Former Virginia High School athlete fuels competitive fire at Lonesome Pine Raceway

COEBURN, Va. – It was a captivating struggle.

Lap after grueling lap, Jenna Wagner worked and weaved her 3,200-pound race car around the slippery asphalt.
The 20-year-old Virginia High School graduate had plenty of incentive. Not only was Wagner hungry for a top-three finish, she wanted to finish ahead of her uncle, Steve Wright.
Such is the weekly routine for one of the two female competitors at Lonesome Pine Raceway.

Since mastering a gateway class dubbed Racing 101 in 2005 at LPR, Wagner has gradually paid her dues.
From the Ladies Pure 4 and Modified 4 divisions to her current fast ride in the Charger class, there has been one constant for Wagner.

“I enjoy the speed and adrenalin rush,” Wagner said. “And I like being the only girl on the track. There’s a certain amount of satisfaction when you beat half the field.”

The Charger class consists of old Late Model cars with spec, or identical, engines. While speeds can reach more than 80 miles per hour in the straightaway, the focus is on affordability and fundamentals.
“With a Charger car, the race is based on which car can get around the track the best. I like that a lot, because it puts the race back in the hands of the driver,” Wagner said.

Wagner settled for a fourth-place finish in Saturday’s event at LPR. Wright finished third. Wagner finished third a couple of weeks ago. Her resume also includes two runner-up finishes and the rookie of the year title in the Mod 4 class last season.

Weaned on gasoline

The racing thread runs deep in the Wagner family.
Wagner’s father and grandfather were officials at Bristol-based Valleydale, which served as a longtime sponsor of the Valleydale 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Jack Wagner, Jenna’s father, raced karts as a high school and college student

Wagner attended all the races at BMS, gradually developing a passion for the southern-bred sport.
Wagner’s mom, Debbie, admits to feeling a bit apprehensive when her daughter is on the track yet she understands the allure.

“Jenna has always been a race fan,” Debbie Wagner said. “She’s grown up around race tracks and fast cars, and she has experienced all the fun that goes with that.”

Stock car racing is not for the faint of heart, however. For example, there was the night when Jenna took an unexpected thrill ride. Debbie Wagner still keeps an image of the incident on her desktop computer.

“A car stopped in front of Jenna, then Jenna’s car did a Dukes of Hazzard style jump over the top of the slower car,” Wagner said. “That was interesting.
“Jenna has kind of proven herself on the track. She’s very comfortable and conscientious in the car and has a keen eye.”

Longtime Lonesome Pine Raceway official, sponsor and former championship car owner Lynn Peters has also watched the maturation of Wagner with pride.

“Jenna is an aggressive competitor and not at all intimidated by the veteran drivers she races against,” Peters said. “She will race door-to-door with any of them.”

Along with track announcer James Kincer and former LPR promoter Morris Copley, Peters helped to establish the Racing 101 program. After completing an application process, the three class participants spent time learning basic car setup and preparation along with the essentials of racing.

“Jenna did very well in that program,” Peters said. “She will be winning races soon.”

Competitive fire

The 5-foot-5 Wagner knows the importance of sacrifice and commitment.
She earned all-district honors as a softball player at VHS, where she also played basketball. When her father and uncle decided to start a race team, Jenna jumped at the chance.

“My times are getting better with each race,” Wagner said. “I was competitive when I moved to the Mod 4 division, but I had to learn the race scenario.”

Of course, the most complicated racing scenario is learning the correct technique for passing. Wagner feels fortunate to have a wizened mentor in the colorful Paul Shull, a former NASCAR Busch Series competitor from Church Hill, Tenn., who owns and maintains Wagner’s current car.

“Paul has raced with Dale Earnhardt and the best of them,” Wagner said. “Paul just knows so much about racing. He’s been teaching me a lot.”

Through nine races this season, Wagner ranks third in the Charger point standings. Shull is second.

The most recent event at Lonesome Pine Raceway was emotional for Wagner and all of regulars at the American Speed Association sanctioned track.

Before the start of the third annual Wanda Phillips Memorial on June 20, Wagner and fellow racer Courtney Roark, of Abingdon, participated in a service that included a ceremonial run around the track by Phillip’s’ former car owner, Linton Perry.
Phillips, 58, died in a 2007 crash at LPR.

“I raced with Wanda in my first year, and she was friends with everyone at the track,” Wagner said. “That memorial was real emotional, but it showed what a strong family atmosphere there is at LPR.

Balancing act

The primary focus for Wagner is education. She’s a senior at James Madison University, where she studies media art and design. When school was still in session, Wagner made the nearly four-hour drive back to Southwest Virginia to race on Saturday night.

“I’d like to work in some sort of web design field, but I also want to continue racing,” Wagner said. “I might not be able to race full-time, but I do want to continue.”

Wagner’s hobby has become fairly well-known around the JMU campus in Harrisonburg, Va.

“My roommates are always telling people we met that I’m a racer,” Wagner said. “Everybody thinks it is pretty cool.”

The family involvement just adds to the fun for Wagner. Her father, uncle and boyfriend, former Virginia High and Hampden-Sydney College athlete Kevin Morrison, all contribute in various ways. Jack Wagner actually serves as spotter for his daughter, while Morrison works in the pits.

“It’s great to have the family combination,” Wagner said. “And the guys that I race treat me just like any other driver.“

As for the challenge of passing her uncle during a race, Wagner admits that’s a sticky situation.

“I didn’t want to push the envelope too hard [because] it was Paul’s car,” Wagner said, referring to Saturday’s event. “It was a good race, though.
“I’m hoping to have a win by the end of the year.

|(276) 645-2544

Who: Jenna Wagner
Hometown: Bristol, Va.
Age: 20
What: Competitor at Lonesome Pine Raceway
Fast Fact: After LPR closed following the 2005 season, Wagner moved to Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., where she competed in the entry-level UCar class.