Varacins has collected five national titles in the SCCA Formula V division, but made the switch to Formula Continental for the 2019 race season.
The Burlington Wisconsin native aims to make his mark during the
WeatherTech® Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints®
at Road America June 14-16.
Varacins won three Formula V national championships at the 4.08-mile, 14-turn circuit in 2009, 2012 and 2013, but is eager for a change of pace in Formula Continental, also known as Formula 2000s.
"Road America is probably most better suited for those kind of cars compared to the Formula Vs," said Varacins, who ran in Formula Vs for 16 years.
"The Formula Vs are a low-horsepower car and the straightaways go on forever. To be in a car that has more speed and more cornering ability, like the Formula Continental, I'm excited and it's going to be a blast."
Varacins competed in motorcross at age 10 and obtained his competition license at 19. He raced cars for three seasons before heading to the East Coast to work as a bicycle designer at Cannondale before moving
back to Wisconsin and racing again.
Racing has always been part of Varacins' life and has never been far from his mind. He remembers going to the race track as a young child to watch father, Alan Varacins, compete in SCCA events in B-Sedan and Formula V classes.
Varacins has a mechanical engineering degree, like his father, so it's been particularly satisfying to share racing passions with the man who's made an impact throughout his life. And it's not lost on Michael that June Sprints are held during Father's Day weekend.
"He's been very influential in the racing program, and he works just as hard as I do," Varacins said of his father. "That's some of the best part of racing, is to do it together and the memories that I'll have - he's been involved in them all. Those are things that I'll remember all of my life."
Alan and Michael both appreciate the development side of competition and needed a new challenge. Michael had clinched seven pole slot and finished on the podium every year but two since 2006, and wanted to take his racing career on a different path.
They're looking forward to making adjustments on the Formula Continental and making the car go faster. Set-up will be critical with long straightaways and a slew of corners. The two most burning questions are these: Is straight-line speed crucial for long straightaways or is corner focus more important?
"There's a school of thought, and more important, to get the car working well in corners and give up a little bit of straightaway speed, and try to find that right balance, and determine which section is the fastest is kind of a unique challenge for Road America," Varacins said.
Besides race pursuits, Varacins has enjoyed spending time soaking up the atmosphere at Road America. He said the food and concessions are some of the best compared to other tracks in the nation.
Varacins also likes relaxing at Road America during June Sprints weekend. The pet-friendliness of the track is an added bonus and gives Varacins the opportunity to bring his dogs along for the trip.
"To enjoy the sights and sounds of racing for three or four days, it's hard to beat that," he said. "We've got a motor home, so we stay at the track. It's always amazing at Road America at night: The amount of of stars you can see is great. It's absolutely breathtaking.
"I enjoy going for walks at night, just look up at the stars. It's a good time. Some of my best memories are up there. I've thought about getting a telescope to bring up there because you've got such a good view of the sky that it's a perfect place for a telescope."
Along with the many lifetime memories Varacins intends to gather, new thrills and memories have yet to be made, as generations of racers and their families will flock to the June Sprints for their chance at glory. This year, over 350 sports car drivers running everything from showroom stock to highly modified purpose-built race cars are scheduled to fill four days of practice, qualifying and racing as the June Sprints are the first trophy stop to win amateur racing's most prestigious title, the Triple Crown® of Racing. To earn this title, competitors must win in their class at the June Sprints, win their respective divisional title and win at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs.
Daily admission to the June Sprints is $25 Friday, and $35 each for Saturday and Sunday.
Fans have three quick, convenient methods to buy tickets:
Online: Visit
www.roadamerica.com Tickets are available 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Print your tickets at home and save time.
Phone: Call 800-365-RACE or 920-892-4576 between 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday.
In Person: Visit the Road America Ticket Office at the Road America Administration Building off of State Highway 67 (Gate 6) between 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday.
Gates open at 7 a.m. and races run rain or shine. For more information, call 800-365-RACE (7223) or visit
www.roadamerica.com
Anyone 16-years-old and under are always FREE with a paying adult at the gate.
