Race Course
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 73,000 |
| Opened | 1986 |
| Major events | IndyCar Series Honda Indy Toronto |
| Surface | Asphalt/Concrete |
| Length | 2.824 km (1.755 mi) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Lap record | 57.143 (Gil de Ferran, Walker Racing Reynard-Honda, 1999, CART) |
Since 1986, Exhibition Place has hosted an IndyCar/Champ Car race, currently sponsored as the Honda Indy Toronto. The race is held annually in July. In addition to the IndyCar race, several support races are held, including Indy Lights and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, as well as vendor exhibits, concerts, and other off-track activities.
The track layout uses local roads that wind through and around Exhibition Place and is commonly referred to as the "Streets of Toronto" circuit. The Start/Finish line is located on Princes' Boulevard, slightly west of Newfoundland Drive. From the Start/Finish line, drivers head East towards the Princes' Gates, turning right (south) onto Canada Boulevard before reaching the gate. From Canada Boulevard, the track blends onto Lake Shore Boulevard (west) which comprises the longest straightaway on the circuit (this straightaway is sometimes incorrectly referred to as Shoreline Drive during race telecasts; Shoreline Drive is the start-finish straight at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach). Drivers re-enter the Exhibition grounds at Ontario Drive, heading North towards Prince's Boulevard where they turn left (west). The circuit continues on to Manitoba Drive and heads north-east then east until reaching Nova Scotia Avenue. At Nova Scotia Avenue, drivers turn right (south) then navigate a left-right-left series of turns until rejoining Prince's Boulevard and heading east towards the Start/Finish line.
Exhibition Place is one of seven Canadian circuits to hold an Indy/Champ Car race, the others being Mosport, Concord Pacific Place in Vancouver, Edmonton City Centre Airport, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, and Sanair Super Speedway.
Read more about this topic: Exhibition Place
Famous quotes containing the word race:
“You cannot have Liberty in this world without what you call Moral Virtue, & you cannot have Moral Virtue without the slavery of that half of the human race who hate what you call Moral Virtue.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“Ye say they all have passed away,
That noble race and brave;
That their light canoes have vanished
From off the crested wave;
That, mid the forests where they roamed,
There rings no hunters’ shout;
But their name is on your waters,
Ye may not wash it out.”
—Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1791–1865)