OT: Mosport in the old days
04-20-2011, 10:44 AM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
OT: Mosport in the old days
The following pictures were taken by a friend (Dick Coburn) back in the day. No I am not that old...
Last edited by Torontoworker; 09-25-2013 at 11:04 AM.
04-20-2011, 11:10 AM
#3
Burning Brakes
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04-20-2011, 11:39 AM
#5
Drifting
Thread Starter
Only if the car stays on the track! There was a lot of roll overs back in the day and when they started to tumble bad stuff happened. Remember a lot of the formula cars such as the old Lotus juniors and the like had these tiny roll over hoops that may or may not hold up after the first flip. What happened a lot was the cars landed in soft dirt upside down and the hoop would sink in lowering the car to the level of the dirt. Guess what was between the top of the body shell and the tip of the roll over hoop?!
The insurance industry played a part as well as the odd car would end up in the public parking areas... Money talks.
Then came Stewart...
He did a lot of great things... but one of his early fails was catch fencing and the wooden support posts he pushed for. The poles killed two drivers and quite a few drivers got balled up and gift wrapped in the cars by the chicken wire with leaking gas tanks as they sat there wondering why it suddenly wasn't fun anymore... One driver almost had his head ripped off by the wire.
Then the concept was to put walls right beside the track - like two feet away from the surface. This works great on the straights as the cars bounce back and forth generally staying within the track surface but less so when you go down the hill at corner two and have a right front wheel come off. Now the impact is almost at 90 degrees.
I'd love to have $20 million and roll off the earth movers, fire up the chain saws and go to town. The Green Party would hate my guts but everyone would love the run off areas created. Don P and Myles have my phone number - when the check clears I'll start...
04-20-2011, 11:43 AM
#6
Drifting
Thread Starter
04-20-2011, 12:01 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
Those are fantastic pictures, thanks a lot for posting them. It is easy to forget what a long history Mosport has, and these old photos are always a great reminder of all the great action the track has seen over the decades. Apparently my first visits to the track were in the late '60s for the grand prixs, but I have absolutely no memory of that whatsoever. 
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04-20-2011, 12:36 PM
#9
Drifting
Thread Starter
Those are fantastic pictures, thanks a lot for posting them. It is easy to forget what a long history Mosport has, and these old photos are always a great reminder of all the great action the track has seen over the decades. Apparently my first visits to the track were in the late '60s for the grand prixs, but I have absolutely no memory of that whatsoever.
Your welcome. My Dad did the grading at Mosport so I like to tell regional drivers the off camber going down the hill at corner two is his fault.
He's still around to bitch to - he's 95 this month. In fact that was someone's fault at BEMC (British Empire Motor Club) who were the people behind building the track and who thought making the hill at corner two slope off camber was good for water drainage. Mmmmm.... what happens when water is running across a track <and going downhill too> while the track slopes away from the intented direction of the car? 
I can recall being driven around on the grader for what was supposed to be the track before it was paved - lots of dust is what I recall and very few trees. I think they had to regrade several times when it rained before the pavement was laid. The trees we have now have grown <a lot!> after the grading and earth movers left. I think they bought a lot of trees to replant from a tree farm just past what is now the 115/35 interchange. We keep racing in the family; my daughter was -05 months at the 1988 Molson Indy when her mother was working phones at station 6A and I was corner chief. No wonder the throttle is her friend now, she must have felt the vibrations of the Cosworth Turbo's!
04-20-2011, 12:51 PM
#10
04-20-2011, 12:54 PM
#11
Drifting
Thread Starter
What I find hard to believe is that many here on this forum have lapped Mosport in their plated street cars, on street rubber - faster or at least close enough to the pole winning time for the 1964 Players 200 race! Says more about car and tire development over the years then our skill mind you...
Check some of the hot shoe international names on the entry list! Famous Canadian drivers in Red
"The race included Dan Gurney in a Lotus 19 who held the lap record for Mosport at 1:31.5"
ENTRY LIST
No. CAR CLASS ENTRANT DRIVER RESIDENCE
1 Lotus 19B GT Roy Fong Jim Clark Scotland
3 Porsche 904 GT Stirling Moss Racing Team Hugh Dibly London, England
4 Cobra GT Shelby American Inc. Bob Johnson Columbus, Ohio
5 Lotus 19 2 Portland Garages Vic Yachuk Kingston, Ont.
6 Chaparral 2A 2 Chaparral Cars Inc. Roger Penske Philadelphia, Pa.
8 Scarab - Chevrolet 2 Mecom Racing Team A.J. Foyt Jr. Houston, Texas
9 Lola Coupe 2 Mecom Racing Team Augie Pabst Milwaukee, Wis.
10 Lotus 19B 2 Mecom Racing Team John Cannon Toronto, Ont.
15 Elva - Porsche 1 Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Inc. Robert Scott Detroit, Mich.
16 Elva - Porsche 1 Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Inc. George Wintersteen Detroit, Mich.
17 Elva - Porsche 1 Robert Bosch Corp. Joe Buzzetta N.Y.C.
18 Lotus 19B 2 Norm Namerow Norm Namerow Montreal, P.Q.
19 Lotus 19B 2 Eldon Industries Inc. Dan Gurney Costa Mesa, Cal.
20 Lotus 23B 1 Michael R. Goth Michael R. Goth Staatsburg, N.Y.
21 Ferrari Dino 1 North American Racing Team Van Imrey N.Y.C.
30 Ferrari GTO GT North American Racing Team Bob Grossman W. Nyack, N.Y.
43 Lotus 23B 1 Dr. Phil Smyth Dr. Phil Smyth Winnipeg, Man.
47 Zerex Special 2 Bruce McLaren Racing Ltd. Bruce McLaren New Zealand
50 Cobra GT Shelby American Inc. Ken Miles Hollywood, Cal.
51 Lotus 23B 1 Shelby American Inc. John Morton Venice Cal.
55 Cooper - Ford 2 Canadian Comstock Inc. Ludwig Heimrath Toronto, Ont.
66 Chaparral 2A 2 Chaparral Cars Inc. Jim Hall Midland, Texas
73 H.D.V. Special 2 H.D.V. Racing Team Ernie DeVos Montreal, P.Q.
77 Elva - Porsche 1 Robert Bosch Corp. Bill Wuesthoff Milwaukee, Wis.
81 Porsche Spl. 1 Bata Shoe Co. Wayne Kelly Trenton, Ont.
89 Speedwell Special 1 Checkered Flag Co. John *** Toronto, Ont.
94 Ferrari Testa Rossa 2 Wayne Burnett Wayne Burnett Chicago, Ill.
99 Porsche RS61 1 Sports Car Developments Inc. Herb Swan Cleveland, Ohio
101 Lotus 23B 1 Bob McLean Bob McLean Vancouver, B.C.
133 Porsche RS61 1 Rudy Bartling Rudy Bartling Toronto, Ont.
169 Lotus 23 1 Tidewater Oil Co. Ltd. Nat Adams Toronto, Ont.
181 Cheetah 2 Citation Motors Ltd. Alan Grant Seattle, Wash.
411 Lotus 19B 2 Peter Lerch Peter Lerch Montreal, P.Q.
No. CAR CLASS ENTRANT DRIVER RESIDENCE
1 Lotus 19B GT Roy Fong Jim Clark Scotland
3 Porsche 904 GT Stirling Moss Racing Team Hugh Dibly London, England
4 Cobra GT Shelby American Inc. Bob Johnson Columbus, Ohio
5 Lotus 19 2 Portland Garages Vic Yachuk Kingston, Ont.
6 Chaparral 2A 2 Chaparral Cars Inc. Roger Penske Philadelphia, Pa.
8 Scarab - Chevrolet 2 Mecom Racing Team A.J. Foyt Jr. Houston, Texas
9 Lola Coupe 2 Mecom Racing Team Augie Pabst Milwaukee, Wis.
10 Lotus 19B 2 Mecom Racing Team John Cannon Toronto, Ont.
15 Elva - Porsche 1 Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Inc. Robert Scott Detroit, Mich.
16 Elva - Porsche 1 Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Inc. George Wintersteen Detroit, Mich.
17 Elva - Porsche 1 Robert Bosch Corp. Joe Buzzetta N.Y.C.
18 Lotus 19B 2 Norm Namerow Norm Namerow Montreal, P.Q.
19 Lotus 19B 2 Eldon Industries Inc. Dan Gurney Costa Mesa, Cal.
20 Lotus 23B 1 Michael R. Goth Michael R. Goth Staatsburg, N.Y.
21 Ferrari Dino 1 North American Racing Team Van Imrey N.Y.C.
30 Ferrari GTO GT North American Racing Team Bob Grossman W. Nyack, N.Y.
43 Lotus 23B 1 Dr. Phil Smyth Dr. Phil Smyth Winnipeg, Man.
47 Zerex Special 2 Bruce McLaren Racing Ltd. Bruce McLaren New Zealand
50 Cobra GT Shelby American Inc. Ken Miles Hollywood, Cal.
51 Lotus 23B 1 Shelby American Inc. John Morton Venice Cal.
55 Cooper - Ford 2 Canadian Comstock Inc. Ludwig Heimrath Toronto, Ont.
66 Chaparral 2A 2 Chaparral Cars Inc. Jim Hall Midland, Texas
73 H.D.V. Special 2 H.D.V. Racing Team Ernie DeVos Montreal, P.Q.
77 Elva - Porsche 1 Robert Bosch Corp. Bill Wuesthoff Milwaukee, Wis.
81 Porsche Spl. 1 Bata Shoe Co. Wayne Kelly Trenton, Ont.
89 Speedwell Special 1 Checkered Flag Co. John *** Toronto, Ont.
94 Ferrari Testa Rossa 2 Wayne Burnett Wayne Burnett Chicago, Ill.
99 Porsche RS61 1 Sports Car Developments Inc. Herb Swan Cleveland, Ohio
101 Lotus 23B 1 Bob McLean Bob McLean Vancouver, B.C.
133 Porsche RS61 1 Rudy Bartling Rudy Bartling Toronto, Ont.
169 Lotus 23 1 Tidewater Oil Co. Ltd. Nat Adams Toronto, Ont.
181 Cheetah 2 Citation Motors Ltd. Alan Grant Seattle, Wash.
411 Lotus 19B 2 Peter Lerch Peter Lerch Montreal, P.Q.
04-20-2011, 01:18 PM
#12
Drifting
Wasn't Dick Coburn involved with CRCA or BARC or MMS ??? I sort of remember having to go through him whenever we went to work the Mosport and Molson Indy races in Ontario !
For some reason,his name rings a bell...
I didn't think he was THAT old ... lol
Cheers !
Phil
For some reason,his name rings a bell...
I didn't think he was THAT old ... lol
Cheers !
Phil
04-20-2011, 02:15 PM
#13
Drifting
Thread Starter
Yup. MMS now. Dick is either 70 or very close to that.
04-20-2011, 03:20 PM
#14
Rennlist Member
I was at the Players 200 and Bruce McLaren won. The Cheetah didn't make the race and was in the paddock with fire extinguishment all over the interior. The thing that stands out is how the trees have filled in the hills.
04-21-2011, 09:13 AM
#15
Three Wheelin'
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Great photos! I have been amazed how much the track has changed over the years of me driving on it, but to see THAT amount of change is almost hard to believe!
Thanks!
Thanks!