Area 27 Motorsports Park

Area 27 Motorsports Park at a glance

Location

Oliver, British Columbia

Type

road course

Length

4.83 km (3 mi)

Turns

16

Direction

counter-clockwise

Banking

11 degrees at Turn 7 (The Carousel)

Surface

asphalt

Elevation change

350 ft

Opened

2016

Owner

South Okanagan Motorsports Corporation

Address

Osoyoos Indian Band land, near Oliver

Website

area27.ca

Track map and layout

Area 27 is a purpose-built, members' club road course designed by 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve on dramatic, rolling terrain in the South Okanagan wine country near Oliver, British Columbia. The 16-turn, 4.83 km circuit packs over 350 feet of elevation change into a single lap, giving it a rollercoaster character with blind crests, sweeping downhill sections and the banked Turn 7 Carousel as its signature corner. The layout was conceived from the outset as a driver's circuit rather than a spectator venue, emphasising flow and technical variety over long straights, and sits alongside a separate karting circuit and off-road training area on the same property.

Named corners and sections

• The Carousel (Turn 7). An 11-degree banked corner that is the circuit's signature feature, allowing cars to carry speed through a long, sweeping radius.

Events and race weekends

As a private members' club, Area 27 does not host a regular calendar of professional racing series; its activity centres on member lapping days, the Academy 27 driving school run in partnership with General Motors, corporate and manufacturer events, and occasional club track days. The circuit gained wider public attention when it was featured in an episode of Amazon Prime's The Grand Tour in 2018.

Getting there and parking

Area 27 sits in the South Okanagan wine region near Oliver, British Columbia, about a 4.5-hour drive from Vancouver or a shorter regional flight into Kelowna or Penticton. Most visitors, being club members or invited guests, arrive by car from the wider Okanagan Valley or fly into a regional airport and drive the final stretch.

• Penticton Regional Airport (YYF) · about 30 min drive
• Kelowna International Airport (YLW) · about 75 min drive

Parking

On-site parking is available for members and guests; the facility is not designed for large spectator crowds.

Visits are generally by membership or invitation, so confirm access through Academy 27 or a club event before planning a trip.

Hotels and camping near Area 27 Motorsports Park

Visitors typically stay in the Okanagan wine country towns of Oliver, Osoyoos or Penticton, all a short drive from the circuit and well known for wineries, lakes and resort accommodation. As a members' club rather than a spectator destination, Area 27 does not draw the large race-weekend crowds that strain lodging elsewhere in Canada.

Where to look

Oliver and Osoyoos are the closest towns, with Penticton offering a wider range of hotels and resorts a short drive further north in the South Okanagan.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Area 27 operates as Western Canada's first premier private membership motorsports club, with roughly 300 family memberships sold since its debut season; members get regular access to lapping days on the full circuit. Non-members can access the track through Academy 27, the circuit's driving school run in partnership with General Motors, and occasional guest and corporate track-day events organised through the club.

Who runs days here

• Academy 27car

Spectator guide

Area 27 was designed as a private driving club rather than a spectator facility, so it does not have grandstands or general-admission race-day infrastructure in the way public race tracks do; viewing is generally limited to members, guests and those attending organised club or corporate events.

Weather

• June-September: hot, dry South Okanagan summer, highs often in the high 20s to low 30s °C (80s-90s °F)

History of Area 27 Motorsports Park

A champion's design on Osoyoos Indian Band land

Area 27 was founded in 2013 by Bill Drossos, 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, and David King, who formed the South Okanagan Motorsports Corporation to build a private members' road course on land leased for 99 years from the Osoyoos Indian Band near Oliver, British Columbia. Villeneuve, whose family name is closely tied to Canadian motorsport through his father Gilles and the Montreal circuit that bears his name, designed the track himself, drawing on the dramatic, rolling terrain of the South Okanagan.

Building Western Canada's first private club circuit

Groundbreaking took place in early 2016 and paving began that August, and the finished circuit became Western Canada's first premier private membership motorsports facility, packing over 350 feet of elevation change and a banked signature corner, the Carousel, into a 4.83 km, 16-turn lap. The club sold out its 300 founding family memberships following its inaugural season, reflecting strong demand for a dedicated driver's circuit in the region.

A driver's club with a public profile

Alongside its membership lapping days, Area 27 built out Academy 27, a driving school partnership with General Motors, a separate karting circuit called the Kartplex, and a ZR2 off-road training area for trucks, extending its offering beyond road-course driving. The circuit reached a wider audience in 2018 when it was featured in an episode of Amazon Prime's The Grand Tour, introducing the track to international viewers even as it has remained, at its core, a private members' facility rather than a public race venue.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Westwood Motorsport Park · 237 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Pacific Raceways · 276 km · road course
• The Ridge Motorsports Park · 344 km · road course
• Portland International Raceway · 462 km · road course