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Within the vintage community are many proud drivers of Italian cars like Alfa Romeos and Fiats. This year they are centre stage as VARAC says \u201cForza Italia\u201d with a special \u201cCars of Italy\u201d feature. (Our Vintage Historic group includes cars from post war MG T series cars to cars from 1 January 1960 to 31 December 1972.) Grand Marshall for the Italian Car Feature is Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee Craig Fisher. \u201dCraig Fisher of Toronto was one of the top sedan drivers in North America in the ’60s and early ’70s, winning several CASC and SCCA class and overall sedan championships. A former member of the Canadian Comstock Racing Team, Craig and the late Mark Donohue finished 1-2 in the 12 Hours of Sebring in Roger Penske Trans-Am Camaros in 1968. Craig Fisher became the first Canadian to win a Trans-Am when he teamed with Mark Donohue at Marlboro, Maryland in 1968. He was the first driver to score Trans-Am points for both Chevrolet and Pontiac divisions.\u201d (Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame)<\/p>\n
\u201cThose Amazing Porsches\u201d Grand Marshall Ludwig Heimrath <\/strong><\/p>\n VARAC\u2019s Group 70+ includes production based and purpose built race cars that were designed to race in successful series such as IMSA, Trans-Am, SCCA and CASC GT classes among others. This relatively new class has attracted a number of cars like Datsuns, Hondas, Mercedes, Mustangs and more, but many of the cars are the popular Porsche models. So this year our Group 70+ grid is featuring \u201cThose Amazing Porsches!\u201d Grand Marshall for Those Amazing Porsches will be The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee Ludwig Heimrath. \u201cOne of the most famous names in Canadian auto racing, Heimrath won the Canadian Sports Car Racing Championship (later known as the Canadian Driving Championship) in 1961 (the first year the title was awarded) and in 1964. He was first runner-up in ’62, ’63 and ’65 — a pretty impressive record. He was the second Canadian to race in Formula 1 (Peter Ryan was the first), when he entered the U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in 1963. He won the SCCA Trans-Am championship twice – in 1977. He was an expert long-distance racer and teamed up with such champions as Johnny Rutherford and Craig Hill in entering the Sebring 12 hours, the 24 Hours of Daytona, although he never won any of those races. He was a USAC Indycar competitor in ’68 and ’69 and raced in the Canadian and Continental Formula A division (he bought his car from George Eaton) in 1970.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 (Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame)<\/p>\n This summer VARAC joins with Mosport to celebrate the tracks 50th year of hosting world-class racing. In addition to the \u201cCars of Italy\u201d and \u201cThose Amazing Porsches\u201d there will be plenty of other classes and cars to see from the golden era of racing; Jaguars, Fiats, Triumphs, Daimlers, Alfas, Minis, Lotus, Austin-Healeys, Sadlers, Sunbeams and many, many more including formula cars and sports racing cars. The 2011 VARAC Vintage Racing Festival celebrates the glory days of grassroots sports car racing with three full days of spectacular on-track action. Hundreds of cars and drivers from all over Canada and the US will contend with this challenging race track as it rises and falls through the beautiful park setting, competing just for the thrill, the fun and bragging rights, in true amateur fashion.<\/p>\n The VARAC Festival is about more than racing. This year VARAC has added a new event on Friday evening \u2013 the \u201cCheckered Flag Charity Cruise\u201d, which is open to anyone for a two dollar donation per car to the VARAC charity.\u00a0 The cruise will be held on the Start\/Finish Straight of the famed racing circuit and will give participants and spectators alike a glimpse of the excitement surrounding this race weekend.\u00a0 The public is encouraged to come out for the cruise as well and join the party with admission being only the donation to the charity.<\/p>\n Other features of the weekend include Canada’s largest Mini gathering, Mini Meet North as well as the “Field of Dreams” car show that welcomes sports cars and hot-rods and car clubs from far and wide with Sunday noon parade laps on-track. Entry to the car show and parade laps is free! That’s a lot of action and a super value!<\/p>\n Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the VARAC Vintage Racing Festival where you are encouraged to take it all in. Walk through the paddock and get up close to the cars and drivers who will be happy to greet you. Youngsters will enjoy meeting the drivers and being photographed with the race cars. Enjoy free camping. Explore the booths of vendors of all types. Within the park you’ll also find good food and beverage and modern comfort facilities.<\/p>\n Vintage racer, motorsport enthusiast or sports car owner, you won’t want to miss this event! Be sure to put it on your calendar today, June 17, 18, 19, 2011. For more information see www.varac.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"1964_Mosport_Cooper_Ford_Heimrath\"](\"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/gallery\/posts-other\/1964_Mosport_Cooper_Ford_Heimrath.jpg\")
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