This could be you. If seeing the incredible cars and results from this year’s Lightning Lap haven’t made your skin itch for a righteous track day, it might be time to see a doctor. Something is going on, all right, and it’s happening on Wednesday, May 8, at Virginia International Raceway’s 4.1-mile Grand Course. Compete in a 10-class showdown for the quickest lap. There are awards, a podium, flag workers, timing and scoring, and even the possibility of having lunch with a few of us. Most important, there are hours of track time up for grabs.
We’ve again teamed up with the track wizards at Kaizen Autosport who operate on-site at VIR to offer readers a chance to post their best times on America’s toughest track. Kaizen Autosport offers coaching, track car rentals, and timing transponders, should you need them. This year, we have three different ways to feel the thrill of VIR and Lightning Lap: as an experienced driver, an enthusiast driver, or, new this year, a spectator.
Experienced drivers will be split into groups based on previous experience (a minimum of five NASA High Performance Driving Education track days at any track are required) and get five 30-minute sessions of track time.
Last year’s introduction of the “Enthusiast Group” was a big success with many participants. This is perfect for drivers who haven’t driven on a track or have only entered a couple of HPDE track weekends. Enthusiasts will participate in two 30-minute lead and follow sessions to practice the line and get comfortable on track, rather than work on passing or lap times. After everyone shakes the beginner butterflies from their stomachs, passing—although restricted to straightaways—is allowed in the later sessions.
Don’t have a Grand Course–worthy car? That’s no longer a good enough excuse, because we have a new option to spectate the event, which includes a hot lap from a Car and Driver editor or Kaizen Autosport instructor in addition to lunch with C/D staffers.
Just as we categorize cars for our annual Lightning Lap coverage, classes are separated into pricing groups. There are also Street and Race Car classes. These represent more seriously modified race cars, which are obviously there to set the fastest time of the day overall.
Street
- LL1: Up to $39,999
- LL2: $40,000–$74,999
- LL3: $75,000–$139,999
- LL4: $140,000–$279,999
- LL5: $280,000 and above
Race Car
- Prototype LLP1: Up to $125,000
- Prototype LLP2: $125,001 and above
- GT Cars LLR1: Up to $65,000
- GT Cars LLR2: $65,001–$125,000
- GT Cars LLR3: $125,001 and above
Of course, we’ll be there cheering on our faithful readership. Last year’s winners didn’t hold back, with a few repeat entrants attempting to break some of their quickest times from previous years. Think you can beat the time Duane Black set in his automatic V-6 Mustang of 3:00 flat? Well, sign up and prove it.
If you’re curious about how your personal project car might stack up, we’ve compiled a list of every car, from police cruiser to McLaren Senna, that we’ve run at the 24-turn asphalt arena. Registration for 2024’s Lightning Lap track day, both for drivers and spectators, is below. The price to drive is $795, but use code CDLL2024 for 10 percent off. The spectating/ride-along option is $195.
We hope to see you at VIR!
Sign Up Here
Yes, he’s still working on the 1986 Nissan 300ZX Turbo project car he started in high school, and no, it’s not for sale yet. Austin Irwin was born and raised in Michigan, and, despite getting shelled by hockey pucks during a not-so-successful goaltending career through high school and college, still has all of his teeth. He loves cars from the 1980s and Bleu, his Great Pyrenees, and is an active member of the Buffalo Wild Wings community. When Austin isn’t working on his own cars, he’s likely on the side of the highway helping someone else fix theirs.