Big Change at VIR

[Bobcat]

For those of you that have run at VIR over the years , you`ll remember Oak Tree turn before the back straight . Well , unfortunately , that huge oak tree is no more ..... age and weather finally brought down a tree has been there since 1957 and was a prominent feature of the course .
I looked and found some before and after pictures and that turn looks totally different and naked .
At least I have some pictures taken during track weekends of my ERA coming out of Oak Tree with that tree as background .

[Richard Hudgins]

Yes,

Quite the shame indeed.

We used to sit under that tree everyday for lunch when I had the VIR School of Motor Racing there in the very early 70's.

There were no guardrails in those days and I would stand at the apex of that corner showing the students with my foot where the apex was. I used to dare them to run over my toes with the school TR-4.

That alone proves how young and stupid I was.

[Bobcat]

Know what you mean Richard . I started racing at VIR way back in 1966 in an E/P Porsche Speedster and remember that turn and tree well .... it`s been a fixture and seen in almost every motorsports publication over the years .
The track hasn`t changed over the years . When I started doing the HPDE stuff at VIR a few years ago , the track was like it was back in the `60`s ..... only better .
You`re right about the guardrails .... and back then , you could drive completely around the track along the inside as a spectator. I still have a lot of "back in the day " photos from VIR .

[bret a ewing]

Hopefully one the acorns will germinate!!

Seriously, how hard is it to plant another tree?