VIRginia Int'l Raceway news 2008-07-29

Historic Racing Motorcycles Join AMA Superbikes at Big Kahuna Superbike Nationals

DANVILLE, VA - The AMA Big Kahuna Superbike Nationals is always one of the most popular events on the VIRginia International Raceway calendar and this year's August 15-17 event will be an even bigger draw -- attracting fans of both classic racing bikes and the latest factory offerings.

Historic bikes and replicas will crowd VIR's Gallery in an exhibit of cycles representing the history of the sport, with representative samples of all forms of motorcycle racing -- from flat track to MotoGP to trials and motocross. This may be the best chance to see a collection like this in one location so take advantage of this rare opportunity.

Headline bikes will include Dale Singleton's double Daytona winning TZ750 from 1979 and 1981; the "Yamamonster" FUSA champion bike from Dutchman Racing; plus road racers from BMW, Ducati, a replica of Eddie Lawson's early FZ750 and plans are being made to include a Matchless G50. The "Attack" Suzukis will be on display, with guests invited to enjoy the exhibits in VIR's Gallery.

"We are proud to offer this bonus to our guests and fans," said VIR general manager Josh Lief. "VIR's heritage goes back over 50 years and this exhibit underscores our commitment to recording the history of all forms of racing here."

Promoter Cameron Gray of M1 Entertainment, echoed those sentiments: "we keep looking for ways to enhance the fan experience at all our events and this vintage bike exhibit is one of the biggest things we've come up with yet," he said. "The combination of current Superbikes and the vintage bikes will be a great way for fans of all motorcycle racing to experience the heritage of the sport."

The static exhibits will include riders in period riding gear replicating the original riders' leathers. Some original riders will also be present, meeting the fans and signing autographs.

Last year's Big Kahuna AMA Superbike races saw Mat Mladin sweep the weekend, taking both Saturday's feature and Sunday's race ahead of teammate Ben Spies. Past Big Kahuna Nationals have seen classic races, some decided by only the slimmest of margins. In spite of the close racing sometimes, Mladin has dominated the track for the past three years -- sweeping both days' feature events in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

About M1 Entertainment: At M1 Entertainment, our goal is to provide fans with more than just a motorcycle race. Our events include extra attractions and entertainment for the whole family, creating a truly unique experience for the devoted fan and the beginning spectator. To that end, we are always ready to listen to the people to help make our events even better.

M1 Entertainment is best known as the creator and promoter of the Honda Superbike Classic at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. For 10 years, the Honda Superbike Classic was one of the most successful motorcycle events in the U.S., drawing close to 100,000 fans over the three-day schedule. It was the only event in the world to combine the World Superbike series on the same weekend.

Other notable M1 Entertainment events have included The Big Kahuna Nationals at Road Atlanta (1998-2000), The Reno Supermoto Classic in 2004 and the Red Bull Supermoto A-Go-Go in 2005. Our current events include the Suzuki CycleFest (2003-present) in Copper Mountain, Colorado, and the awesome Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIRginia International Raceway - our inaugural event taking place in August of 2005 with five more years under contract through 2010.

A Denver-based company, M1 Entertainment has been working in motorsports for 15 years. Originally spawned from Daniels Corporation under the name FAST, the fledgling company was heavily involved in television production for car and motorcycle racing. With the birth of Speedvision in 1995, FAST took an advertising sales and event promotion, in addition to television production duties.

Now under the umbrella of Fox Television Networks, Speed Channel (formerly Speedvision) is thriving. FAST morphed into M1 Entertainment (Race Promotion Management) and now is operating as M1 Entertainment with many of the same staff still in place. We still sell advertising for Speed Channel and promote our own events, keeping us busy year-round.

VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Virginia. Reopened in 2000, VIR hosts a wide range professional and amateur auto and motorcycle racing and track events, and is well established as "America's Motorsport Resort." In addition to its historic 3.27 mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America's first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park and Motorsports Technology Park, which includes the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research ("VIPER"); the Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8 mile paved natural terrain karting circuit; an expanding variety of on-site lodging (including 45 hotel rooms and the trackside Villas which are for sale); Camp Motorsport for enthusiasts of all ages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse.

The next big events at VIR are a Porsche Club of America race August 9-10, followed by the AMA Big Kahuna Superbike National on August 15-17, bringing America's best Superbike racers to VIR's North Course. The weekend of October 3-5 sees GT Live and the KONI Challenge bring a combination of motorcycle stunts, drifting, track attack and endurance sports car races. These events are all combined with a wide variety of amateur and vintage road racing and schools throughout the year.

Season passes to VIR's major events include preferred parking and access to the major spectator events. For information on the track and other event schedules, call 434-822-7700 or check our web site at www.virclub.com.

-credit: vir