Gimli Motorsports Park
| Location | Gimli, Manitoba,Canada |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC-6(UTC-5DST) |
| Coordinates | 50°37′35″N97°3′5″W/ 50.62639°N 97.05139°W |
| Broke ground | 1972 |
| Opened | 1973 |
| Major events | Atlantic Championship Player's Manitoba (1972-1977) Canadian Superbike Championship (1985-1988) |
| Road Course | |
| Length | 2.09 km (1.3 miles) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Drag Strip | |
| Length | 0.4 km (.25 miles) |
| Karting Track | |
| Length | 1.0 km (0.62 miles) |
| Turns | 13 |
| Race lap record | 35.501 (John Buzza,, 2015, DD2) |
| Motocross Track | |
| Length | 2 km (1.24 miles) |
Gimli Motorsports Parkis a multi-trackmotorsportsfacility located inGimli,Manitoba,Canada.The 95-hectare facility features a 1/4-miledragstrip,a 1.3-mileroad racingcourse, a one-kilometrekartingtrack and a two-kilometremotocrosstrack. The park hosts events for motorsports groups including the Winnipeg Sports Car Club, Drag Racing Association of Manitoba, Manitoba Roadracing Association (Superbikes), and the Manitoba Karting Association.[1]
History[edit]
On August 6, 1972 the Winnipeg Sports Car Club organized the first road racing event on one of the original decommissioned parallel runways ofRCAF Station Gimliwhich had closed the previous year in September 1971. Racing switched to the current dedicated 2.09 km (1.30 mi) course in 1973.Gimli Industrial Park Airportcontinues to operate on the second runway of theWorld War IIairfield.[2]
Gimli Motorsport Park was the site of the infamousGimli Gliderincident in 1983, an aviation accident in which Air Canada Flight 143, aBoeing 767,ran out of fuel midflight and emergency-landed on the former runway, then operating as the race track during aFormula Fordrace. There were no serious injuries reported, and the plane suffered minimal damage.[3]
From 1990 to 1996, Gimli Motorsports Park was the host of theSunfestrock festival, which was attended by tens of thousands of people every August.
Interlake Dragway[edit]
Interlake Dragwayis a 1/4-mileIHRAsanctioneddrag striplocated inside the road course.Drag racingstarted at the facility in 1978, and has previously operated under the namesDragways International,Viking Dragway,andGimli Dragway.[4]
Former series and major race winners[edit]
CASC Atlantic Championship[edit]
Gimli Motorsport Park hosted theCASCPlayer's Challenge Series (Formula B/Atlantic Championship) from 1972 to 1977 includingGilles Villeneuve's first victory in Formula Atlantic on June 22, 1975.
| Year | Date | Driver | Car | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | August 6 |  Richard Craig Hill
|
Lotus 69B | [5] |
| 1973 | August 5 | Ric Forest
|
Brabham BT-35 | [6] |
| 1974 | June 23 |  Tom Klausler
|
Lola T-360 | [7] |
| 1975 | June 22 | Gilles Villeneuve
|
March 75B | [8] |
| 1976 | June 13 | Gilles Villeneuve
|
March 76B | [9] |
| 1977 | June 26 | Bobby Rahal
|
March 77B | [10] |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Motorsports central".riderswestmag.com.Retrieved2013-09-23.
- ^"Gimli Motorsports Park".autocourse.ca.Retrieved2013-09-23.
- ^"Gimli Motorsports Park".Wikimapia.Retrieved2013-09-23.
- ^"Gimli Dragway".North American Motorsports Pages.Retrieved2013-09-23.
- ^"1972 CASC Formula B Player's Championship Series".autocourse.ca.Retrieved2013-09-23.
- ^"1973 CASC Formula B Player's Championship Series".autocourse.ca.Retrieved2013-09-23.
- ^"1974 CASC Player's Challenge Series".champcarstats.com.Retrieved2013-04-24.
- ^"1975 CASC Player's Challenge Series".champcarstats.com.Retrieved2013-04-24.
- ^"1976 CASC Player's Challenge Series".champcarstats.com.Retrieved2013-04-24.
- ^"1977 CASC Labatt Challenge Series".champcarstats.com.Retrieved2013-04-24.