BOWMANVILLE, ON (Feb. 15, 2006) – Mosport International Raceway is revving up for its 45th anniversary season with the announcement that tickets for the six-event schedule, featuring the only Canadian round in the prestigious American Le Mans Series for exotic prototype and GT sports cars (part of the Labour Day weekend event), are now on sale. Prices for all of the three-day weekend SuperTickets and camping passes have been held at last year’s rates and can be purchased online at
mosport.com or by calling the Mosport Ticket Hotline (1-800-866-1072).
The season kicks-off with a long-time Mosport tradition, the Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend (May 19-21). Racing includes the thundering muscle cars of the American GT Series and the Sundown Grand Prix endurance race for Touring and GT cars. The Sundown was a popular Mosport event in the 1970s and it returned last season to rave reviews from fans and competitors. Joining them will be the new United States Endurance Racing Association (USERA) Spec Miata Endurance Championship. As the unofficial start to summer, the Victoria Day holiday is a big weekend for camping and fireworks. Both are an important part of Mosport’s SpeedFest.
Canada’s national stock car championship, the CASCAR Super Series, makes its first of two trips to Mosport on Father’s Day weekend (June 16-18) for a 200-km race at the road course. Joining the stock cars is the new Mazda MX-5 Cup, plus several support races.
Mosport takes a step back in time and celebrates the past with the 27th Annual International Vintage Racing Festival (June 23-25). Organized by the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada (VARAC), this is Canada’s premier historic racing event and includes cars from Mosport’s storied past. A special highlight of this year’s Festival is a tribute to the popular Trans-Am Series, which marks its 40th anniversary in 2006. Mosport is an original Trans-Am circuit and cars from across North America are expected to compete.
Motorcycles take centre-stage, July 14-16, for the Canadian Superbike Doubleheader Weekend, as the country’s top riders and teams compete in the national championship’s only back-to-back rounds. In addition to factory-supported Superbikes from the likes of Suzuki and Yamaha, Canada’s biggest motorcycle race of the year includes the Pro 600 Sport Bikes and the fast-growing Canadian Thunder Series for Buell, BMW and Ducati production-based sport bikes.
The CASCAR Super Series returns for an August 12 date on Canada’s fastest ½ mile oval in the Mosport Speedway 200. This is CASCAR’s only Toronto-area oval event of the year.
The summer racing season wraps-up with the Labour Day Weekend Grand Prix of Mosport (Sept. 1-3). It’s one of the country’s largest annual motorsport events. Last year more than 70,000 enjoyed three exciting days of sports car and open wheel racing at a circuit that’s recognized by drivers as one of the finest and most challenging road courses in the world.
Canadians Ron Fellows (Corvette) and Scott Maxwell (Panoz) both have solid chances at winning their respective GT classes (GT1 and GT2) on home soil.
This weekend will mark the Canadian debut of several new American Le Mans Series teams, including factory-backed efforts from BMW and Lexus, plus the Penske Porsche RS Spyder prototype. Mosport fans should also get their first look at Audi’s new diesel-powered R10. The Audi R10 will debut at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March and race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Then, starting with the Grand Prix of Utah in mid-July, the car is expected to run the balance of the American Le Mans schedule, including Mosport’s race on the Sunday of Labour Day weekend.
In additional to the Le Mans Series race, the line-up includes the SPEED World Challenge GT and Touring Series, the IMSA GT3 Cup for Porsches and two North American open-wheel classes, the Star Mazda Series and Formula BMW.
“We’re excited about the upcoming schedule and the variety of racing that we’ve been able to put together for this special anniversary year at Mosport,” said Myles Brandt, president and general manager of Mosport International Raceway. “ We’ll be making more announcements in the future and our fans can expect plenty of entertainment, both on and off the track this season.”
Since 1961, Mosport International Raceway has been Canada’s Home of Motorsports. Located less than an hour east of downtown Toronto, this 750-acre, multi-purpose facility boasts a 4-kilometre road course, a 2.4 kilometre driver development centre with skid pad, a 1.4 km kart circuit and a half-mile paved oval. The four circuits play host to more than 400 events and close to 250,000 attendees a year.
From Glenn Butt // Mosport
2006 Mosport Pro Season Schedule
May 19-21 Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend
American GT Challenge; Sundown Grand Prix ; USERA Spec Miata Endurance Championship; F1200 & Cup Lites
June 16-18 Mosport Father’s Day 200
CASCAR Super Series; Mazda MX-5 Cup; Ontario Formula Ford Challenge; Cup Lites
June 23-25 27th Int’l Vintage Racing Festival
40th Anniversary Trans-Am Series celebration; Ontario Formula Ford Challenge; Historic & Vintage Production; Sports Racers; Group 70+ and more
July 14-16 Canadian Superbike Doubleheader
Superbikes; 600 (Pro & Am); Canadian Thunder; Suzuki SV650; 125 & 250 Grand Prix
Aug. 12 CASCAR/Mosport Speedway 200 (on the oval)
CASCAR Super Series; Ontario Legends
Sept. 1-3 The Labour Day Grand Prix of Mosport
American Le Mans Series; SPEED World Challenge GT; SPEED World Challenge Touring; Star Mazda; Formula BMW; IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge
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