The VRRA Race School is one of the premier motorcycle and sidecar training programs for novice, returning and advanced riders in Canada. All training courses take place at Shannonville Motorsports Park located 15 km east of Belleville, Ontario, roughly midway between Toronto and Montreal. Schools are held the day before the VRRA Quinte TT.
Our Stage 1 School will prepare riders in the basic skills required for organized road race competition. Riders who successfully pass this course can obtain VRRA racing license, allowing riders to compete in the VRRA endurance and sprint races on the following day. The course also permits riders to apply for a RACE license.
Riders under the age of 18 years at the time of the scheduled school must contact the VRRA to obtain an underage consent form prior to application.
Date and Location:
The VRRA will hold its Stage 1 race school on Thursday, May 25th, 2023 at Shannonville Motorsports Park.
Stage 1 School students will meet at 7:30 a.m. on the fourth floor of the RACE facilities building. Students should enter the building through the south east door. If you successfully pass the Stage 1 school and intend to race the following day, the bike must fall under vintage rules and pass a full technical inspection. Please see our Rules for a list of requirements
Cost:
The cost for Stage 1 is $250 plus $125 for a mandatory one year VRRA membership. Both membership and Stage 1 school registrations are available on RaceDay You will need to create a membership profile before you are able to sign up for the school. A membership includes a one year subscription to Inside Motorcycles and the VRRA Baffled Muffler.
Required Equipment:
Students must provide a suitable motorcycle. The motorcycle does not have to be a vintage bike nor does it have to be race prepared. Any suitable modern street machine (no cruisers) may be used for the Stage 1 School. The motorcycle and rider will require the following:
School Format:
Terms and Conditions:
The VRRA Stage 2 School is only open to 2023 VRRA members. The school is led by Darrell Cooney, Multi time VRRA Champion and multiple AHRMA Open Two Stroke race winner. Working with several other pros and highly skilled resource riders, Darrell will centre this school around improving racing skills to make participants faster and better racers. This one-day course gives great value. It includes lots of quality track time with one-on-one instruction that is enthusiastically endorsed by all former students.
Date and Location:
The Stage 2 race school will be held on Thursday, May 25th, 2022 at Shannonville Motorsports Park.
Cost:
The cost for Stage 2 is $250.00 and includes a full day of professional on-track race instruction. Stage 1 school registrations are available on RaceDay
School Format:
Stage Two will run with a track day like format to maximize riding time.
Terms and Conditions:
Our Sidecar School allows both drivers and passengers to obtain their license to compete in sidecar competition.
Date and Location:
The VRRA will hold its Sidecar school on Thursday, May 25th, 2023 at Shannonville Motorsports Park.
Stage 1 School students will meet at 7:30 a.m. on the fourth floor of the RACE facilities building. Students should enter the building through the south east door. If you successfully pass the Stage 1 school and intend to race the following day, the bike must fall under vintage rules and pass a full technical inspection. Please see our Rules for a list of requirements
Cost:
The cost for the Sidecar school is $175.00 and includes sidecar-specific instruction starting with a classroom session and proceeding with skid pad practice and on-track instruction. Memberships and Sidecar school registrations are available on RaceDay
School Format:
If you have a current VRRA racing membership, you do not need to attend the general part of the classroom training but must attend sidecar-specific classroom instruction, skid pad instruction and on-track practice sessions.
If you do not have a current VRRA racing license or the equivalent, you will be required to take the Stage 1 general classroom session at 7:30 am in the RACE facilities building followed by the sidecar-specific classroom instruction, skid pad instruction and on-track practice sessions.
Terms and Conditions:
2023 Race Entries are now Open 2023 Event registration is now open. VRRA memberships, renewals and race registration is managed through Raceday. Current and new members can access the Raceday portal by clicking on the icon
The Motorcycle Show The VRRA will be at The Motorcycle Show hosted at the Enercare Center, Exhibition Place between February 17th and February 19th, 2023. Drop by and see our display of vintage race bikes,
The VRRA has announced the Endurance Event calendar for the 2023 race season. The Endurance Championship will kick off at Shannonville on May 26th, and feature events at Calabogie on June 30th and Canadian Tire
Dave started racing with the VRRA in 2008. He has since raced every season with the club on both motorcycles and classic sidecars.
In 2011, Dave realized the need for a high-quality Stage One race school that would teach beginning racers the fundamentals of racing without being intimidating. Since then, he and his partner, Heather, have organized and led the school that has launched many into the exciting world of amateur road racing.
Dave can throw a leg over anything and make it go fast. He has competed on vintage 2-stroke Grand Prix bikes, modern lightweights, and everything in between. Currently, his favourite ride is on a classic sidecar, but solo racing is also very close to his heart.
Not permitted to have dirt bikes as a kid, Darrell spent his youth snapping BMX bikes and skateboards in half. At 21, he purchased an RZ350 and a year later ended up at race school with 8k of road experience. A runner up position in the 1988 RZ Cup Championship led him to the one-off World TZR Cup final and Pro 250GP in 89. After 3 Pro seasons highlighted by a WERA Formula 2 race win in the rain at Shannonville, life took over.
Twenty-five years later opportunity knocked, and he was back on track with a 2007 TZ and endurance racing with fellow 1987 school attendee Kirby Crosby. The VRRA has been the perfect second home for his reborn racing passion and a big part of that has been participating in the school the past 6 years.
Mike has been racing motorcycles continuously since 1986 and always liked to watch sidecar racing. His first race with the VRRA was in 1992 at the Vintage Festival. In 2010 he had his first ride as a passenger and was hooked. He bought a P2 sidecar and was the passenger on it until 2014. In 2013 and 2014 he was a passenger on an F1 sidecar and had the opportunity to drive for one weekend.
In 2014 Mike started driving his own P2 sidecar, and with his long time passenger Sue, has won the VRRA P2 sidecar championship five times. In 2015, he bought his own F1 sidecar and has been driving both since then.
Mike has been teaching the VRRA sidecar school to new passengers and drivers since 2017.
