When the team at VIRginia International Raceway wanted a custom trophy produced for the Oak Tree Grand Prix/Tudor United Sportscar Championship weekend, they came to the staff at the Southern VA Higher Education Center's R&D Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Energy Efficiency (R&D CAMEE). Over the past few years, the R&D CAMEE team has developed a reputation for producing beautifully designed, signature trophies for prestigious competitions (see Pinnacle Award; Design Emphasis Award). The R&D team was honored with the request to design and produce a trophy for one of the largest races at the nation's premier road course.With the VIR trophy, R&D CAMEE embraced the theme "A personal victory deserves a custom trophy." Their goal was to design a piece that would not only invoke pride for the winner but also instantly take him back to the track where it all began. There were several ideas discussed, but ultimately the R&D team decided "what's more symbolic of VIR than the track itself?"

Using its sophisticated Siemens NX Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, the R&D team converted a topographical map of the track into a 3-D CAD drawing. They then used their three and five axis CNC routers and water jet router, to machine the replica of the track. This replica, made of aluminum and including the changes in elevation that make VIR one of the country's premier road courses, became the head of the trophy.

The trophy's shaft and base were carefully crafted out of solid white oak, giving homage to VIR's iconic oak tree that fell July 2, 2013. Adding the final personal touch, R&D staff used their laser engraving capabilities to engrave the tiered base with the event name and date. The SVHEC's R&D team hopes the trophy will become a tradition at VIR--a custom prize heavily sought, and hard won, by drivers for years to come.

from SVHED.org