2009 Redline Rendezvous
August 31 and September 1, 2009
Mosport International Raceway - Grand Prix Track, Bowmanville, Ontario
It’s hard to believe, but we’ve now completed our NINTH Redline Rendezvous held in the Canada Region. Still, this was a year of many firsts for the 2009 Redline Rendezvous On Track experience.
This was the first On Track experience on the world-famous Grand Prix Track at Mosport International Raceway. This 4.0 km (that’s 2.459 miles for Imperial folks) track is filled with 10 turns and multiple elevation changes. Mosport is home to many races such as the American Le Mans Series and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. After years of planning and support from the premier dealer sponsor, Dixie Ford, the dreams of many On Track participants were realized when word officially got out that we were running “the BIG track at Mosport”.
This was the first On Track experience under the care of Track Guys LLC. You may not have heard of Track Guys, but you’ve certainly seen them around our past On Track events. Track Guys was born from the minds of driving instructors Jeff Lacina (SVTOA Lead On Track Instructor) and Todd Zikas during a late-night, caffeine-laced drive back from Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI. They understood the serious need for fun, but they also understood the serious need about education. Teaching the “theory” of performance driving is one thing – taking that theory to the car, lap after lap, hour after hour, with a wide range of students was another. Thanks to their combined driving instruction experience and excellent reputations, Track Guys became the official driving school partner for Team Shelby and SVTOA.
This was also the first On Track experience with record-breaking attendance. With over 67 drivers and instructors, this proved to be THE largest Redline Rendezvous ever. This was also the most diverse vehicle participation in Redline Rendezvous history Enthusiasts with SVT Cobras, Lightnings, Contours, Foci, Ford GTs, Mazdas, VWs, Porsches, BMWs, and Minis turned up for two days of realizing their driving potential.
Event registration got underway the Sunday night at our host hotel, the Holiday Inn Oshawa Whitby Conference Centre. One by one, our participants, volunteers and instructors filtered through the hotel lobby to receive their welcome packages. Outside in the parking lot, Dixie Ford’s own Ford Racing Parts Specialist, Sean Marskell, conducted a brief tech inspection of our participants’ vehicles. An informal Meet & Greet was the main event for the night at Harper’s Lounge just inside the hotel. Many stopped by for some drinks and appetizers, but many also took the time to relax and get plenty of sleep for two days of extreme mental and physical activity at the track.
Our eyes awoke to a chilly yet sunny Monday morning. After a healthy breakfast at Harper’s Restaurant inside the hotel, we started up our vehicles and fought commuter traffic to the track. As we pulled into the gats at Mosport, the sight was just amazing. Some of the race crews, tractor trailers and spectators from the 2009 American Le Mans Series race were lingering around. During this controlled chaos, participants came forward for final tech inspection.
At 8am sharp, drivers were called to ground school. After a briefing on the rules and procedures in place for the weekend, our participants were reminded to be safe on the track. This year’s venue was the most challenging of all Redline Rendezvous events. Once ground school ended, our drivers then assembled for some quick orientation laps around this world-famous course.
As the advanced and intermediate drivers took to the track, the beginner and novice drivers learned more about vehicle balance, dynamics, and control in the on-site classroom. To reinforce the classroom training, it was time for the novice drivers to strap on their helmets and head out onto the track with our team of instructors. As the hours went on, all our drivers put their mental and physical strengths into mastering the Grand Prix track.
The clock struck noon, the checker flag was waved, and it was time to break for lunch. From picnic sandwiches to campfire goodies to burgers from Mosport Restaurant, everyone sat down together and shared their experiences with fellow participants and their instructor. Near the end of our lunch break, our spectators and participants joined in the On Track experience with parade laps around the track.
The clock struck 1:00pm, and our participants donned their helmets once again for an afternoon of heated track sessions. Luckily the day had not warmed up too quickly, so there was plenty of cold air feeding into the engines making for great on track performance.
Things cooled down at 5:00pm as it was the end of Day 1 of the On Track experience. To mark the accomplishments of our participants, our annual class photo was taken. Our participants, instructors and event volunteers then made their way to the Mosport Restaurant awaiting a full course meal. The raffle tickets emerged, and our participants and volunteers began reaching into their pockets for money that could earn them some great prizes from our numerous event sponsors. The dinner bell rang, and everyone lined up for a healthy helping of chicken, salads, potatoes, and dessert.
After some dinnertime speeches, it was time to draw for some of our great prizes. The two luckiest participants of the evening were SVTOA-Toronto’s own Iain Reid and George Hadler. Both ended up winning a free set of Nitto tires. Not to be outdone was Dixie Ford’s own Sean Marskell with possibly a lifetime supply of golf balls. Several of our participants came away from the banquet with die-cast Shelby Mustangs, shirts, hats, and special pricing for Garmin products. The festivities ended early enough for people to return to the hotel or campsite for some well-deserved rest and another day of intense learning.
Our second day at Mosport (Tuesday) proved to be a mental and physical challenge for our participants. The challenge for the day was to retain driving concentration and confidence while realizing any mental and physical toll from the prior day’s activities. Our participants handled the challenge with ease putting tens of laps around the track under their belts.
The sun began to set slowly, and the event began to wear our drivers down. Looking at the clock, we realized the 2009 Redline Rendezvous was coming to end. With our road tires bolted back on and our gear in our trailers and trunks, we waved goodbye to a memorable On Track experience for 2009.
We like to thank all the participants for coming out to our event. We would also like to give special thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors who helped make this event possible:
- Ted Hogan and his staff at Dixie Ford Sales, our premier event sponsor, SVTOA-Toronto Dealer Sponsor, and a huge supporter of the SVT ownership experience and SVTOA
- Our event sponsors: Garmin, Nitto Tires, Steeda Autosports, and Blevin Enterprises
- Jeff Lacina, and all his staff (including Dell Hughes and Will Fransen) of Track Guys LLC for organizing this year’s Redline Rendezvous
- All the track instructors from all across North America that joined our event and helped our participants realize their driving potential
- The staff at the Mosport International Raceway
- All the Track Marshals for braving the elements
- The staff at the Holiday Inn Oshawa Whitby Conference Centre for our accommodation needs
- All our trackside photographers (Daniel Amsler, DBM Reflex, Beau Fishook, Joanne Kidd, Remi Parent, and Elizabeth Somers); and
- Last, but certainly not least, all work from SVTOA National and SVTOA-Toronto for their continued support and dedication in helping put together another successful Redline Rendezvous.
We look forward to seeing everyone at our next On Track experience.