52 MOTORCYCLE MOJO SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
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track didn’t tire me out so quickly and
also where I learned the importance
of the draft. By tucking in behind a
faster racer on the back straight, I could
increase my speed 15 km/h to 25 km/h
by drafting. Racing at Mosport was
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neck of my 1991 Honda CBR 600 F2. I
never thought I’d want to go faster than
220 km/h, but at Mosport I couldn’t
get enough of the speed. My rookie
year at Mosport was my third year of
racing that bike and I was growing very
comfortable on it. On the back straight,
I’d give it all it had and get drafted along
at 240 km/h – and wanting more.
Entrance
I arrive at CTMP’s main entrance
around 6:30 p.m. Plenty of time to grab
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and an Advanced General Camping
chit. I saved only $10 by buying these
tickets ahead of time, but the purchase
represented a commitment to go.
New asphalt greets me at the main
entrance. There has been money spent
on this facility since I was here last,
and that is immediately apparent.
In 2011, race car driver Ron Fellows
and real estate mogul Carlo Fidani
purchased Mosport and shortly after
partnered with Canadian Tire. This
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a few expensive improvements, such
as resurfacing sections of the track and
enlarging the main entry tunnel to
allow vehicles as large as tractor-trailers
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include paved runoffs in Turn 2A and
Turn 8, as well as pavement in the
upper and lower paddocks.
I putt away from the main entrance
on my VFR with my ticket tucked away
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myself for the weekend. By suppertime
on Friday, the perimeter of the track
is lined, mostly with hard-bodied
motorhomes and nine metre-trailers.
Tent trailers are rare and tents are even
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available. It is sloped, but it is on the
back straight – just as I had hoped for. I
am able to pitch my tent and angle it so
I will have a nice view of the motorcy-
cles on track in the morning.
Saturday Morning Practice
By 9 a.m. on Saturday, the practice ses-
sions have begun, grouped by classes.
The session lineup is a rotation of an
Amateur class followed by a Pro class
all day. The CSBK event at CTMP is a
doubleheader weekend, so practices are
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both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Saturday is a beautiful 28 C sunny
summer day, and I know I’m overdoing
my sun exposure. The Pro 600 race is
a barnburner, with Mitch Card, Tomas
Casas, Sebastien Tremblay and Jacob
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battle for the lead. It is nail-biting action
The tires are cooked after a race so you mightDVZHOOPDNHLWRI¿FLDOE\SXWWLQJRQDVKRZIRUthe spectators, and the track marshals.Former racer Bill Card hangs out in his son’spit area. (right)LIFESTYLE CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK