It’s been 45 years since Sunset Speedway first had the thrills and spills of Stock Car racing tear up it’s 1/3 mile oval on Hwy 11 in Innisfil, Ontario. From its humble beginnings and decades of change, it is now one of Canada’s best known facilities for short track Stock Car racing. I grew up around racing, and got to know some of the big names in Canadian Stock Racing that competed there such as Don Biederman and Jr. Hanley. Sunset has always been one of my favorites, I’ve even had myself a racing stint there years ago.
Recently I had heard so much about the vast improvements and recent new management, I decided to visit that hallowed ground again to see what all the chatter was about. It was a family night out for me as I took my young son Nicholas and his friend Dan who instantly became big fans with the sound of those slick looking racecars. The professionalism of the night’s events and quality of the cars really impressed me. The track is beautifully paved with proper walls, and a pit lane for longer events which may require pit stops or repairs. That night, the OSCAAR Late Model division made a stop with their series, these are radically modified “pushed to the limit” race machines, beautiful to look at and exciting to watch. The track’s full line up of weekly competitors also put on an impressive show as well with three classes of race machines.
When you sit in the stands at Sunset Speedway, you can see all the action. There isn’t a bad seat in the house. The concessions and washrooms are easily accessed and have all the amenities you would expect. A souvenir stand is there as well for those who wish to collect memories. And memories are something I brought home that night with the smiles on those two kids faces! Go to www.sunsetspeedway.ca for a complete schedule of events and experience it for yourself each weekend from May till the end of September.
Written by Perry M. Mason
