“I don’t see what makes these cars vintage, I remember them when they were considered ‘state of the art.’”
– Overheard at an early VARAC Vintage G.P.
Many years (decades?) ago, I reached into the glove compartment of my 1977 Mercury Zephyr and unfolded a road map of Southern Ontario, trying to locate this Shannonville Motorsport Park place where a vintage racing festival was supposedly taking place.
Eventually finding the track (after only getting lost once), I discovered an entirely new discipline of motorsport; one that I immediately fell in love with.
There were cars of my fantasies, but many more that I’d never had heard of, or even conceived of. They were rattling, spluttering, smoking, rolling and racing, works of art. I knew about MGs, Triumphs, Lotus (Loti?), Porsches and even a Ferrari or two. But what the Hell is a Sadler, or a Stebro or a Chinook?
Fortunately, I have since become better educated, and I still love these racing machines, especially the Canadian ones. I doubt if I have missed any of the VARAC vintage racing festivals that have taken place at Shannonville or Mosport, sorry, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). And I guarantee I will be at this year’s 44th edition to watch the headlining ‘Porsche versus the Field.’
Years ago, I wanted to share my experiences with my father – a man who cared not about motorsports – so I took him to a race at CTMP. Clearly uninterested in the cars, he did remark on the social similarities to his ‘old horse show’ days.
The dads worked with the animals (read: cars) while the moms socialized and made sandwiches and salads for the family. And all the while, the children generally ran roughshod over the premises.
But these days, it might be ‘Mom’ donning the firesuit, with Dad ‘spinning wrenches’ … while the kids continue to run roughshod over the premises.
But isn’t that the appeal of a casual vintage racing event?
“DON’T MENTION RACING – unless you’ve got an hour to spare.”
– A sign hung over the door of Roger French’s race trailer.
Another example of the openness of the VARAC Vintage GP is the accessibility of the drivers and the cars. Each car has a special history, as does each driver, and the operators are often more than willing to share their stories.
And if you have children (when not running roughshod), they may have the opportunity to get up close and personal. They may even get to sit in one of these throwback pieces of motorsport art / history.
Over the years, I’ve become a fan of the exotics – the one-offs … the ‘what the Hell?’ of competitive machinery. My personal favourite happens to be Doug Durrell’s 1961 Dreossi Canada Class vehicle. It’s a ‘Frankenstein’ creation with all parts connected to a fuel drop tank from an F86 Sabre Jet. I simply don’t understand how he has the courage to drive that tiny open-wheeler at speed. But I thank him for doing so!
As a former journalist, I enjoyed the privilege of interacting with many racing personalities at the VGP. Drivers such as Canadian legends Bill Brack, John Sambrook, Ludwig Heimrath, Eppie Wietzes, Gary Magwood and Bill Adam, while also basking in the presence of Brian Redman, Bob Tullius and Joanne Villeneuve.
The fantasy part for the race fan attending the VGP is that they had, and will continue to have, the same opportunities.
At this year’s VARAC Vintage Grand Prix, there are expected to be almost 200 entries, with examples of everything from the British and Italian ‘tiddlers’ to the ground-pounding, high powered GT cars and possibly even some classic, open-wheeled, screaming marques. So, if you happen to find me in the paddock or sitting hillside somewhere… and I look lost, I am. Lost in some fabulous memories and happily recapturing the pleasures of motor races past.
And to finish with one final quote:
“Remember when tires were skinny and drivers were fat?”
- By J. Wally Nesbitt
