Canadian Racing Legends to be Honoured at GP of Mosport

Six Canadian Hall Of Fame Drivers To Help Celebrate Mosport’s 50^th Anniversary Season And Meet Race Fans

(BOWMANVILLE, ON – August 18, 2010)  Their names are memorable, their accomplishments are great, their ties to Mosport are unmistakable and next weekend, six Canadian Legends of Mosport will be on hand as part of Mosport’s 50th anniversary celebration.

The circuit will pay tribute to these Canadian road racing stars from Mosport’s storied past, recognizing their achievements and providing fans with an opportunity to meet them and learn about their careers.

The Legends taking part in the festivities are all members of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame; Bill Brack, Eppie Wietzes, Ludwig Heimrath Sr., Craig Hill, Horst Kroll and Ross de St. Croix.

On Saturday, the Legends will participate in Q & A sessions with fans and will be followed by autograph sessions.  On race day Sunday, the Hall of Famers will again hold an autograph session and then participate in the Mobil 1 presents The Grand Prix of Mosport Opening Ceremonies.

There will be a wide-array of historic race cars on display including Kroll’s Can-Am Frisbee and Brack’s 59/69 Lotus.

Brack is the only Canadian driver to have won three Canadian Driving Championships and more impressive, he did it in consecutive years, 1973-1975.  To accomplish this feat, Brack had to defeat future Grand Prix champions and a young up-and-coming star by the name of Gilles Villeneuve. To top it off, Brack also won championships in both Formula Atlantic and Canadian Touring Car.

Inducted into the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993, Wietzes won two Canadian Driving Championships, in 1969 and 1970.  He won in everything he drove including a Sunbeam Alpine, Cornstock Mustangs, GT 40’s and later the very quick F5000.

Heimrath Sr. boasts a very impressive resume.  He won the first Canadian Sports Car Racing Championship (later renamed the Canadian Driving Championship) in 1961 and again in 1964.  He finished in the runner-up spot in ’62, ’63 and ’65.  Heimrath Sr. was also the second Canadian ever to compete in Formula 1 and twice won the SCCA Trans-Am championship. An expert long distance racer is still active today, competing in endurance races.

In a driving career that spanned nearly 40 years, Hill was successful in almost every type of race car that he got behind the wheel of, from midgets to super-modifieds, sports car and open-wheeled formula cars.   In 1973 and ’74, Hill teamed up with Heimrath Sr. to win the Sundown Grand Prix.

Kroll is a decorated road-racer having won the Canadian Driving Championship in 1968 in a Kelly Porsche, the same car that he later beat the factory Porsche’s in a United States Automobile Club (USAC) race at Watkins Glen.  Kroll made the move into Can-Am, winning the championship in 1986.

Having driven everything from MG’s to the ex-Miss Whiz Lola, de St. Croix enjoyed great success in everything that he ever drove.  He also contributed greatly to the sport as the president of the Canadian Automobile Sports Club (CASC) and the Montreal Motor Racing Club.

A full schedule of activities will be posted online at www.mosport.com and on-site during race weekend.

For more information and to purchase tickets call the Mosport Hotline at 1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm ET), visit online at www.mosport.com, or email info@mosport.com

© RIF | Mosport Media-Ryan Chalmers