See History in Motion This Weekend at Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational
June 14, 2022 | By Zach Horrall
Historic racing fans and classic car enthusiasts rejoice, because the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association is returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend with the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational.
More than 200 vintage race cars will be taking on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile IMS road course Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19 in a passionate display of automotive history and milestones from all disciplines of auto racing.
There are some former fan-favorite INDYCAR SERIES drivers in the field, such as INDYCAR SERIES champion Jimmy Vasser and Geoff Brabham, who will take to the track over the weekend. Plus, Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta and IMS President J. Douglas Boles also will race over Father’s Day weekend.
The action will kick off Saturday with a host of group qualifying sessions in the morning, followed by group races in the afternoon.
These groups include vintage stock cars that you may have seen in NASCAR many years ago, including at the Brickyard 400, as well as pre-war race cars that were built before 1941 and World War II. In all, more than 12 groups of race cars totaling over 200 elite machines will hit the racetrack both days.
On the track, you’ll also see vintage American muscle car favorites such as Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, Ford Thunderbird, Pontiac Firebird and Pontiac Grand Prix.
Iconic international brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo, Lotus, Jaguar, Porsche, McLaren, Audi, Lexus, BMW and more also will compete against each other in matchups you dream of watching but rarely have the chance to see in person.
Additionally, you can expect to see open-wheel and single-seater cars that were featured in Formula Ford, an entry-level class of open-wheel racing that has served as an important step toward the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Formula One. Also be on the lookout for Formula Vee cars buzzing around the Racing Capital of the World on their pre-1963 Volkswagen Beetle chassis that are always a crowd favorite.
On Saturday and Sunday, fans can see vintage Indy exhibition laps as old cars that paved the way for the future of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and in the Indianapolis 500 take parade laps around the Speedway. Vintage open-wheel cars you can expect to see include one of A.J. Foyt’s Coyotes, a Gurney Eagle Indy and several Watson roadsters.
Sunday at IMS will be full of feature races as drivers and car collectors show off their prized possessions in vintage classic endurance races, dozens of group races, vintage Indy exhibition laps and historic GT and GTP endurance races.
The Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational is more than a racing weekend, too. There also will be a massive car show happening in the infield of the IMS road course.
Make sure you get to the track by 10 a.m. (ET) Saturday for the Hagerty Cars & Caffeine car show with hundreds of vintage racers and classic cars on display. Hagerty Cars & Caffeine events showcase a wide variety of vintage, historic and exotic cars, as well as vintage motorcycles and collector cars of interest.
Plus, the Shelby American Automobile Club will be holding its annual convention during the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational weekend as club members show off their prized Shelby Mustangs for classic car enthusiasts.
Gates are open 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $30 each day, and kids 15 and under are free with a paid adult ticketholder. Click here for more information on schedules, open gates and stands, gate regulations and more.