Sunday morning, June 18 2023, and the racers are back at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the final day of competition in the 2023 VARAC Vintage Grand Prix. Being out in the heat has taken it’s toll on the drivers and their equipment.
Shortly after 9am, the sound of F1200s firing up rumbled through the woods, scaring the chipmunks out of their trees.
Daniel Demaras in the No. 12 MagiSeal Formula 1200 car would be starting Race 3 in P3.
Daniel’s plan at the start was to make to the outside of Turn 1, and while the rest of the field checked up, he would sail on by. He’d puled off the same maneuver twice already, so his racing rivals were getting wise to the move.
The 1200 cc, air-cooled “F-Vee” race cars might not be the fastest in the field, but they are so evenly matched, that it creates the best racing in the Formula Classic grid.
Race 3 came down to strategy. The draft is so powerful in these open-wheel cars, that drivers don’t want to be leading on the last lap. Demaras waited behind his teammate Bob, drafting all the way up the Andretti Straight, before attempting a bold outside pass at Turn 9. It did not go well.
The No. 12 pushed wide, and redirected Daniel into the pit entrance, his car pointed right at the attenuator. Demaras checked up, made it through Turn 10, and nearly lost P3 to his teammate Jason at the line.
The VGP could probably be run as a two-day event. Three days maximum, if Friday was an optional practice day. But as the ‘premiere event’ in the VARAC calendar, it’s spread out over 4 days, with only two sessions per day.
Just after the lunch break, the 1200s were back on track for the 2nd race of the day (4th race of the weekend). Daniel had his best race of the event. He wasn’t able to make a pass for the lead on Turn 1, but despite the well documented power-deficiency in the No. 12, but Daniel stayed on the leaders tail for several laps.
Demaras was in a battle for the podium in the closing laps, and was once again battling with Bob. This time, Daniel made the last-lap pass stick, and drove home to a well earned P2 and a proper podium celebration.
Next race in the 2023 Canadian Formula 1200 Championship will be on July 20-30 for the BARC Touring Trophy Race at CTMP before the fly-away races to Shannonville and Calabogie in late summer. But Demaras Racing has some interesting races scheduled in other disciplines, before returning to Formula 1200 competition.