Over the past year we’ve seen tremendous progress made on the construction of the Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit. Through the efforts of SupErb Construction, and their building and excavation partners, the circuit is now just five months away from its grand opening. 2016 promises to be a memorable year as we welcome members and guests to Vancouver Island’s most exciting attraction. While we are excited to see the results of our commitment, the journey to date has been memorable. We’d like to share a few of the highlights of the past year with you.
The Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit began with a simple idea—to provide enthusiasts an entertaining, challenging, and safe place to enjoy their performance automobiles. With the perfect location available in the Cowichan Valley, we then sought the advice of one of the world’s most accomplished track designers. Tilke GMBH, one of the world’s foremost designers of racing circuits, designed the circuit now under construction.
At the beginning of 2015 the new home of the circuit was being prepared for construction to begin. With the approval of the Tilke design, the site cleanup was concluded in advance of the circuit being surveyed and marked out.
With the circuit’s dimensions determined and referenced, the over-burden soil (unusable) was removed, and the work of creating cuts and fills began. This work continued over the better part of the year, eventually arriving at a point where precise layers of gravel were placed to provide the base upon which the paved surface would be applied.
Even though the circuit was far from being ready, many enjoyable days were spent at the Circuit throughout the year. Christian Epp, Director of the Americas for Tilke Engineering, and Peter Wahl, Architect, Engineer and Managing Partner, travelled to Vancouver Island to visit the site. It was a pleasure to host them, and we look forward to seeing them again when the Circuit prepares for its official opening.
A particularly memorable afternoon saw 115 GAIN Dealer Group associates, family members, and friends visiting the circuit. Tours of the track were provided to give a sense of the scale and dimension of the Circuit. Through a draw, 20 people were awarded the opportunity to view the site from a helicopter provided by West Coast Helicopters. Our thanks to both West Coast Helicopters and their pilot, Jim Vallance, for their help in making the day all the more enjoyable.
Despite having gained intimate knowledge of the circuit, Chris Erb of SupErb Construction was perhaps handicapped by his choice of vehicle, the “Yellow Beast,” posting a time of 1 hour 6 minutes and 58 seconds. We believe it’s safe to anticipate these early efforts will quickly give way to more respectable times when the circuit is officially opened.
The spectacular summer weather enjoyed on Vancouver Island helped enormously in keeping the project on time. The Circuit was ready for paving by the late summer. A marathon day beginning in the early morning hours saw the first layer of asphalt applied to the entire track in a single day—by any measure a remarkable achievement.
The 15,000 sq. ft. Clubhouse project began in September. Featuring presentation areas, classrooms, lounge, observation deck and lounge, and four pit garages, this structure will be the heartbeat of the circuit. With the weather holding into the early autumn, the building received its roof at the end of November. Work is now currently underway on the interior, and progress on this can be followed on our weekly Track Updates.
Our official blog site here has detailed stories and articles about the Circuit, and the people who are making it a reality. Our Facebook page on the GAIN Dealer Group page https://www.facebook.com/GAINDealerGroup is frequently updated with the latest news pertaining to the Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit, and the GAIN Dealer Group. We hope you’ll continue to follow our story as we prepare to open this extraordinary facility. Here’s to an exciting new year.