Superbike Races @ VIR

This past weekend I rode my Ninja to southern Virginia for some camping and the AMA Superbike races at VIR. I rode up on Saturday and got to the track about half an hour before the first of two races; I set up on the outside of turns 5/5a, in front of the lodge, as I didn't feel like messing with the infield traffic nor leaving my bike with all my camping gear unattended. Though it wasn't a prime viewing point, it was pretty good; I was actually downhill from the track, which made for a unique view looking up at the bikes coming around the turn. After the races I headed out toward Occoneechee State Park, about 50 miles east of the track, where I camped Saturday and Sunday nights. I got a spot facing west on the lake, so I got to enjoy two spectacular sunsets. It was a bit hot for sleeping outdoors, but I lived.

View from the shore


My tent as viewed from the shore


Sunday morning I headed back to the track, where I met up with two fellow N250RC members, James and James. :-) We parked infield and watched the action from turns 3-5, a great viewing area. We had a great time watching the racing and checking out the vendor booths. I got to chatting with a girl who it turned out was from Biloxi and is a fellow Mississippi State graduate! Small world.

Mat Mladin was back on his game, as he won both Superbike races. It was good to see Aaron Yates finish second in the second race. Jamie Hacking won the Supersport race as well as the championship series; he did a burnout right in front of us, then hopped off his bike and ran down the fence giving us all high fives. The day finished with Jason Britton, host of SpeedTV's Super Bikes program, demonstrating his stunting skills, doing wheelies and stoppies and all sorts of similar squidly stuff. :-)

Ben Spies, leading, before getting passed by Mat Mladin


Tommy chasing Roger


Jamie Hacking


Jamie Hacking


Jason Britton Stunting


Guzzi with beautiful paint


Benelli - Drooooool!


Interesting contraption - reminds me of the Munsters' car!


Irish Racing Team


Race bike with interesting graphics


Infield bike parking


The three of us then rode into Danville where we had dinner at Ham's, a chain similar to Ruby Tuesday or Applebee's. Upon departing, James and James headed homeward, and I headed back to Occoneechee for one more night. I still had a bit of daylight when I got back, so I embarked upon a mile hike through the woods, where an owl flew overhead, which was quite neat; it had a huge wingspan! I came upon a chimney that remains from a home that was built around 1800 and burned down in the 1890's. I made it back to camp just in time to watch the sunset from the lakeside. Absolutely beautiful.

Chimney of house burned down in 1890's


Monday morning I packed up and headed out on Highway 58 west to the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of my absolute favorite roads, which I rode for about 210 miles (and saw four deer and half a dozen turkeys along the way) down to Asheville, NC, where I picked up I-26 and headed home. The weekend was exactly, and I mean exactly, 1000 miles. Super weekend!

View from the Blue Ridge Parkway


Me, stopped at a post office; Imagine that! :-)