THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410210787
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PETERSBURG LENGTH: Long : 146 lines
The battle has been played out on country roads, old airstrips and, in the last two decades, on fancy tracks built solely for that age-old challenge: Wanna drag?
Suffolk Speedway and Creeds Dragway were the only local providers of legalized drag racing before they closed several years ago.
A stretch of Princess Anne Road near the Virginia Beach Municipal Center and a portion of Shore Drive near Fort Story have been the favorite illegal spots for the sprint to the finish.
But Virginia can now boast one of the top drag strips in the country in Virginia Motorsports Park, just south of Petersburg.
The facility, which opened in March, is built specifically for drag racing. It has hosted nearly 90 events this season, including last weekend's Super Chevy Show, which drew more than 300 competitors - nearly a third from South Hampton Roads.
In an otherwise successful inaugural season, this weekend's scheduled motorcycle drag race becomes the canceled event. But action resumes with the season-ending Virginia Fall Classic the following weekend.
The track will join the nation's elite next year when it hosts the National Hot Rod Association Virginia Nationals June 1-4. That event will feature the upper crust of drag racing - drivers such as Eddie Hill, Joe Amato, Kenny Bernstein, John Force, Darrell Alderman and Warren Johnson.
``We feel very fortunate and think it says a lot about our facility that we have attracted a national event after only one season of operation,'' general manager Ken Kohrs said.
Virginia Motorsports Park's features include a VIP tower at the starting end of the quarter-mile run that houses the race coordinators' office and sponsor suites, and an extra mile of track beyond the finish line.
``And this is such a great motorsports market around here,'' Kohrs said. ``We have people from all over Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia coming here to race.''
That includes a number of of South Hampton Roads drivers who are among the points leaders in the five classes in which weekly races are held.
James Sessoms of Suffolk in the Super Pro class and Daniel Anspach of Virginia Beach in Sportsman are the two top local racers - each second in his division.
Thomas Toms of Virginia Beach is the top local in the Pro division at No. 5, and fellow Beach racer Chris Smyer is No. 10. Robert Demerly of Portsmouth is fourth in Sportsman, while Virginia Beach's Ralph Field and Gary Carr are sixth and ninth.
Nestled in rolling hills and overlooking a lake and campground, Virginia Motorsports Park holds weekly events from the end of February through the end of October that include Friday night challenge series for street cars.
``We're going to start a Sunday `Keep It On Track' series next year that will help emphasize the fact that it's OK to race your car, just so long as you do it on a designed facility,'' Kohrs said.
By the opening of next season, the facility will have grandstand seating for 24,000 spectators - with 12,000 more seats to be added for the national event.
During the three-day grand opening this past spring, more than 30,000 spectators visited the facility, and there were more than 12,000 on hand last Sunday.
``We projected an average of 120 cars for our weekly programs and got an average of 170,'' Kohrs said. ``It was the same way with spectators. We were solid with about 1,200 every week and much more for the bigger events. We're expected more than 30,000 a day for the nationals next spring.''
So who are these crazed fans who cheer at the deafening roar of powerful, mufflerless engines?
Demographically speaking, Kohrs said they are the same type people who enjoy NASCAR oval-track events.
``The big difference is that NASCAR fans develop a loyalty to one driver,'' he said. ``Drag racing is more of a following of the sport in general, and there is a lot of participation with our weekly events also.''
So . . . let's drag!
The battle has been played out on country roads, old airstrips and, in the last two decades, on fancy tracks built solely for that age-old challenge: Wanna drag?
Suffolk Speedway and Creeds Dragway were the only local providers of legalized drag racing before they closed several years ago.
A stretch of Princess Anne Road near the Virginia Beach Municipal Center and a portion of Shore Drive near Fort Story have been the favorite illegal spots for the sprint to the finish.
But Virginia can now boast one of the top drag strips in the country in Virginia Motorsports Park, just south of Petersburg.
The facility, which opened in March, is built specifically for drag racing. It has hosted nearly 90 events this season, including last weekend's Super Chevy Show, which drew more than 300 competitors - nearly a third from South Hampton Roads.
In an otherwise successful inaugural season, this weekend's scheduled motorcycle drag race has been canceled. But action resumes with the season-ending Virginia Fall Classic the following weekend.
The track will join the nation's elite next year when it hosts the National Hot Rod Association Virginia Nationals June 1-4, 1995. That event will feature the upper crust of drag racing - drivers such as Eddie Hill, Joe Amato, Kenny Bernstein, John Force, Darrell Alderman and Warren Johnson.
``We feel very fortunate and think it says a lot about our facility that we have attracted a national event after only one season of operation,'' general manager Ken Kohrs said.
Virginia Motorsports Park's features include a VIP tower at the starting end of the quarter-mile run that houses the race coordinators' office and sponsor suites, and an extra mile of track beyond the finish line.
``And this is such a great motorsports market around here,'' Kohrs said. ``We have people from all over Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia coming here to race.''
That includes a number of of South Hampton Roads drivers who are among the points leaders in the five classes in which weekly races are held.
James Sessoms of Suffolk in the Super Pro class and Daniel Anspach of Virginia Beach in Sportsman are the two top local racers - each second in his division.
Thomas Toms of Virginia Beach is the top local in the Pro division at No. 5, and fellow Beach racer Chris Smyer is No. 10. Robert Demerly of Portsmouth is fourth in Sportsman, while Virginia Beach's Ralph Field and Gary Carr are sixth and ninth.
Nestled in rolling hills and overlooking a lake and campground, Virginia Motorsports Park holds weekly events from the end of February through the end of October that include Friday night challenge series for street cars.
``We're going to start a Sunday `Keep It On Track' series next year that will help emphasize the fact that it's OK to race your car, just so long as you do it on a designed facility,'' Kohrs said.
By the opening of next season, the facility will have grandstand seating for 24,000 spectators - with 12,000 more seats to be added for the national event.
During the three-day grand opening this past spring, more than 30,000 spectators visited the facility, and there were more than 12,000 on hand last Sunday.
``We projected an average of 120 cars for our weekly programs and got an average of 170,'' Kohrs said. ``It was the same way with spectators. We were solid with about 1,200 every week and much more for the bigger events. We're expected more than 30,000 a day for the nationals next spring.''
So who are these crazed fans who cheer at the deafening roar of powerful, mufflerless engines?
Demographically speaking, Kohrs said they are the same type people who enjoy NASCAR oval-track events.
``The big difference is that NASCAR fans develop a loyalty to one driver,'' he said. ``Drag racing is more of a following of the sport in general, and there is a lot of participation with our weekly events also.''
So . . . let's drag! ILLUSTRATION: Photo
LEE TOLLIVER
Virginia Motorsports Park, which opened in March, will play host to
an NHRA event next June.
by CNB