Motorsport Hall of Fame gets new home, plan

Fresh foundation's museum design and new Downsview location aim to broaden focus

Oct 16, 2009

Motorsport Writer

Rod Campbell, carrying a serious list of credits, had come to Toronto from Los Angeles for the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame's annual induction gala three years ago and he asked about the state of the hall.

At the time, the hall was going through a period I have since dubbed the Big Drift. It existed, but wasn't going anywhere. It had bounced around from location to location and its overpopulated board of directors had any number of differing visions.

It needed leadership and Campbell took it upon himself that weekend to try to provide some. He had been involved in the development of Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant back in the 1960s, did PR work for Jackie Stewart and the original Can-Am Series, was involved in Formula One with Walter Wolf and Brett Lunger, and so on.

What Campbell wanted for the hall was simple: a long-term home to safeguard the country's motorsport memorabilia and history. To make the project viable, the hall would have to be state-of-the-art, interactive and entertaining – things that had been lacking previously.

Fast forward to today. The hall has a new home in a 13,000-square-foot building at 39 Carl Hall Rd. in Downsview Park. Renovations have begun – the space has been designed by award-winning architect Nelson Kwong – and it's expected it will be open for business in January.

There is a full-time executive-director on site: Bradley (Brad) Brown, who was in charge of Sunoco Canada's motorsport program for many years. There is a new 12-member board of directors headed by Tom Ryley, former executive vice-president of Suncor Energy, and which includes some Canadian motorsport heavyweights. (See full list at right.)

And the annual gala – which was not held this year – is back on the calendar. Next April 17, at the Four Seasons Sheraton in downtown Toronto, the 2008 inductees plus those selected in 2009, will be formally welcomed into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame.

In an interview a few weeks ago, an excited Brown expounded on just about everything that's happening so far as the rejuvenated Hall of Fame is concerned.

"The official name is the Canadian Motorsport Heritage Museum, which will house the Hall of Fame and the Canadian Motorsport Archives," Brown said. "It will be funded by the Canadian Motorsport Heritage Foundation."

Racing cars and other collectibles will be on display. The previous Wall of Fame (on which photos and brief biographies of inductees were presented) will be on disc and accessed via touch-screen TV. An archives room on a mezzanine level looking out over the museum will feature racing programs, articles, photographs and videos but is very much a work in progress as much of the material remains to be organized and digitized.

In the centre of the museum will be a 40-seat theatre that, on occasion, can be used as a classroom or boardroom. But while it's in theatre mode, motorsport films from the 1960s to the present will play non-stop.

A working race-car garage will be an attraction (complete with air hoses and a hoist), racing simulators will put would-be Schumachers to the test and the walls will be decorated with racing art from the collections of Jeremy Hinchcliffe (father of Indy Lights driver James Hinchcliffe) and other donors.

In short, the place is going to be spectacular and classy – and interesting.

However, a venture like this is going to cost money: serious seed money to get going and then operating expenses.

It will cost "around a half-million dollars just for renovations to the base building," said Brown. "About $850,000 if you include the race experience centre, theatre equipment and the archive library, the cost of digitizing film footage for the theatre plus making it all work. This also takes into account that we have been very fortunate in having companies donate their time, labour and/or equipment/materials."

While a significant amount has been pledged to date (in excess of $500,000), members of the new board are expected to solicit corporate and government support for the hall and individual memberships will be sold.

In addition to the fund-raising gala and induction evening planned for April, the hall has been invited to partner at a special gala event just prior to the annual Canadian International AutoShow, which is scheduled for the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Feb. 12-21.

Said Brown: "This particular evening will celebrate the lifetime achievements of Carroll Shelby, the famous American racing and automotive designer. The auto show will feature a special display of Shelby racing cars and Mr. Shelby will be the first to be inducted into a new category of Hall of Fame inductee, that of an international figure who has made a significant contribution to motorsport in Canada.

"The proceeds will be split between the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation and the Canadian Motorsport Heritage Foundation."

Now, before I wrap this up, Brown had one request:

"If anyone wants to volunteer to be involved with a state-of-the-art museum with lots of interactive components, they could let us know by emailing info@cmhf.ca."

Norris McDonald writes an Auto Racing blog at Wheels.canmcdonald@thestar.ca

Toronto Star