VIRginia International Raceway will host the fourth round of the Maserati Trofeo World Series 2014 on Aug. 24, the series’ only stop in the United States this year. The race is part of a three-day weekend at VIR, Aug. 22 to 24, featuring some of the world’s premier racing teams and the powerful Maserati Gran Turismo racecar.
The Maserati Trofeo World Series race will take place on VIR’s historic full course, which is 3.27 miles with 17 turns and 130 feet of elevation changes. Courtesy of the Maserati Gran Turismo MC Trofeo 2014, the official race car of the series, drivers will top speeds close to 180 mph. The car’s lightweight, carbon fiber body that is equipped with the specific aero kit, is capable of strong acceleration and high cornering speed and is perfect for navigating the many twists and turns at VIR.
“As one of the most challenging road courses in the world, VIR was a natural fit for our only U.S. stop,” said Roberto Bozzi, sales & marketing motorsport manager for Maserati. “Our drivers can’t wait to get on the track and fans are in for a show. It’s an honor to be part of such an amazing weekend of racing with some of the best names in motorsport today.”
The August race will add another chapter to the 100 years of history of Maserati. Carroll Shelby, who earned worldwide fame by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 and created the iconic Cobra sports cars in the early 1960s, won VIR’s first ever feature race. He claimed victory in a 20-lap, 65-mile event for top sports cars in 1957 driving the number 98 Maserati 450S. After winning, Shelby became an outspoken supporter of VIR’s challenging course and is famously remembered saying, “One lap at VIR is like a hundred at Watkins Glen.”
“The first official race at VIR was won by a Maserati, so it’s only fitting to have the series here during our biggest race weekend of the season,” said Connie Nyholm, owner and CEO of VIR. “The addition of the Maserati Trofeo World Series to the Oak Tree Grand Prix event lineup at VIR brings yet another impressive name for a weekend of high-quality racing. We’re honored to be the only U.S. stop for the series and look forward to a great race.”
The Oak Tree Grand Prix event weekend kicks off Aug. 22 with testing, qualifying, car corrals, driver autograph sessions, team chats, tech talks and more. In addition to the Maserati Trofeo World Series race, the following two days include races from the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series and the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. The headlining TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race, the pinnacle of racing formed by last year’s merger between the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the American Le Mans Series, will round out an action-packed weekend of high-performance racing on Sunday afternoon.
Fans can purchase advanced tickets for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s highly-anticipated sole stop in the Mid-Atlantic and the other exciting races during the three-day event at virnow.com/ or at the VIR box office. Prices are $90 for a three-day ticket, $80 for a two-day ticket for Saturday and Sunday, $70 for a ticket to Sunday only, $50 for a ticket to Saturday only and $40 for a ticket to Friday only. All tickets purchased at the gate on race day cost an additional $10.
