2017 Canadian road racing season starts with Victoria Day Speedfest

The Castrol-sponsored Victoria Day SpeedFest will showcase the opening round of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series competing in the Can-Am 200 as well as all classes of the Pirelli World Challenge Championship including the series’ high-octane GT super cars. The three-day event also features exciting races in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama, the Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Pirelli, and the Nissan Micra Cup Series.

Most practice and qualifying sessions will be held on Friday, May 19 while the racing action will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

Race fans and families are invited to attend the event, and there’s plenty for all to see and do off-track, with the family-friendly Canadian Tire Action Zone (including a play area, face painting, hockey shootout zone, Toronto Maple Leafs locker room trailer, casting pond, and live music), the CTMP Marketplace (featuring a variety of vendors – some interactive – including the Chevy Race Face and Hydro One’s Electricity Discovery Centre), the CTMP Merchandise Trailer (selling official merchandise), and Driver Autograph sessions.

Meet the drivers!

Fans attending the weekend are invited to visit the team paddock areas, located on the circuit infield at the north end near the start/finish straight. All the team transporters, cars, crews and drivers are based there, and access to the paddock is included with event ticket purchase.

A special highlight is the traditional Victoria Day weekend fireworks display, which will light up the sky on Saturday evening. The fireworks show, launched at dusk from Corner 1, is a spectacular celebration for the first long weekend of the summer.

A famed ice hockey goalie

Hockey Hall of Fame goalie and former Toronto Maple Leaf star Johnny Bower has been announced as the Grand Marshall for the event.

Nicknamed the “China Wall” because of his unrelenting approach to protecting the net, Bower was recently named as one of the top 100 players of all time by the National Hockey League. In his 12 years as the goalie with the Maple Leafs, Bower won four Stanley Cup championships, and two Vezina Trophies. Bower retired in 1969 and was inducted into Hockey's Hall of Fame in 1976.

Timetable of the 2017 Victoria Day Speedfest

(Subject to change without notice)

Friday, May 19th, 2017

8:00 am - 8:40 am Pirelli World Challenge TC/TCA/TCB Practice
8:55 am - 9:25 am Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama Practice #1
9:35 am - 10:05 am Nissan Micra Cup Practice
10:15 am - 10:55 am Pirelli World Challenge GTS Practice
11:10 am - 11:40 am Canadian Touring Car Championship Test Session
11:50 am - 12:40 pm Pirelli World Challenge Sprint-X GT Practice
12:40 pm - 1:25 pm LUNCH
1:25 pm - 2:00 pm Pirelli World Challenge TC/TCA/TCB Qualifying
2:10 pm - 2:50 pm Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama Practice #2
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm Canadian Touring Car Championship Test Session
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm Nissan Micra Cup Qualifying
4:25 pm - 4:40 pm Pirelli World Challenge GTS Qualifying
4:55 pm - 5:30 pm Pirelli World Challenge Sprint-X GT Qualifying
5:45 pm - 6:15 pm Canadian Touring Car Championship Practice #1

Saturday, May 20th, 2017

8:30 am - 8:50 am Canadian Touring Car Championship Qualifying
9:00 am - 9:20 am Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama Qualifying
9:40 am - 10:20 am Pirelli World Challenge TC/TCA/TCB Race #1 (40 minutes)
10:35 am - 11:25 am Pirelli World Challenge GTS Race #1 (50 minutes)
11:25 am - 12:20 pm LUNCH
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm NASCAR Pinty’s Series Practice
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm Pirelli World Challenge Sprint-X GT Race #1 (60 minutes)
3:00 pm - 3:45 pm Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama #1 (45 minutes)
4:00 pm - 4:20 pm NASCAR Pinty’s Series Qualifying – Group #1
4:30 pm - 4:50 pm NASCAR Pinty’s Series Qualifying – Group #2
5:05 pm - 5:35 pm Nissan Micra Cup Race #1 (30 minutes)
5:50 pm - 6:30 pm Canadian Touring Car Championship Race #1 (40 minutes)

Sunday, May 21st, 2017

8:30 am - 9:10 am Pirelli World Challenge TC/TCA/TCB Race #2 (40 minutes)
9:25 am - 9:55 am Canadian Touring Car Championship Qualifying
10:15 am - 11:05 am Pirelli World Challenge GTS Race #2 (50 minutes)
11:25 am - 12:10 pm Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama Race #2 (45 minutes)
12:10 pm - 1:00 pm LUNCH
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Can-Am 200 Race - NASCAR Pinty’s Series (51 laps)
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm Nissan Micra Cup Race #2 (30 minutes)
3:40 pm - 5:00 pm Pirelli World Challenge Sprint-X GT Race #2 (60 minutes)
5:20 pm - 6:00 pm Canadian Touring Car Championship Race #2 (40 minutes)