2023 VARAC Vintage Grand Prix

Welcome to the 43rd YEAR of the VARAC Vintage Grand Prix!
Presented by 

 

Please plan to join us for the 43rd running of the VARAC Vintage Grand Prix being held June 15 - 18, 2023 on the Mosport Grand Prix track at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Classes for our event include Vintage (pre 1962), Historic (pre 1973), Classic (pre 1999), Formula Classic (open wheel/Monoposto race cars built up to 1999) and the NA Vintage Sports 2000 Series for special sportsracers.  In addition, the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series will be joining us.  There should be something for everyone - classic sedans, vintage sports cars and a wide assortment of formula cars and sportsracers.  It promises to be a great weekend of vintage racing.

Our feature marque will be Mazda!  As such we send out a special invitation to all those that run Mazdas or Mazda powered cars – rotary and piston powered cars – closed wheel and open wheel.  If you race a Mazda, you won’t want to miss this.  Early rotary powered RX2, RX3, RX4, R100, RX7’s from the early FB’s to the lates FD’s.  Any rotary powered car up to 1999 is welcome.  Mazda piston engine cars are also welcome ie Miata’s, MX5’s, spec Miata, some Protégé and 626’s.

As the feature marque, there will be a special All Mazda race.

We also welcome the NA Vintage Sports 2000 (NA VS2) group.  Sports 2000 is a special class of two-seat, mid-engined, open-cockpit, full-bodied sportsracers that promise great, close competitive racing.

Thursday, June 15 is a Track Orientaton/Test Day, open to competitors looking to learn the circuit ; or, if you’re just coming back “to shake off the cobwebs”; or, to test.  Please note that drivers that have not run on the Mosport Grand Prix track previously must attend the Test Day, or receive a waiver from the Race Director (varacracedirector@gmail.com).  Videos and notes on driving CTMP/Mosport will be posted - first timers are encouraged to study these.

Street Lapping sessions will be offered Thurs as part of Test Day.

Some notes re Run Groups & Special Races:

1. We are limiting run groups for P, Q and Race to 50 entries.  This may require us to institute wait lists for some of our groups.  Please register early so we can adjust the groups to allow as many entries as possible to run.
2. We are grouping our Vintage-Historic & Classic entries based on LAP TIMES, not engine displacement.  This ensures great, competitive racing.  When registering please select the run group with the appropriate lap times.  If you don't know what your lap time is likely to be, please look at the list of entrants and place yourself with comparable cars.  You will be able to change run groups after Friday or Saturday's sessions if you feel you are in the wrong group.  We will provide more guidance on this and you will be able to adjust your group.  If you need help on this please contact the Race Director (varacracedirector@gmail.com).  Note we are designating a “split” in some groups in case we need to balance grids later.
3. The Formula Classic group will NOT be using lap times, but will be classed by formula/vehicle type (ex-Formula Juniors will be one class).  Please contact the Race Director if you are uncertain as to how your car should be classed.
4.  We will be running some Special Races, as follows:

• The “all Mazda” race open to all Mazda closed wheel cars (<2500 lbs).  (Note, Mazda powered open wheel cars will have a dedicated group in a feature race.)
• The Nation's Cup.  This will be a Mazda “against the rest of the world (RoW)” race.  The race is a race to 10 – the first side, Mazda or RoW to get 10 cars across the finish line scores the win.  Last year, the MG’s eeked out an insane close finish
• it should be interesting to see how the Mazdas fair this year.  More details will follow.  Open to VH cars and Classic cars < 2500 lbs.  Note we may have to do some sorting at the event, but please enter as either Mazda or RoW.
• an Open Wheel Challenge – basically an “all comers” race for open wheel cars.
• MG vs Triumph Challenge Race for these longtime UK rivals including award of the Tony Simms Cup for MG’s and the Group 44 Inc Trophy for Triumph’s

Please register for these, as applicable.

VMC Membership required – all entrants, other than our Toyo Tire F1600 Championship guests, MUST be a member in good standing of a Vintage Motorsports Council club.  Non-vintage club racers will not be permitted to enter this event without the approval of the Race Director varacracedirector@gmail.com.

We have a full program of off-track evening events, as follows:

On Thursday evening tentitively will be a barbeque (with beer) followed by live rock’n’roll music (details to follow).

On Friday evening is the Johnny Greenwood Banquet in the CTMP Conference Centre (cash bar), followed by live rock’n’roll music in the lower paddock provided by our very own eclectic house band, Fun Comes Fast.

On Saturday evening we have the CPS Paddock Crawl.  The paddock Crawl involves 3 stations in the paddock; one for wings & ribs (and beer), another for submarine sandwiches (and beer) and the last stop Mudmen band at the top of the hill (or another beer if you are so inclined).  Sponsored by CPS Flooring.

The barbeque, banquet and paddock tour are included for a driver and crew with your entry fee.

Off track on Sunday, Fathers' Day, is the always popular Field of Dreams Car Show and car parade.

We also welcome, as always, Mini Meet North – lot’s of great Mini’s to see.

As we get closer to the event we will post regulations, waivers, schedules and additional information such as Bring a Racecar From Outside Canada, How to Drive Mosport, etc at VARAC.CA.

One note – many will be registering early with ’22 Race Licence info – please make a note to update your registration when you receive your ’23 licence. Thanks.

Questions on the event?  Contact Peter Lambrinos at varacvgp@gmail.com.

Licence requirements

• Unless you are doing the Street Car Lapping on Thursday, June 17, all Drivers must hold a valid membership with a Vintage Motorsports Council club, as well as a valid competition licence.  Canadian competitors must use a competition licence issued by VARAC, CASC-OR, another organization under ASN Canada.  Non-Canadian entrants must use a recognized VMC competition licence.  Non-vintage racers will not be permitted to enter the event (except by approval of the Race Director varacracedirector@gmail.com).
• Toyo Tire F1600 entrants must meet the licencing and membership requirements set by their series.
• Drivers for the Street Car Lapping require only a valid provincial driving license in good standing.