Alton, Va. Defending Championship Cup Series Mid-Atlantic and Southeast champion Nate Kern returns to Southside Virginia this weekend with his sights set on duplicating his accomplishments of last year in the combined CCS Mid-Atlantic and Southeast event at VIRginia International Raceway this weekend, September 23-24. Kern has made a name for himself over the past few years by winning consistently on a BMW motorcycle, swimming against the tide of Japanese and American motorcycles that customarily populate this form of motorcycle racing. Riding for Main Line BMW of Devon, Pa., Kern last year became the first person to win an overall motorcycle racing championship on a BMW in 30 years, since Steve McLaughlin’s historic win in the 1976 Daytona 200 on a BMW R90S. This year Kern has a new BMW R1200S to ride, and has positioned himself to sweep the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast championships again. Having only started racing in 2002, Kern’s meteoric success is all the sweeter thanks to his unconventional choice of racing machine. “There have been various opportunities to race other bikes, but the stellar performance of the new BMW motorcycles, and the desire to prove you cannot judge a book by its cover, has kept me racing these awesome machines,” said Kern. The fact that Kern can wrap up his pair of regional championships at VIR, with the technical support of BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta, is icing on the cake as Kern counts the historic Virginia circuit as his favorite. “VIR is special to me due to the fact that it was the site of my first race as an expert, which I won, and my first AMA race, the 2003 AMA Formula Extreme race, where I finished 12th riding for the Hooters Suzuki team,” Kern said. “I have won races there on three different BMWs and clinched two overall CCS championships there. The track is challenging, the facilities are first-class and the staff is very friendly. It is my favorite place to invite friends and family to watch me race. VIR’s willingness to keep improving safety and their accommodations will keep me there as long as I am racing.” This weekend’s racing action gets underway Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. with practice for all classes, with the day’s races starting at noon. Sunday’s schedule opens up with practice for all classes at 8:30 a.m., with feature races starting at 10:00 am, interrupted only by a lunch break from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Tickets for this weekend’s event at VIR will be available at the gate. Two-day tickets for Saturday and Sunday will be priced at $25, with single-day tickets (Sunday only) available for $15. 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., just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8-mile paved karting circuit; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room trackside hotel; the new VIR Paddock Suites and Garages, with 18 dual-purpose hospitality/ lodging units and garages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. For more information, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR at 434-822-7700. For more information on the Championship Cup Series, visit their website at www.ccsracing.com.