At the first-ever Eastern States Championship at Road Atlanta, NASA announced that the next running of the event in September 2015 would take place at the legendary Virginia International Raceway. VIR is one of the oldest road-racing tracks in the country, but it nearly became a memory instead of the world-class facility it is today.
History
Unfortunately, even the finest racetracks sometimes find themselves steamrolled over by “progress” when cities grow toward them and someone decides that they don’t want the glorious noise of money being turned into horsepower wafting into their backyard. Names such as Bridgehampton and Riverside loom large here, and there are many “ghost tracks” out there quietly crumbling back to nature. Luckily for us gearheads, Virginia International Raceway did not meet this fate. VIR was originally built just outside Alton, Va., in 1957, making it one of the first dedicated road courses in the country. The track hosted many amateur and professional events until it fell into disuse in 1974, and began a long, slow decline back to its natural state. In 1998, a group of investors who saw the potential of the track resurrected it, and after many years of tireless effort, turned it into a state-of-the-art motorsports country club. The track features cut-over roads, which allow it to be configured in many ways, and multiple events can be held at the same time using the different courses that can be created. VIR also was one of the first “country club” style racetracks, so there are a great deal of amenities onsite that you would not typically find at a racetrack.
Getting there
VIR is located on the Virginia-North Carolina border near the city of Danville, Va. The closest major airport to fly into is Raleigh-Durham, and the drive to the track takes the better part of 1.5 hours because the route you have to take is mostly either small-town roads or two-lane highways. If you are coming from the north, the route is a bit easier, but give yourself plenty of time to get there because most of the route involves taking some smaller roads where you can’t hit interstate speeds.
Staying There
The best bet, if you can swing it, is to stay onsite at the track. VIR offers many options here, with rooms at the Lodge, suites on top of the garages overlooking the front straight, and villas that are just off the racing surface on the south side of the track. If you can’t stay onsite, the nearby city of Danville offers many different hotel options that are reasonable and not far from the track.
Eating There
Again, because the track is a country club, the Lodge offers an excellent menu for the evenings and also includes fully stocked bars in Connie’s Pub and the Oak Tree Tavern. If you are in the mood for pizza, Aunt Millie’s Pizza in nearby Milton, N.C., is also a great choice and Danville has plenty of popular chain restaurant options. For local barbecue, there is the Checkered Pig in Danville.
Driving There
VIR is a real rollercoaster of a track with plenty of elevation changes, blind corners, and other challenges that keep you busy. The back straight and the front straight are both very long, and you should be able to go nearly “flat out” as you pin the pedal down the back straightaway.
However, both straights have tight corners at the end, so you will need to make sure you have plenty of brakes onboard to ensure you don’t get to meet a tire barrier up close and personal. Other signature corners include the Climbing Esses and the famed Oak Tree Turn where you nearly come to a stop before you shoot down the back straight. Sadly, the corner’s namesake oak tree fell two years ago after breaking at its base, and was removed this past season, but the corner is still there and tricky as ever. A recent repave and some runoff improvements have made the track as smooth as a billiard table and very fast, so make sure to pack a healthy serving of courage in your racing rucksack.
In terms of facilities, VIR has garages for rent, and tire service vendors will be on site for the Eastern States Championships as usual. VIR also runs a pro shop with all sorts of gear and souvenirs. Danville has a few car dealers and auto parts stores, and there are a number of race shops in the track’s Motorsport Technology Park, so getting blown-up cars fixed is not too difficult. There is also a five-eighths-mile go-kart track on site where you can challenge your pals to a proper kart race after the final checker flies on the main track.
So get ready for the next Eastern States Championships, and thank your lucky stars that VIR did not fall under the dozer’s blade or fade away into the history books.
The Facts
Virginia International Raceway
1245 Pine Tree Road
Alton, VA 24520
434-822-7700
Aunt Millie’s Pizza
249 Broad Street
Milton, NC 27305
336-234-0240
The Checkered Pig BBQ
155 Crown Drive
Danville, VA 24540
434-793-7447
Lodging
Blue Chip Racing Resorts (Onsite Lodging at VIR)
1245 Pinetree Road
Alton, VA 24520
434-822-7700
Sleep Inn & Suites
1483 South Boston Road
Danville, VA 24540
434-793-6090
https://www.choicehotels.com/virginia/danville/sleep-inn-hotels/va372?source=gglocaloz
Best Western Windsor Inn & Suites
1292 South Boston Road
Danville, VA 24540
434-483-5000
Holiday Inn Express Danville
2121 Riverside Drive
Danville, VA 24540
434-793-4000
Courtyard Danville
2136 Riverside Drive
Danville, VA 24540
434-791-2661
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/gsodv-courtyard-danville/
Comfort Inn & Suites
100 Tower Drive
Danville, VA 24540
434-793-2000
https://www.choicehotels.com/virginia/danville/comfort-inn-hotels/va367?source=gglocaloz
