Toronto Motorsport Park, which is opening its 70th season, is among the oldest continuously-operating drag strips.Â
John Rennison photo
Several past recipients were on hand when Eric Tomas accepted the John Massingberd Memorial Award for commitment and passion in Canadian motorsport at a recent ceremony at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. That includes (from left) Yvonne Potter (representing her father Rob Potter), Tim Miller, Randy Slack (representing his father the late Bob Slack), Tomas, award presenter Bruce Mehlenbacher, Betsy Smith, Fred Smith and Adam Silverthorne (representing his father the late Harvey Silverthorne). Other recipients of the award not present at the ceremony include John Waldie, Vern Christy, Bruce Biegler and Carl Spiering.Â
Several past recipients were on hand when Eric Tomas accepted the John Massingberd Memorial Award for commitment and passion in Canadian motorsport at a recent ceremony at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. That includes (from left) Yvonne Potter (representing her father Rob Potter), Tim Miller, Randy Slack (representing his father the late Bob Slack), Tomas, award presenter Bruce Mehlenbacher, Betsy Smith, Fred Smith and Adam Silverthorne (representing his father the late Harvey Silverthorne). Other recipients of the award not present at the ceremony include John Waldie, Vern Christy, Bruce Biegler and Carl Spiering.Â
With temperatures in the single digits last Saturday night, drivers at Merrittville Speedway probably wished they had heaters in their race cars.
But that didn’t stop the dirt oval from running a full card of racing to open its 73rd season, including a visit from the touring Southern Ontario Sprints.
Twenty-three 350-powered Sprinters were to start the SOS main feature, but a miscue from the front row starters on the pace lap before the green flag resulted in mayhem, including two cars flipping — not the way Eric Gledhill of Thamesville, Ont. and Jamie Turner of Caistor Centre, Ont. wanted to start their season. Neither was injured, but they could not continue.
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When racing resumed, Dylan Westbrook of Scotland, last year’s champion, powered to his first win of the season, followed by Jason Barney of Brewerton, N.Y., and Ryan Turner of Dunnville, Ont.
In other racing during the Peters Construction Group Spring Sizzler 2024 opening night, Gary Lindberg of Ridgeway, Ont. won the 358 Modified feature, Jim Lampman of Caistor Centre won the Hoosier Stock feature, and Alex Riley of St. Catharines took the Lane 4 Cylinders main.
Toronto Motorsport Park, which is opening its 70th season, is among the oldest continuously-operating drag strips.Â
John Rennison photo
TMP opens 70th year
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Another local track will open with its 70th year of operation. Toronto Motorsport Park, with its well-known drag strip and road course, opened for drag racing in 1954 on the Mehlenbacher family farm on Kohler Road just west of Cayuga. The strip has had many names over the decades, and has operated under NHRA, IHRA and NASCAR sanctioning. The complex has been headed up by former racer Uli Bieri since 1991.
While TMP is among the oldest continuously-operating drag strips, it was not Canada’s first. The airstrip-based Abbotsford Airport in B.C. ran drag races from 1952 to 1957 but reverted back to airplane use with no car racing. The TMP facility was also an airstrip, originally built during the Second World War.Â
Bits and pieces
Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America has chosen its 37th annual induction class to be honoured next year, and there is a Canadian on the list. Five-time Daytona 200 motorcycle race winner Miguel Duhamel of Quebec will be inducted … Joe Plazek is also going into a Hall of Fame. This time the former big-block dirt Modified driver from Caistor Centre will be entering the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame in early May. Last year, Plazek was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Canandaigua Land of Legends Raceway south of Rochester, N.Y. … Drag racing’s Spencer Hyde of Stratford showed his stuff at the recent PDRA Mid-Atlantic Nationals, taking the Pro Boost class win at Virginia Motorsports Park. Hyde posted a 3.577-second final pass over former Canadian Melanie Salemi, who now hails from Buffalo, N.Y. … Several past recipients were on hand as motorsport broadcaster Eric Tomas accepted the John Massingberd Memorial Award for commitment and passion in Canadian motorsport at a ceremony at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Tomas recently retired as the voice of Raceline Radio for over 30 years. Massingberd, who died in 2008, was a pioneer and groundbreaker in presenting motorsport to Canada through television and radio media. The award is handed out annually.
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