SVRA - Historic Courses Complete 13-Race Weekend Schedule
WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA, LIME ROCK PARK
ADDED TO SVRA SCHEDULE IN 2019
Southlake, TX (October 23, 2018) – The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) today revealed its 2019 racing schedule which includes the additions of two of America’s most revered road courses, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and Lime Rock Park. America’s premier vintage racing series gets into full swing for its 41st year in February with the annual Sebring Vintage Classic weekend and closes with the seventh Golden Bell Helmet U.S. Vintage National Championships at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in October.
“The addition of these two iconic courses to our schedule is the culmination of years of building and then strengthening our national racing platform,” said Tony Parella, SVRA president and CEO. “These are venues where racers and race fans feel the heart and soul of American road racing. Lime Rock Park lives the history of our sport every day. As for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, all of us at SVRA see that as the crown jewel of California road courses.”
The 2019 season actually begins at Roebling Road Raceway near Savannah where the focus is the annual SVRA “fast track” driver’s school in addition to the Bob Williams Heritage Cup races. The WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca date is simultaneous with the SVRA weekend at Road America, but officials do not see that as a serious conflict and predict that hundreds of vintage racers will converge on both venues.
“With more 11,000 vintage drivers in our database, including 2,500 SVRA licensed members across the country, and the vast geographic distance between these two amazing road courses, we’ll have hundreds of race cars at both events,” Parella added. “We will look to adjust the dates in future years.”
Another highlight of the season will be the return of the charity pro-am races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Virginia International Raceway (VIR). Under consideration is the addition of a third charity pro-am to create a Vintage Race of Champions (VROC) series. Those races have featured hall-of-fame legends such as Al Unser, Jr., Bill Elliott, Bobby Labonte, and Paul Tracy among many others. Additional details concerning VROC will be announced at a later date.
SVRA’s nationwide platform is at the heart of the organization’s growth strategy. It is combined with the growing participation of legendary professional drivers and leveraging the high net worth demographic in the paddock for sponsorship attraction. This provides three pillars for business expansion. Top-brand companies that have joined the list of sponsors include Jaguar, Land Rover, Merrill Lynch, NetJets, Sunoco, and Mazda. Company officials report consistent annual triple-digit growth since 2012.
SVRA 2019 Schedule
February 15-17, Roebling Road Raceway, Bob Williams Heritage Cup & Driver’s School February 28-March 3, Sebring Vintage Classic
March 28-31, Road Atlanta Grand Prix
April 26-28, Auto Club Speedway, Southern California Historic Sports Car Festival
May 17-19, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Trans Am Speed Festival May 16-19, Road America Spring Vintage Festival
May 24-27, Lime Rock Park, Memorial Day Motorsports Festival
June 20-23, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Vintage Grand Prix
July 25-28, Portland International Raceway, Vintage Racing Festival August 1-4, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Brickyard Invitational September 5-8, Watkins Glen International, U.S. Vintage Grand Prix September 19-22, Virginia International Raceway, Heacock Gold Cup October 2-6, COTA, U.S. Vintage National Championships