Full Throttle

Emmmm, Canadian bacon… but I digress, eh!

Canadian investors are looking to turn a 932-acre parcel of land near Fort Erie Ontario into a $100 million ($86,253,586 USD), 60,000-seat, 7/8^ths mile NASCAR-ready race track.

Chippawa, Ont. businessman Jay Mason, point man for the investment team, confirmed Thursday afternoon that his group has an option for the 29-year-old, par 72 course.

The property virtually borders the busy Queen Elizabeth Way, the major highway that connects Toronto to Buffalo.

“You’ll see it from QEW,” Mason said. “You’ll see it from Buffalo. You’ll see it from the middle of the Peace Bridge.”

Mason has held preliminary talks with Fort Erie officials about the project. He expects it will take about 12 months to secure all the necessary approvals his group needs to construct the track.

The Peace Bridge connects Buffalo NY with Canada and the Ontario Province and as the ever handy Google map shows the proposed area is only about 10 miles from downtown Buffalo. Don’t underestimate the drawing power of NASCAR in upstate and western NY, a large part of attendence at Watkins Glen is from the Buffalo area and the Peace Bridge gets a yearly workout from Canadian fans making the 3-4 hour trek south for that event from Toronto. There is no reason not to believe it wouldn’t work in reverse.

As we all know the “world according to Brian France” includes designs on The Great White North and not only sanctioning NASCAR events there but purchasing CASCAR, the northern equivalent to NASCAR, as well.

The desire from both sides of the border is there what is questionable, as always, is financing. And as Rusty Wallace has discovered his silk purse in Newton Iowa may turn into a sow’s ear due to shady loans as part of the developers finance package.

Mason said the financing package is in place, with only a few minor details waiting to be hammered out. “Is the money there? Yes,” Mason said. “Is the deal 100 percent in place today? No.”

Mason’s group has already retained Charlotte-based architect Dennis Yates, who did Texas Motor Speedway, to design the track.

But where will the track dates come from? I’ll leave that question open because frankly I don’t have a clue the NASCAR schedule is already full.

NASCAR, CASCAR, Auto Racing, Sports