Clarington, ON – The 46th annual VARAC Vintage Grand Prix took over Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) for its traditional Father’s Day weekend schedule, featuring VARAC classes, touring series and special races, alongside off-track festivities.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of VARAC and 65th birthday for CTMP. Triumph was the featured marque, taking part in numerous special races, including the Canadian return of the Kastner Cup.
Here’s a brief recap, with class winner results from the various groups and special races, along with some quotes, interviews and podium photos. Please note that all results are provisional.
Group 1 & 2A – Vintage Historic with lap times under 1:47.5
Race 1 Winners:
Jack Polito (VH-1 class, 1966 Ford Shelby Mustang)
Geoff McCord (VH-2, 1971 Porsche 911)
Henry Frye (VH-3, 1968 Triumph TR250)
Jon Nichols (VH-4 a, 1965 MG B)
Race 2 Winners:
Jack Polito (VH-1)
Geoff McCord (VH-2)
Jeff Tapolci (VH-3, 1962 Lotus 23B)
Jon Nichols (VH-4 a)
Race 3 Winners:
Jack Polito (VH-1)
Geoff McCord (VH-2)
Henry Frye (VH-3)
Jeff Downing (VH-4 a, 1973 BMW 2002)
Feature Race Winners:
Jack Polito (VH-1)
Geoff McCord (VH-2)
Henry Frye (VH-3)
Gord Ballantine (VH-4 a, 1968 MG B)
Polito claimed the overall win in the Feature Race. The Lindsay, ON driver made it a family affair on Father’s Day weekend.
“I started out watching my dad when I was six-years old, I’m 23 now, and this was our first weekend that we got to run together,” said Polito. “Unfortunately, we had a faulty rear wheel bearing yesterday, we found it after the last race. So we ended up having to only run one car (in races three and four on Sunday).”
Jack’s dad Anthony finished behind him, in second overall, in both Saturday races. Jack has past experience in the FEL Sports Car Championship Canada and NASCAR Canada Series, making vintage racing something different.
“I had such a good time; these vintage cars have lots of power, you get to kind of just throw them around, not like what I’m used to,” said Polito. “It was a lot of fun, I had a blast…we run two 1966 Shelby’s, we’ve been running them since 2009, they have 289s (engine) and they’re really, really fast.”
Group 2B & 3 – Vintage Historic with lap times over 1:47.5
Race 1 Winners:
Brad Karol (VH-4 b, 1968 BMW 1600-2)
Gregory Thompson (VH-5, 1962 Triumph TR4)
Race 2 Winners:
Brad Karol (VH-4 b)
Brendan Alexander (VH-5, 1966 Ambro Triumph)
Race 3 Winners:
Alexander Schlesinger (VH-4 b, 1977 Triumph TR7 cpe)
Brendan Alexander (VH-5)
Feature Race Winners:
Dave Good (VH-4 b, 1967 MG B)
Vincent Dupuis (VH-5, 1972 Mazda RX3)
Good took the overall win in the Feature Race.
“It was a great weekend, well organized, my thanks to the organizers and volunteers,” said Good. “The early (races) with the yellow flags were a little challenging but it ended well…I like the vintage atmosphere and the camaraderie that goes with vintage racing.”
Group 4 – Classic/Modern Classic with lap times under 1:35, plus VH heavy
Race 1 Winners:
Michael Murillo (MC-B, 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix)
Rocco Marciello (CL-B, 1976 Triumph TR7)
Tim Sanderson (CL-A, 1982 Porsche 911SC)
Guy Tremblay (MC-A, 1999 Porsche 911)
Daria Khachi (CL-1, 1991 BMW M3)
Pat Cyr (MC-1, 1999 BMW M3 GTR)
Race 2 Winners:
Michael Murillo (MC-B)
Rocco Marciello (CL-B)
Tim Sanderson (CL-A)
Guy Tremblay (MC-A)
Daria Khachi (CL-1)
Pat Cyr (MC-1)
Race 3 Winners:
Michael Murillo (MC-B)
Rocco Marciello (CL-B)
Tim Sanderson (CL-A)
Guy Tremblay (MC-A)
Daria Khachi (CL-1)
*See Group 5 for Feature Race results; Groups 4 & 5 ran combined grid
Group 5 – Classic/Modern Classic with lap times over 1:35, plus VH heavy
Race 1 Winners:
Jeff Pabst (CL-2, 1983 Audi Quattro)
Francois Reda (VH-2, 1970 Ford Boss 302)
Joseph Comacchio (MC-2, 2002 BMW 325i)
Tim Cook (CL-3, 1980 Triumph TR8)
Marc Richard (CL-4, 1987 Porsche 944)
Piotr Nytko (MC-3, 1998 Volvo V70)
Daniel Mongrain (CL-5, 1987 Porsche 944)
Race 2 Winners:
Jeff Pabst (CL-2)
Joseph Comacchio (MC-2)
Tim Cook (CL-3)
Piotr Nytko (MC-3)
Dylan Rider (CL-4, 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6)
Tim Knight (CL-5, 1994 Volkswagen Jetta)
Race 3 Winners:
Jeff Pabst (CL-2)
Joseph Comacchio (MC-2)
Francois Reda (VH-2)
Perry Mason (CL-3, 1981 Audi 80 Coupe)
Piotr Nytko (MC-3)
Alex Fedurco (CL-4, 1982 Mazda RX7)
Tim Knight (CL-5)
Eric Scott (MC-4, 2003 Mini Cooper S)
Feature Race Winners (Group 4 & 5 combined)
Rocco Marciello (CL-B)
Michael Murillo (MC-B)
Tim Sanderson (CL-A)
Guy Tremblay (MC-A)
Daria Khachi (CL-1)
Jeff Pabst (CL-2)
Joseph Comacchio (MC-2)
Perry Mason (CL-3)
Piotr Nytko (MC-3)
Alex Fedurco (CL-4)
Walter Hollowell (TR, 1970 Triumph TR6)
Tim Knight (CL-5)
Marciello claimed the overall win in the Feature Race by just 0.356 seconds over Murillo.
“I was always battling with the faster Modern Classics throughout the weekend, but still taking the win in my class (CL-B); this last race was amazing, it was fun, it reminded me of the early 2000s, racing with all the classes,” said Marciello. “Weaving through traffic, using lapped traffic to gain positions and winning overall again, it feels great on top of last year’s win…I got my fastest lap time I’ve ever done in this car, 1:23.6; having the same car for 26 years and still winning feels amazing.”
Marciello also races a BMW M235iR in the Pirelli Super Touring Sprints on CASC weekends; he says that his Triumph TR7 in VARAC competition is a very mechanical car that’s rowdy and rough.
“No ABS, no traction control, manual gearbox,” said Marciello. “It just makes you have to drive for it and it makes me feel good to know that I can drive.”
Marciello says that the family aspect of the Vintage GP stands out to him, noting that the drivers are racing competitive but they’re still friends.
Group 6 – Formula Classic
Race 1 Winners:
James Morton (FC90, 2015 Gamma Tercero)
Stephen Adams (CF, 1980 Lola T540)
Murray Burkett (HFF, 1969 Chinook MK IX)
Mike MacNeil (OWC, 2004 Van Diemen)
Ed Luce (FH, 1968 Lotus type 41C)
Alex Zeller (FC70, 1972 Mallock MK12)
Nigel Cass (PFF, 1985 Van Diemen RF 85)
Shepherd Aubry (F1200, 1998 BRD F1200)
Doug Durrell (FV, 1966 Bobsy Vanguard)
Race 2 Winners:
James Morton (FC90)
Mike MacNeil (OWC)
Stephen Adams (CF)
Tom Pixley (FC70, 1978 Wheeler (F/SV))
Ed Luce (FH)
Shepherd Aubry (F1200)
Doug Durrell (FV)
Murray Burkett (HFF)
Nigel Cass (PFF)
Race 3 Winners:
James Morton (FC90)
Mike MacNeil (OWC)
Stephen Adams (CF)
Tom Pixley (FC70)
Ed Luce (FH)
Shepherd Aubry (F1200)
Doug Durrell (FV)
Feature Race Winners:
James Morton (FC90)
Mike MacNeil (OWC)
Stephen Adams (CF)
Tom Pixley (FC70)
Ed Luce (FH)
Shepherd Aubry (F1200)
Doug Durrell (FV)
Group 7 – Toyo Tires F1600 Championship
Race 1 Podium Finishers:
F1600A: 1) Conner Janeteas, 2) Cole Janeteas, 3) Marc-Antoine Cardin
F1600B: 1) Steve Bodrug, 2) Jason Sharpe, 3) Michael Gayowski
Race 2 Podium Finishers:
F1600A: 1) Jenson Raybould, 2) Cole Janeteas, 3) Conner Janeteas
F1600B: 1) Steve Bodrug, 2) Jason Sharpe, 3) Michael Gayowski
Race 3 Podium Finishers:
F1600A: 1) Jenson Raybould, 2) Marc-Antoine Cardin, 3) James Lindsay
F1600B: 1) Steve Bodrug, 2) Michael Gayowski, 3) Jason Sharpe
Special Race – Kastner Cup
Representing the featured marque Triumph, the Kastner Cup returned to the site of its inaugural running. The International Triumph Challenge race is named in honour of Kas Kastner, who established the marque’s Competition Department in the early 1960s and authored manuals to help racers and owners prepare their vehicles.
He moved on from Triumph in 1970 before joining an online community to share more information about the vehicle starting in the late ’90s. The Kastner Cup was first held in 2003 at CTMP before taking place annually at venues all across the U.S. between then and this year’s running. Kastner passed away in 2021 at the age of 92.
This year’s Kastner Cup was awarded to Bob Lang, who finished fourth in the race. The criteria for determining the winner is 50% for the competitive results on the race track, 25% for the presentation of the car and 25% for the attitude and interest in vintage racing. This is the first Kastner Cup win for Lang, who drove a 1973 Triumph TR6.
Special Race – Frank Mount Memorial MG-Triumph Challenge
The MG vs Triumph race, hosted annually by VARAC since 1985, was re-named in honour of Frank Mount, who passed away last December. The honourary lifetime VARAC racer piloted MGs from the 1950s through 2020.
Tim Cook took the win aboard a Triumph, while Nick Pratt was the top MG racer in third overall.
Special Race – Jack Drews Memorial Race
The Jack Drews Memorial Race featured Triumph cars that also competed in the previous day’s Kastner Cup. Drews was a longtime racer who became known for providing advice and developing uprated parts for Triumph racers later in his career. He won the inaugural Kastner Cup in 2003 after coming from the back to finish third in the race. He passed away in 2008.
Henry Frye recorded the victory in the Jack Drews Memorial, driving a 1968 Triumph TR250.
Special Races – Ludwig Heimrath Open Wheel Challenge, Stuttgart Express and Rudy Bartling Nation’s Cup
A Canadian road racing pioneer, Ludwig Heimrath was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2000. The annual Ludwig Heimrath Open Wheel Challenge was won this year by Tom Pixley aboard a 1978 Wheeler (F/SV).
The Stuttgart Express featured a field of 17 Porsches, with the Rothmans Porsche 40th reunion taking place at the Vintage GP. The Rothmans Porsche Turbo Cup series ran from 1986 to 1991 as a single-make series for Porsche 944s.
Tim Sanderson won the race aboard a 1982 Porsche 911SC, while seven of the original Rothmans Porsche series cars were at the Vintage GP off the track.
A longtime Porsche mechanic and racer, Rudy Bartling was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2011. The annual Rudy Bartling Nation’s Cup typically features a group competition, factoring in results for competitors driving the featured marque vs competitors driving anything else.
With a busy schedule of special races for the Triumphs already, this year’s Rudy Bartling Nation’s Cup acted as a bonus opportunity for anyone wishing to take part in more track time during the weekend’s final session. Ten cars took part, with Ted Michalos winning aboard a 1987 Mazda RX7.
Michalos, the VARAC race director, said that he would’ve slowed down had he realized that there’d be a podium presentation, insisting that event organizers shouldn’t win a trophy.
“It was a big weekend, well over 200 entries from as far away as Arizona and California,” said Michalos, commenting on the event in general. “Everyone raced very well, they raced strongly, no injuries to report whatsoever and I think everybody’s going home with a smile on their face.
“We were putting all these extras in this year just to show our appreciation to the racers that attend,” he continued. “Because this was our 50th anniversary, the 46th of the event, the 65th birthday for Mosport, we wanted people to appreciate that we’re doing that extra bit for them because we can’t do any of this without the racers, we can’t do any of this without our volunteers.”
VARAC’s next standalone event will be the Peter Jackson Trophy Races, taking place on a single date, Saturday, July 11 at Shannonville Motorsport Park.
Next year’s Vintage GP will take place June 17-20 at CTMP, featuring the Can-Am Mini Challenge, with the hopes of also doing a Ground Pounders feature with big bore V8-powered vehicles, such as 1960s Mustangs.