Circuit Mont-Tremblant

Circuit Mont-Tremblant

Circuit Mont-Tremblant
Location	Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
Owner	Lawrence Stroll
Opened	September 1964
Architect	Alan Wilson (2000 redesign)
Major events	FIA Formula One Canadian Grand Prix (1968, 1970) Can-Am Mont-Tremblant Can-Am (1966, 1969-1971, 1977-1978) Trans-Am Trois Heures du Circuit (1968-1971, 1977-1978) USAC Championship Car Mont-Tremblant Grand Prix (1967-1968) Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series 6 Hours of Mont-Tremblant (2002-2005) Champ Car World Series Mont-Tremblant Champ Car Grand Prix (2007)
2004 Road course
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.65 mi (4.26 km)
Turns	17
Lap record	1:16.776 (Tristan Gommendy, Panoz DP01, 2007, Champ Car)
2000 Road course
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.65 mi (4.26 km)
Turns	15
Lap record	1:22.961 (Didier Theys, Doran Lista Racing, Dallara LMP Judd, 2002, SRP1)

Circuit Mont-Tremblant (French pronunciation: ​[siʁkɥi mɔ̃ tʁɑ̃blɑ̃]) is a 4.26 km (2.65 mi) race circuit about 13 km (8.1 mi) south of the village of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. The name of the village of Saint-Jovite was often included in the name of the circuit, but since the village was amalgamated into Mont-Tremblant in the year 2000, it is no longer considered or functions as an independent entity since then.

History

The first two sections of the circuit were built in 1964 and extended by another mile into September 1965. The extension featured long straights and by virtue of the terrain, a small hill. Nicknamed "the Hump" it gained legendary status during the inaugural 1966 Can Am race.^[1] Two drivers in practice found that their cars, both near identical Lola T70 CanAm cars, launched themselves into the air. Both drivers emerged unhurt but were unable to compete in the race. The Canadian winters quickly rendered the track surface very bumpy and as a result, the attrition rate was quite high in the two Canadian Grand Prix Formula One events staged at the circuit. Of the 40 cars entered in those two races (20 each, in 1968 and 1970), 21 reached the checkered flag (with only 16 classified – the rest finishing too far behind the race winners).

The Control Tower and start-finish straight, looking west against the flow of the circuit, towards the Namerow corner.

The track complex was purchased by Montreal-based fashion mogul Lawrence Stroll in 2000, who tapped track architect Alan Wilson to redesign the circuit, with the aim of modernizing its safety features in accordance with current FIA regulations.^[2] The resulting redevelopment forced the park to close for the entire 2000 and 2001 racing seasons.^[3]

A major overhaul of the circuit in 2004 allowed more domestic and continental sportscar races to be held. Pit road was lengthened and widened featuring a new pit exit, while the pit straight was widened to 12 m (39.4 ft). A chicane was added in Turn 2, while Turns 6 and 10 were modified to create two separate circuits which could be run simultaneously. The signature hump was lowered 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) for safety, while Namerow corner was modified for additional runoff. The track features 28 metres of elevation change.

On July 1, 2007, Mont-Tremblant hosted a round of the Champ Car World Series, marking the series' first race at the circuit since Indy cars competed there in 1967 and 1968, when Mario Andretti won all four races.^[2] The race featured many lead changes and ended in wet weather, with Robert Doornbos emerging victorious. In this race, French driver Tristan Gommendy set the track record, with a time of 1.16.776 in a Panoz DP01.

Current Series

• Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship
• Canadian Touring Car Championship
• Ferrari Challenge
• Historic Motor Sports Association
• Formula Tour 1600

^[4]

Former Series & Major Race Winners

FIA Formula One World Championship

Year	Race	Driver	Constructor	Report
1968	Player's Canadian Grand Prix	Denny Hulme	McLaren-Ford	Report
1970		Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	Report

Champ Car World Series

Year	Race	Driver	Team	Chassis	Engine
2007	Mont-Tremblant Champ Car Grand Prix	Robert Doornbos	Minardi Team USA	Panoz	Cosworth

USAC Championship Car (IndyCar)

Year	Race	Driver	Team	Chassis	Engine
1967	Labatt Indy	Mario Andretti	Dean Racing Enterprises	Brawner Hawk	Ford
1968	Saint-Jovite 200	Mario Andretti	Andretti Racing Enterprises	Brawner Hawk	Ford

SCCA Can-Am Series

Year	Date	Race	Driver	Team
1966	Sept 11	Player's 200	John Surtees	#3 Team Surtees
1969	June 15	Labatt's 50	Denny Hulme	#5 McLaren Cars
1970	June 28	Mont-Tremblant 50	Dan Gurney	#48 Bruce McLaren Motor Racing
1971	June 27	Mont-Tremblant 50	Jackie Stewart	#1 Carl Haas Racing
1977	June 12		Tom Klausler	Schkee Cars
1978	June 25		George Follmer	U.S. Racing

SCCA Trans-Am Series

Year	Date	Race	Drivers	Car	Distance/Duration
1968	July 21	Les Trois Heures du Circuit	Mark Donohue	Chevrolet Camaro	3 Hours / 96 Laps 254.4 mi (409.4 km)	[5]
1969	Aug 3	Les Trois Heures du Circuit	Mark Donohue	Chevrolet Camaro	3 Hours / 97 Laps 257 mi (414 km)	[6]
1970	Aug 2	Le Circuit Trans-Am	Mark Donohue	AMC Javelin	70 Laps 185.5 mi (298.5 km)	[7]
1970	Aug 2	Le Circuit Trans-Am	Mark Donohue	AMC Javelin	70 Laps 185.5 mi (298.5 km)	[7]
1971	Aug 1	Player’s Quebec Trans-Am	Mark Donohue	AMC Javelin	70 Laps 185.5 mi (298.5 km)	[8]
1977	Sept 11	Molson Trans-Am	Peter Gregg	Porsche 934	38 Laps 100.7 mi (162.1 km)	[9]
1978	June 25	Molson Trans-Am	Monte Sheldon	Porsche 935	38 Laps 100.7 mi (162.1 km)	[10]

SCCAUnited States Road Racing Championship

Year	Date	Race	Over 2.0 Winning Driver	Over 2.0 Winning Team	Under 2.0 Winning Driver	Under 2.0 Winning Team
1968	June 2	Championnat Nord-Americain	Mark Donohue	#6 Roger Penske Racing	Horst Kroll	#37 Altona Motors	[11]

SCCA Formula 5000

Year	Date	Race	Driver	Chassis	Engine
1967	Sept 17	St Jovite Grand Prix	Fred Ashplant	Brabham BT21	Ford	[12]
1969	Sept 7	Le Circuit Continental	David Hobbs	Surtees TS5	Chevrolet	[13]
1970	Aug 1	Le Circuit Continental	George Follmer	Lotus 70	Ford	[14]

Atlantic Championship

Year	Date	Driver
1975	July 6	Elliott Forbes-Robinson	[15]
1976	July 11	Gilles Villeneuve	[16]
2007	July 1	Franck Perera	[17]
2008	June 29	Junior Strous	[18]

Grand American Road Racing Championship

Year	Date	Race	Driver	Team	Chassis	Engine
2002	Sept 15	6 Heures du Circuit Mont-Tremblant	Didier Theys Fredy Lienhard, Sr. Fredy Lienhard, Jr.	#27 Doran Lista Racing	Dallara LMP	Judd	[19]
2003	Sept 21		David Donohue Mike Borkowski Sascha Maassen	#58 Brumos Racing	Fabcar FDSC/03	Porsche	[20]
2004	May 23		Scott Pruett Max Papis	#01 CompUSA Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates	Riley Mk XI	Lexus	[21]
2005	May 21		Milka Duno Andy Wallace Jan Lammers	#2 CITGO Howard-Boss Motorsports	Crawford DP03	Pontiac	[22]

^[23]

See also

• List of auto racing tracks in Canada
• Other Montreal area race tracks
  • Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
  • Circuit ICAR
  • Sanair Super Speedway

References

1. http://wsrp.ic.cz/canam1966.html
2. http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/cir-048.html Retrieved 21 December 2007.
3. http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/CAN/QUE/MontTremblant.html Retrieved 21 December 2007.
4. "Circuit Mont-Tremblant Events". Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
5. "1968 Trans-Am Box Scores" (PDF). SCCA Archives. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
6. "1969 Trans-Am Box Scores" (PDF). SCCA Archives. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
7. "1970 Trans-Am Box Scores" (PDF). SCCA Archives. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
8. "1971 Trans-Am Box Scores" (PDF). SCCA Archives. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
9. "1977 Trans-Am Box Scores" (PDF). SCCA Archives. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
10. "1978 Trans-Am Box Scores" (PDF). SCCA Archives. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
11. "SCCA US Road Racing Championship race". ultimateracinghistory.com. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
12. "St Jovite Grand Prix". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
13. "Le Circuit Continental". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
14. "Le Circuit Continental". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
15. "1975 CASC Player's Challenge Series". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
16. "1976 CASC Player's Challenge Series". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
17. "2007 Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
18. "2008 Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
19. "6 h Mont Tremblant". World Sports Racing Prototypes. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
20. "6 h Mont Tremblant". World Sports Racing Prototypes. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
21. "6 h Mont Tremblant". World Sports Racing Prototypes. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
22. "6 h Mont Tremblant". World Sports Racing Prototypes. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
23. "Circuit Mont-Tremblant". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 25 March 2013.

• The Chequered Past: Sports Car Racing and Rallying in Canada, 1951–1991 By David A. Charters

External links

• Official site

Coordinates: 46°11′16″N 74°36′36″W / 46.187707°N 74.609936°W