You know, I’ve got a great feeling about G70+ this year…

Our in-baskets have been filled with questions, inquiries and new members – as well as exciting news and winter-fix-it stories from the regulars... The racing season is just starting to ramp up… everyone seems to be getting a little restless and only 10 weeks to the first event of the year!

There is so much exciting news this month… where to begin???

2006 Group70+ Schedule

This is what we’ve got booked so far for the 2006 season. Gentlemen… prep your engines!

• April 29, VARAC Test Day at Dunville (possible rain date May 6)
• May 13/14, BEMC Spring Trophy Races at Mosport
• June 23/24/25, VARAC Vintage Festival at Mosport
• July 7/8/9, VARAC G70+ at the Molson Grand Prix (UNCONFIRMED, Non-points Race)
• July 29/30, MCO Calabogie Inaugural at Calabogie (UNCONFIRMED, Non-points Race)
• August 12/13, BARC Canadian Touring Trophy at Mosport
• August 26/27, VARAC/CRDA Presidents Cup at Mosport
• September 30/October 1, CASC-OR Celebration at Mosport

Note that optional test days are available for all Mosport events. See http://www.casc.on.ca/forms/PanozTestDays06.pdf for details and entry forms

VARAC Karting Event

Come one, come all to the VARAC Kart Grand Prix! Formula 1 Karting (previously ProKart) has been booked for VARAC’s exclusive use at 8:00pm on Wednesday, February 15th. Email Walter Davies for more details elva7racer@rogers.com .

Molson Grand Prix Update (July 7/8/9)

Possibly the most exciting news is Jon Brett’s continued negotiations with the Molson Grand Prix to have VARAC Group 70+ as a support race. This is still NOT confirmed; but it is looking quite good at this point. Initial feelers out to the G70+ drivers resulted in an overwhelming positive and committed response. If it happens (I’ll cross my fingers and say WHEN it happens J ) – we’ll have a fantastic show! We’ll also be looking for a number of volunteers to help promote and run this event – stay tuned for details.

VARAC Vintage Festival – TRANS AM Feature (June 23/24/25)

The 27th Annual International Racing Festival is celebrating 40 years of Trans-Am racing! Most G70+ cars will be eligible for the feature race. Make sure you spread the word with your racing friends who have eligible cars – this will be yet another exciting festival year! More info coming soon at www.varac.ca/festival/fest_welcome.html

VARAC Membership and Group 70+ Car Registration Forms

Be sure to renew your VARAC membership and racing number for the 2006 season. Membership forms can be found at www.varac.ca/membership.html . Group 70+ race numbers are now registered as part of VARAC’s membership application.

In addition to membership, Group 70+ car registration forms need to be filled out. If we don’t have yours on file (or your car has changed since you sent it in), please fill out the form and fax/email to Jonathon Brett. (www.varac.ca/technical.html)

VARAC Group 70+ Rules and Regulations

Currently the Group 70+ Rules and Regulations are being updated to include the CASC-OR roll cage and fuel cell requirements. (These rules always took precedence over G70+ rules, we’re incorporating so that finding the facts is less confusing!) With popular support – there’s a couple of areas we’d like to re-visit in the rules and regulations – Eligibility Requirements and Race Classes. We would love to get your input on the following topics. NOTE – rule changes must be presented to the membership and voted on before ANY changes can take place – we are simply asking for your input at this point.

Eligibility Requirements – the impending racing regulation year eligibility requirements are due for a rollover in 2007 (cars prepared to racing regulations of series that ran up to 1992, including grandfathered models would be eligible for VARAC Group 70+). Current rules state “G70+ Closed Wheel groups will proceed in like fashion of five year intervals and fifteen year age difference from current date at the discretion of the G70+ Board of Directors.” Concerns with this rule are as follows:

• 15 year old cars (and potentially newer with the grandfather clause) are generally viewed as “too new” for a vintage/historic racing organization
• A rollover every 5 years might generate a staged ‘influx’ of newly eligible cars; instead of steadily progressing the grid from year to year

We would like to propose changing the racing regulation year to current year minus 20 years (instead of 15), and incrementing every year (instead of every 5 years). This would mean 1987 stays eligible until 2007, in 2008 we would accept cars prepared to period regulations up to 1988; in 2009 up to 1989 etc.

Class Configurations – current class configurations break the grid into 3 different classes based on production class and engine displacement for each 5 year period – that’s 9 classes in total; adding another 5 year period will add 3 more classes totaling 12 classes. We would like to propose changing the race classes to be configured based on lap-time. (e.g. introduce 3 time brackets; break-outs would simply be ranked in the new time bracket). The reasons behind this proposal are the following:

• Easier and simpler to maintain (current classes although more accurate to the time period are too complex and difficult to work with for classification and timing and scoring) (Wouldn’t it be nice to see our class breakouts on the timing sheets?)
• Eliminates the performance of the car and focuses on the performance of the driver in their car (there’d be no disadvantage to being an awesome driver in a slower race car; or a slower driver in an awesome race car!)
• Could easily be aligned with the VARAC Driver’s Championship for scoring purposes
• It’s fun

And Last but not Least…

• 2005 G70+ Class Winners! If you didn’t make it to the VARAC 2005 Year End Banquet to receive your trophy, contact John Greenwood to arrange pick-up. (haggisbasher@sympatico.ca)
• For Sale! John Griffith is selling off the Datsun 510. (Contact John at johngriffith@rogers.com)
• Congratulations to VARAC G70+ member Michael Vong who ran Grand Am’s Daytona 200 in January. His team placed 29th out of 87! A fantastic finish for his first time!!!

Group 70+ is a VARAC promoted racing class that currently celebrates the history of racing from 1973 to 1987. VARAC is the association of vintage racecars in Canada that celebrates the passion of preserving, restoring and racing vintage racecars.

You're on this email list because somewhere along the line you expressed an interest in VARAC's Group 70+, perhaps in the capacity of driver, organizer, spectator or just plain keener trying to keep on top of things in the racing world. Let me know if you don't want to be on the list anymore, or feel free to pass it on to others who might be interested.

Diane Dale - lddale@hotmail.com (administration and promotion)

Jonathon Brett - TWR9@execulink.com (technical eligibility)