a matter of days.

It did. And it didn’t. However, some attention was brought forth and there were some discussions, some exchanges and some attention. We have no idea of all that happened behind the curtain and behind the doors. Whatever it was, the result has been a bit of a rescue from life support.

The remaining bit of 2022 pushed through. There was some instant attention paid to the bits that needed it to simply run the place. The off season was spent with fixing this or replacing that or building or buying more that was deemed essential. The folks who had stepped in stood fast on what they wanted to do for the fans, the drivers and the racing.

Welcome 2023. Racing went on in April. The weather played some tricks but the folks at NBS adjusted and pushed forward. Changes and updates over the winter showed the results and many soft spots that still needed attention were addressed. We made some plans and made a visit for the first Saturday of May.

Now… Here’s the meat of it. The change from July 2022 to May of 2023 is just short of amazing. In no way are we implying that Natural Bridge Speedway is some sort of showplace. However, based on what was there then to what is there now, it is a viable space for organized racing and, with it, a pretty good setting and wallet-easy show for the fans.

General clutter is mostly cleared out. The concession stand has been given attention with upgrades as needed and expanded variety. The track access has been upgraded with race staging and entrance designations. The speaker system is working. All of the signal lights were active. On track communications seemed to be viable. Sponsorships were in place with visible banners and audible acknowledgements on the speaker system. The show on the track was lively and flowing and the main late model event was nothing short of crowded.

This and more, behind the scenes in organization and attention, was evident when looking. These upgrades were done by a few dedicated people who threw their backs in for the fans and for the admiration of the history of this racetrack. Their efforts have been noticed by fans as social media admiration is quite high. Drivers and teams have also given a general “thumbs up” on racing there. It is miles from where it was a dozen months ago.

Is there more to do…? In short… Yes…

However, if the progress now is an indicator they can make a big dent in those issues if this momentum stays on. Most of it is something most fans will not notice. The infield needs some love. The raised viewing platform has been stabilized. The bathrooms are working, it seems. However, the infield concessions needs to be either liquidated and made useful or gutted for another use. Yes, the fix on the fan area concessions was required. No question, the fans come first, but… Those that are the show need the love now. Some access to food and drinks in the infield would be welcome.

The scoreboard… Yes, we know it is not as simple as replacing some lights and plugging in some wires. It has to be integrated with track scoring and transponders and computers and yada, yada, yada….

There are still some general appearance issues. As an example… The front stretch, infield side fencing could be straightened and set upright. Yes, it is a nit-picky detail even if it is, as it is, a convenient open for start/finish photos. It is visible from a fan viewpoint. It detracts. Pull the poles, set them vertical and re-pull the fencing with a “photo hole” for the start/finish.

A general trash pull from the infield. A lot has been done. A LOT has been done. Additional trash cans might help.

The website… It is shown on the online promotion images. However, “naturalbridgespeedway.net” is not active. Yes, Facebook goes a long way but a website is a parking spot for all of that information that stays constant.

Bottom line… Is Natural Bridge Speedway worth your visit? Yes, it is. They are working hard to put on a good show all the way around. They have some hot events on the schedule mixing in with scheduled weekly racing. Race fans are missing out if they don’t check out this little bit of historic red clay down the road from that oddity rock formation giving the area a name.

Racing results from May 6, 2023:
Street Stock: 1st – Ben Hamilton, 2nd – Scott Hostetter, 3rd – Jesse Murray
Rookie: 1st – Aiden Brogan, 2nd/3rd – Max Link / Taylin Tyree
Sportsman: 1st – Jonathan Wolfe, 2nd – Mike Ayers, 3rd – Roger Rohrbaugh
Pure Stock: 1st – Mac Ayers, 2nd – Sam Hamilton, 3rd – Jeremy Fox
Late Model: 1st – Justin Williams, 2nd – Joe Leavell, 3rd – Jesse Quick
Exhibition / Show racing included: Virginia Vintage Racers & Powderpuff

Photo Gallery – Natural Bridge Speedway – May 6, 2023

Race Day Showcase

Natural Bridge Speedway – Good Racing On or Off The Rail

July 18, 2022July 18, 2022 Missed Gear

We don’t know. That refers to the current (July 16, 2022 to “Maybe”, “Unknown” and “What…?”) situation and drama that is Natural Bridge Speedway.

The place has been around since the 1950s. However, there are some issues that are pulling at the calendar at this 3/8 mile clay oval. There are some definite facility issues. The drag strip has been down for a while and the chances of it coming back to speed are slight. The oval, which has been hosting a weekly schedule, is on the edge of an implosion. There are stories of staffing issues, deteriorating structure and facility components, race winners not being paid, security and/or safety concerns and just plain indifference to the racers and fans.

On top of all that, water in the infield facilities (such as it is) just isn’t…

Now… This is where it gets a little… weird. A few days before race day, (Saturday 7-16) some chatter opened up on the NBS Facebook page. (The website, by the way, has been off for a while… Like the infield water…) There was an announcement that a fellow, apparently native of the area, was stepping in as promoter / director. This man immediately made a show of his plans. There was Facebook Live (since deleted) and big promises. Driver payouts, things getting fixed, big plans in the works for big events, a truck show…

To Be Fair…

Te be fair… He seemed to have a wide range of support… On paper, anyway. The FB Live presentation went wide and wild and then there was another FB Live as a kind of rebuttal clarification on the first that also strained the guard rails of staying on topic.

By race day, it seems there were many bits of the strategy as presented that were scratched. We now know, or have been presented with, an “after event” narrative. Friday practice was scrubbed as no EMT/Ambulance was available. A scoring computer was missing… Radios that were, at best, vintage to start with, were inoperative and/or broken and missing… The infield water situation has already been mentioned… There were property tax issues (?)… Track treatment water trucks and the water supply for them… Tow vehicles…

For race day, it did start with a “truck show”. A hip-hop hi-rise truck show. Oddly cool but also seemingly out of place…? Just a bit.

Qualifying was scrubbed as timing and scoring was dependent on a computer that was either missing or simply inoperative. Starting order was determined by draw. Despite numerous declarations of a definite green at 7:00pm, the actual first race start go off about 20 minutes late.

Not bad… They got in the National Anthem.

Natural Bridge Speedway is a 3/8 mile clay-dirt track. The surface has been raced on, graded, conditioned, watered, compressed and raked for 60 years or so. In short, it is dirt track racing and it gets sideways fast.

The crowd was actually really good, as far as appearances go. The car count for racing was pretty good, also. The crates ran the largest field but there were enough in the other divisions for good runs. There were some spins… One went over the edge top of turns 3 – 4 (OK, it seems… The ambulance didn’t go hot…) A purple car chased a multi-color car… A little car fought a bigger tire…

The show on the track was quite good. The fans were engaged. The racing went off, for the most part, easily enough. Staging and out for the green flag was set with little confusion despite having no real radio communications. The end result, from a fan looking in standpoint and from what was witnessed, was an evening of very good racing.

The show leading up to the show might have had elements borrowed from a train wreck. As of this writing, the fellow who ran NBS for those few days quit the gig, decided not to quit the gig and was, apparently, removed from the gig and seems to be still talking about the gig.

Who is driving this train now…? How much money was spent…? Whose money…? We think the drivers and positions were paid so there is that… Is there racing this coming weekend…?

We have no idea… but here are some photos!

July 16th, 2022 at Natural Bridge Speedway.

Race Day Showcase

Winchester Dirt On Sprints

May 24, 2022May 24, 2022 Missed Gear

OK. This one was a bit out of “roaming range” for the average weekend. However, Winchester Speedway hosted United Racing Club Winged Sprints and we were already in the area for other business. The Sprints gave us a convenient excuse to skip out and check out the racing at Winchester. We wanted to check the contrast of the paved MSR Sprints we witnessed at South Boston with the dirt action for the URC Sprint cars. Winchester racing did not disappoint.

URC Sprints taking off at Winchester Speedway

URC Sprints were guests sharing the track with Limited Late Model, Mid Atlantic Modified and UCar with Sport Compact Dirt Racing Association events. The evening racing was sponsored by J & D Truck And Auto Repair, also located in Winchester.

We picked a pretty good night to visit. Each of the classes for racing put double digit entries on the track with multiple groups of practice and heat races to give fans a good preview for the features. The stands were filling up as teams warmed up. The larger seating held the announcer tower centered on the concrete bleachers on the flag tower and start / finish front stretch. A smaller set of bleachers were opposite on the back stretch but also gave a bit of a view of staging and team work areas.

Now… Let’s take a minute here. Racing at Winchester goes back to 1936 running almost side by side with the local airport. It has passed through several hands to the current owner, Greg Gunter, who also owns a popular honey outlet in the area. The concrete bleachers were built in the early 1970s. To be straight, the restrooms and some of the lower areas under the stands could use a makeover. However, like many local tracks, the focus on attracting drivers and cars to race to keep fans in the seats is a balancing act of available funds so some things are on a persistent “to do” list.

There is very little in the infield at Winchester. There is a basic inspection rollover and no buildings at all. The water equipment for track prep, tow / push vehicles, emergency ambulance crew and a couple of porta-johns are about it. A few of the UCars made the base inside but most, including the Late Models, Modified and Sprints were all staged in a much larger area outside of the back stretch and turn 3.

It should also be noted the local fans who populated the stands on this warm, May evening did not seem concerned about anything but the show on the track. Events and timing went fairly smoothly, for the most part. The start of the features were a bit off as the schedule was juggled and some did not get the memo but once the track went hot it went off well.

Three wide Late Model racing at Winchester Speedway

Racing is quick on these dirt tracks. Winchester is no different. Drivers had to make every effort in the heats to make a good start in the feature. Racing was close and drivers made use of multiple lines to get around. Of course there were some spins and one UCar driver went end over top but came out OK. For an evening of racing, the dirt at Winchester offers a good show. An open mind on expectations of the rest rooms may help, but the racing…? The racing is fast, close and lap to lap action keeps the eyes on the track. It’s worth a run to check out some racing at Winchester.

Results from J&D Auto-Truck Repair Night at Winchester Speedway.

URC Sprint Feature One

Josh Weller
Jason Shultz
Adam Carberry

URC Sprint Feature Two

Kevin Darling
Jake Karklin
Andy Best

SCDRA / UCAR

Andrew Hoffner
Robbie Carrol
Jason Jarvis
Shawn Payne
Rusty Poston

Limited Late Model

Wesley Bonebrake
Jonathan DeHaven
Justin Fulton
Bubby Tharp Jr
Craig Parrill
Levi Crowl

Mid-Atlantic Modified

Andy Anderson
Michael Altobelli Jr
Rick Hulson
TJ DeHaven
Justin Cullum
Mike Franklin

Full Photo Gallery Below

PHOTOS from Winchester Speedway – *Photos are display / showcase purposes only* Images available for sale from the evening may be purchased from official source: WRT Speedwerx

Race Day Showcase

Natural Bridge Speedway – A Dirt First

November 14, 2021November 14, 2021 Missed Gear

A visit overdue, perhaps. One of the race tracks within an easy distance which has been on the list but not visited has now been crossed off the list.

Natural Bridge Speedway. A dirt track close to the natural formation and park which holds the namesake. Racing has been going on there since the 1950’s. A visit was well overdue and when the track posted a November event, plans were put in motion. Some quick inquiries to the track were made and the visit was set.

The forecast turned from a pleasant Friday to a sunny, but very cool, Saturday. Forecast had evening temperatures in the 30s. OK fine… some gloves and long johns and off we go.

A dirt track is a different animal from the usual for Missed Gear. After this visit there should be more. Not just to NBS but others in Virginia. However, Wythe is 2 hours and Virginia Motor Speedway is even further in the opposite direction. Natural Bridge is around 40 minutes. With that, next season should bring more visits to NBS. If nothing else but to get more acquainted with the cars, styles and drivers of dirt tracks.

The afternoon and evening went off, to be fair, a little rough. A schedule was, apparently, somewhere. Times for practice, qualifying and green flag racing were a little loose for interpretation. However, we did learn that new owners were still working to get the kinks worked out and this race was another chance to roll through an event before the 2022 season.

Like paved ovals, the dirt track ran Late Model, Sportsman, Street Stock, Pure Stock and UCar. Some look the same as the paved track counterparts but the Late Model and Sportsman have very disticntive body styles for sideways power sliding through the turns. Pointed and angled front sections keep the nose down through the turns while the raised and open rear sections allow the cars to get in close in the slides. Overall, it is an exciting form of racing with close quarters and sideways action in every turn.

As of this writing we’re not really sure who won each division. Getting a feel for the action of dirt racing and the layout and flow of the track was a priority on this visit. Knowing the flow of a hot track with infield motion is a necessity for everyone’s safety. For the next visit we’ll be that much more ahead of curve.

For now, a photo gallery of our first visit to Natural Bridge Speedway is below.

Race Day Showcase

Racing Goes HOT This Weekend

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 Missed Gear

Where to go for racing this weekend? Your options are kind of wide open for May 21-23… However, you might want to pack the sunscreen for the day events. It’s forecast to be quite a burner. Beyond that, make sure you have some gas. (If it were up to us, we’d throw every resource at finding the ransomware perps and drop a little gift on them courtesy of the US Air Force… But that’s us…)

(Oh… We’d also save some left-over Covid toilet paper to highlight the yards of every idiot that put gas in plastic bags, storage totes and Tupperware. Face it, you’re dragging us all down with your stupidity…)

Late Models, Super Stocks, Dirt Mods… They are all running! Highlights for the weekend are on two wheels this weekend. Virginia International Raceway is hosting Moto America with 3 days of high speed and low leans on the road course. This is the first open fan event of the season for VIR! Virginia Motorsports Park is straight-lining it with XDA Drag Bikes.

Dominion Raceway, Motor Mile Speedway, Langley Speedway and Lonesome Pine are hosting Late Models, Sportsman, Super Trucks, UCars and more. Motor Mile even has NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace hosting and signing autographs!

Virginia Motor Speedway, Wythe Raceway and Natural Bridge are slinging dirt with side by side, sideways action. The dirt tracks are hosting great events with some of the best racing in Virginia!

It does not matter what style of racing you prefer or where you are located… There is racing within your window of opportunity. It is forecast to be a little warm this weekend so hydrate, gas up and go racing!

Tag: Dirt Racing

American All Stars Close The Season At Natural Bridge

Revival Or Rehab At Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge Speedway – Good Racing On or Off The Rail

Winchester Dirt On Sprints

Natural Bridge Speedway – A Dirt First

Racing Goes HOT This Weekend