Canadian Tire Motorsport Park: Need to know

So you’re going to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend and you want someone to explain to you what’s going on out there.

Well, Dr. McDonald is in; pay attention.

Unlike next weekend’s Honda Indy Toronto or the F1 Grand Prix du Canada, in which all the cars racing against each other are the same, there will be four different types of cars all racing at once on Sunday in the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix.

There will be two prototype classes (cars designed specifically for racing) and two production classes (cars that look like those in dealer showrooms but which have been modified to race).

The glamour-puss class is Daytona Prototype. These are the fastest cars and the most technologically advanced. They have a top speed of 190 m.p.h. and are powered by Chevrolet, Ford, Honda and Mazda engines.

Then there is the Prototype Challenge class, in which every car is built to strict specifications. They are slower than the DP cars, with a top speed of about 175 m.p.h.

The top production class is GT Le Mans and these cars are the same as the ones that race in this class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In fact, they are interchangeable. The cars are production models but are modified for racing and manufacturers involved include Ford, Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette and BMW. They are a tick faster than the PC cars, with a top speed of 180 m.p.h.

Finally, there is GT Daytona, which is a second production class with cars entered by many of the same manufacturers but which are built to strict specifications. Porsche, Ferrari, etc., are involved in this class but the cars aren’t as powerful. They can maybe top out at 170 m.p.h.

To drive in this kind of race means multi-tasking at 160 m.p.h. Drivers are racing against cars in their own class while keeping an eye out for slower cars ahead of them and faster cars coming up behind. Nobody wants to get in anybody else’s way — although it happens.