Vintage Road Racing Association

I was at Loudon, June 14 – 16 for the Festival of Sidecars. It was my first visit to the track. The weather was great and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It is a very busy track and hard work on a sidecar. I was passenger on the F1 and took my vintage rig. Ewan could not make the trip so I asked Steve, a long time sidecar racer, if he would like to drive a vintage rig. This was Steve’s first time on a vintage rig and it was great to watch as he learned their capabilities and differences. His smile just got bigger each time we went out, especially when we finally resolved the clutch issue. There was some excitement during the last race when my toe hold first rotated and then a lap later came adrift! There were some exciting corners while I was attempting to retrieve it and throw it off the track. Having a left hand chair is definitely a disadvantage at Loudon but we did our best. Eleven vintage rigs on the track was quite a sight.

There was a lot of spectator support for the sidecars. Rigs drifting, chair wheels in the air, passengers moving from side to side – all very entertaining to watch. There is no entry fee for sidecars and there is a race and a practice session on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It is a long drive but I hope we can get a few more Canadian vintage teams there next year.

Watched some video of the F1 / F2 race, and read the comments on the SRA forum. Sounds like an interesting event Mike. Although there seems to be a lot on concrete, and not much run-off, and it seems having some run-off is currently a personal requirement.

Definitely on my list of "must do's"
Although my new favourite track is Grattan, MI and there
seems to be a schedule conflict for the last few years...
Mat

Glad to hear you made the trek Mike. NHMS is a great facility, wish we could still have the old Bryar layout though.

The Festival of Sidecars and the AHRMA race at Grattan have always been a conflict.
For those who race AHRMA in any form Grattan has always been a draw due to it's location in the midwest.
The facilities maybe on the primitive side but the racing, track and friendships win out.

Last year I made the trek to Loudon for the Festival.
I will agree that the event is a hoot for sidecar racers.
Considering that most of the sidecars both vintage and modern in North America are either in the northeast US or in Ontario, Loudon is a great fit.

Anybody own a cargo plane so we could race one day at Loudon and one at Grattan?