Missed Gear – Missed Gear

One Off Or One Down At Franklin County

May 31, 2026June 1, 2026 Missed Gear

Some passes. Some sparks. Some wrecked cars. Some raised tempers.

All on a night that squeaked into place a few weeks before the pit gates opened and the green flag waved…

Franklin County Speedway was “Raceway” last season and was then back to “Speedway” for this season and then not opening and then it was but just for the SMART Modified Tour because of a strong lean on a promise made.

Whatever the “behind the scenes” of the opening, or racing or not at Franklin County Speedway, are or were, the racing did go on.
For the SMART Modifieds, anyway…

The Carolina Crate Modifieds, Stock 4 and Crown Vics came in to pad the ticket. For a one nighter it wasn’t bad for a Friday night of hot laps with a really good crowd of race fans. What comes further in 2026 is not solid. There were flyers handed out promoting a demolition / destruction show in July but racing schedules are still on hold.

The SMART Modified Tour also brought a surprise or two. Notably, NASCAR veteran Jamie McMurray joined season regular Ryan Newman, also with Cup credentials, to race in the Callaway hills. Sadly, McMurray crashed out early on as another car got bunched in turn one.

The younger McMurray, Jamie’s son Carter, had a better run with a front row start and a podium finish in third. Luke Baldwin was the actual pole winner but pulled the 4th spot on the start draw and came across 6th to finish.

Brandon Ward finished where he started in the 2nd spot. Ryan Newman came in 4th with Danny Bohn also starting and finishing the same in 5th.

The winner…? The SMART Modified Kenny Minter Classic winner was Jake Crum, picking up his first SMART win. He drove from the 4th row at the start to make the checkers.

The Stock4 race that split the SMART and Carolina Modified features was won by Heather Fackler. Her late race pass of TJ Smith set the stage to drive ahead for the win.

The Carolina Crate Modifieds put on a runaway show with Ryan Flores leading pole to finish. Dean Lambrose and Mitchell Wright finished the top three.

The nightcapper Crown Vics put a thriller last lap pass by Chris Morris into a drive to Victory Lane. The leaders were racing hard with a dual spin by Michael Lipe and Jimmy Crigger which allowed Morris to get by.

The real winners were the fans crowding in to this first (only…?) race of 2026 at Franklin County. What comes next for these racers will be at another track. The next move for racing at Franklin County is currently a big question. Some sort of demo / thrill show may be on the table for July but that is an “on hold” proposition for now.

Photos from the SMART Modified Kenny Minter Classic at Franklin County Speedway – May 29, 2026

2026 Race Day Showcase

NASA Hyperfest – VIR On The Edge

May 18, 2026May 19, 2026 Missed Gear

What is it? Is it a racing thing? Is it a show like a “Monster Truck” thing…? Is it a music thing?

It is a lot of things. It is also not a few things…

Hyperfest at Virginia International Raceway has become a motorsport tradition.

Yes, it is a racing thing. It is, at the heart of it, a racing event for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the National Auto Sport Association. It is a “citizen” based performance driving and racing environment for enthusiasts and racers with several levels of speed and experience. Street cars to specialty performance track cars are showcased with educational and competitive track time.

Hyperfest, primarily, is a racing thing for drivers and owners that want to challenge themselves, their cars and their wits on a first class race track with professional oversight.

What about the “Hyper” part…? It started as a way to draw people in with a combined music, car event and “thrill” show around the racing. Different bits have been mixed together and the event continues to evolve. From the first engine start in the morning to the last beat of the music at night each day is a display of motorsport based entertainment capped with lights and sound.

One of the constant fan favorites is the drifting on the “Patriot” course within the main racing course. It is always a draw and the show is full of pro level and sponsored cars to amateur and seasoned street level drivers. Coordinated tandem drifts with 2 or more cars is a hot view as people are treated to sideways smoke and sound.

The central “skid pad” also has a 360 degree show of motor tricks. Tightly coordinated tandem drifts and motorcycle jumps highlight shows throughout the weekend. Fans are able to climb into the passenger seat and experience the power, skill and speed of drifting first hand.

Of course there is a car show. Where else can you find (this year, anyway…) the largest collection of right hand drive Nissan Skylines in one place…? There were 7 or 8 of them… Maybe 9…

If dirt is what drives your passion there is also an off road “Dirt World” activity area with rides and high suspension, four wheel drive action on display.

Kids have bouncy slides and things, there is a large variety of food available along the vendor row with automotive and clothing accessories showcased all over.

Absurdity…? Sure! Thousands are spent on race cars and racing but the event of the weekend that pulls everyone out to watch is now the Koni Power Wheels Downhill Attack. Kiddy cars are stripped of the motors and set up for coasting only. They race down the “roller coaster” section of the VIR racetrack, with only gravity on their side, going sideways, backwards, bouncing off each other, and spinning in and out of control. It’s silly fun for everyone.

So… What is it…? It’s a show. It’s a circus. It’s a race. It’s a party.

What is is not… Despite some jokers in the deck who, likely even in a “normal” setting, are prone to be moronic “Jackass” wannabees.. Hyperfest is not a Mad Max free for all. Act like you got some sense. People are walking. There are kids around. Yes it is a “race track” but nobody expects some idiot to come speeding by pedestrians and vendor customers on a motorcycle doing a wheelie or a four wheeler full throttle down the center by and towards traffic. Nobody is impressed. There were some people hurt by careless morons trying to be “cool”.

The road is shared by drift and race cars getting in and out of paddock and work areas, pedestrians, the fan tram, vendors with customers close by, official vehicles with schedules and tasks… Keep it fun for everyone. Hyperfest is a motorsport distraction from the daily 9 to 5 that has the potential to be completely ruined by just one idiot showing off. Keep the speed on the track where it belongs and it will continue to be an automotive weekend destination for enthusiasts and thrills for years to come.

Full Photo Gallery of Hyperfest 2026 – Virginia International Raceway

Auto Absurd Showcase

A Very Brief Meeting – James May

May 12, 2026June 1, 2026 Missed Gear

It could have been worse…

After the rain and the snaking line by what seemed like a prison of finely crafted glass and the rush to get by and say something meaningful and profound, the response could have been “What a muppet” or “You utter pillock”…

It was none of those things. It was a welcome of “How do you do” and what seemed to be a genuine and pleasant surprise when he learned I had been to his pub (The Royal Oak Swallowcliffe).

There were multiple plans or scenarios in my head leading up to this adventure to meet James May at a burb of Richmond, Virginia ABC store.

There may have been an impromptu car show outside the store as most everyone knew James from the car shows so, logically (in my head), there would be some cool cars to see parked in the lot. Well… Not so much. A Mercedes, A BMW or three, a Tesla… Lots of regular SUVs and crossover type, standard issue American, oversized common denominators.

There could have been a conversation about the stay at the Royal Oak… The stay was marvelous, the food was great and the classic English pub styling was there in loads. Time then, as now, was jammed so just one afternoon, night and English breakfast the next morning and we were back on the road to further our “Grand Tour” of the UK. This drive to meet Mr. May was to, maybe, make up for him not being at his pub while we were. Imagine…

There could have been a quick reference to the name on the business card and the web domain that has been registered since around 2008 or so. “Missed Gear” is and always has been a tongue in cheek “stolen” reference to “Top Gear”. It’s now a Virginia based collection of visits to and reports from race tracks and automotive bits, shows and people.

The self-appointed task of documenting May’s visit to this Virginia outlet of spirits was even a little tighter than anticipated. There were way more people on hand than the two hour event could handle so there were either more tickets than minutes or there were an awful lot of “standby” visitors hoping to make it. The police security were, understandably perhaps, rather pointed about lingering about so it was shoot and duck documentary style. (Shoot… with a camera. Let’s be clear.)

So… To sum up. The best laid plans were laid to rest rather quickly and improvisation on a stopwatch was the baseline. The mission, as it was, became the minimum with no frills. The brief hello, the autographs on bottles of gin, a mention of Legos and my daughter and the pub and a visit and some photos, courtesy of Lucy Brown.

Ms. Brown… Another not quite. She is the assistant, the videographer, the getter of getting things for James as needed… She seems to be a keeper of James so he doesn’t get in trouble. Maybe… She is a feature on much of the James Gin / James May content on the FaceTube…

There was a plan to have a photo with both May and Lucy Brown but time and rush to get folks through put that idea off the burner. She was, for mostly the most part it looked like, helping folks get their photos with James and being, perhaps, out of the photos on purpose…? Either way, it was another possible plan that did not shake out. She was taking photos with peoples’ phones for them and, in my case, with my camera.

So… There it was. A lot of possibilities distilled down to the minimum. A good time…? Sure. Yes. No more or less than any “star” schedule event with a “meet & photo” opportunity. However, for all that was and did go on. The staff, security (Understandably stiff… Lots of alcohol and lots of people), Lucy Brown… All were keeping things moving along as best as could.

The gin… James Gin. Two flavors were currently available. Asian Parsnip and American Mustard. The same flavors purchased earlier in April when it became available in Virginia. The ‘parsnip” has a bit of a slight bitter edge and the “mustard” has a hint of pickle. There are a batch of recipes on the website and other flavors available. The recipes will need some sampling…

The “grand” plans and possibilities for the day were cut from necessity of circumstance and surroundings. The cost of fuel, two bottles of James Gin, time… were not really large but much larger than not spending at all. With that, as much as the shows that made James May famous and able to travel to exotic locations like Short Pump, Virginia…

Ambitious… But rubbish.

The result… Not the gin. Right.

Photos from James Gin – James May at Virginia ABC, Short Pump, Virginia (May 11, 2026)

2026 Race Day Showcase

Yes – Pulaski Is Racing

May 10, 2026May 18, 2026 Missed Gear

The new season is marching along. The opening of Pulaski County Motorsports Park ( Motor Mile / New River Valley ) for 2026 was a cooperative effort that is still pushing. The IHRA (International Hot Rod Association) and Pulaski County are working together to make the racing, the track and the facility in general a destination for fans and racers.

There is still work to do. The progress so far is very promising. The show on the track is growing and the pool of racers is working out with a good show. The concept of “car counts” is always a “Catch 22” as the main showing of Late Models filled the score tower at the start. The other divisions were fast and competitive with nominal numbers. Super Street, Mod4 and Pure4 had enough on the track to make a real race of it. The Legends were a little light but the touring “Southern Ground Pounders” had a nice selection of vintage wheels on the track.

All in all, the competition and the numbers on the track put on a good show. The officials and track staff were on top of things for organization and details. To put a face on the elephant in the room is to call out an issue that is facing every small track in Virginia and across the country.

The fans.

The return of racing at Pulaski has brought some new numbers to the seats. The excitement in the stands was there but numbers are still a real concern. Pulaski County and the IHRA team are doing a big job of promotions and information to draw people in but there is still a lot of space to fill. Time will tell which way the swing will go but there is a bit of weight on the actual racing fan base.

Let’s just say it… Support it or lose it. Word of mouth promotion is a key feature to push the show to be bigger and better. The tracks can promote and bring in tours but if excited fans do not spread the word and generate a buzz outside the pits it can all go dark quickly.

Pulaski has a good chance with this new push forward. There are “weekly series” (every other week trading off with Lonesome Pine up around Wise and Coeburn) with the IHRA Late Model return coming later this summer. The SMART Modifieds and Grand National Super Series are on the schedule. There is a lot on the track for this first season back!

May 9, 2026 Race Winners: Kyle Dudley – Late Model, Mod4 – Rocky Yates, Super Street – Jimmy Mullins, Legends – Gary Smith, Pure4 – Jeff Linkous, Ground Pounders – Shayne Lockhart / Josh Roberts

Photo Gallery – May 9, 2026 – Pulaski County Motorsports Park

2026 Race Day Showcase

A Good Day Trip To Sumerduck

May 4, 2026May 18, 2026 Missed Gear

The weather was a little cool but the sun made it feel a little warmer and any place that wasn’t littered with tents was a good place.

Even better if that place had some noise and some action…

Camping…? Not so much. Racetrack…? Now we’re talking…

As the wife was busy with campy stuff and was set for the day I took an opportunity to take a short drive and visit Sumerduck Motorsports Park. It’s a 1/8 mile drag strip about an hour from where the camping was. It’s been there since the 1960s. I was there for about 4 hours…

It’s another Virginia track to tick off the list. Add this one for drag strips to Elk Creek (Southwest Virginia about 30 miles South of Wytheville) and Natural Bridge (schedules seem to be coming together after a re-start in 2025).

Virginia Motorsports Park was an hour in the other direction and a consideration but there was a higher percentage for rain so Northwest it was with a trip to Sumerduck.

It’s a small town (?) maybe village (?) with this pleasant little drag strip down this little bit of road. The IHRA sanctioned facility is well organized and presented, landscaped and clean. The staff and people keeping it together were friendly and pleasant. If it wasn’t for the drag racing it could almost be a country store that sells fried chicken, fresh bait and ice cold lemonade with a checkers board and open arms of welcome on each visit.

Sportsman, ET, Street and Motorcycle classes were running the 1/8 mile. For an afternoon ticket, it’s a hot rod sweet spot located in a forest setting back over there a piece… Sumerduck is a great “drop in” for racing, motorsport variety and some head to head speed.

Check out “The Duck” if you’re up towards Fredericksburg or Culpeper. It’s more or less between…

Photos from an afternoon at Sumerduck Motorsports Park – May 2, 2026

2026 Race Day Showcase

Changes Keep Adding To Natural Bridge

April 12, 2026May 18, 2026 Missed Gear

OK… That’s different.

Change is inevitable but the scene upon arrival at Natural Bridge Speedway was a little like stepping into an alternate reality. Any expectation of having paper towels for the infield restrooms were immediately dashed as the restrooms were gone. The building with the concession equipment from 1963 that was attached to the restrooms was gone. The garage and car port next to the concession / restroom building was gone.

It’s possible the deck behind it should have been an indication as that was ( ?? ) removed last season, or made inaccessible… Maybe.

But wait… There’s more!

Turns 3 and 4 now have an outside wall with a big “Virginia Is For Racing Lovers” banner. The days hove coming in too hot and taking air off the back of the track are gone. Now, behind the wall, is equipment space and expanded access for the pit area. The track now has a one way in and out at the exit of turn 4 with a cut through at the entrance of turn 3.

Other than that, it seems quite normal. The racing is fast and the new groove in and out is working well. It may seem odd for an old dirt track to call the operation “streamlined” but it’s as well a word as any. The track at Natural Bridge continues to make improvements for the fans and the racing.

The racing on this Saturday brought out the Blue Ridge Outlaw Late Model Series, Pure Stocks, Crown Vic and Vintage. The kids also got a lap or two on the front stretch. The Vintage and Pure Stock opened the show with a big introduction for the Blue Ridge Outlaws to follow and 45 hot laps of bang it up racing. The evening closed with the Crown Vic class.

It’s a weekly schedule at Natural Bridge so there is no shortage of action to catch. Find a Saturday to go racing with a little dirt.

Winners on April 11, 2026:
BLUE RIDGE Outlaw Late Models: Braden Jones
Pure Stock: Aiden Meade
Crown Vic: Corey Almond
Central Virginia Vintage: David Parrish / Mike Houghtalin

Photo Gallery – Natural Bridge Speedway – April 11, 2026

2026 Race Day Showcase

Forking (Forging) Ahead At Oak Level

April 11, 2026May 18, 2026 Missed Gear

Drama. Perhaps the expectation was that there would be some. After all, racing is drama on the face of it. However, there was more than racing in the background leading into this place and this season at the resurrected (Fork Mountain) Oak level Raceway.

A quick recap:

Fork Mountain Raceway was the name when the last lap ran over 15 years ago (give or take a notch)
Track ownership changed and plans were made in 2025 to race again.
Initially a “no” turned to a “yes” as licenses or fees or taxes or whatever had continuously been paid through the years so the permissions needed were, basically, no longer needed.
A partnership (?) initially set in motion the grading, cutting, plowing and such to un-bury the race track and pull it back from the grips of nature.
This partnership (?) was made with management at Ararat as ownership there went the same as Oak Level.
Somewhere in this civil union of dirt the paved Franklin County Speedway came back into the promotional picture.
Then… it wasn’t. Then none of it wasn’t. Then some of it was…
Ararat had an insurance issue. Franklin County may have been yanked away by a man under a “Boss Hogg” hat. An announcement came that one party that had been largely involved would no longer be so. Websites that were there are not there. (not necessarily in that order) Perhaps it is all covered somewhat in a podcast somewhere…

Back to Oak Level, with much already set in place including buildings, bleachers, surfacing, fencing, lights, sound… With all of that and more it was set to move forward with racing. Who did what or this and that… Well yeah… That would have been the “drama” that wasn’t… Really…

Bottom line, apparently, is that racing is on again at Oak Level. The crowd was there. A pretty decent show of a “car count” was there. The crews of race coordination and safety were in place and working well. The show on the track was fast enough and entertaining enough and visible enough.

Mostly… The lights are fine. Perhaps a mid event dousing of the track with a lap or two of a water truck could be a thing… Even for a dirt track it got just a tad dusty…

No it is not “perfect”. The infield still has some fine tuning around the fencing and rails but the “ins and outs” of the track are there. The fan areas are there with more coming. It’s a viable start with a foundation to race on.

And the racing is on. Five divisions ran on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Yes… The schedule is mostly set for Friday nights…) Full results are available (somewhere) on the Facebook page for Oak Level Raceway.

Race winners:
Modified – Adam Favors | Crown Vic – Jamie Hopkins | Hornet – TJ Smith | Pro4 – Danny Henning | Late Model – Jack Brown

Photo Gallery from Oak Level Raceway – April 10, 2026

Roanoke Drifting In Jappalachia

It is a fine thing when conditions lead to continuity. This particular continuity is also an automotive conundrum in several ways considering the current condition of the existence of the automobile. What….?? The trend that has taken hold, especially here in these United States, is the popularity of the SUV, the crossover variations of five door hatches, the automatic transmission and front wheel drive. All of these would point to a humorless and drab driving culture of A to B with a soccer game or a grocery store on the agenda. The days of fun behind the wheel are drying up. Or are they…? There are a handful of new rear drives out there. Of those, fewer still have a manual transmission. This leads to the continuity of cars of the past being rebuilt and re-born by people who seek the slides and the sideways. Yes, America, drifting may be the saving grace of the manual, rear wheel drive car. On a warm Wednesday tucked in the back corner of an industrial park I was there to bear witness to a mixture of car cultures. The recipe was a good mix of classic British “Top Gear”, American Motor Trend “Roadkill” and a heavy helping of the Japanese origins of drifting. The cars were budget sourced from the pre-owned market and rapidly made “drivable” over the past several days. Now they were here in this slightly barren environment to be compared on a mapped rally / drifting course by (can you guess…?) the same “tame” racing driver. For the sake of a little background… This group of guys have a mission which is building on their combination of talents. What is the mission…? Loosely defined it is a mixture of Japan’s origin culture of drifting and the extreme styling of it with the back roads mountain attitude of American muscle cars. They call it “Jappalachia”. There have been trips to Japan with driving study in the origins of the legendary Daigo Saito drifting style. Japan is distinguished as the genesis of drifting even as the sport has expanded worlwide. The “Jappalachia” handle has been vetted during these visits with positive approvals. The drift is no stranger to these men. A recent visit to NASA Haltech Hyperfest at Virginia International Raceway had a Nissan going tandem on the drift pad competition. On this Wednesday, they have two cars ready to take on the course. These are not their “pro builds” but side projects for the practice and fun of it. One is a late ’80s Corvette and the other is a Nissan 240sx (’89…? ’90…? give or take…) Both of them had less than “garage kept” history. Both put up sideways and dusty shows. I think the Corvette took the time even with bottom scrapes, fuel delivery issues and a lost ass bumper. It was also driven after the 240 so one could say the previous lap in the Nissan gave a nudge of “practice” to the ‘Vette. The “real” cars involved…? These guys are looking ahead to extreme builds in their shop. They are working up another C4 series Corvette and a 3rd generation Ford Mustang. The cars are being treated as homage to the extreme Kaido or Bosozoku style of Japanese drift builds. Big fenders, shovel forward in front of the wheels and wide body wings over the back. These are American muscle cars treated with anime angles. Engines are being built. Chassis and suspensions are being tuned and going into place. A rough timeline has turns on the calendar for the newly re-opened Southampton Speedway later this year as that track is running a drift schedule. This is Jappalachia. Connections…? Roanoke, Charlottesville, Japan, backgrounds in design, mechanics, fabrication, travel… They have formed a friendship from chance encounters, childhood history and love of fun in cars. The “tame” racing driver…? 2016 F4 Champion / 2021 EFO F3 Champion – Cameron Das, visiting from the UK with friends connected through common and crossed paths. His 2016 F4 is in the Jappalachia shop. 2016 USA F4 Champion, Cameron Das, with the season winning car in the Jappalachia shop Das is currently doing a social media series of video showcases of kart racing and tracks. Cameron Das: YouTube InstagramTay Whiteside – Lift Arc StudiosGresh Chapman (Instagram): Jackson WalkerConnor Shupe Visit the Jappalachia Website Photos – A visit to Jappalachia – Industrial Drifting *The dog is “Pickles” – an Alaskan Malamute. He’s a sweetheart in a sweet spot.
Movie Truck Throwback

Hanging out with long time friend from stage and screen who happened to be in a famous truck movie by Stephen King
RoVA-Drive Showcase: Benoit Pigeon

Elite commercial photographer has a fast eye for drag racing
RoVA-Drive Showcase: Bryan Reedy

Late Model Driver (#17) based in Roanoke

Author: Missed Gear