VIR ChampCar 24 Hour Endurance Race
This weekend was definitely one for the books. Huge thanks to Ben Keating for inviting my dad and I to fly on his private plane and race for him in the ChampCar 24 Hour Endurance race at VIRginia International Raceway.
On Thursday, we met Ben Keating at the Victoria Regional Airport to get in his plane and fly to Virginia. On the way there, we talked about his experience winning Le Mans 2023 and our racing goals for next season. I even featured him in my vlog (check out the video below for a surprise).
Friday was our practice day. We had two 200hp fwd Acura Integras and 8 drivers (4 drivers for each car). I had never driven at VIR in real life (only on the simulator) and never driven a front wheel drive car, so I was a bit nervous for my practice session. However, prior to the race, I had put in countless hours on Iracing at VIR on a similar car, so I felt pretty prepared.
After my one practice session, I got a good feel for the car and track. To my surprise, it was extremely similar to Iracing and I felt very comfortable in the car!
On Saturday, we started the race at 12:00pm and would end it at the same time on Sunday for a complete 24 hours. Ben and Danny (the other pro driver) drove the first stints for the team. Our plan was for each driver to drive two stints. After my dad and I’s first stint, my dad experienced extremely bad cramps and decided that he wouldn’t be able to complete his second stint, so I volunteered to drive his.
My second stint ended up being from 2am-4am, my first time driving at night. I never thought I would like night racing as much as I did. It was an absolute blast that challenged my driving abilities and bravery. I was even within a couple tenths of Ben and Danny, who had been driving these cars at this track for years! After that stint, I decided to stay up for the full 24 hours and assist the team in any way possible. I ended up being on radio for my teammates and helping with pit stops!
On my third stint, which was the last stint of the race (meaning I got to take the checkered flag for the team), my only goal in mind was to finish the race with the car in one piece. Seeing as how the team had never finished all 24 hours (due to mechanical issues) in their 5 years of running this race, all I wanted to do was bring the car home safely and complete the race for the first time ever.
With only a few laps to go, my dad, over the radio said, “Pull into the pits for a celebration! The whole team is here and wants to congratulate you!” After taking the checkered flag for the first time in 5 years, I pulled into the pits and saw the entire team waiting for me. On my initial brake squeeze to stop the car next to the crew, my right rear caliper literally fell off! One more lap and that would’ve happened while I driving, potentially putting me into a wall, or worse. It felt like it was one of those situations where it was meant to be. We were MEANT to finish that race and I was honored to be the one to bring it home for the team!
It was a very successful weekend for my first time in the car, at the track, and running a 24-hour endurance race. We had finally broke the 5 year curse and it felt amazing!
Huge thanks to Ben Keating and Hard Six Racing for having us. This weekend was definitely one of the best weekends of the year. I’m looking forward to what comes next!
August 12, 2023
