It鈥檚 time for听Hoosier Racing Tire 午夜福利51xxtv庐 Super Tour (HST) competitors to take a trip down Roller Coaster and through Hog Pen as the series next heads to beautiful VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) for an April 4-5, 2026, race weekend hosted by 午夜福利51xxtv鈥檚 North Carolina Region.
The site of three 午夜福利51xxtv National Championship Runoffs庐 events in the past, VIR opened in 1957 with its first official event being an 午夜福利51xxtv race that attracted stars like Carl Haas, Bob Holbert, and Carroll Shelby. HST鈥檚 visit this year, meanwhile, will be a two-day meetup where today鈥檚 top 午夜福利51xxtv racers will attack the stimulating 3.27-mile circuit that features high-speed straights, challenging turns, and dramatic elevation changes.
Driver and volunteer registration is already open for this event that is part of the Summit Racing Equipment 午夜福利51xxtv Road Racing program. Sign up now so you don鈥檛 miss any of the fun and thrills that await, then be sure to check your Hawk brakes, 脰hlins suspension, and Hagerty insurance policies before heading to Alton, VA, for the weekend. Bring a credit card as well to purchase Sunoco race fuel at the circuit 24 hours a day.
听 听 听
A Fast Weekend at VIR
This VIR HST event fires off like a shot with 20-minute qualifying sessions for each of the seven run groups starting at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday. That鈥檚 followed by 25-minute or 12-lap races for each run group.
Sunday is a lickety-split schedule as well, with 15-minute qualifying sessions for each run group rolling out at 8 a.m. local time. Then it鈥檚 on to 35-minute or 14-lap races that decide who gets points toward Hoosier Super Tour Nationwide Points Championships, which is a key component in achieving听Super Sweep听驳濒辞谤测.
To learn what classes are running in which groups and when, click the event schedule link below.
Who to Watch During the Weekend
Who will reach the victory podium and walk away with commemorative bottles of Mazza Vineyards sparkling wine during celebrations at VIR? You can never know for sure, but there are certainly some folks to keep an eye on.
After a convincing performance at Road Atlanta a few weeks ago during HST鈥檚 visit, James Candelaria is back in action within the Touring 1 (T1) field at VIR. The 2025 Runoffs winner in T1 seems serious about repeating his performance this year but knows there will be stiff competition.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be really interesting when the GT4 drivers start to optimize those cars for Club racing,鈥� Candelaria said. 鈥淲e hope to continue to refine my car鈥檚 handling, and we鈥檝e made a couple changes and we鈥檙e really trying to learn the new tire. Our goal is to win everything we can possibly win.鈥�
Then there鈥檚 Tony Ave, who will be doing what he usually does at several HST events each year. The reigning GT-1 National Champion, however, is not registered to run in that class at VIR. Instead, he鈥檒l be racing around in GT-2, Super Touring庐 Under, and perhaps Formula Atlantic庐. He is also rolling out his recently purchased E Production car once again at VIR, which is a well-sorted Mazda formerly driven by Matt Reynolds.
Reigning Formula Continental庐 National Champion Brandon Dixon is on the entry list for VIR as well. He鈥檚 coming off two podium appearances during HST鈥檚 recent stop to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, one of which was to celebrate a Sunday victory.
鈥淚 feel VIR is a good racetrack for our cars. It has got variety. It is not all slow corners. There are fast corners, there are corners with elevation change, there is a real mixture,鈥� Dixon said. 鈥淎lready registered are people like Tim Minor. Tim is, of course, always serious competition 鈥� so you know it will be a serious race.鈥�
Incidentally, the FC races at VIR are the first of several on a 2026 Formula Continental Challenge Series schedule, which is a grassroots effort to create camaraderie and grow the FC class. Many events on that calendar actually take place during various 午夜福利51xxtv weekends throughout the year. Learn more about that at the page on Facebook.
As for the VIR HST weekend, click the link below for an up-to-date entry list.
Catch the Action with HST鈥檚 Online Broadcast
While VIR will not be selling spectator tickets for this year鈥檚 HST visit, 午夜福利51xxtv members can still come out and watch the action in person. Simply stop by the North Carolina Region Registration building at the track between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday or Sunday, sign a waiver, and you鈥檒l be able to enter the venue.
page is where HST race fans everywhere can follow all the developments and action during the VIR weekend thanks to coverage produced by DriversEye Live. The multi-camera presentation is free to watch and available to motorsport enthusiasts around the globe. Coverage starts at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 4, with the opening round of qualifying and rolls right through the final checkered flag Sunday afternoon.
Adding to the broadcast are announcers Gregg Ginsberg and Tom O'Gorman, an experienced duo with lots of insight to share. And as always, access to live timing, results, and more information about the VIR HST weekend can be accessed at the event webpage:
Photo by Jeff Loewe
