The GT Challenge at VIR is a sports car race held at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, since 1957. After being a part of the SCCA National Sports Car Championship and the IMSA GT Championship the race, along with the track, went on hiatus from the early 1970s until 2002. It returned as a round of the Rolex Sports Car Series, and became an American Le Mans Series race in 2012. In 2014 the race joined the schedule of the United SportsCar Championship after the merger of the American Le Mans Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series.
 | |
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| IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Virginia International Raceway |
| Corporate sponsor | Michelin |
| First race | 1957 |
| First USCC race | 2014 |
| Duration | 2 hours 40 minutes |
| Most wins (driver) | Walt Hansgen (4) |
| Most wins (team) | Briggs Cunningham (5) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Riley (7) |
The race length has varied from 150 to 500 km. The former title VIR 240 refers to the duration of 240 minutes (4 hours). In 2013, the race was renamed the Oak Tree Grand Prix.[1]
Beginning in 2016, the Oak Tree Grand Prix became the name of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge support race run on the same weekend as the United SportsCar Championship Michelin GT Challenge at VIR.
Winners
edit| Season | Date | Overall Winner(s) | Entrant | Car | Distance/Duration | Race Title | Report | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |||||||||||
| 1957 | August 4 |  Carroll Shelby |
John Engar |
Maserati 450S | 100 km (62 mi) | Inaugural Grand Prix Sports Car Races | report | ||||
| October 27 | Charles Wallace |
Briggs Cunningham |
Jaguar D-type | 2 hours, 30 minutes | President's Cup Race | report | |||||
| 1958 | May 4 | Walt Hansgen |
Briggs Cunningham |
Lister-Jaguar | 1 hour | National Championship Spring Sprint Sports Car Road Races | report | ||||
| October 5 | Walt Hansgen |
Briggs Cunningham |
Lister-Jaguar | 150 km (93 mi) | Autumn Festival Sports Car Races | report | |||||
| 1959 | May 3 | Walt Hansgen |
Briggs Cunningham |
Lister-Jaguar | 200 km (120 mi) | VIR-Shrine National Championship Sports Car Races | report | ||||
| 1960 | May 1 | Bob Holbert |
Porsche 718 RSK | 200 km (120 mi) | VIR-Shrine National Championship Sports Car Races | report | |||||
| 1961 | April 30 | Walt Hansgen |
Briggs Cunningham |
Maserati Tipo 61 | 3 hours | President's Cup | report | ||||
| 1962 | April 29 | Roger Penske |
Cooper Monaco | 2 hours, 30 minutes | President's Cup | report | |||||
| 1963 | April 27 | Don Devine |
Meister Brauser Racing |
Scarab Mk II-Chevrolet | 1 hour, 30 minutes | VIR National Cup | report | ||||
| 1964 | April 19 | Ed Lowther |
Genie Mk.8-Ford | 58 mi (93 km) | National Championship Sports Car Races | report | |||||
| 1965 – 1970 |
Not held | ||||||||||
| IMSA GT Championship | |||||||||||
| 1971 | April 18 | Peter Gregg Hurley Haywood |
Brumos Porsche-Audi |
Porsche 914/6 | 300 mi (480 km) | Danville 300 | report | ||||
| 1972 | April 16 | Peter Gregg Hurley Haywood |
Peter Gregg |
Porsche 911 S | 250 mi (400 km) | Danville 250 | report | ||||
| 1973 – 2001 |
Not held | ||||||||||
| Rolex Sports Car Series | |||||||||||
| 2002 | September 1 |  Andy Wallace Chris Dyson |
Dyson Racing |
Crawford SSC2K-Judd | 500 mi (800 km) | VIR 500 | report | ||||
| 2003 | October 5 | Andy Pilgrim Terry Borcheller |
Bell Motorsports |
Doran JE4-Chevrolet | 400 km (250 mi) | VIR 400 | report | ||||
| 2004 | October 3 |  Wayne Taylor Max Angelelli |
SunTrust Racing |
Riley Mk.XI-Pontiac | 400 km (250 mi) | VIR 400 | report | ||||
| 2005 | October 9 |  Luis Díaz Scott Pruett |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Riley Mk.XI-Lexus | 2 hours, 45 minutes | VIR 400 | report | ||||
| 2006 | April 23 |  Mike Rockenfeller Patrick Long |
Alex Job Racing |
Crawford DP03-Porsche | 400 km (250 mi) | VIR 400 | report | ||||
| 2007 | April 29 | Wayne Taylor Max Angelelli Jan Magnussen |
SunTrust Racing |
Riley Mk.XI-Pontiac | 400 km (250 mi) | VIR 400 | report | ||||
| 2008 | April 27 | Scott Pruett Memo Rojas |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Riley Mk.XX-Lexus | 250 mi (400 km) | Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR | report | ||||
| 2009 | April 25 | Jon Fogarty Alex Gurney |
GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing |
Riley Mk.XX-Pontiac | 2 hours, 45 minutes | Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR | report | ||||
| 2010 | April 24 | Scott Pruett Memo Rojas |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Riley Mk.XX-Lexus | 2 hours, 45 minutes | Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR | report | ||||
| 2011 | May 14 |  João Barbosa Terry Borcheller J. C. France |
Action Express Racing |
Riley Mk.XI-Porsche | 2 hours, 45 minutes | Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR | report | ||||
| American Le Mans Series | |||||||||||
| 2012 | September 15 | Lucas Luhr Klaus Graf |
Muscle Milk Pickett Racing |
HPD ARX-03a | 4 hours | American Le Mans Series VIR 240 | report[2] | ||||
| 2013 | October 5 | Lucas Luhr Klaus Graf |
Muscle Milk Pickett Racing |
HPD ARX-03a | 2 hours, 45 minutes | Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR | report[3] | ||||
| United SportsCar Championship | |||||||||||
| 20141 | August 24 | Luis Díaz Sean Rayhall
|
8 Star Motorsports
|
Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet | 1 hour, 30 minutes (2 x 45-minute segments) | Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR | report[4][5] | ||||
| Giancarlo Fisichella Pierre Kaffer
|
Risi Competizione
|
Ferrari F458 Italia | 2 hours, 45 minutes | ||||||||
| 20151 | August 23 |  Patrick Pilet Nick Tandy
|
Porsche North America
|
Porsche 911 RSR | 2 hours, 40 minutes | Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR | report[6] | ||||
| 2016 | August 28 |  Antonio García Jan Magnussen
|
Corvette Racing
|
Chevrolet Corvette C7.R | 2 hour, 40 minutes | Michelin GT Challenge at VIR | report | ||||
| 2017 | August 27 | Antonio García Jan Magnussen
|
Corvette Racing
|
Chevrolet Corvette C7.R | 2 hour, 40 minutes | Michelin GT Challenge at VIR | report | ||||
| 2018 | August 19 | Connor De Phillippi Alexander Sims
|
BMW Team RLL
|
BMW M8 GTE | 2 hour, 40 minutes | Michelin GT Challenge at VIR | report | ||||
| 2019 | August 25 | Patrick Pilet Nick Tandy
|
Porsche GT Team
|
Porsche 911 RSR | 2 hour, 40 minutes | Michelin GT Challenge at VIR | report | ||||
| 2020 | August 22 | Antonio García Jordan Taylor
|
Corvette Racing
|
Chevrolet Corvette C8.R | 2 hour, 40 minutes | Michelin GT Challenge at VIR | report | ||||
| 2021 | October 9 | Tommy Milner
|
Corvette Racing
|
Chevrolet Corvette C8.R | 2 hour, 40 minutes | Michelin GT Challenge at VIR | report | ||||
| 2022 | August 28 |  Matt Campbell
|
 Pfaff Motorsports
|
Porsche 911 GT3 R | 2 hour, 40 minutes | Michelin GT Challenge at VIR | report | ||||
| 2023 | August 27 | Antonio García
|
Corvette Racing
|
Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD | 2 hour, 40 minutes | Michelin GT Challenge at VIR | report | ||||
| 2024 | August 25 | TBA | TBA | TBA | 2 hour, 40 minutes | ||||||
References
edit- ^ "2013 ALMS Schedule". alms.com. American Le Mans Series. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
- ^ "2012 VIR 240 Official Race Report" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association. 20 September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ "2013 Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR Official Race Report" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association. 8 October 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ "2014 Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR Official PC Race Report" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ "2014 Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR Official GTLM/GTD Race Report" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ "2015 Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR Official Race Report" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2014-11-24.