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

Formula Car Rules

When it comes to single-seat cars, many clubs simply follow the rules and regulations penned by Monoposto Racing. This group works to preserve the formula cars of yesteryear and has rules written for practically all single-seaters, from pre-1966 Formula 1 cars to ’70s-era club racing machines.
monoposto.com

Let’s Talk Values

Despite what the sellers often think, most race cars are not worth anywhere near the sum of their parts. The only cars worth a lot are famous ones driven by famous drivers–and with spotless documentation proving that history.

And yes, there are more than a few misrepresented cars out there, from outright frauds to cars sporting a few original pieces along with lots of replacement parts. Race cars are like Lego bricks, and parts get swapped a lot.

Almost all significant, famous cars were insignificant and uncompetitive at some point in their past, and many were parted out to raise cash for the next one. If you’re chasing a high-dollar car with history, do your research. Be very suspicious and take your time. If you find a truly historic car, expect to pay top dollar–more than the sum of its parts and more than a restored version.

What about the bulk of the cars seen in vintage and historic racing? As usual, it depends.

Cars that consistently run up front may be worth nearly the sum of their parts. Any other race car just isn’t worth much to an informed buyer–more like half the value of its street counterpart.

Buying from the podium is a good strategy if you want to actually race the car. Even here, you have to make sure all of the podium-winning pieces are still on it. (Sometimes the trick parts get replaced and–you guessed it–go onto the previous owner’s next car.)

Ideally, not only will the car wear all the trick parts, but the previous owner will share the setup and prep strategies that made the car a success. A car like this will cost significantly more than the average race car–somewhere up to the sum of its parts.

Better yet, though, a lot of these cars, especially if they come with spares, sell for half or less than the total construction costs–and usually still less than a street or restored version.

Every other race car should be considered a project car and purchased for a project car price. A car that wasn’t a front-runner or hasn’t run in a while will likely be uncompetitive, unreliable and maybe even unsafe.

Expect to completely go through everything on the car, and realize that it should cost significantly less than a street or restored car. Of course, the seller typically won’t agree.

Vintage, Historic or Just Old?

What exactly constitutes a vintage race car? It depends–on the group, the event and the date of the rule book. The answer is constantly evolving.

Generally speaking, it’s more about the vibe: putting older cars on track while keeping the racing clean and courteous. And that means penalties for aggressive driving and car-on-car contact.

Car eligibility has evolved with the times as well. When the HSR started to come together at Road Atlanta in 1977, for example, the grids contained cars from the ’50s and ’60s. Today, HSR welcomes cars that might have run in the pro ranks just a few short years ago.

Likewise, the organization behind the Put-in-Bay Sports Car Races has updated its rules. Where it used to limit cars through 1972, this year the group will also welcome small-bore Japanese cars built through 1990.