NASCAR Canada coming to Calabogie, Ont. this weekend

The first ever NASCAR Canada race is taking place in Calabogie, Ont. this weekend.

NASCAR Canada is taking over the Calabogie Motorsports Park, west of Ottawa, this Saturday and Sunday. The park says the weekend also features races from FEL Radical Cup Canada and the Spec Miata Challenge.

“Fans will have the chance to explore the paddock, meet drivers, and enjoy evening entertainment, plus exclusive hospitality areas for campers,” Calabogie Motorsports Park says on its website.

NASCAR calls Calabogie Motorsports Park one of Canada’s premier road courses, “known for its long technical layout and high-speed corners.”

Local racer taking to the track

Connor Bell, a 19-year-old racer from Barrhaven, is taking part this weekend, joining the grid for the first time.

“Being local here, from Ottawa, we’ve never had any big racing events like what’s going to happen on July 27, so I’m excited to bring it all to the city and show them what Ottawans are made of,” he told CTV Morning Live.

Bell says the community support for his upcoming race has been “absolutely incredible” and his car is decked out with local brands.

Bell says his passion for racing began at a very young age.

“It all started with my dad. From the age of two years old, I was trying to help out at the track as much as I could,” he said. “Around nine or 10, I got into karting and then slowly working my way up to NASCAR Canada.”

Bell told CTV News Ottawa on Saturday he has high hopes for his race.

“I’ve brought my expectations to be pretty high. I’m hoping for a top five. But with the pace we showed yesterday, hopefully even a little bit better and maybe we can take that top step on the podium,” he said.

The Calabogie Motorsports Park features a 5.05-kilometre course, the longest in Canada.

“The track was really carved from the land, so it has a really beautiful, beautiful flow,” said Corl Klinkenberg, business development manager for the Calabogie Motorsports Park.

“It’s a lot of work behind the scenes to pull it all together. But it’s really exciting when you do see it all come together. The fans are out here, it’s a much bigger crowd than we anticipated for even the Saturday. We’re expecting way bigger crowds tomorrow.”

According to NASCAR, on-track activities at Calabogie Motorsports Park will kick off with the first practice session scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, followed by final practice at 3 p.m. and qualifying at 6 p.m. ET.

The green flag for the NASCAR 150 Clash of the Titans will wave on Sunday at 2:10 p.m.

Tape-delayed coverage will be available on REV TV, TVA Sports and TSN.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Marano

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