V.I.R.

The 1st automobile race took place in France in 1894, from Paris to Rouen. A round-trip race between Chicago and Evanston, IL, marked the 1st American  race the following year.     The Vanderbilt Cup and the American Grand Prize were the two premier  events of the time, and the most famous races were held on public roads  of Long Island, Savannah, Milwaukee and Santa Monica.    Opened for business in August, 1957, Virginia International Raceway (VIR) soon became a fixture on the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) circuit.  However, the fuel crisis of 1973 spelled its end.    Transformed into a world-class road racing circuit, the facility reopened in  2000, following the original track’s center line.    We visited VIR last Summer with the members of the crew and the students  of the California Superbike School.  The only other East Coast place on CA  Superbike schedule is Thunderbolt Raceway in NJ. Below is the story as seen through the lens.

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