You would think the folks from MUFON should be getting calls from Southside Virginia as the area just east of Danville and a rock throw from the North Carolina line was occupied by “greys” and UFOs. The UFOs, or “Unidentified Fast Objects”, were hypothetically occupied and operated by NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series drivers. The “greys”, in this particular context, were often seen moving about in the larger groups of UFOs…
An invasion it may have been but it was not extraterrestrial. For several years, NASCAR teams descend on Virginia International Raceway and take over the rolling, countryside road course to test their ability to build cars that can, amazing as it may sound, turn right as well as left. This visit to VIR has become somewhat of a tradition as the season winds close to the road courses of Sonoma and Watkins Glen. NASCAR rules and regs do not allow teams to test set-ups at “sanctioned” tracks (as in the ones they will be racing on) except on specified times and days associated with the race schedule at that venue. However, there is no such rule concerning testing at a facility that is, in many ways, very similar to the sanctioned and scheduled raceways.
Open the gates and man the flag stations, we’re making right turns in 750 horsepower machines that have the handling characteristics of a lead-lined brick.
As far as we could tell, it may have been a third of the cars on the track that were actually “unidentified”. Of those, we could assign maybe another third to the “greys” subgroup. For the most part, the chassis is what is being dialed in. Driver skill on transitions and turns is part of the equation as well. Teams often show up at this rolling test with a body shell of primer grey. They might throw a number on the side or a sponsor along the quarter panel, but the car is grey.
We were able to identify a few on the course of the day. Greg Biffle was running. Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards were turning laps. Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton were showing their numbers. Tony Stewart’s #14 was blacked over but the “Smoke” was over the window. Harvick, Allmendinger and Menard were in full colors. Somebody was driving something that was a horrid shade of blue. Somebody else was in a car that looked like it was assembled from left-over bits. Based on the nose design, every team associated with Dodge and the Challenger were present and accounted for but didn’t bother to sport a number. They run the Challenger in the Nationwide Series… Look’em up.
Jamie McMurray, Marcus Ambrose and Aric Almirola were sporting numbers on their “greys” and the Michael Waltrip teams were not. The Toyotas were easy enough to spot with that half oval logo thing on the nose piece. They likely were not all from the MWR garage, but we can’t say in certainty. The “greys” were popping on and off the track like “foo fighters” on 1940’s English radar.
Strip the logos off a race car and the vague differences between manufacturer designations begin to merge from one to the other. It’s no wonder NASCAR is so concerned with C-Posts and shell contours…
We have pictures. We even have a few of the paddock and the garage. This was “working conditions” for the teams so distractions from fans and even media interruptions were locked down as tight as Area 51. Crista Walker of VIR gave us a cart tour of the paddock and though we’ve been to the facility on many occasions and are comfortable around NASCAR garages this was a bit like sneaking under the fence and getting spy shots of top-secret technology. After all, they are making right turns with bricks. They are experimenting with technology that defies NASCAR physics as we know it…
Virginia International Raceway is set in the beautiful, forest cut area just east of Danville, VA. VIR carries a long history with names like Carroll Shelby and Paul Newman. The British auto show “Top Gear” has filmed here. Neil Young has tested here. Grand-Am, AMA and the SCCA have raced here. American Le Mans is making their maiden visit later this year. The teams of NASCAR use the facility to get a leg up on their upcoming road course races.
Check the photos and enjoy the views around Virginia International Raceway. Please do not ask us how they turn right or if Dale Jr. was there. We had to sign something and we’re not sure what it was…
First time to a VIR NASCAR test. I agree, the area was locked down like Area 51 ! Won’t attend a NASCAR test there again until it gets more fan friendly. Was a bummer…..
MissedGear: It is our understanding VIR has nothing to do with those decisions. The NASCAR teams essentially rent the facility and it is their call, not VIR, about any access to the paddock.