Racing to End Alzheimer’s Ready for a Homecoming at Virginia International Raceway - Speedway Digest

Racing to End Alzheimer’s feels right at home at Virginia International Raceway. The non-profit raises money for Alzheimer’s care and research, with many donors giving $250 for the chance to put the name and hometown of a loved one on the #80 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4. BimmerWorld has its headquarters at the historic Virginia track, and co-drivers Nick Galante and Dillon Machavern want success in their own backyard when the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series races there this weekend.

Galante and Machavern will not be alone out there on the 3.27-mile Virginia International Raceway (VIR) road course. Over 120 names have already been added to the BMW this year, putting Racing to End Alzheimer’s on track for a record-setting season.

Racing to End Alzheimer’s has accomplished this with a blend of ingenuity and miles. Normally, the excitement of racing is what fosters donations, but the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series took a six-month hiatus between January and July due to COVID-19. Undaunted, Racing to End Alzheimer’s Founder Phil Frengs came up with On the Road Again: The Ultimate Tour for the Cure. Frengs drove a BMW M4 that looked like the race car, including all of the names and hometowns displayed on it, on a 4,000-mile road trip that spanned the nation, from Daytona International Speedway in Florida to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California.

Along the way, Frengs stopped at the BimmerWorld headquarters at VIR. Galante accompanied him and took the opportunity to put the street car through its paces on the track.

“I love driving at VIR because of the full spectrum of corners and emotions that track brings out in a driver,” says Galante. “The tight, twisting technical bits from turns 1-6, then into the fast and courageous Esses from turns 7-11, and finishing up with the exciting downhill rollercoaster from turns 14-17. VIR has it all, so you’d better come prepared!”

Now, it will be the #80 BimmerWorld M4 once again representing Racing to End Alzheimer’s at VIR. The two-hour Virginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix gets the green flag on Sunday, August 23. IMSA.tv and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will both have live coverage.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.