Vintage vibes
Some events impress you because of their scale. Others leave an impression because of the atmosphere. The VARAC Vintage Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park nails both
My son Matias and I attended this year’s event on Father’s Day weekend, and by the time we left on Sunday afternoon, I found myself wondering why more people don’t know about it.
For context, I am not what I would consider a serious car enthusiast. Watch enthusiast? Absolutely. Cars? I would place myself somewhere in the “car curious” category. I enjoy them, appreciate them, and own a 2011 BMW 328i E93 that still manages to put a smile on my face whenever the road opens up. My son, on the other hand, knows far more than I do. Having worked in automotive sales and spent years immersed in the hobby, he is often the one explaining what I’m looking at.
Fortunately, the VARAC Vintage Grand Prix is the kind of event that welcomes both types of visitors equally.
What is VARAC?
The Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada, better known as VARAC, has been organizing historic racing events since 1976–making this year its 50th Anniversary. Its mission remains relatively simple: preserve, maintain, and race historically significant competition cars in an environment that values both competition and conservation. The organization’s annual Vintage Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park has become one of the premier historic racing events in North America.
What struck me most wasn’t the machinery, though there was certainly plenty of that.
It was the people.
Advertisement
A bit of personal nostalgia
Years ago, Matias, a friend of his, and I spent a summer weekend camping trackside at Mosport during another race event. Anyone who has done it knows the appeal. The sound of engines drifts through the trees long before the first race begins. Campfires glow after sunset. Conversations about cars continue well into the evening. Returning to the circuit all these years later brought back some of those memories.
The atmosphere remains remarkably similar.
Throughout the park, camper trailers and tents dotted the landscape. Families wandered between races. Dogs accompanied their owners through the grounds. Groups of friends sat in folding chairs overlooking corners they had likely been watching for decades. It felt less like a major motorsport event and more like a community gathering built around a shared passion.
That sense of openness extends to every aspect of the weekend.
Time spent in the corrals
One of our favourite areas was the Collector Corral, where owners display everything from beautifully preserved classics to meticulously restored performance cars. Conversations seemed to start naturally. People were eager to talk about their vehicles, how they found them, what work had been done, and the stories attached to them.
As someone who spends much of his time writing about watches, I couldn’t help noticing the similarities. The most interesting part is rarely the object itself. It is the human story behind it.
The same was true in the paddock.
Up close in the paddocks
Modern motorsport often feels separated from spectators. Fences, hospitality suites, and restricted areas create distance between fans and participants. At the Vintage Grand Prix, much of that distance disappears.
We spent a considerable amount of time wandering through the paddocks watching mechanics, drivers, and owners work on their cars between sessions. Engines sat partially disassembled. Teams made adjustments. Drivers discussed setups. Nobody seemed particularly concerned that spectators were only a few feet away.
For anyone interested in how machines actually function, it is fascinating. For someone like me, who knows enough about cars to ask questions but not enough to answer them, it was educational.
For photographers, it is a dream.
Of course, the racing itself remains the centrepiece.
Advertisement
Watching the races
One of the joys of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is that there are very few bad viewing locations. The circuit’s natural elevation changes provide excellent sightlines throughout the property. Rather than settle in one location, Matias and I spent the day moving from corner to corner, watching how different cars behaved around the track. Every section of the circuit seemed to tell a different story.
Advertisement
The high-speed commitment required through some corners becomes immediately apparent when viewed from trackside. So does the bravery required to race machinery that often lacks many of the electronic safety systems modern drivers take for granted.
Open wheel racing
Among the various races held throughout the weekend, one of my personal favourites was the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship.
Unlike many of the vintage classes, the F1600 field represents the future as much as the past. The series has become one of Canada’s most important training grounds for aspiring road racers, producing drivers who have gone on to compete successfully at the highest levels of motorsport.
The racing itself is outstanding.
The formula combines relatively simple open-wheel cars with closely matched performance, creating large packs of drivers separated by fractions of a second. The result is racing that feels immediate and unpredictable. Position changes happen constantly. Drafting battles develop throughout the field. Every lap appears to matter.
What I particularly enjoyed was the mix of participants. Some drivers are pursuing professional careers. Others are enthusiastic amateurs competing for the sheer enjoyment of it. The paddock reflects that balance. Ambition and enthusiasm coexist comfortably.
Advertisement
Check out The Ultimate Watch Buying Guide
History in motion
By the end of the day, I realized the Vintage Grand Prix offers something increasingly rare. Access. Not just physical access to cars or paddocks, but access to stories, knowledge, and people who genuinely enjoy sharing both.
Whether you arrive as a lifelong gearhead, a casual enthusiast, or someone who simply enjoys spending a summer day outdoors, there is something here for you.
In the watch world, we often talk about preserving mechanical traditions by continuing to wear and use the objects that embody them. The VARAC Vintage Grand Prix operates according to a similar principle. These cars are not museum exhibits. They are functioning pieces of history that continue to do exactly what they were built to do. And perhaps that is why the event feels so special.
It’s history in motion.
Photo Gallery
About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.