Virginia International Raceway

Coordinates: 36°33′42″N 79°12′17″W / 36.56167°N 79.20472°W / 36.56167; -79.20472
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Virginia International Raceway

Full Course (1957–1974, 2000–present)
LocationAlton, Virginia, United States
Time zoneUTC-5 (UTC-4 DST)
Coordinates36°33′42″N 79°12′17″W / 36.56167°N 79.20472°W / 36.56167; -79.20472
FIA Grade2
Opened3 August 1957; 66 years ago (1957-08-03)
Re-opened: March 2000; 24 years ago (2000-03)
Closed1974
ArchitectHooper D. Johnson
Major eventsCurrent:
IMSA SportsCar Championship
Michelin GT Challenge at VIR
(1957–1964, 1971–1972, 2002–present)
GT World Challenge America
(2002, 2008, 2010, 2017–present)
Trans-Am Series
(1966, 2002, 2009–2011, 2013–present)
Former:
SCCA Runoffs (2019, 2022–2023)
MotoAmerica (2001–2010, 2015–2019, 2021–2022)
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
Biscuitville 125 (2013–2016)
Full Course (1957–1974, 2000–present)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3.270 miles (5.262 km)
Turns17
Race lap record1:36.112 (Germany Lucas Luhr, HPD ARX-03a, 2012, LMP1)
Grand East Course (2003–present)
Length4.200 miles (6.759 km)
Turns25
Grand West Course (2003–present)
Length4.100 miles (6.598 km)
Turns28
North Course (2000–present)
Length2.250 miles (3.621 km)
Turns17
Race lap record1:19.843 (United States Kenton Koch, Élan DP02, 2015, Prototype Lites)
South Course (2000–present)
Length1.650 miles (2.655 km)
Turns12
Patriot Course (2003–present)
Length1.100 miles (1.770 km)
Turns12

Virginia International Raceway (VIR) is a race track located in Alton, Virginia, near Danville. It is less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina, on the banks of the Dan River. VIR hosts amateur and professional automobile and motorcycle events, driving schools, club days, and private test rentals.

History[edit]

Pit road during 2008 Grand-Am race

The track originally opened August 3, 1957, and was created by a group of men using a bulldozer. The track had been closed from 1974 prior to its reopening in March 2000.[1] The track was reopened in 2000 by New Yorker Harvey Siegel and Connie Nyholm using a "country club" model. Memberships to the track are sold. Each member of the VIR Club receives track time on member days, tickets to all spectator events, and other benefits. VIR's membership model has since been followed by other racetracks across the United States.

There have been at least four deaths in track history, with three fatalities coming since the reopening of the facility. The most recent death was that of 14-year-old Toriano Wilson in a US Rookie Cup motorcycle race in August 2008.[2]

The track hosted the SCCA National Sports Car Championship from its opening in 1957 until the series' demise in 1964. The IMSA GT Championship visited VIR in 1971 and 1972. After its re-opening, the AMA Superbike Championship held races at VIR from 2001 until 2010 on the North Course. The Rolex Sports Car Series utilized the Full Course from 2002 through 2011. The American Le Mans Series used the Full Course configuration for its inaugural event at VIR in September 2012 where a new track record was set by Klaus Graf driving the Muscle Milk LMP1 car.[3]

Driving a Maserati 450S, Carroll Shelby won the feature race on the track’s inaugural weekend in August 1957. The list of other well-known drivers who raced at VIR during its first incarnation includes Briggs Cunningham, Walt Hansgen, Roger Penske, Mark Donohue, Richard Petty, Bob Holbert, Augie Pabst, Curtis Turner, Dick Thompson, Peter Revson, Wendell Scott, Bob Tullius, Janet Guthrie, Skip Barber, Ricky Rudd, Gene Felton, Denise McCluggage, Hurley Haywood, Brock Yates, Don Yenko, Lance Reventlow, Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones.[4]

The track hosts many events throughout the year, including the annual Gold Cup Historic Race as well as AMA races, ChampCar Endurance Series, SCCA, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR test days, and local car club events. Various driving training classes are available on the paved and unpaved (off-road) courses. The site also hosts a go kart track.

Since 2014, VIR has hosted a GT only race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Track description[edit]

VIR offers five track configurations, of which two can be run simultaneously. The "Full Course" is 3.270 mi (5.263 km) in length while the "Patriot Course" stretches for 1.100 mi (1.770 km) entirely inside the Full Course. The "North Course" is 2.250 mi (3.621 km) long and the "South Course" covers a distance of 1.650 mi (2.655 km). Both consist of a portion of the "Full Course" and short connecting sections that connect to portions of the "Patriot Course" to produce the two courses that can run simultaneously. There is a second pit complex that is used only when running the "South Course". The longest configuration, "Grand East Course", is 4.200 mi (6.759 km) long, and combines most of the "Full Course" and most of the "Patriot Course" by means of two of the short sections of connecting track used to make the "South Course" and "North Course". There is also another, seldom run, long configuration called the "Grand West Course" that uses the other two short connecting sections between the "Full Course" and the "Patriot Course." Car and Driver magazine has an annual test of fast cars called "The Lightning Lap" using the "Grand West Course".[5] Since the Patriot course is contained completely inside the Full Course, they can be run simultaneously.

The "Full Course" is the most common configuration. One of the most notable sections of the course, second only to "Oak Tree" (T11), are the "Climbing Esses" which consist of an initial left up-hill (T7), followed by a right which crests at the apex then dropping slightly into a left (T8) which again crests at the apex dropping slightly, and then up into a final right (T9). The complexity and difficulty of this section is multiplied by the incredible entry speed because of a straight section leading into the Climbing Esses. This is followed by a cresting blind left hand turn (T10), "South Bend", that finishes in a steep downward slope. Another signature section is the "Roller Coaster" (T14) which is a scaled-down mirror image to the famed "Corkscrew" at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

There are two main straights on the track. The front straight is approximately 3,000 ft (910 m) long while the back straight is approximately 4,000 ft (1,200 m) long. While the back straight is 33% longer, the front straight is where higher speeds are reached since "Hog Pen" (T17) leads onto it and is a much faster corner than "Oak Tree" (T11), which leads onto the longer back straight. There is 130 ft (40 m) of elevation change throughout the course.

Some of the raceway's other named curves include "Oak Tree", "Horse Shoe", "NASCAR Bend" (because NASCAR drivers Richard Petty, David Pearson and Wendell Scott had difficulties there during a 1966 Trans Am race), "Snake", "Spiral", "Fish Hook", and "The Bitch".

Other configurations[edit]

  • Grand East Course 4.200 mi (6.759 km) 25 turns
    Grand East Course
    4.200 mi (6.759 km)
    25 turns
  • Grand West Course 4.100 mi (6.598 km) 28 turns
    Grand West Course
    4.100 mi (6.598 km)
    28 turns
  • North Course 2.250 mi (3.621 km) 17 turns
    North Course
    2.250 mi (3.621 km)
    17 turns
  • South Course 1.650 mi (2.655 km) 12 turns
    South Course
    1.650 mi (2.655 km)
    12 turns
  • Patriot Course 1.100 mi (1.770 km) 12 turns
    Patriot Course
    1.100 mi (1.770 km)
    12 turns

Events[edit]

Current
Former

Lap records[edit]

As of October 2023, the fastest official race lap records at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) are listed as:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Event
Full Grand Prix Road Course: 5.262 km (1957–1974, 2000–present)[6]
LMP1 1:36.112 Lucas Luhr HPD ARX-03a 2012 American Le Mans Series VIR 240
LMP2 1:39.393 Martin Plowman Morgan LMP2 2012 American Le Mans Series VIR 240
LMP900 1:39.618[7] Didier Theys Dallara SP1 2002 VIR 500
LM GTE 1:40.638 Earl Bamber Porsche 911 RSR 2019 Oak Tree Grand Prix
LMP3 1:40.735[8] Garett Grist Ligier JS P320 2021 Virginia IMSA Prototype Challenge round
LMPC 1:41.608[9][10] Colin Braun Oreca FLM09 2014 Oak Tree Grand Prix
Formula Atlantic 1:41.817[11][12] David Grant Swift 016.a 2017 Virginia Atlantic Championship round
DP 1:42.878[13] Max Angelelli Dallara DP01 2009 Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR
TA1 1:43.502[14] Connor Zilisch Chevrolet Camaro Trans-Am 2023 Virginia Trans-Am round
Lamborghini Super Trofeo 1:43.715[15] Sandy Mitchell Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo 2019 Virginia Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America round
Formula Regional 1:44.015[16] Mathias Soler-Obel Ligier JS F3 2019 Virginia F3 Americas round
GT3 1:44.150[17] Loris Spinelli Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo 2022 Virginia GT World Challenge America round
LMP675 1:45.289[7] Terry Borcheller Lola B2K/40 2002 VIR 500
Porsche Carrera Cup 1:46.726[18] Sebastian Priaulx Porsche 911 (992) GT3 Cup 2021 Virginia Porsche Carrera Cup North America round
Star Mazda 1:46.998[19] Adam Christodoulou Star Formula Mazda 'Pro' 2009 Virginia Star Mazda round
Ferrari Challenge 1:49.615[20] Cooper MacNeil Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo 2021 Virginia Ferrari Challenge North America round
TA2 1:49.934[21] Connor Zilisch Chevrolet Camaro Trans-Am 2023 Virginia Trans-Am round
US F2000 1:50.298[22] Spencer Pigot Van Diemen DP08 2012 Virginia USF2000 round
GT1 (GTS) 1:50.943[23] Ken Wilden Chevrolet Corvette C5-R 2003 VIR 400
SRO GT2 1:51.706[24] C.J. Moses Audi R8 LMS GT2 2022 Virginia GT America round
American GT 1:52.502[7] Tommy Riggins Ford Mustang 2002 VIR 500
GT4 1:52.740[25] Ross Gunn Aston Martin AMR Vantage GT4 2019 Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix
Formula 4 1:53.073[26] Christian Rasmussen Crawford F4-16 2018 Virginia F4 United States round
GT 1:53.375[7] João Barbosa Mosler MT900R 2002 VIR 500
TCR Touring Car 1:54.604[27] Michael James Lewis Hyundai i30 N TCR 2018 Grand Prix of Virginia presented by Audi Sport
USF Juniors 1:54.619[28] Jack Jeffers Tatuus JR-23 2023 Cooper Tires VIR Grand Prix
Formula BMW 1:56.217[29] Giancarlo Vilarinho Mygale FB02 2009 Virginia Formula BMW Americas round
Mazda MX-5 Cup 2:07.470[30] Jared Thomas Mazda MX-5 (ND) 2022 Virginia Mazda MX-5 Cup round
Group 7 2:08.400[31] Bob Nagel McKee Mk.7 1968 SCCA National Championship Races
Group 3 2:14.400[32] Ed Lowther[a]
Bob Grossman[a]		 Shelby Cobra 427[a] 1967 SCCA Northeast Division National Championship Sports Car Races
North Course: 3.621 km (2000–present)
Prototype Lites 1:19.843[33] Kenton Koch Élan DP02 2015 New Orleans IMSA Prototype Lites round
Superbike 1:23.834[34] Jake Gagne Yamaha YZF-R1 2021 Virginia MotoAmerica round
Supersport 1:26.206[35] J. D. Beach Yamaha YZF-R6 2018 Virginia MotoAmerica round

Testing[edit]

The track is frequently used for test sessions by NASCAR teams. The teams use the road course to test their road course cars for the Watkins Glen International and Sonoma Raceway races. Since the track is not currently active on the principal NASCAR circuit (Trucks, Xfinity and Cup), a practice session is not charged against their allotment.

The track is also used by various manufacturers in testing of new or updated vehicles.

Celebrities at VIR[edit]

Several celebrities have visited VIR. In 2010, part of a special episode of the British television show Top Gear was filmed at the raceway and aired later that year as a part of season 16.

Country music superstar Reba McEntire visited the raceway in 2012 when her son took part in the race.[36]

In early October 2013 actor Patrick Dempsey, a star of Grey's Anatomy, and former athlete and reality-TV star Caitlyn Jenner raced at the track.[37]

Video games and simulators[edit]

All six configurations are featured in racing simulators Automobilista, rFactor 2, and iRacing.

VIR is featured in Forza Motorsport 6 as part of the Porsche Expansion Pack released on March 1, 2016. The track is featured with all six of its layouts, as well as daytime, nighttime, dry, and wet conditions. It is also featured in Forza Motorsport 7, released in October 2017.

VIR's North Course is featured in the video games Supercar Challenge and Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli.

All layouts of VIR were scratch built as a mod for Kunos Simulazioni's racing simulation Assetto Corsa.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Both drivers took the same lap time independently.

References[edit]

  1. ^ England, Nick. "The Story of VIR". VIR History Pages. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  2. ^ Wolf, Jason (19 August 2008). "VIR crash claims teenager". Danville Register-Bee. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  3. ^ "ALMS adds VIR to 2012 event schedule". American Le Mans Series. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  4. ^ Holaday, Chris, England, Nick & Allen, Phil (2003). Virginia International Raceway. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia. ISBN 978-0738515168
  5. ^ "Lightning Lap 2015: The Year's Hottest Performance Cars Attack VIR!". Car and Driver. October 2015.
  6. ^ "Virginia - Motorsport Magazine". Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d "Virginia 500 Miles 2002". 1 September 2002. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  8. ^ "2021 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR IMSA Prototype Challenge Race Official Results (3 Hours)" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 12 October 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  9. ^ "United SportsCar Championship Virginia - Prototype Challenge 2014". 24 August 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  10. ^ "2014 Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR Official Race Results" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 25 August 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Formula Atlantic Track Records". Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Formula Atlantic Virginia International Raceway Race 2" (PDF). 30 April 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  13. ^ "2009 Virginia Grand-Am". Motor Sport Magazine. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Trans Am Championship Presented by Pirelli Virginia International Raceway Oct. 5th - 8th TA XGT SGT GT Round 12 Official Race Results" (PDF). 7 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  15. ^ "2019 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR - Lamborghini Super Trofeo Race 1 Official Results (50 Minutes)" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 27 August 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  16. ^ "2019 F3 Americas VIRginia International Raceway - Round 10 Official Race Result" (PDF). 28 July 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  17. ^ "2022 ViRginia International Raceway FANATEC GT World Challenge America powered by aws Race 1 - Classification - Final" (PDF). 18 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  18. ^ "2021 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR >> Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 2 Official Results (45 Minutes)" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 12 October 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Round Two - Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear BOSCH 250 Virginia International Raceway Alton, Virginia April 23-26, 2009 Race Results". 26 April 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  20. ^ "2021 Ferrari Challenge North America Trofeo Pirelli VIR Race 2 Official Results (30 Minutes)" (PDF). 29 March 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Trans Am Championship Presented by Pirelli Virginia International Raceway Oct. 5th - 8th The Big Machine Spiked Coolers TA2 Series Round 12 Official Race Results" (PDF). 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  22. ^ "USF2000 Grand Prix of Virginia Virginia International Raceway / 3.27 miles / September 12 - 15, 2012 / Alton, Virginia Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda Final Race Report - Round 13" (PDF). 14 September 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  23. ^ "Virginia 400 Kilometres 2003". 5 October 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  24. ^ "2022 ViRginia International Raceway GT America Race 1 - Classification - Final" (PDF). 18 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  25. ^ "2019 Michelin Pilot Challenge Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix Race Official Results (2 Hours)" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 27 August 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  26. ^ "2018 F4 United States VIRginia International Raceway - Round 3 Official Race Result" (PDF). 2 May 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  27. ^ "Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car 2018 » Virginia International Raceway Round 4 Results". 29 April 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  28. ^ "Virginia International Raceway - June 2–4, 2023 / Alton, VA - USF Juniors Race 3 Results - Official" (PDF). 4 June 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  29. ^ "2009 Formula BMW Americas Virginia (Race 2)". 26 April 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  30. ^ "2022 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BF Goodrich Race 2 Official Results (45 Minutes)" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 30 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  31. ^ "SCCA National Virginia - Classes: ASR+BSR+CSR 1968". 21 April 1968. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  32. ^ "SCCA National Virginia - Classes: AP+BP 1967". 30 April 1967. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  33. ^ "2015 K&N Biscuitville 125 VIR North Course Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda - Official Race Report - Round 11" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 29 August 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  34. ^ "2021 MotoAmerica Championship at Virginia HONOS Superbike Race 1 Race (20 Laps) started at 15:11:14" (PDF). 22 May 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  35. ^ "2018 MotoAmerica Championship of Virginia Supersport Race 2 Race (20 Laps) started at 14:30:25" (PDF). 6 May 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  36. ^ "Blackstock, Buford Join Roush Performance for 2012". Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  37. ^ Rosenbaum, Heather (4 October 2013). "Patrick Dempsey and Bruce Jenner Race at VIR". Wset. Retrieved October 4, 2013.

External links[edit]

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