Showcase – Page 5 – Missed Gear

Shaken – Definately Stirred at SoBo

July 1, 2025January 20, 2026 Missed Gear

Lap one of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 and some hot runners are bent out of shape including, but not limited to, Peyton Sellers. The #26 Clarence’s / Danville Toyota is a familiar former NAAPWS champion at South Boston and “Triple Crown” winner. Justin Hicks was spun from contact with the #2W of Matt Waltz which caused a dive around and a hard brake mid pack smash.

The full race was extended on time through nine cautions including two red flag stops. These incidents put a strain on local championship points as leading drivers were hit hard. Trevor Ward, Sellers and Landon Pembelton were leading the Sentara Health Late Model points at SoBo but finished in the trailing positions with incident caused issues. The positions remain but the points spread became a little wider.

The winning top five were also shaken a bit following the race. The winner, repeating with a different team from 2024, was Connor Hall in the #88. Currently with JR Motorsports, he won last year driving for Nelson. The win gives Hall a guaranteed spot in the Valley Star Credit Union 300 at Martinsville and the SoBo TRHD 200 race winner’s purse.

Unofficially, the top five were Hall, Matt Waltz, Darren Krantz, Jr, Parker Eatmon and Ryan Millington. However, karma or an eye for hard detail, the #2 of Waltz failed a post race inspection. Something in the rear axle measurements was tagged and Waltz was disqualified from the spot and race. This pushed spots three through six up a notch allowing Ronnie Bassett Jr to be marked in the fifth spot.

The winner in the Budweiser Limited Sportsman class showcased his first in front of the big LM Triple Crown crowd. Zach Peregoy drove with dominance for most of the race leading from the pole. He dropped off for a bit as third place driver, Atley Wiese, took the lead for a bit before falling off. Ayden Millette finished second while Lane Woods and Cameron Goble filled the top five.

The defending Dollar General Hornets Champion, Jordaine Penick, picked up a pole to flag win. Her first win of the season follows some pole starts but this topped her chart so far. Jason DeCarlo was just off the lead for second place. Landon Milam, Max Sangillo and Chris Penick filled the top five.

The Southside Disposal Pure Stocks brought a fourth season win to Barry Reaves. Johnny Layne, a former series champ, drove in second. Third went to Scott Phillips while Zach Reaves and Colby Pool finished fourth and fifth.

The next Late Model Triple Crown race is the “Hampton Heat” at Langley Speedway on July 19th. The “Crown” finale is at Martinsville Speedway with the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in September.

Photos from the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway

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2025 Race Day Showcase

Drive By Drop In At Elk Creek

June 9, 2025January 20, 2026 Missed Gear

The day started with no real plan. The weather seemed a bit off but there were some vague possibilities to get out. Realistically, South Boston was on the radar but is already on the books for the “Thunder Road Harley-Davidson” race coming up.

Social media check and a brief exchange held an open door at a Virginia track re-opened after a few years of being dark. The Ararat Bullring was turning laps again under the same management that had brought Franklin County up from some odd times.

Late Model racing turn 4 at the Ararat Bullring

So… Why not? A pleasant drive into SW Virginia… However, there is also a drag strip down that way! Why not pop on both? Make the night at Ararat and stop for some 1/8 mile runs at Elk Creek Dragway.

Elk Creek is a IHRA sanctioned facility holding regular bracket meets with several classes and points racing. This day was threatened by weather early on and the schedule was up against the NHRA just an hour and a half away (Bristol). With that it was still a hot visit with some street to pro variety on the track.

Set among farms and mountain views, Elk Creek has had some history from the origin in the late 1960s. Currently, and for some time, the track is owned and operated by the racers and drivers in a cooperative partnership to keep the lights on and the speeds going. The facility is well kept and organized with stands and concessions for the fans and safety and timing staff for the racers.

The feel seems a bit like a family gathering. The ownership design spreads some of the responsibility around so there is pride in the facility that comes through, even on a short visit like this today.

The fan presence was a little light but as already mentioned, the weather was a bit on the “could rain… might not…” fence post side. Bristol might have pulled a few. The strategy with the structure in place seems to be “we’re going racing so maybe we’ll see ya there!”. That strategy is keeping the lanes open at Elk Creek and the planning to make it back is already under way.

The race track is set among the rolling foothills of the Virginia mountains. It’s a pleasant drive with relaxed roads and country views to get to Elk Creek. You might even find your next Christmas Tree as the area seems to be sanctioned by Santa Claus to grow them.

The schedule is hot practically every weekend with test & tunes on Fridays and the brackets challenging Saturday. “The Original Gear Jammers”, Outlaw Street, Footbrake, SuperPro, Juniors, Nostalgia and more are on the calendar so it’s easy to find action at Elk Creek Dragway.

Some Photos from this brief visit are below – Looking forward to a next time with more time!

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2025 Race Day Showcase

Dirt Track Comeback At Ararat

June 8, 2025January 20, 2026 Missed Gear

The weather…? It looked a bit sketchy but the indications in the forecast was a clearing by the afternoon. The situation had been set with a holding pattern for possibilities. A non-immediate social media message mentioned making time to visit but, of course, that was read as “come visit today!!”.

The gentleman and his team that currently have their hands on Ararat had been, for 5 or 6 years previous, running Franklin County Raceway (Speedway) under the “Moonshine Capital Promotions” moniker. The decision was made at some point to take on Ararat, which had been dormant since the 2021 season closed.

With that, and a desire to check off a box for a track in Virginia not yet visited, the open invitation to make the run turned into a plan. However, “plan” and “OK I’ll go” with an all too common “how hard can it be” mentality mixed together with, “while I’m going that way…” turned into a mish-mash of racing and road-trip coincidence.

Elk Creek Dragway is in SW Virginia. Ararat is as well. It seemed perfectly natural to go check out both! The racing at Elk Creek had been slightly on hold from a morning bit of rain but was getting under way as I got in. Granted, Bristol to the west by not so far was hosting NHRA so, perhaps, the presence was a little on the light side. The weather threat may have contributed. However, none of that took away from the facility, the colors, the fresh season look and a cheeseburger as good as any.

The staff, crew and racers were all working together to move things along and the mountain surroundings made for pleasant views around the green light speed of the competitors. As the primary trip was to Ararat, time was compressed but there was enough to see to mark it as a “Come back when can” destination.

So – With that and a drive on by twisty, country roads, the hillside of racing at the Ararat Bullring came into view a bit later. The anthem and practice came through. The schedule got under way for a “fan appreciation” night. This was a grateful return from the track back at the fans and racers for coming back out for this season after a few years of being dark.

Shortcomings…? Yes… Of course. Concessions were stressed a bit and there were some communications errors but, all in all, the evening went by smooth enough unless one was looking hard for something to really be off about.

For racing…? The “Bullring” handle is not applied lightly. Tight racing, close challenges, four and five wide coming out of the turns…! A dirt track brought back from the brink that caries 3/10 of a mile around an oval with slight banking pushes the drivers into a challenge on and against each other on every lap. The center infield is open with a designated path for caution and exits but, beyond that, the track is all racing from green to checkered.

The short…? It can be a bit of a trek to get to with roads and hills in the deep country between Mt Airy and Galax or Stuart but plan a bit and check it out. The daytime drive through the scenery is quite spectacular and the racing at the “Bullring” does not disappoint. The lights are on. The overhead sound works. The folks are working hard to make the show and the show is fast. Check the scheduled to find an opportunity to check it out.

Photos from Ararat Bullring – June 7, 2025

2025 Race Day Showcase

SMART Modified Kenny Minter Classic

May 30, 2025January 20, 2026 Missed Gear

It is well into the season with new management and new ambitions. It’s a little scaled back from the 2024 season but the logic is sound for the racing schedule at Franklin County Raceway. (Yes… That is a slight change from “speedway”)

Perhaps it’s a balance of reality with desire. Whatever the case, the SMART Modified Tour made their way in as the fourth race of the season. Rain put off what would have made SMART the fifth.

This is the fifth consecutive year for the SMART Tour to travel to Callaway. The track still has a feel of being held together by duct tape and vice grips. Some cell phones don’t get a signal. Shirts with sleeves are optional. None of this, however, puts a damper on the show of racing.

That said, surprises and miscalculations did extend the racing just a wee bit past what should have been “scotch and bedtime”. Unfortunately and painfully, a fan in the stands fell and broke a leg minutes before the green flag was set to flay. That held racing for a bit over 30 minutes as the safety crew had to handle the situation and get the person safely away for attention.

Once SMART took the track with the opening 110 lap main opener, racing was close and challenging. Some lead changes and some chargers moving through the field gave a few things to keep track of. However, another strange bit popped with less than 10 laps to go. Four cars were caught up in a tangle on the front stretch. One of them was towed around the track to “pit open” but was not quickly spotted to still be leaking. This put a stripe around most of the track. Materials to get it up were quickly exhausted so a logistic schedule alteration was made. That took a hot minute or two…

So…. SMART Mods are pulled off. Stock4 is moved up to run and clear the track while racing their bit.

SMART goes back out for an eight lap shoot out. Ryan Newman had been right there before the break. He wasted no time to gain the lead and held off a last lap charge by defending SMART Champion Luke Baldwin. It was a Newman win by the rail of a bumper at the line.

The Stock4 had run. A short stack (it was a quick invite beforehand) of crate 602 Mods ran four up for 50 laps. A notable inclusion was Ryan Newman’s daughter, Brooklyn. Her initial start was a spin but she caught on the restart and had the lead in fairly short order. Unfortunately, she dropped a driveshaft (what we were told…) later on and was out.

The Legends put a show on as the closer. It was a bit of a follow the leader but the chase was fast and the challengers were on the hunt. The Legends are a fun watch on this track racing at their limit for most of the run.

TOP FIVE RESULTS from each division – May 23, 2025 – Click for Full Results

SMART Modified 1st – Ryan Newman (#2) 2nd – Luke Baldwin (#7VA) 3rd – Blake Barney (#27) 4th – Danny Bohn (#26) 5th – Joey Braun (#79)	Daniels Auto Glass & Tint – STOCK 4 1st – Wes Givens (#8) 2nd – Kaleb Hall (#1) 3rd – Chris Lilly (#71) 4th – Jaden Austin (#77) 5th – Gary Smith (#97)
602 Modified 1st – Brian Webber (#01) 2nd – Mitch Gibson (#81) 3rd – Brooklyn Newman (#52) 4th – Joshua Eddy (#86)	Roberts Muffler – LEGENDS 1st – Daniel Silvestri (#97s) 2nd – Chris Lilly (#27) 3rd – Carter Weedon (#76) 4th – Miles Murray (#18) 5th – Gary Smith (#97)

Photos – SMART Modified, Kenny Minter Classic at Franklin County Raceway – May 2025

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2025 Race Day Showcase

HyperFest 2025 Keeps Rolling On Fast and Sideways

May 22, 2025January 20, 2026 Missed Gear

It’s a little hard to consider as time rolls on but HyperFest has been a thing for over 20 years. Nine of those from 2015 on, including this one in May of 2025 (Pandemic 2020…?) have been at Virginia International Raceway. It actually began as a thought and event in 2002 at Summit Point which is just north of Virginia in that little bit of West Virginia keeping Maryland stable. It came to VIR in 2015.

The various incarnations and automotive delights continue to make HyperFest a car party destination. This year some weather leading in put a bit of a damper on “Dirt World” which intended to be an off-road jamboree but it came to life a little later on. Weather also made an additional, but brief, Friday appearance. Some high winds came through and dissipated just as quickly but not before turning pop-ups and other displays into a show of tubular metal pop art.

It cleared and normal came back. That may be relative for what “normal” is at HyperFest.

Testing, tuning, some qualifying rolled through Friday for the NASA racing schedule on the main, full course. Drifting was on with smoke and rubber on the inner “Patriot” course. The “Koni Downhill Power Wheels Attack” set the stage to begin the Friday evening party once the winds went and the brief rain fell.

Saturday weather was much kinder. The racing, the drifting, the demos and shows on the skid pad all went on without a real worry. Last year there were motorcycles jumping over drifters. This year, it was a giant wheeled, over powered VW Beetle. The bikes were there but doing skids, wheelies, drifting and standing. The drifting was well on with a competition climax of Monster Energy Drink retention and burnout donut points shows.

Sunday was drift and race finale with an “All In” attitude on the track, the course and the pad. There were leftover and busted up tent frames and odd remnants of car body bits in small rubbish piles scattered about. This was not really evidence of some weather but more of a time well spent with a car party gone wild.

That is, or was, HyperFest 2025. What is in the planning for the next one? With the pandemic year taken in, will 2026 be the “official” ten year anniversary at VIR? What new bit of excitement will be there to carry the torch forward?

We’ll see… The photos below give a glimpse of this year as HyperFest is best experienced as an “in person” experience. With that, we’ll look ahead to the next one!

2025 Race Day Showcase

That Little Drag Strip Is Open Again

May 12, 2025January 20, 2026 Missed Gear

That was a long day. There are tougher ways to spend a day. Twelve hours with a hammer or a shovel or even a paint brush would be much harder than twelve hours wearing two cameras around two race tracks…

But it was still a long day…

First was the bracket racing opening day for the Natural Bridge Drag Strip. The facility actually had the switch flipped in late 2024 after being dormant since 2019. (The dirt oval down the hill has been running continuously, even if with some drama, during that time.)

There were a handful of action days in ’24. For 2025, there seems to be a much harder push to get things moving on with some sense of sustainability. The manager / organizer is G.W. Fitzgerald and he is actively pushing and pulling the place into the light.

The lights along the track are working, by the way… At least, they seemed to be from the view later down on the oval…

Family and friends seem to be very invested with Fitzgerald to make racing there a going concern. The current owners at the speedway dirt oval have been pushing that facility forward with all sorts of improvements. The drag strip is set for its own push ahead. The start line “tower” building is in good enough shape. The racing surface took traction and burnouts well enough. Staging and lane lines were all marked. The “tree” worked as needed. Audio over loudspeakers for announcements was clear enough. Someone thought to have a food tent there. Staffing for staging to starting was coordinated well. The restrooms worked…

What else do you need…? What is not there yet….? Well… The sensors are there at the finish but the results scoring are still dark. Racers times are available on printed tabs at the tower.

Who won…? No idea… Not really the purpose for being there. My reasons were based on seeing what condition things were in (not bad, really…) and to see how well things were put together. To be flat out honest it was a pleasant surprise. The drag strip is several steps ahead of what I expected and I’ll look forward to getting back.

For the oval the progress continues. Improvements to the concessions and lighting were in place for an earlier visit. Infield fencing and track barriers are advancing. The entrance and exit for racers is much improved and uniform. The track scoring board is still working.

More to the point is the fan experience. There can always be more at any event but the fans are turning out in cars, in their own lawn chairs and in the bleachers. The show on the track is lively enough and the racing is close and fast.

For this particular Saturday, five divisions were racing. Street Stock, three divisions of Late Model and Stock 4. Hot laps and qualifying got underway a little after 6pm with opening ceremonies for competition around 8pm.

Going forward there could be a bit of a logistics challenge with the two tracks acting, more or less, as different facilities. The oval and the drag strip are not really operated as a single entity so parking and admission could conflict. However, big events for either track would be coordinated around each other. The drag strip should be an active addition back into the region. It doesn’t look as if the facility in Radford VA is making moves any time soon. The oval is running steady so far. It may be time to check out some speed at Natural Bridge.

Top five results for the speedway are below:

Street Stock (14 starters) Lee Herring #5 Keith Herring #50 Keith Nelson #45 Trafton Thompson #15 Ben Hamilton #22	Late Model (16 starters) Tyler Bare #00 Logan Roberson #17 Justin Williams #2W Joe Leavell #8 Derrick Rankin #72	602 Late Model (21 starters) Wyatt Coffey #2 Samuel Hamilton #22 Michael Ayers #8 Bryce Smith #4 Stephen Harrison #10H
604 Late Model (21 starters) Justin Williams #7W Ronnie Martin Jr #15JR Braeson Fulton #B6 Corey Almond #7A Logan Roberson #17	Stock 4 (7 starters) Wesley Givens #8 Gary Smith #97 John Burch #12 Corey Morales #51 Austin Guilliams #33G	Full results can be found online at Natural Bridge Speedway

Photos from Natural Bridge Drag Strip – May 10, 2025

Photos from Natural Bridge Speedway – May 10, 2025

2025 Race Day Showcase

Derby Day – Prom Night at Dominion Raceway

May 4, 2025January 20, 2026 Missed Gear

Racing across platforms is always interesting. The first leg of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, fell on this particular race day at the Dominion Raceway Entertainment complex. Horsepower was the show at Dominion but the infield pit big screen was also showing some of the spectacle from Churchill Downs.

Throw in a high school prom and the day is complete… Right…?

Such was the case for “Clean Culture Derby Day” at Dominion. The facility can host quite a bit from oval points racing to “road course” and drag strip racing to concerts and showcase events. A local high school had the concert hall for the evening, local drivers were testing their skills on the road course and “American Racer” late models (with a few other divisions) were racing nose to fender on the oval. Dominion is a multi-faceted focal point for motorsport and entertainment with a schedule full of… Everything.

The plan in place was to make the drive in to Dominion. It was a short trip as the wife had brought us to a nearby campground for the weekend. The set up was to get her situated for her event and activities, get online and place some Derby bets then get up to Dominion to check out some racing.

Once on site at Dominion, there was time to catch a few drivers putting it on the road course. It snakes around the oval with space for the drag races incorporated. Clubs and “social” drivers can test their cars and their skills on this course.

For the oval, the practices had run and qualifying was getting under way. It was an afternoon event to make way for the “Enchantment Under The Sea” prom. (No – I don’t know that was the name but there were ocean inspired decorations…)

Twin “American Racer” Late Models, Dominion Stocks and a combined “Mini Stock” 8/6 AnyCar race made the schedule. There was some heat on the track and some threat of weather coming in but the racing was tight.

The two late model races were dominated by Chase Johnson with a quick lead in the first and a drive up to grab the lead from an inverted start in the second. The field was stacked up a few times from cautions in each allowing other drivers a shot but the #57 of Johnson was out front each time.

Todd Ruggles gave a good chase on Mike Lowe in the Dominion Stocks but couldn’t make the run to get by. The finish had Lowe out front by several lengths as Richard Powers went around out of the final turn to give up a third place to Gary Burke.

The opener pooled the AnyCar and Mini Stocks into one race. That put a good challenge of racing with competition traffic on the track. The Rileys were chasing their Minis up front with Keith in the #59 leading out. A late race caution restart allowed Joe in the #2 to catch and pass for the lead and the win. Richard Storm won the 8C AnyCar and James Johnson won the 6C AnyCar.

TOP FIVE in each category event below

50 laps Race #1 American Racer Late Model 1 #57 Chase Johnson 2 #31 Aaron Donnelly 3 #8c Conner Weddell 4 #82 Mike Ganoe 5 #41 Davey Callihan	50 laps Race #2 American Racer Late Model 1 #57 Chase Johnson 2 #45 Brady Penny 3 #41 Davey Callihan 4 #82 Mike Ganoe 5 #15 Kyle Terczak
40 laps Dominion Stocks 1 #88 Mike Lowe Dominion Stocks 2 #07 Todd Ruggles Dominion Stocks 3 #3 Gary Burke Dominion Stocks 4 #69 Tommy Smith Dominion Stocks 5 #57 Richard Powers III Dominion Stocks	Combined: 6 /8 Cyl Any Car & Mini Stock 1 #2 Joe Riley Mini Stock 2 #59 Keith Riley Mini Stock 3 #43 Kevin Davis Mini Stock 4 #07 Richard Storm Any Cars – 8 cyl 5 #9 James Johnson Any Car 6 – Cyl 6 #K9 John Andrews – 8 cyl Any Car 6 – Cyl 7 #77 Michael Pifer Any Cars – 8 cyl

Photo Gallery – Clean Culture Derby Day – Dominion Raceway – May 3, 2025

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

Category: Showcase