Ben Keating and Riley Motorsports claimed top honors for the second straight year. Photo by Ken Neher.
Rick Macpherson piloted this Nissan GTR to a fifth place finish and then drove it home to Nova Scotia. Photo by Ken Neher.
There was no shortage of turbos or wings at this year's event. Photo by Ken Neher.
VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, ALTON, Va. (July 20, 2015)—They came, they saw, they conquered. Fifty of the country’s fastest track cars descended upon Virginia International Raceway on July 17 for the 2015 Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge Presented by Grassroots Motorsports. After a full day of thrills and spills, Ben Keating and Riley Motorsports took the overall win in their Dodge Viper GT3-R with a 1:46.44 time through VIR’s hills.
While the Riley Motorsports team walked away with top honors for the second straight year, it wasn’t a walk in the park. Another professional driver, Mike Skeen, gave chase in a tube-frame Ford Mustang and managed a 1:48.52 lap time.
The driver roster wasn’t limited to pro drivers. Dez White, former NFL wide receiver, finished sixth in his Porsche 911 Turbo.
Mills Robinson also repeated his success at the Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge, winning the Fastest Vintage award for the second straight year in his 1967 Chevy Camaro.
This year’s event wasn’t just dominated by track-only builds, though. Rick MacPherson finished in fifth place overall with his Nissan GT-R, turning a 1:52.14. The most impressive part: After the event he drove the car home–all the way to Nova Scotia.
Also impressive: A completely showroom stock entry managed a 12th-place finish. When we say showroom stock, we mean it. The 2016 Dodge Viper ACR driven by Chris Winkler ran in as-delivered form, down to the street tires fitted at the factory. Even so, this monster managed a 1:56.73 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. The event has been hosted at VIR for the last eight years.
Full event coverage will be featured in the November issue of Grassroots Motorsports, including a complete run through the entire pack. A free copy of the magazine can be requested online 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.
The 2015 Grassroots Motorsports Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge is made possible by Tire Rack, Lucas Oil, TMI Products, Inc., ARP, Continental Tire North America, BimmerWorld, Ford Motor Company, DIYAutoTune.com and the National Auto Sport Association.
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 the final standings, visit the official results page.
Dez is almost as fast on the track as he was on the field when he was at Georgian Tech, where he burnt me for a trio of TDs in the 1st half of a Thursday night game. Not that it still stings or anything. Great guy and would be a great contributor or interview on fitness making you faster on track.
He looked to be strong enough to pick his 996 up off the top of the tire wall and toss it back on to the track :)
What's the story with that Camry? Damn that's fast!
I'm guessing the camry is a former NASCAR racer.
In reply to motomoron:
One of us has stayed in shape, the other has gone round.
pushrod36 wrote: I'm guessing the camry is a former NASCAR racer.
Aha - that 'splains it.
dj wrote: What's the story with that Camry? Damn that's fast!
Cold-air intake, header, exhaust, coil-overs.
Okay, yeah, it was a NASCAR Camry.
I am getting so much crap about being beaten by a Camry! 
Displaying 1-8 of 8 commentsView all comments on the GRM forums
You'll need to log in to post.
