I love to write columns about old races and old racers.
For me, nothing beats a trip down memory lane. I mean, I love the contemporary stuff but, if you want me to be honest, there’s not a lot of romance in modern-day racing as compared to the old days.
I am not alone. Every time I write something in the paper about a race or a driver from way back when, I get a ton of mail — both electronic and snail. You just can’t beat nostalgia to get people turned on.
So this weekend at Mosport should be right down the alley of anybody who ever attended a race at that wonderful place north of Bowmanville, or who was actually in one, be it as driver or mechanic or go-fer.
The 32nd Annual International Vintage Festival, organized by the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada (VARAC), is officially getting under way today and will go full tilt through Sunday.
Some famous old-er cars and some famous old-er racers are going to be there.
For instance, the Grand Marshal for the “Cars of Italy” presentation (Alfa Romeros, Fiats, Ferraris and Maseratis) will be Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee Craig Fisher.
Fisher, of Toronto, was a driver for the famous Comstock Racing Team of the 1960s and was one of the top sedan racers in North America, winning championships in Canada as well as the United States.
And the Grand Marshal of “Those Amazing Porsches” will be none other than Ludwig Heimrath, one of the most famous people in Canadian auto racing.
Heimrath, of Scarborough, won the Canadian Driving Championship in 1961 and 1964 and was runner-up three other years.
The handouts for the festival say the glory years of “grassroots sports car racing” will be revisited and there will be three days of on-track action in popular classes like Open Wheel, Historic and Vintage Production, Sports Racer and 70-plus.
Canada’s largest Mini gathering, Mini Meet North, will return to celebrate 52 years of the Original Mini and 11 years of the New Mini.
Hundreds of cars and drivers from across Canada and the United States are expected to participate.
A three-day SuperTicket will cost $35. Single -day tickets are also available. Each ticket includes parking, access to the paddock and admission to Mosport Speedway's Saturday Night stock car racing program.
As is the case with all Mosport events, children 12 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult. And, as always, camping is free.
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