Fort Erie Speedway - Jeff Gordon

[rumsby]

Here is a new article about the speedway. Pretty interesting.

http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1514907

[Hydroman]

This keeps showing up from time to time.

I would love to see it actually happen even if they had to settle for truck or nationwide racing for a few years.

The thought of a track within easy driving distance (other than Michigan) would definitely get my attention.

Hydroman:rolleyes:

[rumsby]

It would be nice, it's about 15 minutes from where i live lol...

All the news seems to be positive. No one is denying it, but no one is confirming it either.

[tradinpaintwith24]

Been kicking around since the fall. the racing school would be OK. They will be really hard pressed to get a NASCAR date. Maybe Nationwide or Trucks

[Mr BigBlock]

I remember a few years ago they were going to build a huge track up in the area of Hwy 5 And Hwy 6 i think it was going to be called the Spyder and it was going to be as big as Daytona or Talladega and all it took was a few Do-gooders to end that. So i wish them the best of luck.

[Mr BigBlock]

Heres the Latest
NASCAR-style speedway on fast track



http://media.hamiltonspectator.topscms.com/images/43/83/499a46554764b5bb50a6a67a6e25.jpeg

Canadian Motor Speedway http://www.thespec.com/images/plus.gifAn artist's conception of the $200 million speedway propose ...


Canadian Motor SpeedwayAn artist's conception of the $200 million speedway proposed for Fort Erie by Middle Eastern investors.


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[Mr BigBlock]

A Toronto consultant who wants to build a huge $200-million racing complex in Fort Erie hopes to have it up and running as soon as 2011.
"That's a very tight target, I must admit," said Azhar Mohammad, executive director of Emirates Consulting. "But I think if everybody continues to work with the kind of positive feedback that we've had with the town and the region and our engineers, I think it's a very do-able target."
Mohammad is co-ordinating the effort to build the Canadian Motor Speedway, a sprawling complex that would cover 820 acres and include a NASCAR-grade racing oval, a road racing course, and seating for as many as 100,000 spectators.
The speedway would be built beside the QEW at the Bowen Road interchange.
Mohammad said most of the money for the core project is already committed, mainly from investors in the Middle East, with some backers in Canada.
Municipal governments in Fort Erie and Niagara region have already indicated support for official plan changes that would allow the complex to be built, though there are still several months' worth of zoning and other municipal and provincial approvals ahead.
The complex would include a hotel, campgrounds, parking lots, retail and recreational amenities, but the operators would reserve about a quarter of the land as greenspace.
Mohammad said the complex would take in auto-related academic and private partners, possibly including McMaster University as part of an "innovation cluster" for research and development of new fuels and materials.
McMaster has an interest in high-performance auto research, but spokesperson Andrea Farquhar said it's still too early for the university to make a formal commitment.
"It's very preliminary," she said of the university's interest. "There's nothing that's been confirmed or determined or decided."
Though it has no official connection to NASCAR, Mohammad said the speedway and its facilities would all be built to NASCAR standards in the hope the racing giant would sanction races at Fort Erie.
The town, with its proximity to the U.S. border and to the Golden Horseshoe, is ideally situated to meet the pent-up demand for a major speedway, he said.
whemsworth@thespec.com (whemsworth@thespec.com)

[Fundytrail]

The track web site;

http://www.cdnmotorspeedway.com/

But they open wheel and motorcycles on their main page plus a picture of Jeff Gordon.

AND Jeff Gordon shows the track on his web site;
http://www.jeffgordon.com/

More than a rumor I would say.

[Mr BigBlock]

I personally thought Cayuga was a much better location, being a lotmore room to do things and not congested like it is around Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and the Border. Good luck to all the Americans trying to get home after a race the line up will be from their side right to were they r parked. Bring plenty of beer Opps i forgot you wont be able to do that here, you will have to buy their beer at 13 bucks a can. Certainally wont be no Talladega hahahaha

[rumsby]

I personally thought Cayuga was a much better location, being a lotmore room to do things and not congested like it is around Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and the Border. Good luck to all the Americans trying to get home after a race the line up will be from their side right to were they r parked. Bring plenty of beer Opps i forgot you wont be able to do that here, you will have to buy their beer at 13 bucks a can. Certainally wont be no Talladega hahahaha

I'm sure the tailgatting won't be a problem there. As long as it is somewhat upder control. I've been to a few concerts at the Molson Amphetheatre in Toronto that had tailgatting. The cops just looked the other way. I remember one walking by saying "keep it concealed." Canadian Tire will make a fortune on their Bubba Thermoses :-D

[tradinpaintwith24]

I actually met Jeff Gordon's dad at the Cdn Motorsports Expo. Jeff was in town a few days before to meet about the Ft Erie project. Jeff was supposed to make a surprise appearance at the show but couldn't due to other committments.

[takeabreath3]

kewl!! the track is quite beautiful!

[Nascarcamping]

Thats cool, I was talking with Eric from Raceline Radio that interviewed the bunch at the show as well.

Raceline radio is right before my radio show, so our paths cross every Sunday night!!!

[revrnd]

Hopefully this project goes ahead. I have no interest in watching Cup/Nationwide/Truck on a road course (right now I live 15 minutes from Mosport).

There seem to be this overwhelming road racing culture in Canada. These folks look down on those that like the cars that go 'roundy round'.

I've had tickets to the June race @ MIS since '86, been to Rockingham, Talledega, Atlanta & Charlotte twice over the years. But I have no plans to make the trip down the 401 to the Nationwide race in Montreal. If the Ft. Erie track was built, I'd definitely support a stock car/truck race there.

[revrnd]

September 7th:


Fort Erie Planning Committee unanimously approve zoning bylaw draft for presentation to council on September 13th for adoption.

[tradinpaintwith24]

Yeah, supposed to be "Race Ready" for 2012. I will think you will see Canadian Tire Series races there first, maybe a Nationwide or Truck race in a year or 2. I think IRL is already on board according to scuttlebutt. The people I talked to said NASCAR would love to tap the market here but going to be very very hard to get a cup date up here. I think the only way they could get a cup date would be for ISC or SMI to buy it. I personally think they should scrap a Pocono date but Big Bill always promised to support that place. Why I don't know, brutal to get into, camping is terrible and you can't see shineola from the stands unless you sit way way at the top! Even most of the drivers hate it!

[revrnd]

My only fear is they might shift a date from MIS (Sabates would like that). Mind you MIS can't help that the MI economy sucks right now.

[Nascar#3]

Well I hope the track is built, it will do wonders for the local economy and I have a place to live right on Sherkston Road...Wooo hooo and I'll gladly drive the 7 hours from Ottawa !!!

[Smoker]

So is it for real their building a track at Fort Erie or is it all talk ?

[Nascarcamping]

No its for real, I was with a reporter last night who said its just tied up with OMB hearings right now, its full steam ahead :)

[Buddlite]

Guess there might be trips to Canada in our futures..that could be fun maybe Mr C would actually show up at a track to party with us. ROFL

[tradinpaintwith24]

Not the tailgating outside that will be the problem, but taking your own beverages into the track? Not in Ontario baby! They will hose you inside 'cause the government has to get their cut! Free health care my ass! LOL

[revrnd]

Not the tailgating outside that will be the problem, but taking your own beverages into the track? Not in Ontario baby! They will hose you inside 'cause the government has to get their cut! Free health care my ass! LOL

Yes that part will suck. I remember going to the NASCAR North races @ Cayuga back in the 80s. No beverages period in the stands. The same time the Molson Indy had beer gardens, but you couldn't drink in the stands. No idea if you can buy a beer in the stands in T.O.

[tradinpaintwith24]

I think you can now but haven't been to the Indy for a while. I would imagine they would sell beer on the consessions but i doubt you could bring your own in unless you smuggle it! But even some of the US tracks are like that now. You can't bring in your own beer at Vegas and even Michigan reduced the size of the cooler you can bring into the stands for "fan safety"! BS, they are trying to increase consession sales! Hell we used to bring a "2-4" in!

[revrnd]

I think you can now but haven't been to the Indy for a while. I would imagine they would sell beer on the consessions but i doubt you could bring your own in unless you smuggle it! But even some of the US tracks are like that now. You can't bring in your own beer at Vegas and even Michigan reduced the size of the cooler you can bring into the stands for "fan safety"! BS, they are trying to increase consession sales! Hell we used to bring a "2-4" in!

I'm surprised that Vegas doesn't allow fans to bring in beer. Isn't it a Bruton Smith track? I thought only the ISC tracks had alcohol/cooler restrictions.

[Mr BigBlock]

Ya know your so right about the Ontario Government not allowing yuo to bring in anything to the track.Ive been to alot of races and seen so many things and said to myself man you would never see this in Ontario. Like in Talladega they have thr free drifting rides SET UP BY DODGE in Ontario you would have to sign about 20 waivers and oh ya that will be $20. All the free stuff they hand out down their ,not up here. And as far as the Camping goes it will be just like a Provincal Park you step off your site with Alcohal in your hand, your getting a fine. Down in Dega if u dont hve a drink in your hand your getting a ticket lol. Anyways not to knock what they r doing the track should of been built where Cayuga is now, Lots of open space east to get too from all sides, and just far enough from the boarder not to coz problems. I think Americans r not going to be happy when they get here to many rules going to be super expensive, and being so close to the boarder its going to be a disaster,trying to get back over the boarder your goin to sitting in a line from the bridge to your parking spot. But as Canadians we r going to take it,pay it and be happy.

[tradinpaintwith24]

I'm surprised that Vegas doesn't allow fans to bring in beer. Isn't it a Bruton Smith track? I thought only the ISC tracks had alcohol/cooler restrictions.

I think in Vegas it's Nevada state law. And not all the tracks have the same rules even the ISC tracks. No outside alcohol at Phoenix either, but they didn't really check too hard, but Dega was pretty lax last time we were there, both are ISC tracks. Michigan seems to be cracking down on cooler size, but the enforcement was all over the map. I took in my usual "track legal" cooler and had no problem but saw security giving grief to other people with the same size bag. At least in Vegas they were allowing charities to sell beer, $5 for a tallboy. Was not too bad. Better than the $10 for a piss warm flat draft at the ACC! LOL

[tradinpaintwith24]

Ya know your so right about the Ontario Government not allowing yuo to bring in anything to the track.Ive been to alot of races and seen so many things and said to myself man you would never see this in Ontario. Like in Talladega they have thr free drifting rides SET UP BY DODGE in Ontario you would have to sign about 20 waivers and oh ya that will be $20. All the free stuff they hand out down their ,not up here. And as far as the Camping goes it will be just like a Provincal Park you step off your site with Alcohal in your hand, your getting a fine. Down in Dega if u dont hve a drink in your hand your getting a ticket lol. Anyways not to knock what they r doing the track should of been built where Cayuga is now, Lots of open space east to get too from all sides, and just far enough from the boarder not to coz problems. I think Americans r not going to be happy when they get here to many rules going to be super expensive, and being so close to the boarder its going to be a disaster,trying to get back over the boarder your goin to sitting in a line from the bridge to your parking spot. But as Canadians we r going to take it,pay it and be happy.

Yeah you are right, Cayuga would have been a better spot, but I think the idea is that there is a whole bunch of off track attractions in the Ft Erie/Niagara Falls area to make it a good draw. Not much out around Cayuga. All in all it looks like a decent facility they are planning. But to get a cup date there will be a whole other story! The rumor mill is that NASCAR has agreed in principal to give them a Nationwide or Truck date as well as a few Canadian Tire series dates. ARCA and Indycar are supposed to hold dates there as well but it's all rumor. Just a wait and see!

[revrnd]

Changes in the wind? Check out the pic in the link:

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/943412--ontario-looking-at-a-number-of-changes-to-liquor-laws?bn=1

[tradinpaintwith24]

Wow! maybe McGuinty isn't such an ass after all! About time they loosened up! Thanks for posting the article, I hadn't noticed that one!

[revrnd]

I think Mr. Pointyhead is grasping @ straws. W/ the hydro bills going up, most voters have had enough of him. I don't think the flip flops on MMA & offshore wind farms will make much of a difference come election day.

[tradinpaintwith24]

Yeah and he is hoping everybody forgets about the HST! I was reading about allowing "all inclusive' travel packages to compete with the Carribean hotels.....WTF, all inclusive ice fishing packages? LMAO

[revrnd]

Yeah and he is hoping everybody forgets about the HST! I was reading about allowing "all inclusive' travel packages to compete with the Carribean hotels.....WTF, all inclusive ice fishing packages? LMAO

Hey I know people that look forward to winter & ice fishing.

[Mr BigBlock]

I think in Vegas it's Nevada state law. And not all the tracks have the same rules even the ISC tracks. No outside alcohol at Phoenix either, but they didn't really check too hard, but Dega was pretty lax last time we were there, both are ISC tracks. Michigan seems to be cracking down on cooler size, but the enforcement was all over the map. I took in my usual "track legal" cooler and had no problem but saw security giving grief to other people with the same size bag. At least in Vegas they were allowing charities to sell beer, $5 for a tallboy. Was not too bad. Better than the $10 for a piss warm flat draft at the ACC! LOL

I was at the ACC last month its $14 a beer now.

[kenbarls]

I'm looking forward for more updated news about Jeff Gordon.

[Mr BigBlock]

I guess this track is dead

[Buddlite]

Too bad Mr BB thought it might of had a chance

[traceyb]

I live in fort erie, and it's still going through the muck and mire of the Ontario Municipal Board thanks to idiots that live around here that think it's going to be too noisy and demanded studies done on noise levels

[Mr BigBlock]

Well i have not heard a word about this track for the last year and i live 40 mile from it, like i said i will beleive it when it happens. I think its dead.