SCCA Time Trials

There you are, back at work after partying hard for the New Year and already looking for a chance to break the monotony.

And here we are, being the devil on your shoulder talking you into registering (right now!) for a heavenly on-track opportunity that’s just two months away.

The second stop on the 2024 Tire Rack SCCA® Time Trials National Tour Powered by Hagerty is at the world renowned VIRginia International Raceway. Drivers will roll into the Alton, VA, facility on Friday, March 8, with cars on track on March 9-10. But be warned: There’ll be a LOT of track time.

Oh wait, that’s a good thing.

The most famous quote about VIR’s 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit came from racer (and actor…and salad dressing) Paul Newman – he called it heaven on Earth. And if you can show us someone who says VIR isn’t heaven on Earth, we’ll show you someone who hasn’t driven VIR.

Last year’s Time Trials National Tour plunked a car show right in the middle of the Time Trials National Tour (TTNT) and Track Event, and this year there’ll be more of the same – but cranked up. The 2023 gathering was a resounding success, with roughly 150 cars entered in the Driver Motorsports-organized car show and more than 250 spectators. This year, there’s expected to be more, more, more.

With multiple stints on track adding together to build an overall score in each class, TTNT offers more challenge than most track competitions. For those looking for the ultimate thrill, there’s the chance to reset a track record. But we’ll warn you, many of the existing records seem untouchable – but come on, the devil in you wants to try anyway.

What’s the overall fastest TTNT lap to beat at VIR? That’s a mark set by Kyle Carrick in a 2015 Nissan GT-R in 2021, where he blasted out a 1:53.103 lap. Last year, Jason Craver gave the record a shot in his 2015 Lamborghini Huracan, but while his 1:53.890 was blazingly fast, it was still 0.79sec short. The third fastest TTNT lap around VIR? A 1:55.749 by Chris Ingle in a 2014 Dodge Viper in 2021.

For you SCCA Road Racing fans, that means Carrick and Craver both out-drove 14-time SCCA National Champion Andrew Aquilante’s record-setting Touring 1 Runoffs time.

While not everyone will be aiming to upset Carrick’s overall lap record, other classes also saw amazing speed at the Virginia circuit. Kevin Gu set a time of 2:23.073 in Tuner 5 last year, Robert Wilmoth scorched the Earth with a 2:04.729 in Max 3, and Max 4 had Ben Thorn set a fast time of 2:08.997.

Not in one of those classes? Last year’s event results can be found here. Click the “Class” column at the top to see what time’s you’ll be gunnin’ for come March.

If running for time isn’t your thing, a Track Event will run alongside the action, allowing those drivers to shoot around the track without that pesky clock ruining a good time. (Pro tip: Double your fun and run the TTNT and Track Event in the same weekend.)

So what are you doing March 9-10? We already told you: You’re giving into devilishly good temptation and experiencing heaven on Earth for yourself.

More Info

Photo by Tradd Slayton