To anyone who has spent time at the historic Mosport International Raceway, turning into the main entrance of the track right now might be a bit of a shocker. Not only is the entrance tunnel missing, but so is the track!
The former home of the Canadian Grand Prix was acquired by Canadian Motorsports Ltd. The group is led by Canadian racing legend Ron Fellows and is backed by Carlo Fidani of the Orlando Group and Allan Broughton of Trailcon Leasing. When the announcement was made, the group stated:
“Over the next 18 months, they will look at all aspects of improving the facility to deliver the high calibre racing experience that fans, sponsors, teams and drivers want.”
Beyond that initial press release, CMV has been very quiet about their plans for the track. With an 18 month plan though, it was clear that things would have to move quickly if they were to meet their objectives. Arriving at the track it becomes clear that the Orlando Group wields some pretty hefty construction muscle as the changes over the past couple of months are already impressive.
Check out the changes after the jump.
The most obvious change is immediately visible from the road. A large section of track between turns nine and 10 is missing and the steel tube tunnel that we have all traveled through for decades is no more. Instead there is a canyon that has been carved out of the sandy soil.
We were there for the installation of the first couple of segments of the new tunnel. The depth of the chasm has the effect of making the new tunnel sections look deceivingly small in person. This is no small tunnel however, with 2 lanes each for vehicles and for pedestrians. At the lowest point, the tunnel will be 4.2 m (14.2′) which means that transporters will no longer have to wait for the track to close to enter.
The scale of the tunnel is truly massive. It is being constructed from 17 giant concrete arches that each weigh a whopping 37,194 kg. They are being lifted into place by the second largest crane in Canada, a gigantic 350 tonne machine.
The construction of the tunnel is not the only big change, though most of the other stuff could be considered extremely advanced landscaping.
In the past, the roads leading from the infield to the main tunnel could best be described as confusing. The earth has been pushed back and reshaped to allow for a proper roadway from the tunnel, with enough room for transporters to drive to the paddock area.
The no-man’s land between the upper and lower paddocks has been leveled, which allows space for two more large, paved paddock areas to accommodate the extra haulers that would come with some of the larger series expected at the track.
The hill along the north side of the front straight has been reshaped and leveled to allow for better fan sight lines and comfort.
Many of the goat paths throughout the property have been widened, graded and received proper drainage to make actual roads through the infield and outfield spectator areas.
Perhaps the most spectacular change to a spectator area is the infield side of turn three. The large, uneven, hill has been reshaped and has a much more gentle slope which will make for a fabulous viewing area. In fact, in some spots one can see turns one, two and three!
Over the coming months, there will certainly be more changes to come and we will do our best to keep our readers up to date on the progress.
First up will be our interview with Ron Fellows later this afternoon.
Photo Credit: Gary Grant
Category: Canada, Motor sports
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