WERA Cycle Jam Returns to VIR This Weekend

Alton, Va. (May 17) Some of the best amateur motorcycle racing in America will be on tap this weekend, May 20-22, at VIRginia International Raceway as the WERA Cycle Jam returns for a fifth year.

WERA is one of America’s oldest and largest national sanctioning bodies for motorcycle racing, and is known for showcasing up-and-coming talent as well as close competition. VIR is a favorite stop for the WERA racers, and the Cycle Jam has grown to become one of their most anticipated events. More than 500 riders will compete in 55 divisions as the WERA Dunlop National Endurance Series and Michelin National Challenge Series will join the Sportsman Series for three full days of racing on VIR’s 2.25-mile North Course.

Teams will arrive on Thursday for a practice day preceding the event, which gets underway in earnest on Friday. The first race of the weekend, a four-hour enduro for the Dunlop National Endurance Series, will take the green flag at 12:30 pm.

The Vesrah Suzuki team will be the favorites in this third round of the season, having won the previous two races, a six-hour event at Jennings GP in Jennings, Fla., and a four-hour event at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Ill. They could face a challenge from a new team to the series, Red Star, which finished second overall in the previous round. Team Eclipse is another newcomer that promises to be a front-runner this weekend.

Saturday will be dedicated to the Sportsman Series races, featuring five of WERA’s six regions. After practice in the morning, the racing will begin at noon. There will be 16 six-lap races, comprising 33 different divisions.

Round three of the National Challenge Series begins at noon on Sunday. There will be 11 eight-lap sprint races. With both novice and expert divisions racing, there will be 17 first-place trophies up for grabs.

Contingency awards will be available from Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki, ensuring that the grids will be filled with the series’ top competitors throughout the weekend.

“We always look forward to coming back to VIR,” said WERA executive Evelyne Clark. “Cycle Jam is our second-biggest event of the year, next to our Grand National season finale, and it is a very special event because it has all of our different series participating during one weekend. Thankfully, VIR can accommodate an event of this size, and it’s become the permanent home of Cycle Jam. We’re looking forward to a great weekend, and we hope that everybody who likes good, close, fast motorcycle racing will come out and join us.”

Three-day Super Tickets for the WERA Cycle Jam will be priced at $30. Two day tickets (Saturday and Sunday) are priced at $25 and single-day tickets (Sunday) at $20. All tickets will be available at the gate. VIR is a family-friendly facility, where children 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Spectator camping is available.

VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., and just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit (designed to be operated as two autonomous, full-service courses), VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, which is a showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; the VIR Safety and Security Institute, which provides specialized training for U.S. Government and military groups; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room hotel overlooking the track; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse.

VIR made history from 1957 to 1974 and is doing so again. The renovated original circuit has 17 challenging turns and 130 feet of elevation change. In addition to spectator events, the track is also available to rent for testing, driving schools and club days.

For more information, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR at 434-822-7700. More information about WERA, including a full schedule for Cycle Jam, can be found at www.wera.com.