USERA Finale at VIR in October Will Be Double Races

Ken Grammer

Ken Grammer

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

USERA Finale at VIR in October Will Be Double Races

DANVILLE, VA. (July 17, 2006) – The United States Endurance Racing Association announced today that the final event weekend on the 2006 USERA Carbotech Endurance Championship calendar, which is part of the Grand-Am Cup weekend at Virginia International Raceway, will now be a double race weekend. Running as part of a large street tuner festival being planned by the event promoters, the USERA races will cap each day’s festivities on Friday and Saturday evenings.

“Double event weekends work really well for maximizing team travel costs,” said USERA President Ken Grammer. “The double race format will provide two chances for teams and drivers to secure last minute championship points.”

The next USERA Carbotech Endurance Championship event takes place July 22 as part of the 12 Hours of Nelson Ledges. The final event weekend at VIR will take place October 6-8 at Virginia International Raceway. The full series schedule can be found at: www.usenduro.com

About USERA
Founded in 2005, USERA manages the Carbotech Endurance Championship which consists of segmented and non-segmented endurance events with season Driver and Team Champions at stake. Classes are available for Spec Miata, the new Mazda MX-5, Spec Racer Ford and improved Touring and Showroom Stock (IT/SS) club cars. For more information on USERA, visit: www.usenduro.com

Media Contact: Ken Grammer, President 434-797-1866 office; [email protected]
 
More information on the VIR Weekend...

We are also discussing the possibility of a small race Sunday on top of the two evening races. I should know more about that soon.

The two evening races will run from 9-12 each day. There will be an hour of practice Friday from 3:00-3:50 and an hour of qualifying Friday from 6:00-6:50 (all times still tentative at this point). So eight hours of track time with two segmented races makes for a LOT of track/seat time for this event.

Form the VIR web site:

"Another exciting component of the weekend will be the first-ever east coast appearance of GT Live, the wildly popular “motorsports theme park” concept that accompanied the 2004 visit of the Japanese GT series to California Speedway. GT Live is aimed at younger enthusiasts, and will provide non-stop on- and off-track activities for fans throughout the weekend, including demonstrations by Japanese GT racers (with ride-along demonstrations for fans), drifting, Time Attack, autocross, karting, radio-controlled cars, car shows and audio challenges, plus music and vendors."

This has the makings of a really big weekend and a great opportunity for USERA teams, and especially all of you who have wanted a high profile venue for IT cars, to showcase your cars and racing to a new set of fans. Whether you like the segmented format (which we can address if course, this is a great opportun ity for IT owners who have been wanted something more then regional events!
 
Ken,

A couple of questions and comments.

Both races for one entry fee, or $800/race?

Daytime qualifying and practice but nighttime racing?

And while I think it's cool to be able to race IT cars as part of a pro weekend, I really don't see a lot of 'exposure' when your entire race is run at night.
 
Both races at the Sportsman Entry are $450 per race or $900 for both.

Both races at the Championship Entry are $850 per race, $1,500 for both races.

$850 per race for this kind of weekend is a bargain. $450 per race is a deal of a lifetime.

To put this into persepective, the regional 13 hour race at VIR costs $750, also runs at night and will have basically no exposure value. And it certainly doesn't run in conjunction with the Grand-Am weekend with all the "show" that goes along with that weekend.

I am working with the track for a night practice segment Thursday and will let everyone know if we can make that work. The weekend it pretty tight already. If it helps any, the tentative schedule doesn't provide any night practice for Grand-Am either.

Now as to the "exposure" argument. Well "exposure" means different things to different people. Exposure is much more then wheels on the track. Yes, you want people to watch your race. But being able to tell your sponsors (and a LOT of IT guys do have sponsors) that you are attending a pro weekend with fans in attendance, and showing your sponsor some fan-based exposure, well that is real exposure that sponsors like to see. That kind of exposure will help some drivers get funding you can't get for a club weekend. And night racing does have a lot of atrraction for fans. Grand-Am is racing at night... both nights. So there will be a lot of fans there for the Grand-Am races. The promoter is planning other activities well into the evening so you will have far more fan exposure at this one race (even at night) then at all your club weekends combined.

And I agree with you... this will be a really COOL event.
 
Still not in LOVE with the split format but, pending working out a couple of minor questions, the PhilsTireService/Conover Engines/Bildon Motorsports Golf will probaby be there.

K
 
It will still be twin 3-hour races but without the mandatory stop, right?

Coolness.

So will any changes/additions to the published USERA rules be in effect for the VIR weekend? I'm working on the details and really need to know what we're signing up for.

THANKS!

Kirk
 
Yes, VIR is still double three hour races Friday and Saturday nbight.

The only changes that I am aware of at the moment would be to make sure the wording added for segmented races was worded so that "if used, segmented formats will be...." :)

The more we learn about the VIR weekend, the more excited we are getting for everyone!
 
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