Most liked posts in thread: VIR: Oak Tree Down, Etc.

Wow. I can't believe this is the first I've heard of this. It's inexcusable since I live about 20 minutes from the track. For one reason or another I have not visited in the last two years. This is a sad thing. I remember going to races there when I was in High school and then finding out it had been closed when I retired from the USAF. I was there when it was re-openened and have been around Oak Tree several times in my Vette. Now that I have this Mini, I guess I will have to make sure I get out there more often.

 

They were doing the paddock when we there with the Phil
Wick's school last month.

 

Very nice job! The track looks fantastic.

Reminds me of my experience on the brand new repaved Portland Inter. Raceway.. Way different braking points and loads of new grip!

 

I'm going to have to make an effort to get to the track this year. Haven't been in about 5 years and I only live about 10 miles from VIR.

 

After just watching the in car video of the repaved course I found another

video (in car) from 1998 taken by the new owners before any work was

started to get it operational. What a huge job they had! Its a must see.

I can't post it because I don't know how!!

 

Any luck Steve?

 

Sweet! I live about 10 miles from the track, but haven't been there in several years. I actually spent more time there when I was in high school, in the days of bugeyed Sprites, cobras, and Corvette Grand Sports. They closed the track a few years after I went in the USAF. Need to get off my arse and get over there more.

 

Awesome photo. The tree is TINY there, relatively. And there was no south road / paddock. Or tire walls. Or any such silliness as that ****. Just a track for good old boys with moonshine money to throw down on.

 

The race car is a Cooper and might be a Cooper Cobra. Shelby built at least one of those cars. I saw it race at Marlboro MD. The Porsche is older than 64 I think. I believe 64 and 65 356's had two grills on the deck lid. My guess on the age is 1964 or 1965.
I am showing my age. Thanks for the like. I raced go-karts there from 66 to 68 when I graduated from High school. The place was a dump. The roads into and around the place were dirt. When it rained they needed a tractor to pull the cars and trucks out of the mud. One cool thing was a large pond. We went swimming a few time. At the 67 IKF winter endure nationals I finished second or third and got kissed by Linda Vaughn Miss Hurst Golden Shifter. She had come down with Mickey Rupp. Hurst and a lot of the hot Rod parts people all lived in Cleveland. Mickey owned a Go-Kart manufacturing business called Dart Karts, but at the time was making millions off stuff for the Vietnam war. He and Lynda flew in in his twin and landed on the back strait.

VIR facts - Carroll Shelby won the very first race at VIR. Curtis Turner's car broke during a race and got in his airplane and took off running against traffic during the race on the strait.