Canadian Tire Motorsport Park"Canada’s Home of Motorsports"[1] |
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Location |
Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada |
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Time zone |
UTC-5 (UTC-4 DST) |
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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 |
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Capacity |
open seating without capacity limitation |
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Owner |
Canadian Motorsports Ventures Ltd. |
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Operator |
Canadian Motorsports Ventures Ltd. |
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Broke ground |
1960 |
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Opened |
1961 |
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Construction cost |
$500,000 |
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Architect |
Alan Bunting |
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Former names |
Mosport Park Mosport International Raceway |
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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)
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix (2014–present)
NASCAR Pinty's Series Clarington 200 (2007–present)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250 (2013–present) |
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Clockwise Grand Prix Circuit |
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Surface |
Asphalt |
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Length |
2.459 mi (3.957 km) |
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Turns |
10 |
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Lap record |
1:04.094 (Rinaldo Capello, Audi Sport North America R10 TDI, 2008, ALMS LMP1) |
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Driver Development Centre Advanced Course |
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Surface |
Asphalt |
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Length |
1.8 mi (2.88 km) |
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Turns |
20 |
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Driver Development Centre Intermediate Course |
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Surface |
Asphalt |
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Length |
1.37 mi (2.2 km) |
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Kart Complex |
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Surface |
Asphalt |
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Length |
0.87 mi (1.4 km) |
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Turns |
12 |
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Speedway Oval (1989-2013) |
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Surface |
Asphalt |
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Length |
0.500 mi (0.805 km) |
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Banking |
6° |
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Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway) is a multi-track motorsport venue 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 2.9 km advance driver and race driver training facility with a quarter-mile skid pad (Driver Development Centre) and a 1.5 km kart track (Mosport Kartways). 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, "Mo-Sport" (but is often incorrectly pronounced "Moss-Port").[2][3]
History
Moss Corner – Turn 5a and 5b.
Tunnel, Whites Corner – Turn 10 and Event Centre.
The circuit was the second purpose-built road race course in Canada after Westwood Motorsport Park in Coquitlam, British Columbia,[4] 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.[5] 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, Panoz Motorsports 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 Formula One driver Manfred Winkelhock who was killed in 1985 when his Porsche 962C crashed into a concrete wall. 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 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.[6]
Canadian Motorsports Ventures Ltd. (CMV) which includes Orlando Corp. Chairman Carlo Fidani and Canadian road racing legend Ron Fellows, purchased the facility in June 2011.[7]
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.[8]
Driver Development Area
In the spring of 2000, Mosport opened the Driver Development Centre, a second 1.7 km, 12 turn training circuit designed for driver development. The new course was designed by the owners and instructors of the Bridgestone Racing Academy and was designed specifically with fewer guard rails, walls and minimum blind corners to meet the needs of their driver and mechanic training program.[9][10]
Due to significant scheduling demands on the original grand prix circuit, the original academy course was reconstructed and lengthened to a full racing course in the fall of 2013. The new track features two configuration options; a 2.2 km intermediate course, a 2.9 km advanced course, as well as a skid pad, a pit lane, and a multi-storey event centre with classrooms and other facilities.[11]
Mosport Speedway
Mosport Speedway was a one-half mile oval speedway located on the northwest corner of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The track featured 800-foot long straightaways, 6-degree banked corners and two grandstands with seating for 8,500.
The oval was constructed in 1989 as a dirt track originally called Mosport’s Ascot North, named after the famous Ascot Park track in Gardena, California. The first event was scheduled in July 1989 and was to feature USAC Midgets and Sprint Cars and the World of Outlaws. The races were cancelled after the initial heat races caused deep ruts in the corners and dislodging stones hidden under the clay.[12]
The track was paved that summer and renamed Mosport International Speedway. The track hosted a weekly Saturday night stock car racing program from May to September for 24 years. The stock car divisions included pure stock, sportsman and late models. The oval also featured regular touring series including the ACT Series, ISMA Supermodifieds, OSCAAR, Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup, CASCAR Super Series and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.[13]
The park announced the closing of the oval in July 2013 to accommodate the expansion of the Driver Development Centre.[14]
Current series
A motorcycle racer at Mosport
It was announced in September 2013 that Canadian Tire Motorsports Park was chosen to host an annual round of the IMSA United SportsCar Championship beginning in 2014.[15] The new series replaced the American Le Mans Series as the feature race during the tracks annual SportsCar Grand Prix, which is Canada's largest annual sportscar race.[16]
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series raced at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in September 2013, marking the first time the series has raced in Canada.[17] Chevrolet was announced as the title sponsor and the race is known as the Chevrolet Silverado 250.[18]
Main article:
Clarington 200
The NASCAR Pinty's Series has visited the facility at least twice annually every year since its inaugural season in 2007. Currently the race is known as the Clarington 200 and takes place during the tracks Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend and its Chevrolet Silverado 250 weekend.
Other series
[19]
The track also hosts vintage racing series, motorcycle racing, and Canadian Automobile Sport Club (CASC) amateur events and lapping days.
Photo gallery
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A line of Formula Ford cars climb the hill through turn 5(c)
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Turn 8 heading into The Esses
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Entry into Clayton Corner - Turn 2
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Track infield set up for a concert - Boots and Hearts Music Festival
Grand prix circuit records
Class |
|
Driver |
Car |
Date |
Speed km/h |
Speed mph |
Time |
Outright - American Le Mans Series - LMP | Qualifying | Rinaldo Capello | Audi R10 TDI | August 23, 2008 | 222.254 km/h | 138.116 mph | 1:04.094 |
United Sports Car - Prototype | Qualifying | Gustavo Yacamán | Morgan LMP2 Nissan | July 22, 2014 | 205.974 km/h | 127.986 mph | 1:09.167 |
World Sportscar Championship - Group C | Qualifying | Hans-Joachim Stuck | Porsche 962 C | August 10, 1985 | 204.159 km/h | 126.871 mph | 1:09.775 |
Formula One | Qualifying | Mario Andretti | Lotus 78-Ford | October 8, 1977 | 199.554 km/h | 124.009 mph | 1:11.385 |
IndyCar | Qualifying | Danny Ongais | Parnelli VPJ6-Cosworth | June 10, 1978 | 196.296 km/h | 121.984 mph | 1:12.570 |
Formula 5000 | Qualifying | Mario Andretti | Lola T332-Chevrolet | June 14, 1975 | 194.322 km/h | 120.758 mph | 1:13.307 |
Can-Am (1966-1974) | Qualifying | Mark Donohue | Porsche 917-30 | June 9, 1973 | 192.243 km/h | 119.465 mph | 1:14.100 |
United Sports Car - GTLM | Qualifying | Kuno Wittmer | SRT Viper | July 22, 2014 | 189.434 km/h | 117.709 mph | 1:15.206 |
World Challenge - GT | Qualifying | Johnny O'Connell | Cadillac ATS-VR GT3 | May 15, 2015 | 189.207 km/h | 117.568 mph | 1:15.296 |
Trans-Am | Qualifying | Simon Gregg | Chevrolet Corvette | May 18, 2013 | 188.394 km/h | 117.073 mph | 1:15.614 |
NASCAR Truck Series | Qualifying | Alex Tagliani | Ford | August 29, 2015 | 177.895 km/h | 110.539 mph | 1:20.084 |
Canadian Superbike | Qualifying | Brett McCormick | BMW S1000RR | August 19, 2011 | 176.123 km/h | 109.438 mph | 1:20.882 |
NASCAR Pinty's Series | Qualifying | Andrew Ranger | Dodge Challenger | May 18, 2014 | 171.736 km/h | 106.712 mph | 1:22.956 |
Former series & major race winners
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 |
Canadian Sports Car Championship
[20][21][22][23]
Main article:
Mosport 200
Year |
Date |
Race Title |
Driver |
Team |
Car |
|
1962 |
June 23 |
Peterborough International |
Rodger Ward |
|
1962 Pontiac |
[24] |
1962 |
June 23 |
Peterborough International |
Paul Goldsmith |
|
1962 Pontiac Catalina |
[25] |
1966 |
July 30 |
Coca-Cola/Kawartha 250 |
Don White |
Ray Nichels |
1966 Dodge Charger |
[26] |
1966 |
July 30 |
Coca-Cola/Kawartha 250 |
Sam Tovella |
Sal's Auto Sales |
1965 Plymouth |
[27] |
1967 |
July 29 |
Bardahl/Kawartha 250 |
Mario Andretti |
Holman Moody |
1967 Ford |
[28] |
1967 |
July 29 |
Bardahl/Kawartha 250 |
Parnelli Jones |
Holman Moody |
1967 Ford Fairlane |
[29] |
1968 |
July 20 |
CHUM/Mosport 250 |
Roger McCluskey |
Norm Nelson |
1967 Plymouth |
[30] |
1968 |
July 20 |
CHUM/Mosport 250 |
Al Unser Sr. |
R/A Hoerr Inc. |
1968 Dodge Charger |
[31] |
1978 |
June 10 |
Molson Diamond USAC Stock Cars |
A.J. Foyt |
A.J. Foyt |
Chevrolet Camaro |
[32] |
Main 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 200
Main article:
Mosport 200
Year |
Date |
Race |
Driver |
|
1989 |
Sept 17 |
USAC Canadian Sprint Car Nationals |
Gary Fedewa |
|
Sept 17 |
Wayne Hammond |
[55] |
[56][57]
Music events
- 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, July 31-August 3, 2014
Footnotes
- ↑ "Mosport renamed Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in new partnership; Autoblog Canada". 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ↑ "History". Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ↑ Charters, David A. (2007). The Chequered Past: Sports Car Racing & Rallying in Canada, 1951-1991. University of Toronto Press. pp. 123–124. ISBN 978-0-8020-9394-3.
- ↑ eTracks: Canada's Racing Pioneer Westwood
- ↑ The Globe and Mail, June 26, 1961, Page 15.
- ↑ "Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport 2008 Official Results" (PDF). 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.
- ↑ Fagnan, René (July 27, 2010). "The Bridgestone Racing Academy: Now's your turn to drive!". auto123.com. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
- ↑ "Bridgestone Racing Academy". European Car. February 1, 2005. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
- ↑ Wallcraft, Stephanie (December 30, 2013). "Memories of 2013 Our ‘newsmakers of the year’ breathed new life into Mosport". The Toronto Star Wheels. Toronto: Torstar Corporation. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
- ↑ "Bowmanville speedway set to run its final lap". Durham Region.com. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
- ↑ "Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Oval". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
- ↑ "Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Closing Speedway July 27, 2013". Inside Track Motorsport News. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
- ↑ "IMSA Announces 2014 Tudor United SportsCar Championship schedule". Autoweek. 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
- ↑ "News and info for the SportsCar Grand Prix at CTMP". PRN Ignition. 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Charters, David A. (2007). The Chequered Past: Sports Car Racing & Rallying in Canada, 1951-1991. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-9394-3.
- ↑ "Results". autocourse.ca. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ↑ "History of CASC-OR". Canadian Auto Sport Clubs-Ontario Region. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ↑ "History". British Empire Motor Club. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ↑ "USAC Stock Car race". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
- ↑ "USAC Stock Car race". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
- ↑ "Kawartha 250". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
- ↑ "Kawartha 250". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
- ↑ "Kawartha 250". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
- ↑ "Kawartha 250". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
- ↑ "Mosport 250". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
- ↑ "Mosport 250". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
- ↑ "Molson Diamond Indy". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
- ↑ "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.
- 1 2 "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.
- ↑ "1989 USAC National Sprint Car Schedule". scrafan.com. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- ↑ "Mosport International Raceway". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- ↑ "Mosport - List of Races". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
See also
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