Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
| "Canada’s Home of Motorsports"[1] |
 |
| Location |
Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada |
| Time zone |
UTC-5 (UTC-4 DST) |
| Coordinates |
44°03′00″N 78°40′40″W / 44.05000°N 78.67778°W / 44.05000; -78.67778Coordinates: 44°03′00″N 78°40′40″W / 44.05000°N 78.67778°W / 44.05000; -78.67778 |
| Capacity |
open seating without capacity limitation |
| Owner |
Canadian Motorsports Ventures Ltd. |
| Operator |
Canadian Motorsports Ventures Ltd. |
| Broke ground |
1960 |
| Opened |
1961 |
| Construction cost |
$500,000 |
| Architect |
Alan Bunting |
| Former names |
Mosport Park
Mosport International Raceway |
| Major events |
FIA Formula One
Canadian Grand Prix
(1961-1967,1969,1971-1974,1976-1977)
FIM Road Racing World Championship
Canadian Motorcycle Grand Prix
(1967)
Can-Am
Mosport Can-Am
(1966-1967,1969-1974,1977-1986)
USAC Championship Car
Telegraph Trophy 200 / Molson Diamond Indy
(1967-1968,1977-1978)
FIM World Superbike Championship
Mosport Superbike
(1989-1991)
American Le Mans Series
Grand Prix of Mosport
(1999-Present)
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend
CTMP Speedway 200
(2007–Present)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Chevrolet Silverado 250
(2013-Present)
|
| Clockwise Grand Prix Circuit |
| Surface |
Asphalt |
| Length |
2.459 mi (3.957 km) |
| Turns |
10 |
| Lap record |
1:05.823 (Marco Werner, Audi Sport North America R10 TDI, 2008, ALMS LMP1) |
| Speedway (Half-Mile Paved Oval) |
| Surface |
Asphalt |
| Length |
0.500 mi (0.805 km) |
| Driver Development Centre |
| Surface |
Asphalt |
| Length |
1.49 mi (2.4 km) |
| Turns |
12 |
| Kart Complex |
| Surface |
Asphalt |
| Length |
0.87 mi (1.4 km) |
| Turns |
12 |
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway) is a multi-track facility located north of Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The facility features a 2.459-mile (3.957 km),(length reduced through wider track re-surfacing done in 2003) 10-turn road course; a half-mile paved oval; a 2.4 km advance driver and race driver training facility with a quarter-mile skid pad (Mosport Driver Development Centre) and a 1.4 km kart track (Mosport International Karting). The name "Mosport" is a contraction of Motor Sport, came from the enterprise formed to build the track; it is pronounced as the two words actually sound, "Mose-Port" (as opposed to often incorrectly pronounced "Moss-Sport").
History [edit]
The circuit was the second purpose-built road race course in Canada after Westwood Motorsport Park in Coquitlam, British Columbia,[2] succeeding Edenvale (Stayner, Ontario), Port Albert, Ontario's Green Acres (ex-British Commonwealth Air Training Plan), and Nanticoke, Ontario's Harewood Acres (ex-British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Number One Bombing and Gunnery School), all airport circuits, as Ontario racing venues. It was designed and built in the late 1950s, and held its first major race on June 25, 1961, the Player's 200, a sports car race bringing drivers from the world over to rural Ontario. Stirling Moss won the two-heat event in a Lotus 19. Second was Joakim Bonnier with Olivier Gendebien third.[3] The proposed hairpin was expanded into two discrete corners, to be of greater challenge to the drivers and more interesting for the spectators, at his suggestion, and is named Moss Corner in his honour. This is a source of lingering confusion as many people call the track Mossport.
Mosport has had a succession of owners since the original public company created to build the track. Two of those prior owners, Norm Namerow (who owned the track through his publishing company, CanTrack, until his death) and Harvey Hudes, have both been inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame for their contribution to the sport in Canada. In 1998, the Panoz Motor Sports Group purchased the facility, and in 1999, the newly formed American Le Mans Series visited Mosport for the first time. For 2001, the entire circuit was repaved to meet FIA specifications, and is now 42 feet (12.8 m) wide. Drivers were consulted to ensure the character of the "old" track was kept; almost all the "racing lines" have been maintained.
Mosport achieved acclaim though a series of international sports car races under the title "Canadian Grand Prix" normally reserved for Formula 1 races. Many events were wildly popular, breaking Canadian sports attendance records with each successive race. The success of these races led Mosport to be seen as a key component in the founding of the Can Am Series. The CanAm first visited the track in its inaugural season in 1966, and Mosport hosted at least one event in every year of the series' history, except 1968. In 1967, Canada's centennial year, Mosport hosted Formula One, USAC, and a 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix. F1's Grand Prix of Canada remained at the track until 1977. Mosport has hosted a wide variety of series throughout its history. The circuit has held Formula One, USAC, World Sportscar Championship, Can-Am, Formula 5000, and many other sports car, open-wheel, and motorcycle series.
Mosport has had several fatalities, both track crew, drivers, and riders, the most recognized being German Manfred Winkelhock who was killed in 1985 when his Porsche 962C crashed into a concrete wall. [1] The most recent fatality at the track was in 2008 during the 29th annual Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada Racing Festival. Driver Dino Crescentini of Rochester Hills, MI - a ten-year veteran of vintage racing - lost control of his 1977 Wolf Dallara Can-Am car, which previously had been driven by the late Gilles Villeneuve.
Unlike many historic motorsport venues, Mosport's track layout has remained mostly unchanged from its original form.
The fastest ever recorded lap was taken by Rinaldo Capello, in an Audi R10 TDI, in qualifying for the 2008 Grand Prix of Mosport, with a time of 1:04.094. The lap record was set in the race for that meeting with Capello's Audi Sport North America team mate Marco Werner lapping in a time of 1:05.823.[4]
Canadian Motorsports Ventures (CMV) which includes Orlando Corp. Chairman Carlo Fidani and Canadian road racing legend Ron Fellows, purchased the facility in June of 2011.[5]
In February 2012, a partnership between Mosport and Canadian Tire was announced. The partnership includes a renaming of the track to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The partnership will help to upgrade the facility, and improve the experience for spectators, participants, race teams, and corporate sponsors.[6]
Bridgestone Racing Academy conducts its programs at Mosport.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will race at Mosport beginning in 2013, marking the first time the series has raced in Canada.[7] Chevrolet will be the title sponsor and the race will be known as the Chevrolet Silverado 250.[8]
Current series [edit]
A motorcycle races at Mosport
Main article:
Mosport 200[9]
The track also hosts vintage racing series, motorcycle racing, and Canadian Automobile Sport Club (CASC) amateur events and lapping days.
Former Series & Major Race Winners [edit]
| Year |
Race |
Date |
Winning Rider |
Winning Team |
| 1989 |
Race 1 |
Rothman's Superbike |
June 4 |
 Fred Merkel |
Team Rumi RCM |
| Race 2 |
 Giancarlo Falappa |
Bimota SpA |
| 1990 |
Race 1 |
Bud Superbike |
June 3 |
 Raymond Roche |
Squadra Corse Ducati Lucchinelli |
| Race 2 |
Raymond Roche |
Squadra Corse Ducati Lucchinelli |
| 1991 |
Race 1 |
|
June 2 |
 Pascal Picotte |
Fast Yamaha/Sunoco |
| Race 2 |
Tom Kipp |
Wiseco Piston Yamaha |
Main article:
Mosport 200Main article:
Mosport Can-Am
| Year |
Race |
Driver |
Chassis |
Engine |
| 1968 |
Mosport Continental |
Lou Sell |
Eagle Mk 5 |
Chevrolet V8 |
| 1969 |
Mac’s Mosport Continental |
John Cannon |
Eagle Mk 5 |
Chevrolet V8 |
| 1970 |
Mac’s Mosport Continental |
Mark Donohue |
Lola T192 |
Chevrolet V8 |
| 1974 |
Labatt’s Blue 5000 Weekend |
 David Hobbs |
Lola T332 |
Chevrolet V8 |
| 1975 |
Labatt's Blue 5000 Weekend |
Mario Andretti |
Lola T332 |
Chevrolet V8 |
| 1976 |
Labatt’s Blue 5000 Weekend |
 Alan Jones |
Lola T332 |
Chevrolet V8 |
Main article:
Mosport 200Main article:
Mosport 200[32][33]
Music events [edit]
- Strawberry Fields Festival, August 7–9, 1970
- Canada Jam, August 26, 1978
- Heatwave Festival, August 23, 1980
- Edenfest, July 12–14, 1996
- Boots and Hearts Music Festival, August 10-12, 2012, August 2-4, 2013
- ^ "Mosport renamed Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in new partnership; Autoblog Canada". 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ^ eTracks: Canada's Racing Pioneer Westwood
- ^ The Globe and Mail, June 26, 1961, Page 15.
- ^ "Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport 2008 Official Results". IMSA. 2008-08-24. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
- ^ "Canadian Tire Motorsports Park Overview". Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ^ "Canadian Tire Partners With Mosport". Mosport.com. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Canada to Host Truck Race in 2013". Motor Racing Network. 2012-11-16. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
- ^ "Chevrolet To Sponsor NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park". Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
- ^ "Major Spectator Events". Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- ^ "1974 CASC Player's Challenge Series". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1975 CASC Player's Challenge Series". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1976 CASC Player's Challenge Series". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1977 CASC Labatt Challenge Series". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1979 CASC/SCCA North American Formula Atlantic Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1981 CASC/SCCA North American Formula Atlantic Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ a b "1982 CASC/SCCA North American Formula Atlantic Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1983 FIA Formula Mondial North American Cup". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1987 ECAR HFC Pro Series Atlantic Challenge". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1988 ECAR/SCCA HFC Formula Atlantic Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1989 SCCA Toyota Atlantic Championship - Atlantic Division". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1992 SCCA Toyota Atlantic Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1993 Player's Toyota Atlantic Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1994 Player's Toyota Atlantic Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "2009 Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1974 SCCA/IMSA Formula Super Vee Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1975 SCCA/IMSA U. S. Formula Super Vee Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1976 SCCA U. S. Formula Super Vee Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1977 SCCA U. S. Formula Super Vee Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1979 SCCA Formula Super Vee Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1982 SCCA Robert Bosch U. S. Formula Super Vee Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "1983 SCCA Robert Bosch Formula Super Vee Championship". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
- ^ "Mosport International Raceway". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- ^ "Mosport - List of Races". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
External links [edit]
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| Paved ovals |
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| Dirt ovals |
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| Road courses |
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| International |
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| Current circuits (2013) |
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| Past circuits |
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Jack Brabham
Jacky Ickx
Jackie Stewart
Peter Revson
Emerson Fittipaldi
Jody Scheckter
Ludwig Heimrath
Harald Grohs
Patrick Pons
Giancarlo Falappa
Gerrit Wolsink
Colin Trueman
