CALABOGIE, Ontario - According to John Hamilton, vice-president of sales and marketing for the recently opened Calabogie Motorsports Park, one of the wisest decisions in the track's three-year development process was bringing in North America's premier road racing track designer, Alan Wilson.
"When we first met with Alan, he spent three days trying to convince us not to do the track. He was also was very clear on who we should and shouldn't be going after in regards to our clientele," said Hamilton at the recent grand opening of the new race track located just 45 minutes west of Ottawa near the ski and golf resort town of Calabogie.
The team of driving enthusiasts--slash--business folk that make up the partnership team behind Calabogie Motorsports Park, want to cater to car clubs, driver education schools, corporate track days and manufacturer press events.
With the big track at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville downright scary for newcomers, Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant north of Montréal having a limited number of available dates open to the public, and Shannonville Motorsport Park's flat geography well suited for motorbikes but less of a challenge for those on four wheels, Calabogie Motorsports Park should have no problem attracting customers not only from Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, but also from Toronto, Montreal and up-state New York.
Enthusiasts in the know recognize Wilson as the designer for such track dog paradises as Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama and the recently opened Miller Motorsport Park in Utah. As the safety director with the Sports Car Club of America, Wilson also brought a whack of credibility to the Calabogie Motorsports Park project.
"Alan wasn't interested in working with us if we had any pipe dreams of putting on the Canadian Grand Prix here," quipped Hamilton.
Marc Steenbakkers, CMP's president and general manager who has been responsible for overseeing the design and construction, says one of the benefits realized from the original site was access to an aggregate quarry. This enabled the Calabogie Motorsports Park team to literally make their very own asphalt on site, and the quarry also makes an excellent off-road test facility.
The track itself occupies 111 hectares of the entire 486-hectare rugged, wooded site. The 2.2-kilometre West Track and the 2.81-km East Track can be used separately for simultaneous events or can be combined to form a 23-turn, 5.05-km outer loop.
The natural geography of Calabogie Motorsports Park's Upper Ottawa Valley location means lots of trees, rolling hills and the ever-present Canadian Shield under the shallow soil's surface. Despite the craggy terrain, driver safety was always a priority with Wilson's design. That includes generous runoff areas and gravel traps instead of barriers wherever possible and ensuring every runoff is as smooth as a golf course fairway to limit the chance of rollover. The golf analogy is apt.
"Driving an Alan Wilson- designed track is like playing a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course," enthused Hamilton.
At the recent opening, over 100 invited media and car and motor bike enthusiasts filled the fully paved 1.51 hectare East Paddock (there's a second 0.5 hectare West Paddock) and got a chance to drive the new course for themselves.
With sport bikes and Lambos, Porsches and Ferraris attending, the day also ended up as a bit of a car show. Even on the initial warm-up laps, the natural beauty of the Ottawa Valley setting was stunning.
"When we first met with Alan, he spent three days trying to convince us not to do the track. He was also was very clear on who we should and shouldn't be going after in regards to our clientele," said Hamilton at the recent grand opening of the new race track located just 45 minutes west of Ottawa near the ski and golf resort town of Calabogie.
 |
| (Photo: PicSphere) |
With the big track at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville downright scary for newcomers, Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant north of Montréal having a limited number of available dates open to the public, and Shannonville Motorsport Park's flat geography well suited for motorbikes but less of a challenge for those on four wheels, Calabogie Motorsports Park should have no problem attracting customers not only from Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, but also from Toronto, Montreal and up-state New York.
Enthusiasts in the know recognize Wilson as the designer for such track dog paradises as Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama and the recently opened Miller Motorsport Park in Utah. As the safety director with the Sports Car Club of America, Wilson also brought a whack of credibility to the Calabogie Motorsports Park project.
"Alan wasn't interested in working with us if we had any pipe dreams of putting on the Canadian Grand Prix here," quipped Hamilton.
Marc Steenbakkers, CMP's president and general manager who has been responsible for overseeing the design and construction, says one of the benefits realized from the original site was access to an aggregate quarry. This enabled the Calabogie Motorsports Park team to literally make their very own asphalt on site, and the quarry also makes an excellent off-road test facility.
 |
| (Photo: PicSphere) |
The natural geography of Calabogie Motorsports Park's Upper Ottawa Valley location means lots of trees, rolling hills and the ever-present Canadian Shield under the shallow soil's surface. Despite the craggy terrain, driver safety was always a priority with Wilson's design. That includes generous runoff areas and gravel traps instead of barriers wherever possible and ensuring every runoff is as smooth as a golf course fairway to limit the chance of rollover. The golf analogy is apt.
"Driving an Alan Wilson- designed track is like playing a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course," enthused Hamilton.
At the recent opening, over 100 invited media and car and motor bike enthusiasts filled the fully paved 1.51 hectare East Paddock (there's a second 0.5 hectare West Paddock) and got a chance to drive the new course for themselves.
With sport bikes and Lambos, Porsches and Ferraris attending, the day also ended up as a bit of a car show. Even on the initial warm-up laps, the natural beauty of the Ottawa Valley setting was stunning.