Track days provide an escape from the everyday, but at a cost - The Globe and Mail
Now, with more time on his hands, his hobbies include ski racing, golf, spending time at his cottage on what he affectionately refers to as “The Lake of Bay Street,” and today’s activity of choice: driving fast. To do so legally, Panneton attends a local track day. It does not conjure images of hearty backslapping and afternoon cigars by the clubhouse – no smoking around the high-octane fuel, please. If anything, track days conjure only vague images of greasy fingers and tire irons, or maybe the opening scene of Sophia Coppola’s Somewhere : an existentially bored man driving in circles around an empty track. In Europe, private racing resorts exist to bring that country club vibe to the supercar set: Ascari, in southern Spain, and Bilster Berg, in Germany, come to mind. There are plans to bring such places to Canada, but they’re still a work in progress. For now, those with a need to go fast, like Panneton, head to track days at places like Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). Getting to CTMP from Toronto involves heading east on Highway 401. Traffic is bad, clogged like an artery waiting for a stroke. Cars move in fits and starts for no apparent reason other than the obvious: the Greater Toronto Area is home to more cars than even this 16-lane megahighway can handle. Once upon a time this track was home to the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix. Source: www.theglobeandmail.com
