Thankfully the second VARAC (Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada) regional grid of the year was a bit "weather friendlier" than the first, the BARC event, which was been cold and wet, though lots of fun. 17 Vintage and Historic cars showed up to Mosport for the Spring Trophy Races. The grid was minus a few Formula Fords as the VARAC Formula Ford pilots are now running as a part of the Ontario F-1600 Challenge Championship, presented by FormulaCar Magazine and sponsored by Dunlop Racing Tires. The three Ontario Regional Championship classes of F-1600's now include the Historic FF cars, built prior to 1973, in the new Class C, all competing for class awards and three distinct Ontario Regional Racing Championships.

Historic Formula Fords
The Historic FF's were well represented in Class 'C' by Howard Freeman, Jon Nichols, Glyn Walters, Maryo LaMothe and John Stammers. The race on Saturday saw Freeman winning after Walters dropped out with two laps to go with fuel starvation problems while battling for the lead. Nichols finished second and LaMothe from P.Q. driving his Canadian built Magnum was a strong third.

Sunday's race saw brighter skies and warmer temperatures and Walters qualified his car with an impressive 1.32:810, LaMothe, Freeman and Nichols qualified with a few tenths of each other to set up for a great race. Finishing order was Walters followed by Freeman and Nichols while both LaMothe and Stammers were DNFs. Walters gave fellow VARAC member in 'B' Class Gord Lowe a terrific challenge for bragging rights for the last few laps of the race. In the end Walters decided a banzai pass wasn't worth it as they both took their respective class wins.

The consensus among the 'C' class racers was that this is some of the best racing they have ever had and several reported personal best times. The Championship is shaping up as a real battle already, with Freeman leading at 188 points, Walters second with 170 and Nichols shadowing them both at 166.
 
Vintage and Historic Cars
Fastest in Saturday qualifying was Andy Januszewski's Formula Ford, followed by Philip Soden's Mallock and veteran ex-Comstock team driver Walt MacKay's Porsche. Doug Elcomb was going well, sitting up with elbows in the breeze in his unique Canada Class Dreossi Special. Also running well were Maryo Lamothe (Mini) and Ian Lok (Volvo). Visiting Calgarian Brian Hunt (Sprite) and Richard Poxon (Ginetta) were circulating quickly, in close company with VARAC president Mike Rosen, in his unique VAY, another Canada Class Special. John DeMaria, with countless years experience at Mosport, was showing how quickly a 1959 Sprite can be driven when you've done as many laps of this track as he has!
 
In the Saturday race Andy Januszewski's Formula Ford started on pole ahead of Soden's Mallock and the bright yellow MacKay Porsche. Januszewski was leading the race when unfortunately his run ended on lap three, minus a wheel, against the tire barrier on the outside of turn ten. MacKay then passed Soden's Mallock and was in first place until Soden managed a surprise pass on the outside of turn eight. Two laps later, with MacKay a few seconds behind, Soden had just entered turn one when the newly refurbished Mallock blew its engine and he spun out.
 
"I was half way through turn one," said Soden " when there was a bang, followed by the world going in circles! At every rotation the wall seemed to get closer, but in the end I stopped on the outside of the turn." Mackay got by the "blowed up real good" Mallock, but the resultant trail of oil caught out DeMaria, who was flying into the blind downhill turn in his quick Sprite. He ended up in the tire barrier with a rather bent Bugeye, narrowly missing Soden, who had just exited the Mallock. The following cars slowed and managed to get through but the race had to be red flagged for cleanup.
 
"John's Sprite was rather bent, but he was just shaken, thank God." said Soden, " I am left with an undamaged car but no engine. The cylinder head is a mess with a chunk of piston where the valve should be. There was room for the piston because the valve was in the engine bay!"
 
After the restart the eventual top three finishers were Walt MacKay, Porsche, Doug Elcomb, Dreossi and Maryo Lamothe in his rapid Mini, followed by Ian Lok, Volvo, Brian Hunt, Sprite and Richard Poxon, Ginetta. Gavin Ivory's silver Porsche 914 came home ahead of Jeremy Sale's Bugeye Sprite, just in front of Ron Watson's Midget. After swapping places all race long with Sale, Doc Watson said, "I never had so much fun finishing last!" Ron Wanless was a few laps down due to problems with his Lotus Elan and other DNF's included Walter Davies, carefully checking out his new Elva, which due to incorrect gearing was redlining before the top of the hill on the straight. Unable to take the start were Fred Samson, wrestling with problems on his Lotus, and Dave Turnbull in his Lotus.
 
The starting grid was therefore minus the three wrecked cars for the first race on Sunday, but Dave Morgan, who showed up with his blue Mini Cooper, made up one place. MacKay's Porsche again came home first, followed by Doug Elcomb, Walter Davies, Maryo Lamothe in his quick Mini and Richard Poxon in his beautiful yellow Ginetta G4. His victory was not without its moments, MacKay related, "Before the race on Sunday morning Walter Davies told me he had done a fast time in the warm-up so I knew I would have to press hard to stay ahead of him. I got a good first few laps in but I could see him gaining. Then on the last lap the engine cut out going down 2 and I knew I was running out of gas. At 5 I pleaded with the car to keep running. It ran out rounding 8 but I had enough momentum to just make it across the finish line before the others caught up. I was extremely embarrassed to have to be towed all the way around the track back to the paddock. A rather ignominious victory lap!"
 
The sunshine came out for final race on Sunday as Walter Davies, steadily reducing his lap times over the weekend, led all the way to win in his beautiful newly acquired Elva, followed closely by Elcomb's Dreossi with Morgan a couple of seconds behind in the Mini Cooper.
 
It was a fun weekend and if you enjoy vintage racing don't forget that VARAC has its 25th Annual Vintage Festival, coming up at Mosport June 25-27, 2004. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Festival will feature Canadian built racecars from the 50's and 60'and the people who designed and drove them. Sports racers like the Sadler, Kiki, and Whitton, Chinook and Magnum Formula Fords, Kelly and Altona Formula Vees plus unique Canada Class cars like the VAY, Derossi, Autosport Special and P&G will all be there as well as a Mini-Sprite Challenge which will be sure to thrill fans of these pint-sized small bore race cars.
 
In addition, Monoposto Formula 70 has elected to hold a SuperVee Reunion at the event. These cars will compete in the thrilling Wings and Slicks category - a must see for any race fan. There will be intense racing action every day with eight race groups competing, including the traditional one hour Enduro with pitting for a driver change.
 
In addition to memorable racing, there will be a Car Show on the infield grounds and a vintage airplane fly-past on Sunday just prior to the feature races. The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame will be in attendance and vendor booths will also sell a variety of automotive parts and literature.
 
Tickets can be purchased online at www.mosport.com. Again this year, with the purchase of an advance weekend Super Pass from Mosport, VARAC will be offering a free commemorative Festival poster. Extensive camping is also free with washroom and shower facilities. . For further details contact Nick Pratt varacmembership@rogers.com or call (905) 316-4166.