You're sitting on the edge of your seat in the stands and, at first, you can only hear them. Their whining engines get louder and louder, until--VROOM--the cars zip in front of you. For a split second, you see a blur of team colours as the drivers jostle for position. The pungent stench of fuel and oil smacks your nostrils, and then they're gone.
For millions of Canadians, nothing compares to the thrill of professional auto racing. No matter what kind of auto racing you're into--from Formula One to stock car--you can get all the information you'll ever want on the Web.
While auto racing is enormously popular, its coverage in the Canadian print and online press is a mere fraction of that given to other sports. Generally, you get short pieces on recent races, with very little analysis and even less on the history and personalities of the sport. But thanks to Web sites dedicated to racing, you can read all the latest news and scuttlebutt online.
Canadian Racing posts the latest ifno on racing events and contains the background on a number of Canadian drivers, including IndyCar star Paul Tracy and Formula One's Jacques Villeneuve. Best of all, this Web site covers the racing gamut--from IndyCar and Formula One to NASCAR, from drag racing to snowmobile racing. Canadian Racing also has an online discussion forum that lets you trade views with fellow fans.
CMSports.com is a comprehensive site covering just about every major racing series you've heard of, including drag racing and hot rod competitions. You'll find the latest racing events here, and a gallery of photos, videos and sounds is on the way. Add to the mix a chat section and message boards, and you've got a site that has the potential to become Canada's online hub for motorsports news and information. You should also check out Slam! Motorsports for news, photo galleries and a busy message board filled with posts about drivers, recent races, racing history and more.
The Canadian Driving Dynasty
In any racing league, there's a Canadian driver, or drivers, at the top level. But there's one name practically synonymous with Canadian racing: Villeneuve. The Villeneuve legend was started in the 1970s by the late Gilles Villeneuve, who swept to Formula One fame behind the wheel of a Ferrari. While he was never crowned world champion, Villeneuve drove to win in many races. The Web site of the Gilles Villeneuve Museum in Berthierville, Que., details his history in Formula One racing along with a huge selection of Villeneuve-related links.
Today, the Villeneuve legend lives on in Jacques Villeneuve, Gilles' son, who has won both the IndyCar and Formula One crowns as well as the famed Indianapolis 500. At his official Web site, you can chart the career of younger Villeneuve and relive his glory days through photos and detailed accounts of races. Currently with British-American Racing, Villeneuve has been saddled with an underperforming car that's kept him out of the victory circle. However, with a new engine in his car, things are looking up this season. Villeneuve is scoring points and may soon take his place again on the podium.
You can also find other Canadian racing stars on the Web, including the official sites for IndyCar drivers Scott Goodyear and Paul Tracy. Like Jacques Villeneuve, Goodyear and Tracy started their careers strongly but fell into slumps. This season, though, they seem to be back to their winning ways.
Also of note is the Player's Racing team's Web site, which contains information on Player's Racing IndyCar and Formula Atlantic teams, including Canadian drivers Patrick Carpentier and Alexandre Tagliani. You can read about the teams' racing heritage and enjoy a photo gallery, highlighting some of their greatest moments on the track.
Every year, Canada hosts three major racing events: two IndyCar competitions, and a Formula One race. The Molson Indy Web site offers detailed histories of the Toronto Indy, which runs July 14 to 16 this year, and the Vancouver Indy from September 1 to 3. You can also get the lowdown on IndyFest, a celebration of all things automotive, including car shows and VIP dinners with drivers, that runs all race weekends long. Best of all, you can buy tickets online for both races.
The Formula One circus rolls into Montreal from June 16 to 18 this year for the Air Canada Grand Prix. The site contains a very brief rundown of the 31 Canadian Grand Prix races held over the years--from the early races at Mosport, just outside of Toronto, to the races in Montreal--the Grand Prix's present home. You can also order tickets online.
All this online auto racing may inspire you to get behind the wheel yourself. The easiest way to experience the thrill of racing is to hop into a go-kart. The Playdium chain of amusement centres in Toronto, Mississauga, Edmonton and Burnaby, whose Web site was under construction at time of writing, feature some great full-sized racing video games and, in some cases, go-kart tracks. For less than $10, you and your family can drive a few laps around in a gasoline-powered kart.
Serious go-karters will want to visit a dedicated karting centre. One of the best is SRA Karting, just outside Montreal. You can take a racing kart for a spin around one of the finest tracks in the country and also watch or participate in actual go-kart races.
Karting is fun, but it's nothing like sitting in the cockpit of an actual race car. If you have a few thousand dollars to spare, you can enjoy an experience that was once reserved for professional drivers. The Bridgestone Racing Academy, located in Pontypool, an hour outside of Toronto, Ont., has programs for both the curious and those wanting to enter competition.
Other schools that cater to thrill seekers and aspiring racers are RaceINC n Shannonville, Ont., and the Jim Russell Racing School in Mont Tremblant, Que., and Mission, B.C.'s ProFormance Racing School. Just remember, if you crash here, you can't simply reboot your computer and start again.