Vintage Road Racing today at Mosport Track

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 10:48 pm

Went for a ride with basmn this week and he mentioned that the 2022 Vintage Road Racing Association was having a race this weekend at Mosport along with the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Festival.

It was way too hot and humid but I went today anyway to check it out. Walking around the paddock I was surprised to see how many CBF motorcycles were there. Seems they are a thing and Silver may be the fastest colour.

I started melting so I had to leave early before these big guys took over the 2.5 mile track.

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:29 pm

Tom, imagine how these guys felt in their leathers!! Nice to see the F bikes still going strong. Back in the 80 -82, everyone who rode one of these probably knew of Freddie Spencer.
In 82, my buddy and I rode down to Tennessee from London, me on my black '80 CB750F and Steve on his silver '81 CB900F. He crashed on the BRP into a large timber guard rail. He was not injured, but the bike required some major front end work.

I haven't been to Mosport in 30 years!!

Cheers!
Chris

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:53 pm

Well Chris next weekend is your opportunity to see it again!

https://canadiantiremotorsportpark.com/pages/superbike-double-header

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:56 am

I was there on Saturday as well, Tom.
Lasted until 3ish and then the heat was too much to handle. Got stuck in traffic accident on the way home making for a 3.5 hour slog. Bike was not happy.
Great sights and sounds even from the small racers.

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:01 pm

Fitter wrote:

Well Chris next weekend is your opportunity to see it again!

https://canadiantiremotorsportpark.com/pages/superbike-double-header

No can do! We are at the cottage in Nova Scotia until August 20.

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 2:52 pm

I went on Saturday and took my granddaughters with me. They're 7 & 8 and had a blast. They got to meet Steve and really liked his red CBX. We also chatted with the team running the #165 & #919 bikes and the girls realized they are "like" my 1100. Finally they got to sit on the #125 bike pitted next to the #88 bike with yours in front. I think I shot myself in the foot on this as they'll want to go again next year.

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:18 pm

165 is owned by Dean Ruston and raced normally by Mike McNeil .... the 88 bike is owned by Scott McVicker and has a slew of period correct RSC parts on it (he owns several others as well). Must had been so hot

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 1:02 am

Wulph wrote:

I went on Saturday and took my granddaughters with me. They're 7 & 8 and had a blast. They got to meet Steve and really liked his red CBX. We also chatted with the team running the #165 & #919 bikes and the girls realized they are "like" my 1100. Finally they got to sit on the #125 bike pitted next to the #88 bike with yours in front. I think I shot myself in the foot on this as they'll want to go again next year.

It was great bumping into you, Gabe.
The girls were a blast, so well behaved. Surprised that a racetrack would hold their interest but they sure seemed to be having fun.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 1:07 am

petrat wrote:

165 is owned by Dean Ruston and raced normally by Mike McNeil .... the 88 bike is owned by Scott McVicker and has a slew of period correct RSC parts on it (he owns several others as well). Must had been so hot

Darren, does the #34 belong to Todd?
I remember him having one similar a couple years ago.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 1:48 am

Ya I believe it’s Todd’s bike

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 12:17 pm

Gabe, I was there on sat at turn 3 all day under the tree behind the mashal station..it was hot but the breeze helped..
Monday I was on the track with the R6. The only thing vintage that day was me 😛

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 6:20 pm

I'm now a member of the Scottish Motorcycle Marshals Club. One of the Orange Army you see at corners Smile

Recently we had the Bob Mac Trophy races at East Fortune Circuit, which is near Edinburgh. That's a classic race bike meeting. It was brilliant, after the days racing finished, to be strolling around the paddock chatting with the teams. The amount of white hair displayed was amazing Very Happy

1 team in particular were racing a 400/4, bored out to 500. I pointed him in this direction, to look at cutting windows between pots 1&2 and 3&4.

Most of the races I'm marshalling for are the Scottish Championships, club racing, all classes from lightweights up to Superbikes and including sidecars, 7 classes in all. There are races, usually every other weekend, alternating between Knockhill (in Fife, Scotland) and East Fortune circuits. Knockhill also hosts a British Super Bike round. Strangely I'm not a huge racing fan, I wouldn't pay to go watch racing. But marshalling is different, you aren't a spectator, you're (peripherally) involved in the racing. It feels different. Over here, marshals are all volunteers and unpaid. We are quite well looked after though. Fed and watered throughout the weekend, and we get travelling expenses these days as well.

If you haven't tried marshalling, and you have a circuit close enough, give it a try. You don't need training to be a marshal, and most of what you need to know is fairly common sense, on the job training will soon sort you out. SMMC hold a few training sessions early in the year, before the racing season starts. Involving things like how to remove a helmet safely, fire fighting, first aid, other things like that. Attendance isn't compulsory, but if you don't have the training you can only marshal at Scottish Championship level racing, not at BSB level or above. This will be the case all over the UK, I don't know if it's the same for the USA or Australia and New Zealand. Some of our trained marshals travel over to Europe, to marshal at the big endurance meeting at Assen for eg. They also travel to marshal at the other BSB races, at circuits all over the UK.