GT Challenge at VIR

Sports car race held in Alton, Virginia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Corporate sponsorMichelin
First race1957
First USCC race2014
Quick facts IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Venue ...
GT Challenge at VIR
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
VenueVirginia International Raceway
Corporate sponsorMichelin
First race1957
First USCC race2014
Duration2 hours 40 minutes
Most wins (driver)Walt Hansgen (4)
Most wins (team)Briggs Cunningham (5)
Most wins (manufacturer)Riley (7)
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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

More information Season, Date ...
SeasonDateOverall winner(s)EntrantCarDistance/DurationRace titleReport
SCCA National Sports Car Championship
1957 August 4United States Carroll ShelbyUnited States John EngarMaserati 450S100 km (62 mi)Inaugural Grand Prix Sports Car Racesreport
October 27United States Charles WallaceUnited States Briggs CunninghamJaguar D-type2 hours, 30 minutesPresident's Cup Racereport
1958 May 4United States Walt HansgenUnited States Briggs CunninghamLister-Jaguar1 hourNational Championship Spring Sprint Sports Car Road Racesreport
October 5United States Walt HansgenUnited States Briggs CunninghamLister-Jaguar150 km (93 mi)Autumn Festival Sports Car Racesreport
1959 May 3United States Walt HansgenUnited States Briggs CunninghamLister-Jaguar200 km (120 mi)VIR-Shrine National Championship Sports Car Racesreport
1960 May 1United States Bob HolbertPorsche 718 RSK200 km (120 mi)VIR-Shrine National Championship Sports Car Racesreport
1961 April 30United States Walt HansgenUnited States Briggs CunninghamMaserati Tipo 613 hoursPresident's Cupreport
1962 April 29United States Roger PenskeCooper T61 Monaco2 hours, 30 minutesPresident's Cupreport
1963 April 27United States Don DevineUnited States Meister Brauser RacingScarab Mk II-Chevrolet1 hour, 30 minutesVIR National Cupreport
1964 April 19United States Ed LowtherGenie Mk.8-Ford58 mi (93 km)National Championship Sports Car Racesreport
1965

1970
Not held
IMSA GT Championship
1971 April 18United States Peter Gregg
United States Hurley Haywood
United States Brumos Porsche-AudiPorsche 914/6300 mi (480 km)Danville 300report
1972 April 16United States Peter Gregg
United States Hurley Haywood
United States Peter GreggPorsche 911 S250 mi (400 km)Danville 250report
1973

2001
Not held
Rolex Sports Car Series
2002 September 1United Kingdom Andy Wallace
United States Chris Dyson
United States Dyson RacingCrawford SSC2K-Judd500 mi (800 km)VIR 500report
2003 October 5United Kingdom Andy Pilgrim
United States Terry Borcheller
United States Bell MotorsportsDoran JE4-Chevrolet400 km (250 mi)VIR 400report
2004 October 3South Africa Wayne Taylor
Italy Max Angelelli
United States SunTrust RacingRiley MkXI-Pontiac400 km (250 mi)VIR 400report
2005 October 9Mexico Luis Díaz
United States Scott Pruett
United States Chip Ganassi RacingRiley MkXI-Lexus2 hours, 45 minutesVIR 400report
2006 April 23Germany Mike Rockenfeller
United States Patrick Long
United States Alex Job RacingCrawford DP03-Porsche400 km (250 mi)VIR 400report
2007 April 29South Africa Wayne Taylor
Italy Max Angelelli
Denmark Jan Magnussen
United States SunTrust RacingRiley MkXI-Pontiac400 km (250 mi)VIR 400report
2008 April 27United States Scott Pruett
Mexico Memo Rojas
United States Chip Ganassi RacingRiley MkXX-Lexus250 mi (400 km)Bosch Engineering 250 at VIRreport
2009 April 25United States Jon Fogarty
United States Alex Gurney
United States GAINSCO/Bob Stallings RacingRiley MkXX-Pontiac2 hours, 45 minutesBosch Engineering 250 at VIRreport
2010 April 24United States Scott Pruett
Mexico Memo Rojas
United States Chip Ganassi RacingRiley MkXX-Lexus2 hours, 45 minutesBosch Engineering 250 at VIRreport
2011 May 14Portugal João Barbosa
United States Terry Borcheller
United States J. C. France
United States Action Express RacingRiley MkXI-Porsche2 hours, 45 minutesBosch Engineering 250 at VIRreport
American Le Mans Series
2012 September 15Germany Lucas Luhr
Germany Klaus Graf
United States Muscle Milk Pickett RacingHPD ARX-03a4 hoursAmerican Le Mans Series VIR 240report[2]
2013 October 5Germany Lucas Luhr
Germany Klaus Graf
United States Muscle Milk Pickett RacingHPD ARX-03a2 hours, 45 minutesOak Tree Grand Prix at VIRreport[3]
United SportsCar Championship
2014 August 24 Mexico Luis Díaz
United States Sean Rayhall
United States 8 Star Motorsports Oreca FLM09-Chevrolet 1 hour, 30 minutes (2 x 45-minute segments) Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR report[4][5]
Italy Giancarlo Fisichella
Germany Pierre Kaffer
United States Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 Italia 2 hours, 45 minutes
2015 August 23 France Patrick Pilet
United Kingdom Nick Tandy
Germany Porsche North America Porsche 911 (991) RSR 2 hours, 40 minutes Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR report[6]
2016 August 28 Spain Antonio García
Denmark Jan Magnussen
United States Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
2017 August 27 Spain Antonio García
Denmark Jan Magnussen
United States Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
2018 August 19 United States Connor De Phillippi
United Kingdom Alexander Sims
United States BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
2019 August 25 France Patrick Pilet
United Kingdom Nick Tandy
United States Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
2020 August 22 Spain Antonio García
United States Jordan Taylor
United States Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
2021 October 9 United States Tommy Milner
United Kingdom Nick Tandy
United States Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
2022 August 28 Australia Matt Campbell
France Mathieu Jaminet
Canada Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
2023 August 27 Spain Antonio García
United States Jordan Taylor
United States Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
2024 August 25 United States Bryan Sellers
United States Madison Snow
United States Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
2025 August 24 United Kingdom Alexander Sims
Spain Antonio García
United States Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R 2 hour, 40 minutes Michelin GT Challenge at VIR report
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References

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