MARNE -- Much like the minor leagues help baseball players prepare for life in the majors, the different racing classes at Berlin Raceway are like stepping stones for younger drivers.

For Brandon Hermiller, Lauren Bush and Mitch Meppelink, it’s almost like a small club.

The trio has experience in Arena Racing, and all three spent time last year on the Young Guns circuit before moving up to the Pro Stocks division.

Meppelink, who will be a sophomore at Zeeland West this fall, actually is one year too young to race in Pro Stocks, but Berlin officials “grandfathered” him in when Young Guns was discontinued following the 2009 season.

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HAMPTON, Va. (Mar. 27) -- Derek Miller scored his second victory in the 50-lap Top Dog race and Adam Florian put the finishing touch on his second straight Pro Series championship as Arena Racing Hampton Roads closed the curtain on its 2009-10 season with Saturday night's Great Atlantic 200 at the Hampton Coliseum.

Miller drew the pole for the Top Dog feature, sharing the front row with Matt Leach. Travis Wall lined up third, alongside Florian, who had clinched the series title with an A Main win earlier in the evening. Robbie Davis and rookie contender Josh Ayer occupied Row 3.

As the race got under way, Miller generated a tremendous run into the first corner and grabbed the lead. Wall pulled to the inside of Leach and Davis motored underneath Florian.

The first caution flag flew on lap 3 as Leach skittered sideways into Turn 1, collecting Davis, Denver Alvis and Mike Dayton. It was just the first salvo in a rough-and-tumble event, which saw a total of eight yellow flags, including one red flag stoppage at lap 7 for wall repairs.

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HAMPTON, Va. (Mar. 24) — Virtually deadlocked atop the Pro Series standings after 14 events, Scott Prillaman and Adam Florian square off one last time this Saturday, Mar. 27, as Arena Racing Hampton Roads puts the wraps on its 2009-10 season with the Great Atlantic 200 to benefit the Tidewater chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Saturday’s Pro Series lineup includes three 50-lap feature races — the A, B and C Mains. The top six finishers from the A Main and the top four finishers from the B and C Mains advance to the 50-lap Top Dog race, the evening’s grand finale. The Youth Series is also slated for action as Connor Hall looks to cap an unbeaten campaign.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for the pre-race pit party and the racing program gets under way at 7, following opening ceremonies. Drivers will also be available to meet fans on the concourse at the conclusion of the Top Dog feature.

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HAMPTON, Va. (Mar. 19) -- Adam Florian surged to the lead on lap 12 and scampered to the win in the 50-lap Top Dog race, the headlining event of Friday evening's Old Point National Bank 200 for Arena Racing Hampton Roads at the Hampton Coliseum. The victory was Florian's fourth in Top Dog competition and his eighth overall.

Matt Leach drew the pole for the race, sharing the front row with Charlie Green. Florian launched from the third slot on the 14-car grid.

As the race got under way, Leach gained the upper hand out of Turn 2, bringing Florian along with him.

With the field coming around to complete lap 1, trouble broke out just behind the leaders in the form of a nine-car pileup in Turn 4. When the mess was sorted out, six of the nine were able to continue, while Green, Derek Miller and Jason Styron were eliminated.

On the double-file restart, Leach cleared Florian out of Turn 2, only to see the defending series champ fight back. Eventually, Leach claimed sole possession of the lead, while Josh Ayer moved to the inside of Florian, taking over second on lap 5.

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HAMPTON, Va. (Mar. 6) -- Jordan Wood grabbed the lead on a restart at lap 26 and paced the field to his third feature win of the season in the 50-lap Top Dog race, the headlining event of Saturday evening's American Cancer Society 200 for the Arena Racing Hampton Roads Pro Series at the Hampton Coliseum. The victory was Wood's second in Top Dog competition.

Brittany Bangas started on the pole and snagged the lead as the race got under way, pulling ahead of two-time series champ Travis Miller.

The first of six caution flags waved on lap 2 when Michael Weddell spun off the fourth corner.

On the double-file restart, Miller stayed on Bangas' flank and nosed ahead at the end of lap 3, clearing Bangas on the fourth circuit. The second caution flag flew on lap 7 when third-place Aaron Leach was bunted into the inside wall by Scott Prillaman.

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HAMPTON, Va. (Mar. 5) -- Looking to solidify his position atop the standings, Scott Prillaman moved out front on lap 20 and sailed to his first Top Dog win -- his seventh win overall on the season. The 50-lap feature race was the main event of Friday evening's Chick-fil-A 200 for the Arena Racing Hampton Roads Pro Series, the first night of a Friday-Saturday weekend doubleheader at the Hampton Coliseum.

Denver Alvis drew the pole for the start of the race. He was due to share the front row with Jason Styron. Styron, though, was unable to answer the bell, along with B Main winner Craig Carlton, trimming the 14-car lineup to 12. Matt Leach took Styron's place on Row 1, while Jordan Wood and Sparky West made up Row 2.

As the race got under way, Alvis jumped out front, bringing Wood and Florian along with him. Rookie contender Josh Ayer moved up to fourth, while Prillaman, who started ninth, emerged from the opening shuffle in fifth.

On lap 11, Wood poked a fender underneath Alvis off Turn 4 and edged out front on lap 12. Florian tagged along with Wood and took over the second spot. Ayer, Prillaman and Derek Miller also bypassed Alvis, who tumbled through the running order.

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HAMPTON, Va. (Mar. 3) — For the first time in nearly two years, Arena Racing Hampton Roads holds back-to-back events when its Pro and Youth Series roll into the Hampton Coliseum for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader weekend on Mar. 5 and 6.

For Friday’s Chick-fil-A 200/All Faiths Night, doors open at 6:30 p.m. to kick off the pre-race pit party and racing gets under way at 7:30. Solace, a Christian rock band, is slated to perform during the intermission. All tickets are just $5 — the final $5 event of the season. Tiny race enthusiasts (under 3) are admitted free.

Saturday brings the American Cancer Society 200, which is a makeup for the Sunbelt Equipment Rentals/Daily Press event that was snowed out on Jan. 31. Doors open at 6 and racing begins at 7. Tickets are $10 for adults. When purchased at the Coliseum box office, each regularly-priced adult ticket also includes one free kids (3-12) ticket. Additional kids tickets are $5. Military personnel (with ID), senior citizens (65+, with ID) and students (13-18) receive a $2 discount off the adult ticket price. Pint-sized fans (under 3) are admitted free.

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HAMPTON, Va. (Feb. 27) -- Derek Miller nosed ahead on the 30th circuit and showed the way to his first win of the season in the 50-lap Top Dog race, the featured event of Saturday evening's Towne Bank 200 presented by GEICO to benefit the March of Dimes for the Arena Racing Hampton Roads Pro Series at the Hampton Coliseum.

Jordan Wood drew the pole for the event. He shared the front row with Robbie Davis. Craig Carlton and Charlie Green occupied Row 2. Miller launched from the 12th spot on the 14-car grid, to the outside of defending series champ Adam Florian.

As the race got going, Davis hung tough on the outside and edged ahead of Wood by half a car-length at the end of the first three laps.

The first caution flag waved on lap 4 when Cody Turbitt did a half-roll in the middle of the pack off the second corner, spelling an early end to his night.

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College basketball isn’t the only sport to watch in March…. You have your very own Arena Racing, racing live at the Deltaplex Arena. Come experience NASCAR like racing with real half-scale stock car racing with cars that can race up to 50 mph around a track inside the Deltaplex Arena.

There have been 11 races and there are only 4 more to go and the heat is really on. Oh, and it’s not the heating system inside the arena that we’re talking about…. Arena Racing race car drivers are fighting for that top prize of $10,000 and the competition has been extremely fierce. So fierce, the line in the sand has been drawn between two drivers who are cousins (and also has divided their families) because they are serious about winning the championship.

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HAMPTON, Va. (Feb. 24) — After taking last weekend off, the Arena Racing Hampton Roads Pro Series roars back into action this Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Hampton Coliseum with the Towne Bank 200 presented by GEICO to benefit the March of Dimes, the 11th of 15 events on the series’ 2009-10 schedule.

Saturday’s feature lineup includes A, B and C Mains — each 50 laps in distance. The top six finishers from the A Main and the top four finishers from the B and C Mains advance to the 50-lap Top Dog feature, the last race of the evening. The Youth Series leads off the program with Connor Hall looking to run his unbeaten streak to five.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for the pre-race pit party — an excellent opportunity to meet the drivers and get an up-close look at the cars. The racing program gets under way at 7, following opening ceremonies. Drivers will also be available to meet fans on the concourse at the conclusion of the Top Dog feature.

Tickets are $10 for adults. When purchased at the Coliseum box office, each regularly-priced adult ticket also includes one free kids (3-12) ticket. Additional kids tickets are $5. Military personnel (with ID), senior citizens (65+, with ID) and students (13-18) receive a $2 discount off the adult ticket price. Tiny race fans (under 3) are admitted free. Tickets are available at the Coliseum box office, Ticketmaster locations and online at . A service fee will be added to each ticket purchase.

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