Construction at Mosport

[Jia]

After speaking to one of the Mosport staff when I took part of a trackday there earlier this year, he told me they (they as in some foreign investors) are thinking of revitalizing the entire track.
New facilities, bigger tunnel, possibly complete repave etc.

It seems like they are going ahead as there are reportedly mounds of dirt and construction equipment at Mosport right now.
This is good news. The purpose is to bring NASCAR there but regardless of the purpose a renewed Mosport would benefit all of us.

Looking forward to riding there next year!

[Rob]

The group who bought the track has a lot of $$$ behind them and they are very ambitious. Let's just hope they remember the two wheel junkies.

[rafiki911]

Was there this past weekend and it's great. The road leading to corner two has been widened and they have cleared some of the tree line there for a better view of the track. Thinking the changes will be good over all. They are also going to make it easier for trailers to get in and out instead of having to be stuck there the whole weekend.

[caboose483]

Any bets on what the pro superbike lap record will be next year if they repave???

[Ben G]

Any bets on what the pro superbike lap record will be next year if they repave???

...... any bets on there being a superbike race at Mosport next year........ based on who will or won't be there ...... mid low .20's at best (maybe a high .19) ya need fast guys with fast bikes to go fast ....... Kawi is out of racing next year and ya have to believe BMW is going to follow (NO FACTORY TEAMS). BG

[Jayv]

Big screen TV at corner 3 please.

Don't touch the food stands.

Thanks.

[rafiki911]

Had to camp out at turn 3 cause of the new grass at corner two and I love the view from there!!!


Hoping for some new bathrooms, with warm water and lights. lol

Big screen TV at corner 3 please.

Don't touch the food stands.

Thanks.

[Wingboy]

What happened to the Fort Erie development? I can't imagine anything being built for Nascar at Mosport.And i can't see anyone pouring much money into Mosport really.There isn't enough interest.

[fastar1]

So this is the "New Mosport" request thread now? I'd like the concrete patches gone please.

And grid girls in bikinis.

Thanks!

[Jia]

What happened to the Fort Erie development? I can't imagine anything being built for Nascar at Mosport.And i can't see anyone pouring much money into Mosport really.There isn't enough interest.

It's happening though so that's good regardless. Dont forget NASCAR series in Canada run many road courses so Mosport is not an issue to run their cars. It seems that the CT NASCAR series in Canada keeps growing...

Fort Erie development.....haven't heard anything on that in a long time....

[Brian P]

As far as I've been able to tell, the Fort Erie track is not happening, at least not at any time in the foreseeable future. Too many regulatory hurdles to jump.

As for Mosport, the new ownership group is all car guys. If they're wanting to bring NASCAR on the road course (like Watkin's Glen) it means there's more pressure on the schedule, for a track that already gets booked solid. Something's got to give. With all that money going in, track rental costs are probably going to go up, and that's if you can negotiate a date at all. It's foreseeable that bike related track-day groups and smaller organizations like the VRRA (and, to be honest, CSBK is small potatoes compared to NASCAR) are going to either get shut out, or effectively be shut out on account of prohibitive track rental costs.

We'll see. It all depends on whether the new owners care about bikes. They're all known "car guys".

[fastar1]

As far as I've been able to tell, the Fort Erie track is not happening, at least not at any time in the foreseeable future. Too many regulatory hurdles to jump.

As for Mosport, the new ownership group is all car guys. If they're wanting to bring NASCAR on the road course (like Watkin's Glen) it means there's more pressure on the schedule, for a track that already gets booked solid. Something's got to give. With all that money going in, track rental costs are probably going to go up, and that's if you can negotiate a date at all. It's foreseeable that bike related track-day groups and smaller organizations like the VRRA (and, to be honest, CSBK is small potatoes compared to NASCAR) are going to either get shut out, or effectively be shut out on account of prohibitive track rental costs.

We'll see. It all depends on whether the new owners care about bikes. They're all known "car guys".

Do you think that would affect weekday availability? Weekends would become high demand if we assume that more sanctioning bodies take an interest in running there (then again ALMS was a Panoz series so they might get removed from the schedule). But weekdays should remain relaively unchanged. And if tracks like Watkins Glen and Portland and other renowned US tracks remain available for track days, why shouldn't that also be the case for Mosport. I dunno, just wondering out loud.

[caboose483]

...... any bets on there being a superbike race at Mosport next year........ based on who will or won't be there ...... mid low .20's at best (maybe a high .19) ya need fast guys with fast bikes to go fast ....... Kawi is out of racing next year and ya have to believe BMW is going to follow (NO FACTORY TEAMS). BG

Thanks captain buzzkill!

[turbodish]

What happened to the Fort Erie development? I can't imagine anything being built for Nascar at Mosport.And i can't see anyone pouring much money into Mosport really.There isn't enough interest.

Fort Erie is before the OMB as a result of objections from some local residents. Don't expect any decisions until mid-next year, and don't expect spades in teh ground until after that decision.

Tunnel under corner 9 at Mosport is a go, track closes in under two weeks so they can rip the track apart at corner nine to build an underpass high enough for transports and wide enough for two-way truck traffic under the track. New admin building being built on the outside of the front straight. Massively-expanded Gate 3 complex. The gravel sub-bed for a new road network and parking on outside of front straight right over to the oval is well underway. The paddock is being upgraded and the trailer shanty town in the paddock is on its way elsewhere in the near future. Parts of the grounds are being levelled to provide major spectator parking facilities. Lots of trees are being stripped to add more camping areas and offer improved sightlines. This is all in support of obtaining a huge major race event, possibly next year, and if not next year then in the year afterwards.

[turbodish]

Do you think that would affect weekday availability? Weekends would become high demand if we assume that more sanctioning bodies take an interest in running there (then again ALMS was a Panoz series so they might get removed from the schedule). But weekdays should remain relaively unchanged. And if tracks like Watkins Glen and Portland and other renowned US tracks remain available for track days, why shouldn't that also be the case for Mosport. I dunno, just wondering out loud.

Any track can support only so many major race events. The pockets of the potential race fan spectator pool within driving range is only so deep, and you have Montreal, Watkins Glen, Mid Ohio, Detroit, and Michigan International all within Mosport's potential drive-in range and siphoning off potential fan base dollars away from Mosport even before you get into potential ticket sale self-cannibalization between Mosport's own major events.

All the planned upgrades at Mosport will not result in a sudden mass of new major events there. They are in support of gaining ONE major event, and that one major event will pay for most of the upgrades being made. I don't see any major increases happening to track rental rates, nor do I see any significant loss of track day availability.

[fastar1]

Any track can support only so many major race events. The pockets of the potential race fan spectator pool within driving range is only so deep, and you have Montreal, Watkins Glen, Mid Ohio, Detroit, and Michigan International all within Mosport's potential drive-in range and siphoning off potential fan base dollars away from Mosport even before you get into potential ticket sale self-cannibalization between Mosport's own major events.

All the planned upgrades at Mosport will not result in a sudden mass of new major events there. They are in support of gaining ONE major event, and that one major event will pay for most of the upgrades being made. I don't see any major increases happening to track rental rates, nor do I see any significant loss of track day availability.

That makes more sense to me.

Though I would still expect rental rates to increase as the adminstrative cost of the track will likely increase, since it sounds like they will be applying higher standards to the design and operation of the facility.

[turbodish]

After speaking to one of the Mosport staff when I took part of a trackday there earlier this year, he told me they (they as in some foreign investors) are thinking of revitalizing the entire track.
New facilities, bigger tunnel, possibly complete repave etc.

It seems like they are going ahead as there are reportedly mounds of dirt and construction equipment at Mosport right now.
This is good news. The purpose is to bring NASCAR there but regardless of the purpose a renewed Mosport would benefit all of us.

Looking forward to riding there next year!

All true except for the "foreign investor" part.

All three are Canadian. The deep pockets money man partner is Carlo Fidani, Chairman of the Orlando and a prolific real estate developer in the GTA, personal wealth worth over $2.1 billion. He regularly flies around in his own helicopter the way that ordinary folk take the car to the corner store. Al Boughton is a major trucking magnate in Ontario, with his company running thousands of transport units. The "poor" partner is Ron Fellows, but Fellows brings racing industry credibility and contacts to the partnership that are essential to bring new major race series to Mosport.

[Metastable]

So Turbo, any news on a repave? If they want a major event, that might be a consideration. Ya Ron Fellows is the token local Pro partner. He really loves that track.

[turbodish]

So Turbo, any news on a repave? If they want a major event, that might be a consideration. Ya Ron Fellows is the token local Pro partner. He really loves that track.

There should be a formal announcement made within the next two weeks or so about the work going on at the track.

[Wingboy]

Fort Erie is before the OMB as a result of objections from some local residents. Don't expect any decisions until mid-next year, and don't expect spades in teh ground until after that decision.

Tunnel under corner 9 at Mosport is a go, track closes in under two weeks so they can rip the track apart at corner nine to build an underpass high enough for transports and wide enough for two-way truck traffic under the track. New admin building being built on the outside of the front straight. Massively-expanded Gate 3 complex. The gravel sub-bed for a new road network and parking on outside of front straight right over to the oval is well underway. The paddock is being upgraded and the trailer shanty town in the paddock is on its way elsewhere in the near future. Parts of the grounds are being levelled to provide major spectator parking facilities. Lots of trees are being stripped to add more camping areas and offer improved sightlines. This is all in support of obtaining a huge major race event, possibly next year, and if not next year then in the year afterwards.

Sounds like a bunch of "lip service".What's your source of info.