Historic Ontario racetrack sold to member of Canada’s richest family

After a 15-year ownership run at Bowmanville’s historic Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Canadian racing legend Ron Fellows and his partners are out and a new ownership group, led by a member of Canada’s richest family, is now at the wheel.

Peter Thomson, with Chris Pfaff and Alek Krstajic joining as partners, have completed the purchase of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), one of Canada’s most storied motorsport venues with a legacy dating back to 1961.

The existing management team and staff, led by Myles Brandt, will remain in place while Fellows – who recently set a production car lap record in a Corvette ZR1 at the age of 66 – will maintain a connection to the track through his Ron Fellows Driving Experience.

Peter Thomson

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The new ownership team said in a news release it is committed to preserving the formerly-named Mosport Park’s history, supporting its existing community of fans, teams, and event partners, and ensuring that all scheduled activities and operations continue uninterrupted. The team, the release declared, “recognizes the significance of CTMP’s past and intends to honour that legacy while preparing the facility for its next era of growth.”

A broader vision for the future of the site will be unveiled at the Canadian International Auto Show in February, where Thomson and his partners will share the “roadmap” for CTMP’s long-term development, investment strategy and an “enhanced role” within the Canadian motorsport and entertainment environment.

“Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is a place with deep heritage and a loyal community. Our team is proud to be its next steward,” said Chris Pfaff, whose own family has been involved in racing for generations. “We’re committed to respecting everything that makes CTMP special today, while building the foundation for an elevated experience in the years ahead. We look forward to sharing more of our vision this February.”

Ron Fellows

Fellows, along with his wife Lynda and business partner Carlo Fidani, purchased Mosport Park racetrack from Don Panoz in 2011.

They secured a lucrative naming rights deal with Canadian Tire soon after the sale and have made considerable investments in infrastructure and other track improvements since then.

Thomson, part of the Thomson family (net worth approaching $100 billion) is a venture capitalist and a rally driver himself, while Pfaff runs luxury car dealer Pfaff Automotive Partners and also owns the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship series, a long running event at CTMP.

Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (formerly known as Mosport Park)