DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With a 1,300-acre footprint, VIRginia International Raceway is the largest property that the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship visits.
For perspective, Road America, which at 4.048 miles is the longest circuit on the schedule, measures 640 acres. Daytona International Speedway is laid out on 480 acres.
Now, fans will be able to access even more of VIR’s spacious grandeur.
This weekend’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIR is the first event open for spectator viewing and tent camping on the outside of the circuit (driver’s left, or across from track concessions) from the start/finish line all the way to turn 5.
The change comes in addition to another new spectator and camping area that opened in 2021 at the south end of the track, from Oak Tree Turn to near the undulating section known as the Rollercoaster. VIR features more than 150 feet of elevation change.
“There’s a ton of viewing areas at this track, much of it due to our topography,” said Mike Rose, VIR’s director of marketing. “It’s an easily navigable track, our spectator parking areas are inside the perimeter of the racetrack and you can pull up right on the fence line for great viewing right from your car.”
Rose is excited to show off the improvements to VIR, which opened in 1957 and is unique in the way the 4.1-mile Grand Course features several short connectible loops that allow the facility to run multiple events simultaneously. The WeatherTech Championship and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race on a 17-turn, 3.27-mile layout that features more memorable corner names like Left Hook, Snake and Hog Pen.
The land upon which VIR is laid out was once farmland, and the character of the property has been tastefully preserved. The facility contains shooting ranges that, when cars are not on track, function as training grounds for multiple government agencies.
“It’s much, much more than a racetrack,” Rose said. “We have a full-service restaurant in the 1840s plantation home from the original family, which we have completely restored. The transformation from the year 2000 to the present looks amazing.
“We’ve also had on-site lodging for 15 years, with some 60 rooms in different configurations,” he added. “It’s really cool to stand on your balcony and be overlooking pit lane.”
Rose is curious whether the expanded camping and spectator areas will entice longtime VIR spectators and campers to seek out a new vantage point, or if they will stick with their traditional favorite.
“It’s funny how people have their own special spot that they return to every year,” he said. “But there’s so much new to see. No one has ever been able to watch from outside Turn 1 before, and it’s a really cool view from the start tower at the kink for almost a one-mile stretch. And the new open section at the south end gives a fantastic view of the maximum speed the cars go at VIR and the differences between multiple classes in race traffic.”
While spectator amenities continue to evolve, what has stayed the same at VIR for nearly 70 years is the racetrack itself.
“What makes the granddaddy tracks like Road America, Lime Rock and Mid-Ohio so special is what makes our track special,” Rose observed. “It’s the original 1957 racing line. It’s been repaved, obviously, and it’s been widened a little bit.
“VIR is for anyone who enjoys the true nostalgia of a natural terrain road course,” he added. “The IMSA weekend is always the biggest platform we have all year, and we really try to take advantage of it. You’ll see the old girl dressed to the nines, as they say.”