Want to own an old race car but don’t actually want to race it? You can just show it, too, and be the hero in a slightly less intense arena. Photography Credit: David S. Wallens

Will the engine be happy around town, or is the cam better suited for north of 6000 rpm? Consider swapping cams or just fitting a milder engine for now.

Of course, you have to make your car street-legal, meaning registration and insurance. For a mild MGB vintage racer, that’s pretty easy. For a 1990s tube-frame Trans-Am car, good luck.

Do You Make It Your Own?

Most of our discussion has centered around buying a complete car and generally leaving it as is. You may want to do more–maybe change the livery, make the car more aggressive, or even transform a back-runner into a winner. That’s all up to you, but don’t expect to get any of your money back.

[Project Car: 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback]

And if racing’s in the car’s future, keep checking those rules as you make changes.

Vintage Racing Groups

Vintage racing doesn’t fall under one blanket organization for the entire country. Some groups sanction events from coast to coast, while others are more regional in nature. And with each turf comes a unique vibe, mission statement and rule book–and one group’s regulations can allow cars prohibited by another’s.

Classic Sports Racing Group
csrgracing.org
Region: Northern California
Cars: Older formula cars plus production-based cars usually through 1990.

Corinthian Vintage Auto Racing
corinthianvintagerace.com
Region: Texas, Oklahoma
Cars: Most classes cut off at 1973. CVAR also hosts a Spec Sprite class for 1962-’74 Spridgets.

Heartland Vintage Racing
heartlandvintageracing.com
Region: Kansas, the Ozarks
Cars: Generally speaking, production cars through 1974 and formula cars up to 1980.

Historic Sportscar Racing
hsrrace.com
Region: Mostly East Coast marquee tracks–think Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta and Watkins Glen–but now also the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Cars: From the ’50s up through modern times.

Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs
mcscc.org
Region: Midwest
Cars: Pre-1974 race cars.

Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association
pvgp.org
Region: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cars: Generally through the mid-’70s, although some cars can be only 20 years old.

Put-in-Bay Road Race Heritage Society
pibroadrace.com
Region: Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Cars: Small-bore and formula cars built through 1972 plus Japanese cars through 1990.

Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing
rmvr.com
Region: Colorado
Cars: Depending on class, the cutoff dates are generally 1972 and 1981.

Society of Vintage Racing Enthusiasts
sovren.org
Region: Pacific Northwest
Cars: Generally at least 25 years old.

Southwest Motorsport
swms.org
Region: Sandia Speedway in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Cars: Vintage and modern.

Sports Car Club of America
scca.com
Region: Coast to coast.
Cars: Older cars still have a home in the Production and Improved Touring ranks.

Sportscar Vintage Racing Association
svra.com
Regions: The entire U.S., including famed tracks like Sebring, Road America, Lime Rock Park, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Cars: From the ’50s up through those raced five years ago.

Vintage Auto Racing Association
vararacing.com
Region: Mostly California plus the new track in Casa Grande, Arizona
Cars: Usually those built through the ’70s.

Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada
varac.ca
Region: Eastern Canada
Cars: In some cases, all the way through 1997.

Vintage Drivers Club of America
vintagedrive.com
Region: Southeastern U.S.
Cars: Mostly through 1972 plus some SCCA cars through 1997.

Vintage Racer Group
vrgonline.org
Region: East Coast, Mid-Atlantic
Cars: Production cars through 1989 or, in some cases, through 1993.

Vintage Racing Club of BC
vrcbc.ca
Region: Mission Raceway Park in British Columbia
Cars: Through 1997 for some cars.

Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association
vscda.org
Region: Great Lakes
Cars: Eligibility has been expanded through 1997.

Vintage Sports Car Club of America
vscca.org
Region: Races and hillclimbs across the Northeast
Cars: Depending on the make and model, the cutoff is likely to be 1959 or 1965.

Vintage Sports Car Racing
vscr.org
Region: Upper Midwest, with races usually in Brainerd, Minnesota
Cars: Through the end of 1989 plus continuation models that are essentially unchanged.

Meet the VMC

The Vintage Motorsports Council acts as a coordinating body for the various North American clubs. The VMC also issues a license that most clubs will honor.
the-vmc.com