Welcome to the 2026 Season: Gamma F4 Dominates BEMC Opener; Next Stop: VARAC VGP in June!
The 2026 CASC-OR regional road racing calendar is officially underway, and the 3/4 Litre Association (F4 Canada) made a massive statement at the 74th running of the BEMC Spring Trophy Races (May 9–10) at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) [casc.on.ca].
With winter development officially in the rearview mirror, our drivers hit the grid under the Formula Libre (FL) designation to fight for independent F4 Canada championship points. The weekend delivered brilliant engineering, deep paddock history, and an absolute clinic in high-speed downforce execution.
If you missed the turn-by-turn action, head over to our main hub at formulafour.com to read our full, multi-class paddock breakdown. For now, let’s talk about how the F4 field shook up the tarmac and look ahead to the massive events on our summer calendar!
A Flawless Gamma F4 Showcase at BEMC
To anyone watching the timing sheets, the front row of Saturday’s Formula Classic Series group offered an incredible look into our paddock's tight-knit roots.
Morton Claims the Hat-Trick
Defending his title right out of the gate, James Morton put his ultra-quick #11 2015 Gamma F4 car on the overall pole with a staggering 1:24.275 qualifying lap. Morton never looked back, controlling the clean air to execute a perfect weekend clean sweep, capturing the overall and Formula Libre victory in all three feature races.
Deep Paddock Roots
Further down the front row, Jamie Kay stayed right in the hunt behind the wheel of a matching Gamma F4 chassis, timing in with a 1:39.996 to lock down critical independent F4 championship points.
The coolest story of the weekend? Kay’s Gamma chassis represents generations of Ontario F4 history: it was previously owned and raced by FC90 competitor Mike MacNeil, and before that, it was originally built and driven by pole-sitter James Morton himself!
For the complete breakdown of lap times, class shakeups, and full paddock results across the GT and Prototype tiers, check out the official blog post over on formulafour.com.
Next Up: The 50th Anniversary VARAC Vintage Grand Prix (June 18–21)
While we are keeping our eyes on mid-summer highlights like July's BARC Open Wheel Invitational, our absolute next stop is the biggest weekend on the Canadian vintage calendar. From June 18–21, 2026, VARAC takes over the CTMP Grand Prix circuit for the highly anticipated 46th running of the VARAC Vintage Grand Prix. This year is massive, marking the official 50th Anniversary of VARAC.
For open-wheel purists, the Formula Classic group will return to action alongside the highly competitive Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series. Adding to the massive schedule, the event will welcome the prestigious Kastner Cup as a special guest feature race for a beautiful collection of historic Triumph machinery.
Our F4 entries will also look toward The Ludwig Heimrath Open Wheel Challenge—a spectacular "all-comers" shootout that will pitch wings, slicks, and historic open-wheel variants directly against each other on the tarmac. Whether you are hunting for independent F4 championship points or testing setups, you need to be at CTMP this June.
Looking Ahead to July: The BARC Open Wheel Invitational
Following our June vintage outing, the 3/4 Litre Association will lock in our sights on the ultimate highlight of our summer calendar: the 2026 BARC Open Wheel Invitational!
Organized by the British Automobile Racing Club - Ontario Centre (BARC-OC), this dedicated open-wheel showcase takes over the world-renowned CTMP Grand Prix track from July 24th through July 26th, 2026.
Why the BARC Weekend Is Unmissable:
- Pure Open-Wheel Grids: No production cars, no sports prototypes—just a pure celebration of formula machinery spanning six distinct run groups.
- Massive Track Time: The schedule is packed to maximize seat time, offering a 20-minute practice, a 20-minute qualifying session, and three 25-minute sprint races over Saturday and Sunday.
- Friday Test Day: An optional test day on July 24th serves up 2.5 hours of open track time to get your aero and tire setups perfectly dialed in for the GP circuit.
- Paddock Social: Saturday evening features the classic Monoposto Style Drivers Reception and Paddock Crawl for all drivers, crew, and friends.
Our Canadian F4 machinery will be anchoring the high-speed Formula Libre run group alongside faster winged variants. We are anticipating a packed paddock, sharing the weekend with Toyo Tire F1600, Formula 1200 / Vee, and a fantastic collection of Formula 70 & 90 vintage machinery.
Driver Registration Details:
Drivers, don't let the mid-summer rush catch you off guard. Head over to MotorsportReg to get your entries in early.
- Early Bird Deadline: Complete your registration by July 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM to lock in your spot and avoid a $120 late fee.
- Waivers: Make sure your crew completes their electronic documentation via Speedwaiver ahead of Friday tech.
Whether you are hunting for independent F4 trophy points or joining us trackside as a spectator, the road through June and July is going to be unforgettable. See you in the paddock!
