VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, ALTON, Va. (May 19, 2017)—They came, they saw, they conquered. Nearly 50 of the country’s fastest track cars descended upon Virginia International Raceway on May 19 for the 2017 Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge Presented by Grassroots Motorsports.
After a full day of thrills and spills, a victor emerged: IMSA driver Eric Foss and the Mosing Motorcars team took the overall win in their Riley Track Day car with an astounding 1:44.376 lap time. That’s the all-time fastest lap we’ve recorded in the event’s 11 years.
The event again attracted a wide range of track cars–machines like Victor Seaber’s Stohr sports racer, Adam Romito’s 10,000 rpm Camaro and Dan Raver’s Superlite-SLC special. The top 10 finishers, in fact, all managed to turn lap times under Virginia International Raceway’s coveted 2-minute mark.
Billy Glavin didn’t bring the fastest car, but it was perhaps the coolest. His 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL received both the Competitors’ and Officials’ Choice awards. It also claimed the Fastest Vintage award with a very quick 2:08.463 lap time.
Also impressive: A completely showroom-stock entry managed a ninth-place finish. When we say showroom stock, we mean it. Brad Wood’s 2017 Dodge Viper ACR came out of the Gerry Wood Auto Group showroom to manage a 1:59.784 lap time.
The Ultimate Track Car Challenge is an annual competition held by Grassroots Motorsports for the sole purpose of finding America’s fastest track cars. Anyone can enter with any type of car, and there are no restrictions on vehicle preparation. The event has been hosted at VIR for the last 11 years.
Full event coverage will be featured in the October issue of Grassroots Motorsports, including a complete rundown of the entire pack of contenders. You can get your subscription for just $10
right here.
Virginia International Raceway is hidden away in the hills of Alton, Virginia, straddling the border of Virginia and North Carolina. Since its reopening in 1998, VIR has grown to be one of the finest tracks in the nation. The beautiful 17-turn, 3.27-mile course offers complicated curves and elevation changes for the ultimate driving experience.
We’d like to give a big shoutout to our partners who helped make this whole event possible: Tire Rack, Wilwood, Lucas Oil, Koni, Continental Tire, Konig Wheels, Ford, Mach V Motorsports, Gerry Wood Auto Group, BimmerWorld and NASA Mid-Atlantic. Please help us thank them for supporting our community by considering their products for your project.
The Mid-Atlantic Region of the National Auto Sport Association, run by Chris Cobetto, sanctions the event. NASA has been the market leader for amateur road racing in the region for many years. For complete final standings, visit the official results page.
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