Both NASCAR Champions Add Luster To Stellar Field Of Racing Legends
Southlake, TX (March 19, 2019) – NASCAR championsMike Skinner and Greg Biffle have filed entries for Sportscar Vintage Racing Association’s (SVRA) first-ever Vintage Race of Champions (VROC) Charity Pro-Am at Road Atlanta on March 29 and 30. The two join an IROC-worthy field of racing legends that includes Al Unser, Jr., Geoff Brabham, Davy Jones, and Willy T. Ribbs. Other VROC series charity pro-am races are planned for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August, and Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in September. At stake are two points championship trophies – one for both an amateur and a professional racer.
“Atlanta is in the heart of NASCAR country, so it is extra special to have two champions of that sport like Greg and Mike racing with us,” said SVRA President and CEO Tony Parella. “Mike is becoming an SVRA regular, especially in Group 10 with his race-winning truck, and Greg had a great race at our VIR Pro-Am last September. I think that really opened his eyes to what tremendous racing we have at SVRA.”
The new Road Atlanta Charity Pro-Am will support Hope For The Warriors (HFTW), a national nonprofit organization that provides assistance to combat-wounded service members, their families, and families of those killed in action. The organization focuses on those involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and their families. The SVRA race weekend will kick off their Month of the Military Child.
Skinner and his ATF & Gunslinger race team regularly participate in fund raising events for HTFW as well as other charitable organizations. With Andrew Franzone, Skinner leads ATF & Gunslinger. The race team also has Skinner’s sons, Jamie and Dustin, in leadership positions.
Skinner’s first taste of SVRA racing came at last September’s VIR Charity Pro-Am. In 1995 he delivered the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship for legendary team owner Richard Childress. Childress had noticed Skinner’s domination of the Caraway Speedway track championship as well as numerous other late model victories across the Carolinas the previous year and selected him to drive for his team in the inaugural season for NASCAR Trucks. Skinner rewarded Childress’ trust by scoring 16 victories for the black No. 3 Goodwrench Truck across two seasons.
Skinner has a career total of 28 race wins and 50 poles in NASCAR Truck competition. In 1997 Childress promoted Skinner to join the great Dale Earnhardt Sr. as his teammate in the NASCAR Cup series. He again delivered by winning the 1997 Rookie-of-the-Year title as well as six pole positions and a pair of exhibition race wins in Japan. In 2013 he was recognized for his accomplishments when he was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. Skinner has continued his career with occasional races as well as hosting the NASCAR Radio show, “Skinner Round-up” with his wife Angie on Sirius XM. Last year he drove his NASCAR Truck up the world-famous hill climb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Greg Biffle enjoyed tremendous success in the top three tiers of NASCAR – Cup, the Xfinity Series, and Trucks. He won a total of 55 races – 19 in Cup, 20 in Xfinity, and 16 with Trucks. Biffle was an exceptional qualifier with 39 poles across the three series. He entered NASCAR racing full time with Jack Roush Racing in the 1998 Truck series championship where he was crowned Rookie of the Year. He won that series championship in 2000. In 2001 he was full time still with Roush in what was then the Busch Series. He won five races that year to earn him the Rookie of the Year trophy. Biffle brought home the Busch championship in 2002 with four additional race wins. In 2003 he stepped up to Cup competition while continuing to be active in the Busch series. He delivered another strong year with a Cup victory in the July race at Daytona and two additional race wins in Busch. Biffle’s impressive resume earned him entry to that year’s elite IROC championship.
In addition to the new Pro-Am, the professional Trans Am Series Presented by Pirelli will join SVRA at Road Atlanta. Trans Am and SVRA continue to leverage growth for both series by sharing the stage at top road courses across the country. This approach, called, “Speed Tour,” delivers a motorsports festival atmosphere. Fans can expect more of the Hagerty Insurance “Cars & Caffeine” car corrals and a marketplace of accessory, memorabilia, art, and apparel vendors. The event includes an entire weekend of racing with hundreds of vintage cars competing in a variety of classifications.
SVRA officials have set a goal of expanding the VROC series to five races with a television package and entitlement sponsor by 2020. As with previous pro-am races, the cars are 1963 to 1972 vintage Corvettes, Camaros, and Mustangs of SVRA “Group 6” A and B Production. This year, two points championship trophies will be awarded – one for both an amateur and a professional racer.