I Went to an IMSA Race and Became an Endurance Junkie
“We came here for the first time last year without them. Big mistake.”
That’s what the gentleman told me when he handed me a pair of orange earplugs in a little plastic bag. Bless that man, but we’ll get back to him later.
This year has become the year I fell in love with Hypercars. I didn’t see it coming, but it’s happened. And can you blame me? After the demise of the LMP1 category in endurance racing around the world, there’s been a renaissance thanks to famous marques like Ferrari, Toyota, Cadillac, BMW, Porsche, Peugeot, Acura, and many other major players who’ve recently gotten involved. Due to this, the competition is as intense and consuming as ever, with even more teams like Alpine and Lamborghini set to enter the fray next year.
That’s why, upon realizing that IMSA’s Chevrolet Grand Prix was days away and that Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was only an hour's drive from my house, I figured it was time to move my ass and see these beautiful machines in person while I had the chance.
My brother and I arrived at the circuit at around 10:30 a.m. and immediately walked into the paddock amongst a buzzing crowd of racing fans. From the moment we set foot on the grounds, the access we had to the garage area was incredible. Before we’d even caught our breath, we could see mechanics working away on their cars and engineers having intense discussions with their drivers. And as fans, we were practically able to walk right up to them and get as close a look as we wanted, as if we’d been handed VIP passes. We were in the thick of it, and the race hadn’t even begun yet.
From there, over to the pit lane we went, dodging team and track personnel as they buzzed around in preparation for the green flag. Thankfully for us, for the next hour, fans were given even more access to the cars and drivers during the Fan Walk. We went up and down the bustling pit lane, taking pictures of every race car we could find, and there were plenty of them to keep us entertained. Some of the fastest, most beautiful racing machines in the world were right there in front of us. It didn’t feel like we deserved to be in their presence, yet there they were.
What struck me most about them, oddly enough, was their size. As a racing fan, I’ve always been somewhat aware that race cars, as beastly as they are, can be quite compact. The lighter and more trimmed down, the better. But these things, in person? Way smaller than they appear on TV. They looked like a track-day car your neighbour might be building in his garage (the reason his wife left him, most likely), only that these were million-dollar machines built and cared for by companies like Penske, Andretti, Meyer Shank, and Rahal Letterman.
We bumped into some cool folks in the pit lane as well. Jordan Taylor, Corvette legend, was within arms reach, chatting with fans and team members alike. Bozi Tatarevic, pit crew member for Vasser Sullivan who has risen to Twitter fame thanks to his many insights and deep technical knowledge, was guarding his team’s Lexus RC F as we strolled by their pit box. The most random encounter, though, had to be when we heard, and then saw, Glenn Healy (yes, former Leafs goalie Glenn Healy) belting it out on the bagpipes during the opening ceremonies. My dad would’ve loved to have seen that one with his own eyes.
Then it was time. We crossed the pedestrian bridge that looms over the start-finish straight and made our way onto the grass, parking ourselves directly across from the pit lane. From there, the loud noises commenced, and they changed my life.
You could feel it in your chest—the grunt of each car as they urgently pursued the next with each passing lap. It was otherworldly. Heavenly, even. However, after a few laps had gone by, I realized I’d made a crucial mistake. I forgot to bring my ear protection. (Actually, I realized that when the cars went around on their formation laps.)
And then, an angel appeared. An angel wearing a neon orange McLaren F1 hat tapped me on the shoulder while I had my fingers plugged in my ears. He handed me a pair of earplugs and my brother another set before he and his pals parked their chairs beside ours for the next two hours and 40 minutes. And you know what? That was really cool, and part of what makes the racing community a special one.
As for where we sat, it was a fantastic vantage point. After taking in the first few laps as close to the trackside fencing as possible, we made the short hike up the hill behind us and claimed our spot, one that provided a hypnotic view of The Esses and Whites Corner, the final complex, before drivers charged to the line to begin a new lap.
Here’s the part where I embarrassingly remind you that, after nearly 30 years of being a racing fan, this was the first motor race I’ve ever attended in person. Hence, up until now, I’d always considered racing to be, from a fan perspective, a made-for-TV sport. For years, I believed that it must have been so hard to keep track of what was happening at the circuit if you were seated at one corner, with essentially no view of nearly 90% of the playing surface. Imagine watching a basketball game and only being able to see one baseline. Who’d sign up for that? But as for motorsport, I was wrong the whole time.
It was remarkably easy and enjoyable to follow what was happening, who was leading the race, what the gaps were, and everything else happening around the circuit. Speakers were conveniently positioned almost everywhere, giving us access to the radio broadcast hosted by John Hindhaugh and Jeremy Shaw, whose captivating commentary could be heard all day long. Shea Adam also provided timely updates from the pit lane, making it easy to understand why certain cars were pitting and what strategies teams were employing throughout the race.
One of the many great views we had from the start-finish straight at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
And the race itself? As entertaining as we could have hoped for. The Acura’s were the fastest all day in the Hypercar class, but a handful of full course cautions led to some alternating strategies, giving the Whelen Engineering Cadillac of Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims a shot at contending late. Still, it was Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun who aced it in their Meyer Shank Racing Acura, while fierce battles in the LMP3 and GT classes added to the intensity throughout the entire field.
After the chequered flag, we made our way back through the garage area, walking beside 2nd place finishers Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor on their way to the podium celebrations. Again, this was another moment where the surreal nature of the day smacked me dead in the face. To be walking this close to the drivers, especially so soon after they'd jumped out of their cars, felt to good to be true. It also reminded me that the men and women who race these rocket ships for a living are also people like you and me, just going about their day, celebrating their wins, and feeling the pain of their stumbles as they happen. And maybe this is why people love IMSA.
I could be wrong in saying this because I have nothing else to compare my experience to, but I feel like you’d be hard pressed to get that much access to the behind-the-scenes guts of a racing series this big anywhere else. We touched used tires. Watched drivers chat with their friends. Saw team members pour over every minute detail before sending their cars on track. I doubt you can do that at an F1 race with a $60 general admission ticket, and I’ll happily pay $60 to do it all again next year.