Vintage Racing – Mosport 2009
Vintage Racing - Mosport 2009
The Vintage Racing Association of Canada (VARAC) celebrated it’s 30th Vintage Racing Festival at Mosport this past weekend.
Perhaps for some, Vintage Racing is an opportunity to relive or embrace the past, for others, it’s all about the mechanics and less about the electronics, carburettors verse fuel injection, skill rather than power, or just having a good time among friends. Whatever the reasons, vintage racing events are a joy to experience.
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Although the cars and technology were from a era long gone, some things cannot be retro’d. Things like the concrete walls and banks of tires, or the catch fences for example. These are all for driver and spectator safety, and while on the subject of safety, drivers today wear the latest helmets and wear modern fire suits. The cars have seat harnesses and roll cages or bars.
And what about us – the track side photographers. Back in those early days, we’d be standing with one foot on the track leaning as far out as possible, either oblivious or ignorant of the dangers, just to get those all important pictures – captured on something called film, using a mechanical camera fitted with a 50mm lens. Ah yes, those were the days. Today of course, we use computerised devices called digital cameras, and telephoto zoom lenses that are capable of “getting up close” without putting us in harm’s way.
But here we are in 2009 – it’s Mosport – it’s Vintage Racing at its finest.
Group 1 – Monoposte
Cars designed for one purpose – to race. They were from a time when cars were cars and men were men. A time when winning was a function man and machine – not sponsorship and huge budgets. A time when the winner was declared at the chequered flag and not in a boardroom meeting on Monday morning after all the whining and sulking had been reviewed. Yes, these were race cars we could believe in, drivers who drove by the seat of their pants, and when Champaign, laurel wreath’s and shinning trophies were the order of the day.
Group 2 – Vintage and Small Bore
Obviously this is a popular class made up mostly by British Cars, the owners of which are motivated not so much winning but by their quest to actually tune a pair of SU carburettors. The field was mostly Mini, MG, Lotus and Triumph cars. It took me back a few years as I looked on, reminiscing, and wondering how I managed to fit me and four others in my Austin Mini.
Group 3 – the Historical Car
This was another popular class from the same period as Group 2, but cars with obviously more power under the hood, many with multi-barrelled carburettors. There were Alfa, MGB, Porsche and a few Mustangs thrown in to make things interesting. This was a class that pitted cars with cornering skills against cars with straight line power.
Group 6 – Wings and Slick
As the name suggests, this class was made up of winged wonders on sticky rubber, from an era when it was discovered that races could be won in the corners as long as the cars were pressed down hard and the tires would slip out. Creative aero-dynamics let to scaffolding being erected front and rear between honking great rubber blocks that were nearly as wide as they were tall. I recall the first time I experienced pure down-force. I was in a F2000 going through a corner so fast it was scary, but all the time knowing that if I slowed for any reason, the down-force would suddenly vanish and I’d be off in never-never land without a moment’s notice.
Group 7 – Group 70+
These are the new kids on the block, the next generation Vintage cars. They are from a time when people had given up on carburettors and had succumbed to the wonders of fuel injection. These are cars came with independent suspensions and anti-roll bars. Some of these cars were burning some interesting fuel – it was like aromatherapy all over again.
Groups 8 and 9 – subset events
Das German Joist (BMW’s verses Porsches or Munich verses Stuttgart) and the Mini Feature (Mini verses Mini or Single SU carb verse Double SU carbs).