THE INSIDE LINE RACIN’ IN THE STREETS

vehicles and other machines that lit up the Canada Day night sky was really something.

High speeds, big sounds and racing smells are factors common to many forms of racing.

But there’s really nothing like the feeling of being near the Top Fuel dragsters when they light up. I was fortunate enough to be trackside with my camera for a few runs and I’ve never experienced anything like it before.

It hits your chest and assaults your senses. And then it’s over and you do a quick check to make sure everything is still working and in place.

In addition to shooting the Nitro Nationals, Inside Track had a booth in the vendor area that gave us an opportunity to connect with a lot of the fans in attendance.

Despite taking place in soggy conditions, the recent NASCAR Cup Series race through the streets of Chicago was a grand slam home run. The racing world finally found out what fans of the old CASCAR and the current NASCAR Pinty’s Series have known for decades, that stock cars on temporary street circuits are very popular!

This has been proven time and again, in Canada, at the Toronto Indy, the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières and, in the past, at the former Vancouver Indy!

The Grant Park 220 wound through some of the most scenic parts of ‘The Windy City’ and attracted NBC’s largest audience for a NASCAR race in six years, drawing a total audience of 4.795 million viewers. Add another 163,000+ people who streamed the race on NBC’s digital platform, and the success is even greater.

A ‘Cinderella story’ victory by the relatively unknown first-time Cup Series participant, Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen, added to the spectacle. Who knows what the ratings could have been had the weather been better?

NASCAR is making some creative and winning moves with the venues its visiting.

The popularity of the new facilities will hopefully accelerate the replacement of the sleep-inducing cookie cutter ovals that sprung up when the sanctioning body was in search of huge crowds in new markets, a few decades back.

Would anyone be surprised to see the return of one of NASCAR’s three major US touring series to Canada in the near future? Bringing the Trucks back to CTMP is a natural now that the issue of producing proof of COVID-19 vaccinations, at the border, is no longer a thing.

CUP COMING TO CANADA?

And I’m sure I’m not the only one hearing rumblings about the NASCAR Cup Series heading to Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, as early as next season.

The Nationwide races, held at Montreal’s permanent road course on several occasions in the past, drew enormous crowds and produced interesting races.

Another neat thing about the Montreal Nationwide races was how many Canadians would find their way into the fields, often doing double-duty in the Pinty’s Series races.

That degree of Canadian content likely wouldn’t be possible in a Cup race, although it would be amazing to see NASCAR’s biggest names and tour competing in ‘The Great White North.’

Speaking of huge events…

I had an excellent time at the recent Nitro Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park. I’ve been to several drag races over the years but the experience of the Top Fuel dragsters, jet

We were pleasantly surprised by the number of young people who said it was their first-ever visit to a dragstrip and that they were having a great time.

Kudos to TMP for putting on an event that had so many things to see and do, and to let kids under 15 in for free. It’s a strategy that will surely generate long-term benefits for the facility and racing in general.

Another neat thing they’re doing at TMP is offering in-car experiences – in F2000 cars, exotics and in drag cars – to give people a taste of what it’s like to be on the other side of the safety fence, at the track.

Our own Taylor Thring recently took part in TMP’s F2000 Driving Experience.

And while she has lots of experience in stock cars and karts, it was her first time ever in a single seat formula car. She had a blast and you can read all about it on Page 55.

It’s mid-season and the pages are filled with major events, grassroots results, commentaries and opinion pieces. We even have a special section about camping and RVing at the tracks and how it’s such a big part of the racing experience for so many people.

We hope you’re having a great summer. Continue to check the Canadian Racing Guide online at www.tinyurl.com/ ITMN2702CRG as you plan your remaining outings for the rest of the season. We’re updating it with current ads and content every few weeks. IT

Imsa Weathertech Scc At Ctmp

On July 7-9, IMSA rolled into Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the annual Chevrolet Grand Prix. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was the main attraction and did not disappoint. Pictured above is the start of Sunday’s feature event on the facility’s legendary Grand Prix Circuit. Full coverage of the event begins on Page 32. Photo by Neena Channan Images by Neena