Virginia International Raceway

Virginia International Raceway

Virginia International Raceway overlay
Location	Alton, Virginia, United States of America
Opened	August 3, 1957
Architect	Sports Car Enterprises, Inc.
Major events	AMA Superbike Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, SPEED World Challenge (touring car class only)
Road course
Surface	Asphalt
Length	3.27 mi (5.26 km)
Turns	17

The Virginia International Raceway (commonly known as just "VIR") is a road course located in the community of Alton, Virginia near Danville, Virginia. It is found 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.

Track description

VIR offers six track configurations, of which 2 can be run simultaneously. The "Full Course" is 3.27 miles in length while the "Patriot Course" stretches for 1.1 miles entirely inside the Full Course. The "North Course" is 2.25 miles long and the "South Course" covers a distance of 1.65 miles. 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 4.2 miles 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."

Some of the raceway's named curves include "Oak Tree", "Roller Coaster", "Hog Pen", "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".

Configurations

Grand East Course	Grand West Course	Full Course	North Course
Patriot Course	South Course

History

Pit road during 2008 Grand-Am race

The track originally opened in 1957 and had been closed for decades prior to its reopening in March 2000. When the track reopened in 2000 it used a "country club" model. Memberships to the track are sold. Each member of the VIR Club receives track time on member day, 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. ^[1]

Testing

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 Infineon Raceway races. Since the track is not currently active on the NASCAR circuit, a practice session is not charged against their allotment.

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

Simulation / Video Game List

Simulation / Video Game	Year	Configuration
		Grand East	Grand West	Full	North	Patriot	South
Supercar Challenge	2009				Y
Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli	2008				Y
iRacing	2008	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

External links

• VIR Website
• Trackpedia guide to driving VIR with logged telemetry from drivers
• Google Maps
• VIR History

References

Coordinates: 36°33′42″N 79°12′17″W / 36.5618°N 79.2046°W / 36.5618; -79.2046