Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada 2025
The VARAC Vintage Grand Prix is a major [annual] motorsport event, proudly held at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
It features historic open and closed-wheel race cars from the 1950’s right through to the 2000’s, competing like they did in their respective eras.
VARAC’s Heritage Focus: Founded in 1976, the club’s mission is to preserve and race historically significant cars in their original specifications, giving an enthusiastic look into what race life was like in bygone era’s.
Time to stroll the grounds and immerse in the beauty of ‘all things vintage racing’! This event bring out everyone, from racers & teams, to fans who love, or in the hobby. Great vibe!
The Competition portion of the weekend event schedule is typically divided into three main categories:
Vintage/Historic (pre-1973)
Classic/Modern Classic (up to 2006), and
Formula Classic
…but for most, weekend is more about fun in the park for the whole family and getting to see bygone era racing.
The Events within the Events…
During the weekend, the grounds of CTMP (during VARAC weekend) are filled with plenty to see and do. One of the most popular things to see is the British Field of Dreams. There is a paddock at the far end of the track where the vintage British rides (and their keepers) park to display their cars and answer questions from the many admirers.
Vintage rides are parked all over the grounds, fans mix their cars in with the pits of race cars as well as the fan parking areas and the surrounding fields – it becomes eye candy wherever you look. This is another event where photographers can have a field day with endless subjects to shoot.
The Racing action is constant!…
Unlike the other race events, the sights & sounds of these vintage cars running the track is unlike any of the other races that run all summer long at CTMP.
The variety of cars running the track is nothing less than stupendous. Every corner and straightaway has cars of all types roaring around and showing off for the throngs of fans watching from the hills and standing fence side!
From European masterpieces to American Muscle to the British invasion, as you look around, you will find nothing but smiles from the drivers, the owners the teams and most importantly, the fans of all ages, watching everything old, fast and loud!
at the end of the day…
(like all motorsport racing) EVERYONE comes out a winner.
This event is like a break in the action from all the other, more serious automobile racing events. Not to say that this isn’t big business, it’s just not at the same scale or level of what you might normally see at an IMSA or NASCAR race series… this has a ‘fun factor’ that the other race days don’t seem to have. WELL worth checking out, a great way to spend a summer day (or weekend if you are so inclined).
That’s a wrap on 2025, the 46th VARAC Vintage Grand Prix is scheduled for June 18–21, 2026 …be there! CTMP Official
To CTMP and all the VARAC organizers & volunteers involved, Mustard Report would like to thank you for the invitation to cover your amazing event, and is eagerly looking forward to a return visit in 2026!
