Joe Nemechek, Mike Skeen win inaugural NASCAR Classic round at VIR

It only feels right that a Petty-themed car would win in the inaugural weekend for a series sponsored by Petty’s Garage, with Richard Petty in attendance.

Mike Skeen had the pleasure of delivering this when he won the second and final race of the inaugural NASCAR Classic presented by Petty’s Garage weekend at Virginia International Raceway. Driving a #45 Dodge Charger with a livery based on the late Adam Petty‘s Spree-sponsored NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity) car that he raced at the turn of the millennium, Skeen capitalised on a late mechanical issue for leader Joe Nemechek in Race #2.

“We ran second most the time. I think Joe was mostly playing with us,” remarked Skeen. “It was a great time. Had some good battles, had a little battle with Ryan (Gemmell) there and ended up taking the win. Super happy. Fortunate to take the the run here with Petty’s Garage have the opportunity to drive this car.”

Nemechek’s #47 Toyota Camry sported a paint scheme endorsing Donald Trump‘s presidential campaign, which he had previously used for two Xfinity races during the last election cycle in 2020. A longtime NASCAR veteran who has the third most combined starts across all three national series, Nemechek has mostly focused on historic stock car racing since his last Xfinity start four years ago.

The 60-year-old had won the first race before his Camry experienced problems nine laps in and relegated him to thirteenth. While his weekend ended on a sour note, his NEMCO Motorsports still wrapped it up with a class win courtesy of Donnie Strickland, who drove a Chevrolet Silverado truck with Nemechek’s United States Army wrap that he ran in the Cup Series from 2003 to 2006; Strickland was originally entered in a Toyota Camry but was unable to start Race #1.

“It was still so much fun with guys who want and are here to have fun,” said Nemechek. “That’s what this whole vintage and historic stock car thing is about. More and more people are calling and asking about cars, buying cars, and we are staying busy.”

Gemmell and PJ Hyett joined Skeen on the Race #2 podium, the former also finishing third behind Nemechek and Skeen in the first race. Gemmell, the 2023 Historic Sportscar Racing Group 8 champion, raced a 2009 Toyota Camry. Hyett’s 2021 Chevrolet Camaro is modelled after the #9 NAPA Auto Parts car currently piloted by Chase Elliott.

NASCAR Classic is a new series established by Historic Sportscar Racing in July. It made its début at VIR as part of IMSA’s Michelin GT Challenge weekend, while additional appearances supporting NASCAR are scheduled for Watkins Glen International on 13/14 September and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on 11/12 October.

As a historic stock car division, the entries at VIR were an amalgamation of vehicles from as early as 1987, where Carlus Gann raced a Ford Thunderbird resembling Ricky Rudd and Bud Moore‘s Motorcraft car, to the past decade with liveries like Denny Hamlin‘s 2014 FedEx (driven by Patrick Womack) and Cody Ware‘s purple 2019 Xfinity machine (Jeff McKee). Rudd was well represented with Gann also racing his 2004 Wood Brothers Racing Motorcraft Ford Taurus while Mike Slutz had Rudd’s 1990 Hendrick Motorsports Levi Garrett Chevrolet.

Petty’s Garage also brought race cars from their historic shop and a 1970s support truck to display at the track.

HSR President Chris Ward described the weekend as “resounding success. This was our first time running on an IMSA weekend and the format clearly works. The interest race fans and competitors from all of the competing series this weekend showed in NASCAR Classic was incredible and we have to thank all of the teams and drivers competing with us at our début race for delivering a quality and entertaining show, both on and off the track, all weekend.

“We look forward to building on the foundation established this weekend in the next couple of months at Watkins Glen and Charlotte and for many years to come.”

Race results

Race #1

Race #2