Baltimore was a tight fit, apparently…

The American Le Mans Series comes away from Baltimore with points tight and a few dents to pound out to be pretty for the Virginia debut. Coming into Virginia International Raceway, with only one other race to follow, the points separating 1st and 2nd are not enough to guarantee anyone a comfort zone. All the classes could get shaken up at VIR which means tense racing and a good show for fans.

But first, the shake up at Baltimore…

It didn’t take long. First turn from the start and everyone backs up in a tight bunch leaving several prototypes nose to tail like a stalled train. The streets of Baltimore offered no forgiveness for run off. The course was enclosed by buildings and barricades and in that first turn it was full of bumpers. A few laps and cracked carbon fiber later the racing settled down… a bit. (more…)

Two weeks. The state of Virginia is on the eve of two solid weeks of racing and it is as diverse as it is tense. NASCAR closes in on Richmond International Raceway for September 7-8 and the checkered flag will determine the championship “Chase” field.

The following weekend should be just as tense as points are close for the contenders in the American Le Mans Series which is making a first appearance at Virginia International Raceway. Following VIR, they will close the season at Road Atlanta so time is short to gain points for championships which sums up to good racing.

This is two weeks in Virginia which could make or break season hopes for both NASCAR and ALMS. Race fans could, and should, take a look at both events. (more…)

Yes, Virginia, your racing season is on!

The racing season is winding down but the tension is rising. Just have a look at NASCAR. The last few races have seen the variety of winners with circumstances rotating through the points lead. Currently, the lead is on with Greg Biffle who also held it early in the season.

Dale Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth have also rotated through the lead. The last few races have change off on leader points like right front tires on pit stops. The season is in high gear and the state of Virginia gets the lion’s share of the action.

Bristol is this weekend. Anything can happen here as the “Chase” winds through the final points races to get in. Face it, Bristol is a strip of pavement in a fishbowl. Throw in 43 cars looking for a win with a good portion of them looking for “Chase” points and you get eggs in a blender. Bristol is one for Virginia fans.

Yes, Tennessee, we know. But what is a few miles, really? (more…)

No NASCAR Sprint Cup this weekend? Whatever will you do…?

You could watch the Nationwide series race. Some of you will. Maybe not all of it. Maybe long enough to see a spin or crash and blame it on Danica Patrick…

However, you could expand your horizon a bit and watch Formula 1 from Germany and American Le Mans from Canada. You could also catch up with IndyCar, also racing in Canada, and see how they are getting along without Danica… (more…)

Southside Virginia has been hosting some classes with a fast learning curve. Drivers and teams are finding the ins, the outs, the tricks and the lines for the picturesque straights and turns of Virginia International Raceway.

American Le Mans will be racing here in September. Five classes of cars ranging from custom shell prototypes to modified production touring cars will be mixing it up among the trees and the twists when they pull off the grid with the green flag. As this will be their first race at VIR the teams are anxious for track time to find all they can about how to get around as fast as possible. With long straight runs, hard braking, downhill bends and some narrow sections the challenge of driving here is multiplied many times with unfamiliarity.

With that in mind, ALMS has paid a few visits to VIR with a variety of their series to find what all the fuss is about concerning this road course in Virginia. NASCAR tests here. Grand-Am has raced here. SCCA and AMA race here. Movie, TV and music stars have driven here. All have fond words of praise for the experience. Now, American Le Mans takes their turn with a first visit as part of the 2012 race schedule. (more…)

Auto Racing, in general, is having a bit of an identity crisis. It is not so much that the fans, or even the general public, do not recognize it. It is more a general feeling that there is no real connection to racing anymore.

Practically everybody can look at the #14 Office Depot Chevy driven by Tony Stewart in NASCAR and recognize it as a “NASCAR” race car. However, present the general public with the #10 Target / Ganassi Racing Honda of Dario Franchitti and the #4 Vodafone McLaren of Lewis Hamilton you will find that few outside of the paddock recognize the difference from IndyCar to Formula 1. Both of those cars, to the “non-racing” public, are likely identified as one or the other.

The “prototypes” of Grand-Am and American Le Mans are beautiful bits of shell and engineering but to the casual observer they are simply “race cars”.

Generally, if you throw a number and a logo on any given car it becomes recognizable as a “race car”. (more…)

California race fans drew a double-shot for racing in the streets of Long Beach over the April 15th weekend with American Le Mans and IndyCar combining forces for a showcase of speed.  it was a “Cirque du So Fast” as speed limits and traffic lights were put on hold amidst cones, tires and barricades.

Don’t worry, east coast fans…  The same show comes to Baltimore in September. However, by then there will be more points pressure to perform as the season will be winding down and competition for the top spots will be more intense. Baltimore should be a great event! (more…)