There’s a level of familiarity that Guy Smith experiences whenever he visits the former Mosport track, since 2012 known as Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. And that’s not just down to the many times he’s driven the FIA Grade 2 circuit’s 2.459-miles of challenging asphalt winding through the Ontario countryside. Scarborough and Whitby are within an hour’s drive, while Hull is just under four hours to the north in Quebec. The Yorkshireman jokes that the host of eight Canadian Grands Prix between 1967 and 1977 is “almost like a home from home”.
“I do like Canada, it’s got all the convenience of America but with a European vibe,” says Smith, a Le Mans 24 Hours winner with Bentley in 2003. “The people are quite chilled, and I just enjoy it. When I went there, I just felt quite relaxed.”
