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Not much more than 40 years ago the piece of land that
we know today as Mosport was a farm.
At that time, standing on a hill, looking over the fields and
groves of trees, who could have imagined that the best drivers
and the fastest cars in the world would come to this pastoral
place and race on what would be named as one the most challenging
tracks in the world and provide the best excitement and entertainment
that motor racing has to offer.
But they did come: racing legends like Stirling Moss, Gilles
Villeneuve, Bruce McLaren and even stock car king Richard Petty.
No fewer than 16 Formula One World Driving Champions - men like
Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti
and Nick Lauda have raced here. Some 10 Indianapolis 500 winners
including Rodger Ward, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Rick
Mears and Gordon Johncock have also raced at Mosport.
There have been Formula One cars, Indy cars, Can-Am, stock
cars, World Endurance, Formula 5000, Formula Atlantic and Super
Vee. Add Formula Fords, GT cars of every description, Superbikes,
karts, snowmobiles and off road machines. Throw in a couple of
rock concerts, some air shows, and sky divers and one begins
to wonder if there is anything that hasn't been seen at Mosport.
Anyone standing on the hill in 1959 would not believe what has
transpired over the last 40 years. Fortunately, there were some
people who did believe in what could happen. They had a dream,
a plan, and the combination of resources and expertise to make
it happen.
As early as 1958 the British Empire Motor Club (BEMC) formed
a development committee to investigate the possibility of selecting
and buying a piece of property for a road-racing course. By mid
summer of that year the founding committee, whose members consisted
of Dick Byatt, George Hill, Chuck Stockey, Fred Hayes and Ray
Liddle, had found a 450-acre track north of Bowmanville. Recognising
the enormity of the project, the committee members realised that
one club (BEMC) could not undertake the entire task and so a
separate entity, called "Mosport Limited" was born
in the fall of 1958. The name Mosport (a contraction of Motor
Sport) was coined and applied to the new business enterprise.
At the start there were seven directors, each on in charge
of a particular phase of the project. They were Alan Bunting
(track design, site layout and general co-ordination); George
Hill (public relations); Dick Byatt (trade relations and advertising);
Harold Hunter (financial planning and fund raising); George Grant
(structural architect); and Chuck Stockey (utilities and access
roads).
By 1960 development was moving forward, Alan Bunting's
design featured fast, sweeping bends that rose and fell over
the contours of the site. In order to accommodate the design,
great chunks of earth would be gouged out of parts of the hills;
in the one place the whole side of a hill was scraped away and
levelled. In the summer of 1960 Stirling Moss paid a visit to
Toronto, at which time he saw the plans for the track and the
work that had been done so far. While he was generally enthusiastic
about the layout of the course, he did recommend that the single-radius
carousel hairpin at the south end be changed to a 90-degree right
followed by another right leading onto the back straight. Moss
was convinced that this combination would be a much greater test
of driving skill and provide a more interesting show for the
spectators. The two turns, 5a and 5b have since become known
as "Moss Corner".
The development of Mosport did not come easily though.
The construction suffered through fiscal restraints zoning logistics,
heavy rainfalls causing washouts and a price tag that was double
of what was to be expected ($500,000 instead of $250,000). In
spite of everything, the necessary facilities were completed,
the asphalt was laid down and the track was ready for racing
by the end of May, 1961. Responsibility for the operation of
the facility was given to Jim Clayton who, as General Manager,
was Mosport's first and only full-time employee. This is what
it was all about : 2.459 miles, measured at the centreline of
its 28-foot width, of twisting, undulating pavement that would
challenge the best drivers in the world.
DATES IN MOSPORT HISTORY
| 1961 |
Mosport opens with
a clubman's race organized by the Oakville Trafalgar Light Car
Club. The first of many international races that would take place
at this world-class road racing circuit was the Player's 200
for sports cars, which was held in late June. The race attracted
over 40,000 spectators and was won by Britisher Stirling Moss
in his 2.5 litre Coventry Climax-powered Lotus 19. |
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| 1962 |
The USAC stock cars
ran at Mosport for the first time. The big cars adapted well
to the tricky road course, with Paul Goldsmith edging Indy winner
Rodger Ward for the win. The field also included A.J. Foyt. |
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| 1964 |
The Player's 200 set
an attendance record for a Canadian sports event as over 52,000
spectators watched as Bruce McLaren outdistanced a top field
of international drivers to win by more than a lap. |
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| 1965 |
The Player's 200 established
another Canadian attendance record: 58,000. British star John
Surtees - who later that year was badly injured in another Mosport
race- won the race in a new Lola T70. |
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| 1966 |
The track, which had suffered financial problems for several
years, was purchased from the receiver by a company called Cantrack
Motor Racing Ltd. The legal counsel for that company was Bernard
J. Kamin; the accountant was Harvey M. Hudes, who became the
driving force behind the track until his death in March of 1996.
Mark Donohue won the Can-Am race.
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| 1967 |
Canada joined the Formula 1 circuit, as Mosport hosted the
first Player's sponsored Canadian Grand Prix. Despite rain, the
crowd was huge (58,000) as Jack Brabham drove to victory over
another longtime Mosport Park favourite, Denny Hulme.
The IndyCar series visited Mosport for the first time. Twin
100-mile races were scheduled, with Bobby Unser winning both.
The second race was cut short after 15 miles because of rain.
Denis Hulme claimed victory in the Can-Am race.
A USAC Stock Car race was won by Parnelli Jones.
Mike Hailwood won the first ever Canadian World Championship
500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix.
The year was Canada's Centennial Year, and with Mosport hosting
5-full International Events it's doubtful that another track
can lay claim to hosting so many "Internationals" in
the same season.
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| 1968 |
Dan Gurney won both
100-mile IndyCar races. |
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| 1969 |
The June Can-Am race, sponsored by Labatt's, was a one-two
finish for McLaren team-mates Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme.
Jackie Ickx won the Grand Prix of Canada.
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| 1970 |
A major music concert
came to Mosport Park for the first time, Strawberry Fields featuring
many of the best-known entertainers of that day. |
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| 1971 |
Jackie Stewart won the
Grand Prix of Canada. |
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| 1972 |
Jackie Stewart won the
Grand Prix of Canada for the second year in a row. |
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| 1973 |
Peter Revson won the
Grand Prix of Canada. Due to changing weather conditions and
Grand Prix racing's first-ever full course caution the official
lap charts had to be consulted to confirm him as winner. |
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| 1974 |
Mosport Park became a public company, trading on the Vancouver
Stock Exchange.
Emerson Fittipaldi won the Grand Prix of Canada.
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| 1976 |
Mosport staged it's first Trans-Am race. Canadian Ludwig Heimrath
drove a Porsche RSR to a popular victory.
James Hunt won the Grand Prix of Canada.
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| 1977 |
After an absence of nine years the Indy Cars returned to Mosport
Park and A.J. Foyt - despite a one lap penalty - won in his Coyote.
Later in the year, Gilles Villeneuve made what would turn
out to be his last appearance at the track, as he drove a Ferrari
in the Labatt Grand Prix. Jody Scheckter won the race. This was
also the last Grand Prix held at Mosport as the following season
the event was moved to the new Ile Notre-Dame circuit in Montreal.
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| 1978 |
Danny Ongais won the
IndyCar race. |
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| 1981 |
Jacques Villeneuve,
Gilles' younger brother, won the Can-Am race at Mosport. It was
his first win at the track. |
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| 1982 |
The IMSA cars came to
Mosport for the first time, with a six-hour IMSA Camel GT series
event. John Paul and his son John Paul, Jr won in a Porsche 936
Turbo. |
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| 1989 |
A new half-mile oval
opened, Mosport International Speedway. |
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| 1996 |
Mosport Park President
and General Manager Harvey M. Hudes passed away after a lengthly
illness. He was 63. His longtime business partner, Bernard J.
Kamin became President and CEO. |
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| 1997 |
International Motorsports
Group (IMSG) takes over the Mosport lease. |
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| 1998 |
March 20: Panoz Motorsports
takes over the Mosport lease from IMSG.
October 30: Panoz Motorsports purchases Mosport |
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