VIR receives County Improvement Award

From VIRginia International Raceway

DANVILLE, VA – VIRginia International Raceway was honoured this week with the “Keep Halifax Beautiful” award from the Halifax County Improvement Council.

In presenting the award to Charles “Pee Wee” Thompson, the track’s director of maintenance, Council Business and Industry subcommittee Shirley Whitlow cited the track’s constant work in maintaining its park-like appearance.

Track general manager Josh Lief congratulated the entire Maintenance team, commenting that their “efforts are what keep VIR looking the way it does.”

Thompson, in accepting the plaque, joked that he would tape it “inside the rear window of his truck, so everyone will see it” as he makes his rounds of the facility. Racers and spectators alike have commented in the past that: “it was an amazing race track. The most beautiful track I’ve ever been to. It’s a classy race track.” John Linster, an amateur car racer from Calgary, had that comment after last year’s 13-hour SCCA race.

Reopened in 2000, VIR hosts a wide range of professional and amateur auto and motorcycle racing and track events. In addition to its historic 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America's first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park and Motorsports Technology Park, which includes the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research (“VIPER”); and the Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8 mile paved natural terrain karting circuit.

The next big event at VIR is the AMA Big Kahuna Superbike National on Aug. 15-17.