The Mosport Park and to a lesser extent Fort Erie track thread

This is great news....a new super speedway with oval track, and road course to be designed by Jeff Gordon. Approvals and zoning have been finalized, so construction is going ahead shortly.

Located next to the QEW in Fort Erie, is sure to attract Canadian and US race fans!

I was shocked to hear this, I never heard any rumours or details about this project anytime this year, finally we can get a world-class facility which we deserve!

Looks like the new owners of Mosport have a little competition on their plate now.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/autoracing/article/1283209--canadian-motor-speedway-gets-green-light-in-fort-erie

 

Maybe if I start now my mullet will be grown in just in time for the first NASCAR event!

Gary
Espada
8394

 

Like this Gary?

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=141584663&postcount=106

 

Dont knock it too much Gary..go to a race one day...its quite the spectical!!

 

Business in the front...party in the back

Nah, but seriously this is good news. Thank god for the road course part!

 

It will be fantastic to have such a facility in our backyard. The oval will be interesting from a spectator perspective.

What will be even better is to have another great road course that we can use on the other side of the GTA to complement what we already have on the East side.

Hopefully we will have some regional race events in Fort Erie soon as well!

 

Never mind watching it, go drive one. The power is sumthin fierce!
Makes a 308 feel like a golf cart.

 

Agreed. In the west you only have TMP and there used to be Dunville (small I know) but even that closed.

Probably some serious track day events from the USA will now go there.

 

+1

It will sure beat driving over the pot holes and raccoon traps at Mosport

 

Yeah, but that's changing too.

 

Let me be the realist here. If they had the money, they would have built this facility already. This is more static in a long list of empty press releases.

If, and it's a big if, this track ever gets built, the road course will be second rate. By the topography of the area, it'll have limited elevation changes and will be inevitably designed new school, insurance policy-style with corner combination after corner combination with zero fourth gear+ corners.

Other tracks in the area might mean good variety for track day enthusiasts, but nothing teaches you to go fast like figuring out how to hustle around Mosport. No other track in North America scares me properly like Mosport. Plus, novices always have the DDT there.

On another note, Lucas, you're a broken record about Mosport. Have you ever raced there? Have you raced elsewhere so that you have some comparables?

 

Kleinburgring

 

Brian, I agree that Mosport is a fantastic and challenging track, however it has been in disrepair for many years. Finally its getting a rennovation, and hopefully the respect that the legendary course deserves. The Castrol tower is demolished, the old bathrooms have been removed, and the raccoon and possum traps have been eliminated, but the track will need millions of run-off, paddock and safety improvements if it were ever to attract big ticket series such as FIA GT, Indycar or F1. We need to look no further than Mont Tremblant, where a semi-world class track exists and safely hosts many important racing series.

This new track venue in Fort Erie just goes to show how some people are willing to "think big" and take risks in order to create a business. The investors and developers of the Fort Erie project are from overseas, and are willing to invest alot of time and money into the circuit in order to bring the big boys here.

Unfortunately we can't say the same about Canadian developers, we continue to spit out the same garbage, and small mis-managed projects. As was mentioned, we should have had this sort of race venue many years ago, but nobody stepped up to the plate and got it done.

Kudos for the people and money behind the Fort Erie track...I too am skeptical about its completion, I will be impressed if it ever gets completed as planned.

But in the mean time, we are stuck avoiding the pesky beavers at Mosport, and the dandelion filled potholes at Shannonville.

 

Let's dissect this.

What disrepair? It's successfully hosted SCCA Pro and ALMS events for years, among other series. I don't know one pro or am driver who doesn't love it.

The facility still has a mix of old and new restrooms. Who cares? So do most North American venues.

Mosport will never host FIA GT, Indycar or F1. Give your head a shake. The most they can hope for in the short term is a net new Nationwide race, while maintaining the ALMS event, as well as SCCA and Canadian "pro" series.

What important racing series? They host none. Zero. No FIA GT, no WTCC, no major US series, certainly no international open wheel series.

Again, this is another backhanded BS comment from you about Mosport and Shannonville.

If you're going to be critical of these facilities, then you'll have to enlighten us with the sources for your context. When was the last time you drove on those tracks? What other tracks have you driven to give you this exceptional insight?

 

friggin nascar..................................ye ha ya'll

seriously i have been to the michigan 500 a couple times and really had a fun time in spite of their beer. It ,like many motorsports doesn't translate well on TV however but somehow they have managed to turn it into the money making soap opera that it is . That part at least is a total joke and ironically may be the very reason why real car racing (lemans and sports prototypes) don't do well here on TV.


Gary
Espada
8394

 

Brian, I'm assuming you have some sort of sponsorship and/or business arrangement with these tracks which prevents you from telling the bare truth about them, but I don't...

Don't try and patronize me about this subject, I know more than you think I do.

I have been to Mosport, and Shannonville many times in the last few years. These tracks are (were) in such a sad state of disrepair, its a joke. The fact that its taken Mosport 50 years to be rennovated and updated is sad...It kind of reminds me of the Toronto Argonauts, as they both have been thru different owners and ideas in the last decades, who barely do anything to improve it; only before selling it in haste to the next group who 'plan' to make it into a winning concern.

The fact is Mosport and Shannonville are such sorry excuses for race venues, compared to other world class circuit in America or Europe. I don't understand how Mosport can be called "International Motor Speedway" when the only thing international about it is the french mayonaisse they serve with hot dogs in the parking lot.

I don't understand why you are defending these tracks, when you should be using your journalistic skill and promotional powers to have them demolished, rennovated, or rebuilt immediately.


Luckily, Mosport does have a new ownership group, and is making progress as we speak. Too little too late as I say...forget about Mosport, its too far, too dangerous, too tired to have a decent life left. Its time to get something big and bold on the ground, us Canadian racing enthusiasts deserve better, unfortunately I don't have $250 million lying around to make a new Canadian circuit...In the mean time I will simply watch and hope someone else does, and complain about the current problems we do have.

 

Let's dissect this further.

What exactly do you mean? I'm being paid by Mosport? Please tell me more about my business arrangement or how I'm accepting payment or services for promoting the facility.

I've raced at Mosport - as recently as, um, this year. That was the ALMS event in July. When did you drive there last?

No, you don't. Prove it. What other venues have you visited extensively and recently? You keep avoiding these questions. Amuse me with your answers. Perhaps even prove me wrong. I'm waiting.

Now, you're unequivocally demonstrating you don't know what you're talking about. When were you there? What did you do? Were you in the role of driver or fan?

Mosport was renovated after Panoz took ownership. Perhaps you should stick with being a CFL fan.

Really? How different is it compared to any other "world class circuit in America or Europe"? Which tracks have you attended in the last five years? And in what roles?

Now, Lucas, clearly you've been paying attention to what I do personally, so you know as well as anybody that I drive a tracks all over North America and Europe. Have you done anything even remotely similar? No, you haven't.

Why would I suggest that there's anything wrong with Mosport when I've driven all the greats in North America and understand what they're all about? I've competed at, won races at, have track records at, or have driven Road Atlanta, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca, Sonoma (nee Infineon, nee Sears Point), Ascari and, um, the f***ing Nordschleife. That's just a short list.

I'm not defending Mosport against anything except your BS.

You're a racing enthusiast? If you actually were, you'd realize that a place like Mosport is irreplaceable. Then, again, have you even driven there? Or do you just look longingly through the fence or at videos on YouTube?

Prove me wrong. Answer my questions. Or keep playing the keyboard hero. You're better at that than answering the questions I keep asking.

In the meantime, let the big boys talk about how good or bad our race tracks are.

 

While I have been to over 50 race tracks around the world life I can say that in the past 12 months I have raced at or visited/lapped at the following venues:

Mosport
Shannonville
Calabogie
Cayuga
Laguna Seca
Sonoma
California Speedway
Road Atlanta
Long Beach
Daytona International Speedway
Nurburgring
Zandvoort
Le Mans
Donington Park
Spa Francorchamps
Silverstone
Willow Springs
Macau

I'm sure I missed one in there but the point is that I am speaking from recent experience and believe that the negative comments against Mosport are way off base. Shannonville has never been a proper race venue and serves as a lapping facility more than anything else. Mosport on the other hand has a proper layout with big elevation changes and very fast bends. Racers around the world recognize it as one of the best drivers tracks anywhere. The current state of the facilities is quite good compared to some other notable tracks and is certainly up to the standard of modern high downforce race cars. There is a whole world outside of F1 and while Mosport is to FIA standards it is in no way less of a track because the F1 guys don't run there any more.

We are lucky to have such a great track so near to Toronto and the latest improvements will make it a world level facility in short order.

I will add that few tracks give the level of satisfaction that Mosport does when you really squeeze a lap time out of it. If you have ever had the kind of oversteer at 220kph at the bottom of turn 2 that allows you to clearly read the time on your watch and still kept your foot in it for fear of loosing a tenth then you will know exactly what I mean. B-mak chose to experience this at the top of 2 but that is another story all together

 

It's better to know the limit than to intimate it's true nature, right?

Have you seen the episode we produced?

 

Yes Brian I suppose that you are more knowledgable than me on the recent limit of Turn 2. I did however once on the first lap and on cold slicks do a 360 on the way down 2 in front of a full field. I clearly remember looking up the hill as I was rotating while watching the other cars come at me. As I straightened I dipped the clutch, selected a lower gear, and drove off when I was facing the right way; real Danny Sullivan stuff. In truth to this day I still think it as dumb luck to get away with that unscathed.

Regarding your episode yes I watched the whole thing and quite enjoyed it. It felt like there were cameras everywhere and the editing was good.

 

That's not dumb luck in the least. Spinning, that's one thing. Getting it all sorted out and carrying on, that's skill.

All I know are the limits of adhesion with production-based cars. Give me something with big downforce and I'm either screwed or really quick.

 

Brian you are too kind but lets not get too off topic here:

Mosport is awesome and is only getting awesomer (yes that is a real word to me)

The Fort Erie track may or may not happen regardless of the zoning. Race tracks are never a done deal until the first car laps it and even then they are under constant threat.

 

Awesomer is right.

Perhaps the all-seeing, all-knowing Lucas knows that the Mosport renos are all about. Shhh! Don't tell him. Let the illuminatus tell us himself.

 

Wow this is ausomest!
Back when I got in an argument with someone on here the mod then threatened to shut it all down . Now you us are throwing the gloves down ! I'm gettin popcorn,
Whoha!

Gary
Espada
8394

 

Very well Gary have it your way.

If there are not more positive comments about Mosport then I'll shut this thread down