VIRginia International Raceway is thrilled to announce the latest addition to “Heaven on Earth”. The Michelin Man will now welcome all fans, teams, and participants as they enter the North Paddock.
“I am so excited to announce that the Michelin Man will be gracing our statue podium at the entrance to the main paddock where the horse once stood. That horse represented a fun time in our history. Founding partner, Harvey Siegal, found the horse at a statuary in Greensboro, North Carolina and bought it since it closely resembled the “Ferrari horse”, which would be a cool addition to our resurrection of VIR as a motorsport country club track starting in 1998. Michelin is a primary partner to VIR and having the Michelin Man welcoming drivers to the main paddock signifies our dedication to meeting the stringent requirements of professional racing as a historic road course. Resurrecting and modernizing VIR while keeping its legendary configuration intact, evolving VIR to a FIA grade 2 professional track, and continuously upgrading and expanding our facilities has been my passion for over 24 years. I am tremendously excited about implementing our plans for additional facilities and events for VIR’s participants and fans” said Connie Nyholm, VIR Co-Owner and CEO.
“Hopefully everyone gets the smile that I do as I crest the hill heading into the paddock and see Michelin Man waving me in. And yes, I am guilty of waving back. Thanks so much to our friends at Michelin for letting Michelin Man stand watch here at VIR. We are so very honored” said Kerrigan Smith, VIR President and COO.
VIR and Michelin are proud to continue to work together to bring the best experience possible for everyone at VIR! Don’t forget to take your photo with the Michelin Man during the Michelin GT Challenge IMSA WeatherTech weekend and use #MichelinVIR!