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"2ACEPLEX$RIVE !LTON 6!s4EL &AX ROGER KRAUS RACING 'ROVE7AY #ASTRO6ALLEY #!s4EL &AX S Page 2 We Are VARAC VARAC, the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada, was formed in 1976 to provide a central organizing body through which Vintage Race enthusiasts could communicate and organize race meetings for eligible Vintage and Historic racing and sports cars. Th e Spirit of VARAC can be expressed as a wish to preserve, restore and race historically signifi cant cars in a form as close to the original specifi cation as possible. Of course, there have been many improvements in motor racing safety equipment, circuits and technical advancements in materials since these cars were built. Th ose restoring and preparing cars for Vintage Racing are encouraged to incorporate and take advantage of these improvements where they can be incorporated without diminishing the vintage character of the car. We feel that Vintage Racing should be enjoyable and rewarding to both the participant and spectator with a minimum emphasis on trophies and awards. Let’s keep the fun in Vintage Racing. If you are interested, call any of the directors listed on this page. Th e opinions and suggestions expressed by contributors to Vintage Racer are those of the author, without authentication by or liability to the editors, or the Directors or VARAC. To subscribe FREE, send an e-mail to Walter Davies at [email protected] with your membership number. Contacts Please contact our club executive below for any queries. For OOurur ffrontront ppageage aartrt iiss byby friendfriend PaulPaul information related to the preparation and eligibility of a car for CChenard,henard, showingshowing PaddyPaddy HHopkirk’sopkirk’s MiniMini CCooperooper SS,, oonn tthehe wwayay ttoo wwinninginning tthehe vintage racing, please contact our Eligibility Committee chair. 11964964 MMonteonte CarloCarlo Rally.Rally. Thanks,Thanks, Paul!Paul! Mailing Address Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada Geoff McCord – VARAC Secretary 7 Glenallan Road North York Ontario, M4N 1G6 VARAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS President/ Membership Director – Walter Davies – [email protected] Vice President/Race Director – Del Bruce – [email protected] Treasurer – Peter Viccary - [email protected] Secretary - Geoff McCord – [email protected] Director – Don Hooton –[email protected] Director – Gord Ballantine - [email protected] Director – Bob DeShane – [email protected] SSanta!anta! PPleaselease ddelivereliver a HHansans devicedevice Director – Richard Navin – [email protected] ttoo aaddressddress bbelow,elow, tthanks.hanks. JJ.. Director – Diane Dale – [email protected] Jeremy Sale Director – Joe Lightfoot [email protected] Editor The Vintage Racer VARAC ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE 3076 Ballydown Chairman – Joe Lightfoot – [email protected] Crescent, VARAC DRIVER CONDUCT COMMITTEE Mississauga ON Chairman – Del Bruce – [email protected] L5C 2C8 VARAC MEMBER SERVICES Newsletter – Jeremy Sale – [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Website – Radu Repanovici – [email protected] WEBSITE: WWW.VARAC.CA Page 3 In This Holiday Edition... Some random notes .... James Hinchcliff e and father Jeremy came to the AGM Ace, which also led me to contacting Ron Kielbisky, who where the young responded by sending me some wonderful photos from fella was a big hit the sixties. discussing his Indy Incidentally, the car exploits. very fortunate Robert Morrison Mr. English was was prevailed recently at the upon to write a Bahamas Speed report, (thank Week Revival and you, sir!) Little has promised us a did we know that story on that event. the news would Congratulations come out Dec 1 to Joe Lightfoot, that Newman/ winner of the Haas Racing McGregor “Spirit was ceasing of Sportsmanship operations and Award”, also to that Hinch Andrew Celovsky and Oriol winner of the Gord Servia would Lowe Award. It be looking for was appropriate rides for the that Andrew won 2012 IZOD the latter as it IndyCar Series. reminded me of a Hope it all joke Gordini once works out told.... Seems young soon.... Andrew, top Polish My driver in VARAC, friend John went to get his eye Sambrook test done for his race introduced me license. Th e doctor to Peter Keith showed him the eye at the Festival chart and asked if and we got to Andrew could read talking about it. Andrew said “Yes, his exploits actually I KNOW behind the the guy!” Badaboom! wheel in the Th angyaverramuch sixties racing Gord! against Walt Don’t forget folks, MacKay and many others. Always trolling for I’m always looking for stories I naturally asked if Keith would write a piece for the content, photos and ideas for the VR and Pit Signals, so if you VR. He sent me a very nice bit of nostalgia and you can see it get the urge please send your story to [email protected]. in this issue! Th anks, Keith. Th anks, Bob English kindly contributed the story on the AC Jeremy. Page 4 A nostalgic return to Mosport Wandering Up Memory Lane BByy PPetereter KeithKeith One Friday aft ernoon in May 2008, as I drove back to Toronto from a court appearance in Belleville as an expert witness regarding a motor vehicle accident, I reached the intersection to Highways 35/115 that we used to take up to Mosport. So on the spur of the moment I decided to wander up memory lane and visit the track. I turned off Highway 115 onto Highway 35, and then turned left onto Concession Road 10, which leads west to the track, and sure enough most of it is still gravel. I remembered driving along that road in June 1961 in my red ((Above)Above) PPetereter KKeitheith ggetsets tthehe ccheckeredheckered fl aagg oonn JJuneune 110,0, 11961961 AC Ace Bristol towing my new Lotus 18 Formula Junior to the B.E.M.C. ((Below)Below) ““WaltWalt MMacKayacKay aandnd mmee aatt MMosport.osport. AAss yyouou kknow,now, aapartpart 11th Annual Sports Car Races, which ffromrom DDanan GGurneyurney aallll ooff tthehe bbestest ddriversrivers aarere ffairlyairly sshort,hort, aandnd tthathat was the second race ever held at the iiss ‘‘shorty’shorty’ WWaltalt oonn tthehe lleft!”eft!” track, on June 9 & 10, 1961. I turned left onto Mosport Road and parked my little Chevy Cobalt rental car at the gate opposite Turn 1, hopped over the gates, still in the blazer and tie from my court appearance, and walked up to the fence on the outside of Turn 1. It was a track day and some road cars were being driven around, but I hadn’t been there long before a corner marshal blew his whistle at me. So I walked up to his post overlooking Turn 1 and explained that this was just a nostalgia trip for me, and how I had fi rst raced there 47 years ago. His name was Jim and he had been marshalling since the racing at Mosport. Reid told me to get wondered - was this a trick question? early 70’s, so we had a good chat about in touch with Ross de St. Croix and send So off we went in the little blue Chevy old times and, when I mentioned that I him the old movies for the archives, and along the new (to me) pit exit lane had 8 mm movies of early international when I can unearth them I will surely protected by a high wall from the main races at Mosport, he said that the senior do that. track. I fi red up my Nikon and started marshal, Reid, was very interested in Aft er a while I asked if someone taking pictures, and as we came over the historical stuff and would like to meet could drive me around the track, just hill on Corner 2 we met a green tractor me. So when the track day ended at fi ve, for old time’s sake, and Reid very kindly that was helping with the clean-up. we drove into the infi eld and I met the off ered to do so. As we walked out of However, the rest of the track was other marshals in the cafeteria, where the cafeteria, he asked if I wanted to go clear and as he drove around the circuit we reminisced about the early days of in his minivan or my rental car, and I Reid described what changes had been Page 5 made since the early days. Th e actual track itself looks exactly and fl ooring it back up the long straight for the last time.