Circuit Mont-Tremblant - History

History

The first of two sections of the circuit was built in 1964 and extended by another mile by September 1965. The extension featured long straights and by virtue of the terrain, a small hill. Nicknamed "the Hump" it gained legendary status during the inaugural 1966 Can Am race. Two drivers in practice found their cars, both near identical Lola T70s, launched themselves into the air. Both drivers emerged unhurt but were unable to compete in the race. The Canadian winters quickly rendered track surface very bumpy, however, and as a result the attrition rate was quite high in the two Canadian Grand Prix events staged here. Of the forty cars entered in those two races (1968 & 1970), only 16 reached the checkered flag.

The track complex was purchased by Montreal-based fashion mogul Lawrence Stroll in 2000, who tapped track architect Alan Wilson to redesign the circuit, with the aim of modernizing its safety feature in accordance with current FIA regulations. The resulting redevelopment forced the park to close for the entire 2000 and 2001 seasons.

A major overhaul of the circuit in 2004 allowed more domestic and continental sportscar races to be held. Pit road was lengthened and widened featuring a new pit exit, while the pit straight was widened to 12 m (39.4 ft). A chicane was added in Turn 2, while Turns 6 and 10 were modified to create two separate circuits which could be run simultaneously. The signature hump was lowered 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) for safety, while Namerow corner was modified for runoff.

On July 1, 2007, Mont-Tremblant hosted a round of the Champ Car World Series, marking the series' first race at the circuit since Indy cars competed there in 1967 and 1968, when Mario Andretti won all four races. The race featured many lead changes and ended in wet weather, with Robert Doornbos emerging victorious. In this race, French driver Tristan Gommendy set the track record, with a time of 1.16.776 in a Panoz DP01.