VIR Motorsport Country Club's application for a conditional use permit at the 1,200 acre site and request for ordinance exceptions will be recommended to the Board of Supervisors by the county planning commission.
Commissioners unanimously approved recommending the application Tuesday night following a public hearing in Halifax.
Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the VIR application at 8 p.m. on Monday, June 7, at Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax.
During the planning commission session, Harvey C. Siegel, president of Blue Chip Racing Resorts, hinted the new facility might even trigger an international event.
Replying to questions about the noise level, area churches and early Sunday starting time, Siegel said churches were located on the opposite side of thick woods from the race course and that road course cars are not as loud as stock cars.
"Most of the vehicles that will use this course are street legal," explained assistant county administrator Jerry Lovelace yesterday. "And most NASCAR- type vehicles do not use muffler and exhaust systems that would meet state code for noise levels."
Siegel said the VIR site offered unlimited area for spectator attendance and parking.
No one spoke in opposition to the VIR application at the Tuesday evening session. However, Lovelace said he had received one letter from a property owner bordering VIR and one telephone call from the son of a property owner about the racing facility. Concerns included highway traffic, noise and early Sunday races.
Bill Miller of South Boston spoke in favor of VIR, telling commissioners he thought VIR offered a grand opportunity to promote South Boston, Halifax County and Southside Virginia.
Miller told commissioners he and a number of South Boston businessmen, Phil Conner, the late Tom Earp, Von Patterson and Jennie Lawson, had been promoters of VIR here about 40 years ago.
The businessman said the early VIR was seen as "a great opportunity to capitalize on tourists and traffic for an area of Southside."
Miller said they wanted to be the "hub of the racing community and road racing" in the area.
With national exposure now "due to the success of the Burton boys" in NASCAR, Miller declared the rebirth of road racing at VIR a "grand opportunity" to once again promote the area.
VIR sought application for a conditional use permit for the outdoor amusement/entertainment area site of 1,2000 acres located in the southwest corner of Halifax County north of the intersection of Pointer Road and New Haven Road and a special entertainment permit for specified annual public events. They also sought ordinance exceptions which dealt with signage, the ability to commence races at 8 a.m. on Sunday and overnight camping for club members.
In other business, the planning commission voted unanimously to recommend to the Board of Supervisors amended ordinance proposals for elderly housing in business zones.
The zoning ordinance made no provision for an elderly housing facility in a Business - 2 zone prior to this action. Definitions and outline of procedures for those seeking to locate such facilities in either B-1 or B-2 were recommended by commissioners.
A June 22 public hearing will be held on the elderly housing ordinance by the planning commission.
Also, during the Tuesday night session H.C. Ford was elected chairman of the Halifax County Planning Commission with E.C. Graves vice-chairman.
Planning commission members also welcomed new member Ray Owen of Election District 3.

South Boston Police are searching for a tall black man who robbed the One Valley Bank branch on Halifax Road Wednesday morning.
South Boston Police Lt. Rick Loftis said there were no other customers inside when a single dark-complexioned black male with a mustache entered the bank shortly before 10 a.m., told the teller he had a gun, and demanded money.
The man, who was approximately six-foot, two-inches tall and weighed around 190 pounds, left the bank with an undisclosed amount of money and was last seen walking away from the bank behind the adjacent McDonald's restaurant headed north.
No one actually saw a gun, Loftis said.
Units from the South Boston Police responded immediately and were soon joined by FBI agents. Units from the Halifax County Sheriff's Office, and Virginia State Police, including a helicopter and tracking dogs, also spent several hours searching the surrounding area for the suspect, but could not locate him.
The bank remained closed for the rest of the day while investigators combed the building for clues.
Bank employees said the man appeared to be in his mid 20's or 30's and was wearing sunglasses, a green baseball-type cap with writing on it, a gray T-shirt over a white T-shirt, and dark pants.
Less than a year ago, a man armed with a shotgun walked into the One Valley Bank branch located on Wilborn Avenue and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Two suspected cocaine dealers arrested in separate operations conducted by the Halifax/South Boston Regional Narcotic Enforcement Task Force were found guilty as charged in Halifax County Circuit Court this week.
Wanda Gale Oakes, 41, of James D. Hagwood Highway, South Boston, and Jeffer Shawn Knight, 28, of Trenton, New Jersey, both pleaded guilty Tuesday to distributing cocaine.
Oakes, who was arrested during the 1998 November Friday the 13th Operation Snake Eyes, pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement and was found guilty of one count of distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance, namely cocaine.
Halifax County Circuity Court Judge Charles L. McCormick III sentenced Oakes to five years in prison, with all but 12 months jail time suspended and one year supervised probation on the condition of her good behavior for a five year period following her release.
As part of her good behavior, Oakes must not use illegal drugs or marijuana, and must submit to random drug testing. She also waived her Fourth Amendment rights and agreed to submit to random searches of her person and/or place of residence either with or without a warrant.
McCormick authorized work release, if Oakes qualifies, and ordered her to pay $40 restitution to the Halifax/South Boston Regional Narcotic Enforcement Task Force.
McCormick ordered her to report to the Blue Ridge Regional Adult Detention Center by 6 p.m. June 15 to begin serving her sentence.
Knight, who was arrested last March during the Operation Street Sweep, also entered into a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine.
He was found guilty and remanded to jail until his sentencing date in July.

South Boston investigators followed a lead right to the door of a Roxboro motel and arrested the elusive "freckled bandit" who was wanted for allegedly robbing a Centerville gas station earlier this month.
According to South Boston Police Lt. Rick Loftis, investigators received several tips regarding the location of 21-year-old Ronnie David Blanks, of of Clover, who was wanted in connection with an armed robbery that occurred at the Savings Gas Station May 12, and finally traced him to the Timberland Motel in Roxboro Tuesday evening.
Loftis said Roxboro authorities found Blanks and the two girls he had reportedly been traveling with since May 13 in a room at the motel around 5:30 p.m.
The two girls, ages 12 and 16, reportedly came from a juvenile detention hall near Richmond, and had been seen with Blanks in Ohio, Maryland and New Jersey.
Roxboro authorities detained the girls charged Blanks with possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of a stolen firearm, and placed him in the Person County Jail without bond.
Loftis said during the arrest Roxboro officers recovered a .22 caliber revolver that authorities suspect may have been used during the gas station robbery.
Blanks faces charges of armed robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in South Boston, and will also be charged in Halifax County with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and larceny of a firearm, Loftis said.
Loftis added that Blanks may face charges in other states, as well, as he is suspected to have been involved in a traffic accident and carjacking in Ohio.

Halifax County High School will hold its Commencement Exercise Friday, June 11, at 6 p.m. in the high school gym.
Admission is by ticket only.
Highlighting the big night for the graduating seniors will be the recognition of the "Top Ten" Seniors, the valedictorian, and the salutatorian.
Jennifer Lynn Crews, the president of the National Honor Society, will deliver the annual commencement address.
Also included on the program are Senior Class President Kimberly Elizabeth Martin and Student Council Association President Bobbie Lee Bourne.
The senior members of the high school's Camerata will perform the National Anthem.
Following the recognition of the "Top Ten" seniors, Halifax County School Superintendent Dennis Witt and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Bobby R. Hall will present diplomas to the graduating seniors.
Halifax County High School's graduation ceremony is one of a small handful of major events coming up at the school over the next couple of weeks.
The high school's annual All Star Banquet is scheduled for Monday, June 2, at 6:30 p.m. at the Bright Leaf Forum.
Halifax County High School's Senior Awards Night, the night on which the school's top awards and scholarships are presented, will be held Monday, June 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
A Baccalaureate Service for the Senior Class of 1999 will be held Wednesday, June 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Halifax County High School Auditorium.
Student attendance is optional at the event due to the fact the event is not sponsored by the high school or being staged by the high school.
A spokesman connected with the event noted that seniors who participate in the service will march in at the beginning of the service.
Students participating in the service are asked to wear Class Day clothing.
The guest speakers for the Baccalaureate Service will be the Rev. Robert Lewis and Rev. Ronald Dean.

A Halifax County native has been awarded the prestigious Luce Fellowship to complete her Ph.D. dissertation in art history.
Martha Hagood won the competitive scholarship offered through the Henry Luce Foundation.
"This allows me to do the research and writing of the dissertation without distraction," said Hagood.
She also is the recipient of a Fellowship at Winterthur Library in Delaware for the month of August. She will be involved in a research project there.
The art historian has completed her course work at the University of Delaware, which is recognized for its American Art History program, and is writing her dissertation on the topic, "Representing the Truth," which explores newspaper and magazine illustrations in the early 20th Century.
"This is an exciting time to be living in the U.S. and working on American art," said Hagood.
"The generation of art historians who built the program in American art history at the University of Delaware - people like Wayne Craven, William Homer and Damie Stillman - have produced another generation of Americanists who now teach in universities and work in museums all over the country.
"American artists who have not been taken seriously are getting a fresh look," added Hagood.
A shift in European dominance of the art world to New York in the 20th century is another factor in the changing face and importance of American art and its history, according to Hagood.
"So much art of the last 50 years has been produced in the United States that the history of American art matters in a way it didn't before," said the historian.
"That's not to say that there's anything necessarily wrong with the quality of American art," added Hagood. "We've always had wonderful artists, like John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, Augustus St. Gaudens, or Alfred Stieglitz.
"But we don't need to justify the attention we pay to American art by claiming that American art has always been 'just as good' as French, English, or Italian art. In fact, I don't think you can prove that, because I don't think it's true. Good art often comes out of a healthy, vibrant art community, and for a long time, the United States didn't have anything like that."
The changing face of art history also includes a change of focus among historians, according to Hagood.
"Pictures help determine what we believe to be true," said Hagood. "As the field of art history has changed over the years, art historians have become somewhat less obsessed about deciding what's good and what's bad and more interested in these other aspects of pictures."
The way we look at art may open or close doors of exploration, suggested Hagood.
"But if you can get away from the notion that the only reason to look at a work of art is to decide whether it's 'good' or not, then all sorts of images become fascinating and reward your time and effort. Looking closely at photographs, everyday houses, magazine illustration, 'folk art,' and even industrial design can provide insights into the role art and images play in our thinking.
"At the same time, they are documents that help us understand other aspects of our history. But like most documents, we have to take them with a grain of salt. Pictures don't necessarily tell the truth," explained the art historian.
Hagood is among the new generation of art historians taking a fresh look at American art in all its venues.
During a telephone interview this week, she also recommended American exhibits underway, particularly one at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
The Whitney is featuring "The American Century: Art & Culture 1900-2000" with more than 1,200 paintings. Also, sculptures, photographs and prints supplemented by related materials in architecture, music, dance, literature, film and the decorative arts are part of the April 23-August 22 exhibit. The exhibit includes work by Jackson Pollock, Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, Georgia O'Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz and Jacob Lawrence.
Part One of the Whitney exhibit focuses on 1900-1950. A second exhibit, Sept. 26-Feb. 13, 2000, will explore the second half of the century.
Also, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia is exhibiting a major retrospective on the work of Maxfield Parrish this summer, added Hagood.
Martha Hagood is the daughter of Dr. Warren Hagood of South Boston and the late Maud Hagood.

Richard Hendren of South Boston died Wednesday, May 26, 1999 at Halifax Region Hospital at the age of 79.
Mr. Hendren was born in Halifax County on October 15, 1919 the son of Lorenzo and Bertha Stokes and was married to Queen Dunkley Hendren.
Survivors include his wife; six sons, Samuel and John Thomas of Whitevill, NC, Richard Jr., Robert, James and Jessie Hendren, all of South Boston; two daughters, Alberta Green of Danville and Evelyn Faulkner of South Boston; three daughters-in-law; one son-in-law; one sister, Nannie Wyatt of South Boston; 24 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
Funeral services for Mr. Hendren will be held Saturday, May 29 at 2 p.m. at Mt. Olive Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. James Crowder officiating. Burial will follow in Rose Garden Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at Kent, Ballou and Crowder Funeral Service chapel from 7 until 8:00 this evening, May 28.

Lawrence Lee Breedlove Sr. of New York, NY, formerly of Halifax County, died Saturday, May 22, 1999 at Beth Israel Medical Center at the age of 69.
Mr. Breedlove was born in Halifax County on June 2, 1929 the son of Myers Breedlove and Julia Anderson Breedlove and was married to Elizabeth Crews Breedlove. He was a member of Crystal Hill Baptist and was also a Korean War Army Veteran.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Vivian B. Williams of New York and Lisa B. Traynham of Durham, NC; one son, Lawrence Lee Breedlove Jr. of New York; four grandchildren; two foster sisters, Addie Borns of Linden, NJ and Geraldine Fowler of Washington, DC; his mother-in-law, Sarah Hooks of Philadelphia, PA; four sisters-in-law, Marie Breedlove of Nathalie, Catherine Traynham of Philadelphia, Ada Traynham of Alexandria and Susan Brown of Detroit, MI.
Funeral services for Mr. Breedlove will be held Saturday, May 29 at 2 p.m. at Crystal Hill Baptist Church with Elder Roger Logan officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of Marie Breedlove, 1217 Lower Liberty Rd., Nathalie.

Willie Kaiser Terry Sr. of 2401 North Main Street, South Boston died Saturday, May 22, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was 82 years of age.
Mr. Terry was born in Pittsylvania County on February 7, 1917 the son of Grant Terry and Edmonia Stephens Terry and was married to Mary Lillian Hawkins Terry. He was a member of Union Grove CME Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Hazel Mae Holmes and Elizabeth Ann Delaney, both of New York; three sons, Ralph Edward Terry of The Bronx, NY, Willie Terry Jr. of South Boston and Harry Lee Ferrell Terry of Richmond; 15 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and a devoted niece, Adel M. Trentz of the home.
Funeral services for Mr. Terry will be held Saturday, May 29 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul CME Church with Rev. Samuel Terry officiating. Burial will follow in Union Grove CME Church Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the home.

James McKinley Jones of Danville, formerly of Ragland Street, South Boston, died Tuesday, May 25, 1999 in Chapel Hill, NC at the age of 67.
Mr. Jones was born in Halifax County on June 17, 1931 the son of Coy Jones and Emma Johnson Jones. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Ferry Street, and was a Army World War II Veteran.
Survivors include three sisters, Mary Allen of Baltimore, MD, Lucretia Green of Danville and Marion Jones of South Boston; and one brother, William Jones of Baltimore, MD.
Funeral services for Mr. Jones will be held Sunday, May 29 at 2:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church with Rev. Allen Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Rose Garden Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at 2008 College Street, South Boston.