VIRginia International Raceway Announces New 2012 Season Spectator Schedule

< Danville, VA - January 23, 2012 >

VIRginia International Raceway is pleased to present a great assortment of automobile, motorcycle and karting events for the 2012 season. There may be a few minor changes to some of the activities along with some event sponsor announcements, but the dates are set and we are looking forward to a very successful year. A thrilling new addition to this year's spectator schedule will be the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron. Scheduled for September, this event will bring racing speeds never before seen at our historic track - and the first race ever on the 4.1 miles Grand Course.

The 2012 spectator schedule includes dates for CCS Motorcycle Roadracing, Chump Car World Series, NARRA featuring USGTC and F1000 Series, NASA OctoberFast with VIR's 2nd Annual BrewFest, and our season finale is the SCCA Charge of the Headlight Brigade. The annual Heacock Classic Gold Cup Historic Races will take place in October, while the Stock Car Open Test dates remain tentative at this time.

2012 Season Spectator Schedule

**Mar. 31 Chump Car World Series **

**"St. Guinness - Patron Saint of Perpetual Indulgence Challenge Pint" - 14-Hour Enduro **

Return to the era when racing was fun and cheap...when Bondo beat carbon-fiber; when a crescent wrench was the most valuable tool in your box; when home-made engineering made everyone sit up and take notice; and when adding a little theme to your car didn't get you laughed off of pit lane.

**May 29-30 Stock Car Open Test Days (tentative) **

See the biggest names in stock car racing on the track at VIR as they test in preparation for NASCAR's road race circuits. Please note that these dates are tentative. Sign up for VIR's FanBlast newsletter or Friend us on Facebook for the latest information on who will be here. (No paddock access)

**June 16-17 CCS 12th Annual Virginia Festival of Speed Motorcycle Roadracing **

The annual battle for the CCS Mid-Atlantic Championship rolls in for their 10th Paul Farrell Memorial. The pressure will be on as caution is thrown to the wind and riders get set to battle it out. Additional races and activities are in the works, making this a unique event to experience as a rider and a fan! Visit www.ccsracing.us to get the lowdown on all the riders, teams and the points standings.

**July 6-8 North American Road Racing Association featuring the USGTC and F1000 Series **

Race the nation with the North American Road Racing Association, America's new home for high-end, high-performance cars. The event features NARRA's US GT Championship, Whelen US TimeTrial Championship, Viper SRT Cup, US Performance Driver Education program and the Formula 1000 Championship Series. Visit www.NARRAonline.com and www.f1000champ.com for more information.

**Aug. 11-12 Chump Car World Series - "VIR 24-Hour Classic" **

It will be a hot summer night at VIR when Chump Car returns with your favorite wacky "junkers n' clunkers" 24-hr endurance race. This series is for gear-heads, for people who love driving and driving fast. It's not about gimmicks or theatrics. Rather, it's for grassroots race teams and for Chumps like you that have always wanted to go road racing without all the hassle. It's about "Joe Average" and almost-race-ready cars. Visit www.chumpcar.com for series and entry information.

**Oct. 5-7 Heacock Classic Gold Cup Historic Races & Car Show **

Join us in celebrating VIR 1957, the year the track first opened. Old friendships & cherished memories will return with every turn of the tire as VIR continues the tradition of its annual Gold Cup Historic Races & Car Show - with live music & special entertainment. Go to www.VIRnow.com for coming announcements!

**Sept. 12-15 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron **

VIRginia International Raceway and our partners in the surrounding communities are thrilled to see the historic assault that will be delivered by the American Le Mans Series by Tequila Patron - including the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda, USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda and the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy MX5 Cup to race here for the first time ever on the 4.1 mile Grand Course. VIR is proud to present our fans and sponsors with the leaders in cutting edge racing technology and the global leaders in Green Racing - racing at speeds never before seen at our historic track. This is truly an event not to be missed. Visit www.americanlemans.com for more information about the series and this event at VIR.

Sept. 22-23 CCS Fall CycleFest of Speed Motorcycle Roadracing

VIRginia International Raceway's Championship Cup Series Fall CycleFest brings some of motorcycle road racing's best teams & riders onto the track. Look for extremely close, side-by-side, knee dragging action as the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders for the coveted season crown! Visit www.CCSracing.us for all the news leading up to this event!

**Oct. 13 NASA OctoberFast / VIR BrewFest **

NASA comes to VIR with many different motorsports programs on a number of different levels, including High Performance Driving Events (HPDE), Rally Sport, Time Trial, NASA-X and Competition Racing programs. Visit www.nasaracing.net/ for more information. In addition to the excitement on track, VIR celebrates the Second Annual BrewFest with many great beers, food vendors, music, car show and karting.

**Oct. 27 SCCA Charge of the Headlight Brigade (13-hour Enduro) **

Hosted by the NC Region SCCA, this will be one the stops that makes up the coveted Triple Crown of amateur endurance racing. With great food, lodging and good times in store, settle in for a day to remember. Full event information can be found at www.NCRscca.com.

Tickets for all events will be available at VIRnow.com beginning Feb. 1, 2012.

Recently chosen as one of Car & Driver's Top 6 tracks in the nation, VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Virginia. VIR hosts a wide range of professional and amateur auto and motorcycle racing and track events, and is well established as "America's Motorsport Resort." For further information, call 434-822-7700 or visit our web site at www.VIRnow.com and subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on facebook.