And on the Grand Course!!! This will be te closest chance to see the Rahal factory M3 team since. . . .well, Baltimore last year. Press Release:
< Danville, VA - January 17, 2012 >
The list of American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón venues continues to grow with the addition of historic Virginia International Raceway for the 2012 season. North America's leading sports car championship will contest its first race at VIR on Saturday, Sept. 15 in a four-hour enduro.
The first ALMS race at VIR - located in Danville, Va. - also will mark the first competition on the track's impressive 4.1-mile, 21-turn Grand Course. It's a safe bet that track speed records will fall at the hands of the world's most exotic prototype sports cars and premier production-based GT cars. The race will be broadcast on ESPN2.
"For years we have received numerous inquiries from fans and competitors on when we would race at VIR, I'm proud to say that time is now," said Scott Atherton, ALMS President and CEO. "Virginia International Raceway is an excellent addition to what no doubt will be a fantastic 2012 season for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Given VIR's history and acclaim as a world-class road racing facility, this is a natural fit. We look forward to working closely with the VIR team to introduce their fans and lots of new ones to the fastest, toughest and most entertaining competition VIR has witnessed."
Competitors over the years have heaped praise on the circuit. Paul Newman once opined that "if there's a heaven on Earth, it's VIR." Car and Driver named it one of the six best road courses in the U.S. and called a lap around the Grand Course the closest thing in America to a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
"The list of drivers and manufacturers who have achieved success at VIR is a storied one," Atherton said. "We are thrilled at the prospect of ushering in a new era of competition at VIR as the first series to run its Grand Course. The sights and sounds of our prototype and GT cars racing at high speeds around such a demanding and picturesque layout will create a spectacle no one should miss."
The American Le Mans Series by Tequila Patrón - 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 September 13th-15th - will add a spectacular new chapter to the storied history of VIR.
"Virginia International Raceway and our partners in the surrounding communities are thrilled to witness the incomparable show that will be delivered by the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón and IMSA's top-flight development championships," said Connie Nyholm, managing partner of VIR." To be able to give our fans and sponsors the leaders in cutting edge racing technology and the Global Leader in Green Racing, competing at speeds never seen at our historic track is an opportunity not to be missed."
Tickets for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón race at VIR on September 15 will be available at VIRnow.com beginning February 1, 2012. More information on The American Le Mans Series by Tequila Patrón is available at americanlemans.com.
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