Some race fans
may think that "big-time" road racing didn't come to Canada
until Mosport opened in 1961. Actually, professional races were
held two years earlier at the Harewood Acres circuit near Jarvis,
Ontario. Harewood was the premier circuit in Canada until Westwood
was opened in 1959. It continued
to hold that distinction for eastern Canada until the opening of
Mosport.
Harewood
began its life in August, 1940 as a military airfield supporting
the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. It was the home of Number
One Bombing and Gunnery School. Over 12,000 trainees passed through
until the airfield closed in February of 1945.
Harewood's new role as a racing circuit, began in 1956 when the
British Empire Motor Club (BEMC) was
forced to give up it's first airport circuit at Edenvale, near Stayner,
Ontario. The owner of Edenvale wanted to conduct professional races
at the circuit and kicked out the clubs. BEMC found another suitable
former airfield on property owned by Russell and Larry Hare. BEMC
signed a 5-year lease for 150 acres of the 750 acre property. The
property was on the Nanticoke Sideroad, 3 miles south of the intersection
of Highway 3 and Highway 6.
BEMC moved most of their equipment from Edenvale and the new 3.5
mile track opened on May 19, 1956 for a motorcycle event. On June
16, the first sports car race was held. Admission was $2.00 for
that event.
After the first season, some detioration of the runways forced the
circuit to be reduced to 2.45 miles. A further circuit length reduction
took place in 1959, this time to 1.9 miles. This would be Harewood's
permanant length. The width varied from 30 feet to 200 feet.
Circuit
Configurations
click on a config to enlarge |
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1956:
3.5 miles
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1957-1958:
2.45 miles
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1959-1970:
1.9 miles
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In late 1958 there was much discussion in the Ontario racing community
regarding increasing the professionalism of the racing. Some believed
that it was inevitable that racing in Canada be taken to the next
level. Others feared that the increased costs would actually hurt
the sport. Those advocating professionalism won out and the Canadian
Racing Drivers Association organized the first professional sports
car race in Canada. The CRDA 500 was held on May 9, 1959 and offered
over $4,000 in prize money. About 10,000 fans were on hand to see
the victory by Ray Carter of Hamilton driving a Jaguar XK-SS.
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Roger
Penske, winner of the 1959 O'Keefe Sundown Grand Prix
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On July 25, 1959 Harewood hosted the
first Sundown Grand Prix. The O'Keefe Sundown Grand Prix was a 6
hour race that began in the daylight and finished in the dark. Harry
Blanchard and Roger Penske covered 254 laps in a Porsche RSK to
take the victory in the 50-car field.
The third big race of 1959 was the Stock Car vs. Sports Car Race
on September 19-20. Unfortunately, few of the promised top-name
stock drivers appeared; Lee Petty was the only one name driver to
appear in the the race won by Harry Blanchard.
The following year the first fully-sponsored professional sports
car event was scheduled. The Carling 300 took place on May 28, 1960
at Harewood and this time over 15,000 fans showed up. Controversy
erupted two days before event when the Sports Car Club of America
announced that any SCCA-licensed driver participating in the Harewood
event would lose his SCCA license. Some drivers such as Roger Penske
and Bob Holbert took a chance and showed up to race. Others, such
as Jim Hall, recalled his car as it was being shipped to Ontario.
Penske won all three of the event's 100 KM heats to take the overall
victory in a Porsche RSK taking the $1,900 winner's share of the
over $6,000 purse. In second was nineteen-year old Canadian Peter
Ryan, also driving a Porshe RSK.
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Peter
Ryan in 1960 - Porsche RS60
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The second O'Keefe Sundown Grand Prix
was held on October 1, 1960. The first and second finishers from
that spring's Carling 300 teamed up to compete in the Sundown. Roger
Penske and Peter Ryan took their Porsche RSK to victory over Francis
Bradley and Ludwig Heimrath.
It appeared that Harewood's days as a racing facility were numbered
at the start of the 1961 season. The track's operators, the British
Empire Motor Club, had been building Mosport and the new track was
ready to open in June, 1961. BEMC moved it's events to Mosport.
Without a club organizing the circuit, the other clubs moved their
events to Mosport as well. The track was comparitively quiet during
the 1961 and 1962 seasons, only hosting some closed-to-public events
such as MG Car Club events and drag races.
The Harewood Acres circuit was resurrected again in 1963. The London
Automobile Sport Club (LASC) had been operating Green Acres, another
former WWII airfield circuit, north of Goderich. The track surface
at Green Acres had been falling apart and LASC was looking for a
new circuit. Over the next few seasons LASC implemented many improvements
including repaving most of the circuit, building marshalls' stands,
moving the wiring underground to remove the need (and the inheirant
danger) for poles and painting white lines to negate the need for
haybales.
From 1963 to 1970 Harewood continued to host many club events. It
was the home of the Great Lakes Trophy Races, The Mid-Summer Trophy
Races, Burlington Autosports Club Challenge Cup for Sedans, The
Trillium Trophy Races and various motorcycle races including the
Ontario Grand Prix for Motorcycles. The track was part of the Canadian
Road Racing Championship each year, both for sports cars from 1964
until 1968 and for The Gulf Canada Series for Formula A cars which
made two visits in each of the 1969 and 1970 seasons.
The 1970 season was the end for Harewood. Owner Russell Hare sold
the land to Texaco and the company built an oil refinery on the
property.
Winners
of National and International Races at Harewood Acres
May
9, 1959
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Ray
Carter
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CRDA
500
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Jaguar
XKSS
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July
25, 1959
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Harry
Blanchard/Roger Penske
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O'Keefe
Sundown Grand Prix
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Porsche
RSK
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September
20, 1959
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Harry
Blanchard
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Sports
Car Vs. Stock Car
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Porsche
RSK
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May
28, 1960
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Roger
Penske
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Carling
300
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Porsche
RSK
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October
1, 1960
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Peter
Ryan/Roger Penske
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O'Keefe
Sundown Grand Prix
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Porsche
RSK
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August
24, 1963 |
Dennis
Coad |
Great
Lakes Trophy Races |
Lotus
19 |
August
15, 1964 |
Ludwig
Heimrath |
Great
Lakes Trophy Races |
Comstock
Cooper-Ford |
August
14, 1965 |
Ludwig
Heimrath |
Harewood
National Trophy Races |
McLaren
Elva-Ford |
August
13, 1966 |
Craig
Hill |
Harewood
National Trophy Races |
Lotus-Ford |
May
27, 1967 |
Nat
Adams |
CKOC
Challenge Cup |
Chinook |
August
12, 1967 |
John
Cordts |
Harewood
National Trophy Races |
McLaren
Mk.3 Chevrolet |
August
17, 1969
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Bill
Brack
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Gulf
Canada Series
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Lotus
GTX
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September
27, 1969
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Eppie
Weitzes
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Gulf
Canada Series
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Lola
T142-Chevrolet
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May
10, 1970
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Eppie
Weitzes
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Gulf
Canada Series
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McLaren
M10B-Chevrolet
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August
9, 1970
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Horst
Kroll
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Gulf
Canada Series
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Lola-Chevrolet
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