08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
Want to see some racing on Victoria Day weekend?
Whether you're a fan of road racing, drag racing or oval track racing, there's an event coming up in or around the Hamilton area next weekend.
Let's start with the return of the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, which will take to the Ohsweken Speedway dirt for shows May 14 and 15. This top-tier series has not been to Ohsweken since 2017, and the stars of the WoO will race in two events. Donny Schatz has won there four times, former NASCAR driver turned Top Fuel Dragster pilot Tony Stewart twice, and Stewart Friesen from Niagara-on-the-Lake took a victory in 2015. Kraig Kinser holds the track record for the 410 cars (so-called due to their engine displacement of 410 cubic inches) with a 12.04-second, 112-m.p.h. posting in 2010. Find more information at
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The Castrol Victoria Day Speedfest May 16 to 18 marks the first major event on the 2.48-mile road circuit of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Headlining the weekend will be a round in the NASCAR Canada Series. The Bowmanville-area track will also play host to races for the Nissan Sentra Cup, Toyo Tires F1600 Championship, the Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin and the Super Production Challenge. Visit
for details.
Flamboro Speedway will present its third race of 2025 on May 17, with regular class racing and a visit from the Canadian Vintage Modifieds. The paved oval outside Millgrove will also hold a spectator drag racing session. There's more on that at
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The first round of the 2025 Canadian Superbike Championship gets underway next weekend at Shannonville Motorsport Park's 2.47-kilometre circuit for road racing in all classes. It is one of five rounds this year, with the teams travelling across Canada. The 2024 top Pro Superbike title was won by Ben Young of Collingwood on his BMW, while multi-time champion Jordan Szoke of Lynden placed third and Hamilton's David MacKay was fifth. See
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May 16 to 18 also marks the Victoria Day Weekend Spectacular on the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorports Park. There will be rounds and eliminations in a multitude of drag racing classes along with three rounds of showcars featuring jets, wheelstanders and nostalgia Funny Cars.
Other highlights of the weekend include the John Scotti NHRA National Open for Stock/Super Stock cars and rounds with the A and AA Gasers, throwbacks to the 1960s with their short-wheelbase and supercharged engines. Additional information at
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And finally, Merrittville Speedway outside of Thorold will be holding its Victoria Day Extravaganza May 19. The dirt oval will feature racing in the Stocks, Four-Cylinders and Late Models divisions, as well as a 40-lapper for the 358 Modifieds. Find details at
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Formula One has agreements in place to see it race in Mexico City until 2028 and in Miami until 2041. This year's Canadian GP, scheduled for June 12 to 15, will be held once again in Montreal … Former NFL player and now television host Michael Strahan will be the honorary pace lap driver in this year's Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Once again, Sarah Fisher will drive the pace car during caution periods in the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' This year's 500 will be held May 25 and is the 109th running of the 200-lap race … The pace car for the Indy 500 will be a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, a powerful beast with more than 1,064 horsepower, capable of a 0-60 m.p.h. time in 2.3 seconds and a top speed of 233 m.p.h. Corvettes have paced the race exclusively since 2017. While honorary drivers since that time have included Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Ken Griffey Jr., Fisher has remained the sole caution period pace car driver.
