Virginia City Grand Prix 2019 — Our First Booth, Our First Race
May 2019. Virginia City Motorcycle Company's very first booth at the Virginia City Grand Prix. We loaded it with merchandise, set up in the Delta Lot, and stepped into one of the most storied off-road motorcycle races in the American West for the first time as vendors. It was momentous — and we didn't even fully realize it yet.
The Track That Ran Through Town
The 2019 VCGP had a track layout that made it unlike any other year — the course brought riders directly through Virginia City on their laps. Think about that for a moment. Off-road motorcycle racers, on a timed course, running through the streets of a historic 1860s mining town perched on the side of a Nevada mountain. The sound of engines echoing off Victorian-era storefronts. Riders navigating the terrain of C Street and the surrounding hillsides as part of their race lap.
It was something to witness. For those of us who love Virginia City and love motorcycle culture equally, it felt like the two worlds colliding in the best possible way. There is never a bad time in Virginia City — but that day was something special even by Virginia City standards.
VCMCo.'s First Booth
We set up in the back of the Delta Lot and loaded the booth with our merchandise. As a group, many of us had been attending the VCGP for years as spectators — some in the group were first-timers at the race, experiencing it all fresh. But this year was different. This year we weren't just watching. We were part of it.
Meeting and visiting with competitors and their families all day was one of the highlights. The VCGP draws a tight-knit community of off-road riders, and when you're set up at the race rather than just watching from the sidelines, you get to be part of that community in a different way. People stopped, looked at the designs, asked about the brand, and shared their own stories. That's what a booth at an event like this is really for.
My Brother on the Course
I had a very personal stake in the 2019 race. My brother — who is also the artist behind VCMCo.'s designs — was out on the course competing, as he has done for many many years. The man whose artwork is on every shirt, every design, every piece of merchandise in our booth was also out there on a motorcycle, racing the Virginia City Grand Prix.
He completed a grueling 5 laps. When I asked him afterward if he was supposed to do 5 laps, he wasn't entirely sure. But he finished — and not just finished. He came in the top 50 overall and 7th in his class. For a race as demanding as the VCGP, on a course that ran through town and up the unforgiving Virginia City terrain, that is a result worth celebrating.
I was so proud. The artist who draws the bikes was out there riding one — and he held his own.
No Major Incidents — A Good Day for Everyone
One of the things you always hope for at an event like the VCGP is that everyone makes it through safely. In 2019, that's exactly what happened — no major incidents to report, all riders accounted for. In a race this demanding, on terrain this unforgiving, that's something worth acknowledging. The Virginia City Motorcycle Club puts on an incredible event, and the safety record reflects the care that goes into organizing it.
Thank you to the Virginia City Motorcycle Club for hosting and for welcoming VCMCo. into the fold. You kicked off the 2019 party season in the best possible way.
The First of Many
We didn't know it at the time, but that 2019 booth was the beginning of a relationship with the VCGP that has only grown since. The race, the community, the town, the terrain — it all fits perfectly with what VCMCo. is built around. Virginia City is in our name. The Grand Prix is part of Virginia City's soul. We belong here.
See you on the hill.