Caesar Cone, a 60-year motorsport veteran, retired today on his 81st birthday. Cone began his more than a half-century-long racing career at the Virginia International Raceway (VIR). When the racetrack closed for 30 years, Cone began racing sailboats in 1968, and in that time, he raised a family to “keep his wife happy.”
Caesar Cone watched as the racetrack went through a remodeling period, and updates were made to the “sanitation stations” along with added amenities.
“The track closed in ’74 [and reopened in 2000]. The most memorable thing about the old track was the lack of facilities,” Cone continued, “There was not really any sanitary place for the girls to relieve themselves.”
The racecars he used during his career are his blue 1959 Alfa Romeo Spider and a second 1959 yellow Alfa Romeo Spider. Cone purchased both Alfa Romeo’s in 1996. Since he is retired, Cone said he planned to sell the cars on Bring a Trailer, an online auction site specializing in selling rare, vintage, and modern sports vehicles.
Cone’s blue ’59 Alfa Romeo, certified as a racecar when it left the factory, was not registered in any state for the sole purpose of being a track car.
In this new chapter, Cone plans to take a break from a life full of speed so he can switch to the slow lane. Only time will tell if he decides to continue racing outside the racing circuit.
By Alexander Fernandez
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