4 Reasons VARA is The Best Place to Race your Vintage Porsche

Old is New Again

VARA events are host to some of the coolest collection of cars that rip up the race track all across the West Coast of the United States. Born out of the need to give old race cars a place to properly stretch their legs, the organization caps the year of vehicles to somewhere around the mid-70s. As much of a fan of one particular brand you might be, the turn out to these events are unparalleled to almost anything short of the Monterrey Historics at Laguna Seca. As someone who likes cars the amount of metal here alone is worth your attention. 

Image courtesy of VARA    

People Race Competitively

Drivers who participate in these events run their cars right up to the edge with experience ranging from newbie all the way up to seasoned veterans. Competition is extremely close and the races are wildly entertaining with some pretty big names showing up to try their luck. It’s not just hobbyists who run here and they aren’t exactly driving your moms VW camper van. Entrants contest races in everything from home built Porsche 968s to full-blown race builds that are fielded by shops like TRE that specialize in purpose-built racing cars. You get to challenge yourself in this series regardless of where your skill level is at. 

Image courtesy of Porsche   

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Schools Out For Ever

Well, not if we’re talking about racing cars. VARA offers something that many organizations glance over, student instruction. Their two-day course goes over concepts like controlling a slide, weight transfer in a slalom and includes “lots of track time.” The school is $425 and if you don’t have your own car they can provide one for an added fee. By charging a small fraction of what a vintage race car costs they provide the avenue for kids or adults who might be on the fence about motor racing. These people clearly care about the future and longevity of our sport. For that, they deserve your support.  

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Plenty of Events

In 2019 alone VARA will go to Willow Springs, Buttonwillow and Auto Club Speedway a total of 8 times. With a short break from June to August, racers get a chance to rebuild their cars for a return to the fastest road in the west or to test and tune in order to further dial in their setup. While some organizations race 4 or 5 times a year the vintage scene in California stays charging throughout the entire year. There is a ton of racing throughout the weekend that provides ample seat time. 

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Costs to Play

It’s actually reasonable to go vintage racing compared to other forms of motorsport like the hellaciously expensive Cup series. Race cars that are already built and ready to go can be found on svra.com with prices that range in the $40,000 to $65,000 bracket for 914-6 with full cages or vintage 911s with just enough modification to go racing. If you get the bug and have bankroll you can easily begin looking at vehicles like the 935 K3 and other machines priced in the “if you have to ask” bracket. All in all a VARA car can be a cheap way to get out there in the world of racing without compromising what we all love about these lovely vehicles. In fact, the race cars often drive so much better you won’t want to leave them. 

Image courtesy of Rennsport Reunion 

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