Racing at Virginia International Raceway filled the weekend of October 6-9 with variety and speed. It was a full schedule of vintage style, classic racing and modern speed. The SportsCar Vintage Racing Association encompasses auto club camaraderie and friendly competition at tracks around the country. Practice sessions, class driving, car show and the racing offer something for every auto enthusiast. This was the Mission Foods VIR SpeedTour for 2022!
For our purposes, the winners on the races were not the primary. That information can be found easily enough at the SVRA website. Our focus for the weekend was to celebrate the culture and history of the automobile. Looking over the track during one particular race, for example, the combined group racing features vintage Corvettes and Mustangs, a couple of Datson 280s, a Capri, BMWs of 3 decades, Alpha and more.
Other groups ran MG, Fiat, Alpine and Sprite style sports cars. Classic road racers from different prototype eras were on track. Open wheel F4 and FR/America were going wheel to wheel with a look and style of Formula 1 and INDY Car. The weekend also featured full series racing with International GT featuring Porsche GT3 and Cayman classes and Trans Am / Grand Am styles of super fast muscle cars. There were also mixed big bore racing featuring retired, but still race worthy, NASCAR Cup cars.
The “Cars and Caffeine” car show put classic E-Type Jags next to C8R Corvettes and Minis next to Mustangs. The range in years and styles of classic cars was worth the visit.
Visits to Virginia International Raceway are always a pleasure. The SpeedTour is an expanded combination of what was the “Heacock Classic” with some additional track series. In this age of homogenized styling, this event is, for the car fan, a weekend to connect again with what makes the automobile such a unique part of our world.
The weekend isn’t necessarily about the most elaborate technology or the hybrid/electric moves in the showroom. It is about where the car came from and the sights and sounds that makes them attractive.
The next event at Virginia International Raceway is the annual fund raiser for the Victory Junction Camp for chronically ill children. That is on tap in November and gives everyone the chance to get their own car on the VIR track. It’s a fun visit, a fun car show and fun drive on a historic course for a great cause.
Keep an eye on Virginia International Raceway – The events coming for 2023 will, again, cover a wide range of motorsport. This is an automotive destination. The racing experience is open, large and much more available than oval track stadium settings.
PHOTO GALLERY – Mission Foods VIR SpedTour 2022 – Friday to Sunday
