It was an exciting day for the racing community at the Canadian International AutoShow on Thursday, February 12. The new owners of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) shared some of their vision for the facility, Markham, ON mayor Frank Scarpitti spoke about the upcoming Ontario Honda Dealers Indy race, and we got to see the F1 Barcelona Shakedown replica cars from Cadillac and Audi, along with the Lego Cadillac driven by actor Terry Crews to ferry the 2025 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix winners to the podium.
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
The new owners of CTMP, an all-Canadian team of Peter Thomson, Chris Pfaff and Alex Krstajic, spoke about their vision for the road course complex. Retired Canadian IndyCar racer-turned-broadcaster James Hinchcliffe moderated the media day event.
The biggest part of the vision is their desire to turn the facility into a place where activities occur year-round and not just in the summer months. The new owners have been working with several parties to help bring their vision of a four-season entertainment venue to life, including the Municipality of Clarington, provincial government and various race series.
This translates to having not just the racetrack as we know it today, with some upgrades to the pit lane and garages, but also opening the track to other possibilities and taking advantage of the beauty of the area. Events such as cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, cycling, outdoor hockey, concerts and potentially a car museum are among the ideas.
As for track improvements, the group confirmed that they are in ongoing talks with NASCAR and other series for future potential races on the grand prix circuit. Expansion of the Driver Development Track (DDT) to develop not just racers, but also for the non-racing driver, offering training on a skid pad to help improve skill levels and overall driving skills. At the karting track, having simulator labs and driver coaches are potentials as well.
Canadian Tire will continue its partnership with the facility and the name will remain as Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
The group confirmed that they’ve been in ongoing talks with the Municipality of Clarington about hotels and accommodation needs that would benefit CTMP and help make Clarington a better draw for tourism. MPP Stan Cho also said that the province would be in discussions with the owners regarding transportation and other infrastructure needs.
The excitement and enthusiasm of the new ownership team was palpable and a feeling of “children let loose in a candy store” came through. As they commented, being car and racing enthusiasts, when the opportunity to purchase CTMP presented itself, it was not hard to convince them to dive in.
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham
Markham, ON mayor Frank Scarpitti spoke about the event’s move to the streets of Markham. With a five-year deal in place, the city has already begun construction to accommodate the needs of the race. At present, the city is planning to have all construction completed by the spring of 2026. The race will take place August 14-16.
The Canadian International AutoShow is open to the public from February 13-22 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in downtown Toronto.