In 1979, a small group of CVMG members gathered around a dining room table, in all places, Scarborough, Ontario to discuss the idea of vintage motorcycle road racing. They knew they’d require a recognized club with an affiliation to the CMA to provide insurance and race officials.

This group of racing enthusiasts approached their local Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group Section and convinced the executive that this was an interesting new way to showcase vintage road race bikes.

This resulted in a CMA sanctioned vintage only motorcycle road race on the weekend of July 21st and 22^nd, 1979 at Shannonville Motorsport Park. Its members at that inaugural event included Doug Warwick, Warren Wheeler, John Davis, Ernie White, Tom Pope and Tom McGill. Following that race weekend, the CVMG’s executive came to the decision that racing these vintage bikes was straying away from their official mandate and therefore would not host another vintage road race. While still remaining as CVMG members, this core group formed a new club that would cater exclusively to vintage racing and the VRRA was born.

The first event of the VRRA was held at Shannonville Motorsport Park in August of 1980 attracting 27 entries. The first vintage festival was held at Shannonville on August 22nd and 23^rd, 1981 with 37 riders pre-entered. The club decided to allow slightly more modern motorcycles to race and formed the Period 2 Class which allowed a cut off date of 1972 manufacture.

The new club quickly gained recognition and saw an influx of new members. In 1983, the VRRA was incorporated as a not for profit entity in the province of Ontario. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s the club continued to grow with ex road racers dusting off their leathers and dragging old race bikes from garages and workshops to the race track. The club’s events soon expanded to include the vintage festival at Mosport while participating in a series at Shannonville and cooperating with AMP in Nova Scotia and USCRA in Loudon, New Hampshire.

In 1998, Period 3 was initiated allowing 1^st generation Superbikes and Yamaha TZ750’s to race and Period 4 was added just after the turn of the century allowing motorcycles up to 1989 to compete at VRRA events. The 2009 season saw record entries at Shannonville, St Croix, Quebec and North Bay, while Mosport attracted almost 200 riders over the 3 day vintage festival.

The VRRA continues to forge into the future while remaining true to the club’s mission statement to ensure the preservation and maintain the traditions of racing vintage and classic motorcycles in Canada.

Bar and Hedy Hodgson Award 2009 from Northern Ontario Motorcycle on Vimeo.