Canadian Tire Motorsport Park facts for kids
| "Canada's Home of Motorsport" | |
|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
| Location | 3233 Concession Road 10 Clarington, Ontario, Canada |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (UTC−04:00 DST) |
| Coordinates | 44°03′00″N 78°40′40″W / 44.05000°N 78.67778°W |
| Capacity | open seating without capacity limitation |
| FIA Grade | 2 |
| Owner | Canadian Motorsports Ventures Ltd. (June 2011–present) |
| Operator | Canadian Motorsports Ventures Ltd. (June 2011–present) |
| Broke ground | 1960 |
| Opened | June 1961 |
| Construction cost | $500,000 |
| Architect | Alan Bunting |
| Former names | Mosport International Raceway (1997–February 2012) Mosport Park (1961–1996) |
| Major events | Current: IMSA SportsCar Championship Chevrolet Grand Prix (1975–1977, 1980–1985, 1989–1992, 1995–2019, 2022–present) NASCAR Canada Series Clarington 200 (1962, 1966–1968, 1974, 1978, 1991–1992, 1996, 1998–2019, 2021–present) Trans-Am Series Mosport Trans-Am (1976–1979, 1981, 1984–1997, 1999–2003, 2009–2014, 2024–present) SCC Canada (2021–present) CSBK (1980–present) Former: Formula One Canadian Grand Prix (1961–1967, 1969, 1971–1974, 1976–1977) Grand Prix motorcycle racing Canadian motorcycle Grand Prix (1967) Can-Am Mosport Can-Am (1966–1967, 1969–1974, 1977–1986) World SBK (1989–1991) NASCAR Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250 (2013–2019) GT World Challenge America (1990–1997, 1999–2012, 2014–2019) |
| Clockwise Grand Prix Circuit (1961–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 3.957 km (2.459 mi) |
| Turns | 10 |
| Race lap record | 1:05.823 ( Marco Werner, Audi R10 TDI, 2008, LMP1) |
| Driver Development Centre Advanced Course | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.880 km (1.800 mi) |
| Turns | 20 |
| Driver Development Centre Intermediate Course | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.200 km (1.370 mi) |
| Kart Complex | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.4 km (0.87 mi) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Speedway Oval (1989–2013) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.805 km (0.500 mi) |
| Banking | 6° |
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is a famous place for motorsport races in Canada. It used to be called Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway. You can find it north of Bowmanville in Clarington, Ontario, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) east of Toronto.
This exciting venue has several tracks. The main one is a 3.957-kilometer (2.459-mile) road course with 10 turns. There's also a special training area called the Driver Development Centre. Plus, a 1.5-kilometer (0.93-mile) kart track for smaller races. The name "Mosport" comes from "Motor Sport," which is what the builders called their project.
Contents
History of the Track
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was one of the first tracks in Canada built just for road racing. Before it, races often happened on old airport runways.
The track was designed and built in the late 1950s. The very first race took place in June 1961. Soon after, on June 25, a big sports car race called the Player's 200 brought drivers from all over the world. Famous driver Stirling Moss won this event. He even suggested changing a part of the track, which is now named "Moss Corner" in his honor. What's cool is that the track's layout hasn't changed much since it first opened!
In 2001, the entire track was repaved. This made it wider and met new international racing standards. The designers made sure to keep the track's original feel, so drivers could still use their favorite racing lines.
Mosport became very popular by hosting international sports car races. These events often broke Canadian attendance records. Its success helped create the famous Can-Am Series.
The Can-Am Series first raced here in 1966. Mosport hosted at least one Can-Am event almost every year. In 1967, Canada's 100th birthday, the track hosted Formula One races, USAC races, and a big motorcycle Grand Prix. The Formula One Grand Prix of Canada stayed at Mosport until 1977. Over the years, many different types of races have been held here.
The track has had several owners. In 1998, Panoz Motorsports bought the facility. Then, in June 2011, Canadian Motorsports Ventures Ltd. (CMV) took over. This group includes businessman Carlo Fidani and Canadian race car driver Ron Fellows.
In February 2012, a partnership with Canadian Tire was announced. This led to the track being renamed Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Driver Development Centre
In the spring of 2000, Mosport opened its Driver Development Centre. This was a second training circuit designed to help drivers improve their skills. It had 12 turns and was 1.7 kilometers (1.06 miles) long.
Later, in 2013, this academy course was rebuilt and made longer. The new track offers two different layouts for racing and training. There's a 2.2-kilometer (1.37-mile) intermediate course and a 2.9-kilometer (1.80-mile) advanced course. It also has a skid pad and a multi-story building with classrooms.
Mosport Speedway
Mosport Speedway was a 0.805-kilometer (0.500-mile) oval track. It was located in the northwest part of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. This track had long straightaways and banked corners.
It was built in 1989 as a dirt track. After some initial problems with the dirt, it was paved that same summer. It was then renamed Mosport International Speedway. For 24 years, it hosted weekly stock car races from May to September. Many touring series also raced there.
In July 2013, the park announced that the oval track would close. This was to make space for the expansion of the Driver Development Centre.
Major Racing Series
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park hosts many exciting races. Here are some of the biggest ones:
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Since 2014, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park has hosted an annual race for the IMSA SportsCar Championship. This series replaced the American Le Mans Series. It's now Canada's largest annual sports car race, known as the Chevrolet Grand Prix.
NASCAR Canada Series
The NASCAR Pinty's Series has raced at this facility every year since 2007. They usually visit at least twice a year. One of their races is called the Clarington 200.
Current Events
- May: NASCAR Canada Series Victoria Day SpeedFest, Radical Cup Canada
- June: VARAC Vintage Grand Prix
- July: IMSA SportsCar Championship Chevrolet Grand Prix, Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup
- August: Trans-Am Series Mosport Trans-Am, Formula Regional Americas Championship, Formula 4 United States Championship, NASCAR Canada Series CTMP Labour Day Weekend Sprint, Sports Car Championship Canada, Canadian Superbike Championship, Radical Cup Canada
Lap Records
The fastest lap ever recorded at the track was by Rinaldo Capello in 2008. He drove an Audi R10 TDI in qualifying, with a time of 1 minute and 4.094 seconds. The official race lap record is 1 minute and 5.823 seconds, set by Marco Werner in the same year.
Music Events
Besides racing, Mosport has also been a place for many concerts and music festivals. Some of these include the Strawberry Fields Festival, Canada Jam, Heatwave Festival, Edenfest, and the Boots and Hearts Music Festival.
See also
In Spanish: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park para niños
- List of auto racing tracks in Canada
