Canadian Tire Motorsport Park to trade engines for pedals with the Overdrive Race and Relay Series
Long associated with the screaming engines of car racing, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, one of that sport's most famed Canadian venues, isn't where you might expect to see a bike competition. This November, though, that's exactly the plan.
Long associated with the screaming engines of car racing, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, one of that sport’s most famed Canadian venues, isn’t where you might expect to see a bike competition. This November, though, that’s exactly the plan.
Recently announced, the Bowmanville, Ont. facility will host the Overdrive Race and Relay Series on Sunday, November 8. The Park’s 4 km Grand Prix circuit will host the event’s 40 km road race, an event being called the “Tour Du CTMP.” The surrounding woods, meanwhile, are where the event’s mountain bike competitions will be held: “Wishin and Engine,” an 18.4 km trail race; “Four cyclinders will do,” totalling 9.2 km; and “Double-Double,” another 9.2 km race through the trees. Divided into segments, “Double-Double” also features a road race on the Grand Prix Circuit.
The event is the creation of Derrick McKay, a local fan whose passion for racing eventually moved from car to bike. “My father and I spent many weekends at this track right here in Bowmanville,” he writes, recalling the NASCAR events he and his father watched from the stands. “It was about 10 years ago I had wondered what it would be like to actually race a bike. Not a motorbike but a bicycle around the track and the trails. So here we are today. Now is the chance to use this property like it has never been used before.”
As a multi-sport, relay event, the Overdrive Race and Relay Series also includes running competitions on the Grand Prix circuit and through the trails.
