Gimli Motorsports Park
Gimli Motorsports Park at a glance
- Location
- Gimli, Manitoba
- Type
- road course & oval
- Length
- 2.14 km (1.33 mi)
- Turns
- 8
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt (former RCAF runways/taxiways)
- Opened
- 1973
- Owner
- Rural Municipality of Gimli
Track map and layout
Gimli Motorsports Park is laid out on the decommissioned runways and taxiways of the former RCAF Station Gimli, giving the 2.14 km (1.33 mi) road course wide, flat, fast sweeps that feel unlike a purpose-built circuit. Its 235-hectare complex also houses the separate quarter-mile Interlake Dragway drag strip, a karting track and a motocross course, making it a multi-discipline facility rather than a single circuit. A chicane was added ahead of the final turn in 2007 to slow cars before the long main straight and improve the angle into pit entry, reducing wall contact at what had been a fast, blind approach.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Road course | 2.14 km | 2.140 km, 8 turns; the main circuit used for club road racing |
| Interlake Dragway | 0.40 km | quarter-mile drag strip on site |
Events and race weekends
The park's calendar is built around club racing rather than a single headline national event: Winnipeg Sports Car Club (WSCC) track days on the road course, Manitoba Roadracing Association (MRA) motorcycle race weekends, and regular Interlake Dragway drag racing nights run through the season, including IHRA Summit Super Series and Junior Dragster racing. The Manitoba Karting Association also runs its schedule on the on-site kart track. There is no single fixed marquee annual date; the season runs roughly May through September.
Getting there and parking
Gimli Motorsports Park is about an hour's drive north of Winnipeg on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg, reached via Highway 9. There is no public transit to the site, so a car is necessary; most visitors fly into Winnipeg and drive out for the day. The nearby town of Gimli itself, a historic Icelandic-Canadian community, makes a pleasant stop before or after track activities.
- Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG) · about 65 min drive
Parking
Free general parking is available on-site for spectators; arrive early for popular drag racing nights and MRA race weekends.
Combine a visit with the town of Gimli's beaches and Icelandic heritage sites, a short drive from the track.
Hotels and camping near Gimli Motorsports Park
The town of Gimli, a few minutes from the park, has motels, B&Bs and vacation rentals geared to Lake Winnipeg's summer tourist season, making it the most convenient base. Winnipeg, about an hour south, offers a much wider range of hotels for visitors who prefer a city base or are combining the trip with other plans.
Where to look
Gimli town (a few minutes from the track) for convenience, or Winnipeg (about an hour south) for more choice.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Gimli hosts regular organised track days rather than casual drop-in laps: the Winnipeg Sports Car Club runs open lapping days on the road course, the Manitoba Roadracing Association runs motorcycle race and practice weekends, and Interlake Dragway runs recurring drag racing nights open to street and race cars through the summer. Bookings and schedules are managed through the individual clubs and the park's events page.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (road course) | 0:54.540 | — | Stohr F1000 | — |
Spectator guide
Spectating is informal and low-cost, typical of a grassroots multi-track facility: fans watch road racing from fencing around the runway-based circuit and drag racing from bleachers and the fence line along Interlake Dragway. The biggest crowds turn out for MRA motorcycle race weekends and the drag strip's headline IHRA-sanctioned nights.
Seating
Limited bleacher seating exists at the drag strip; road course spectating is mostly from fenced trackside areas.
Best places to watch
The chicane and final-turn complex before the main straight is a good vantage point on the road course; the finish line area is best for drag strip viewing.
Weather
- Jun-Aug: warm prairie summer, highs around 24-27°C (75-80°F); can be windy off Lake Winnipeg
History of Gimli Motorsports Park
Built on a former air base
Gimli Motorsports Park was laid out on the runways and taxiways of RCAF Station Gimli after the air base was decommissioned, with construction starting in 1972 and the first road racing event held that August. The road course kept much of the flat, wide-open character of its runway origins, and the surrounding 235-hectare site grew to include a quarter-mile drag strip (Interlake Dragway, added in 1978), a karting track and a motocross course, making it one of Canada's largest multi-discipline motorsports complexes.
Villeneuve and the Gimli Glider
The circuit's early years produced two very different claims to fame. On the racing side, a young Gilles Villeneuve took his first Formula Atlantic victory at Gimli on June 22, 1975, a milestone in the career that would carry him to Ferrari and Formula One. Off the track, Gimli became a household name in aviation history on July 23, 1983, when Air Canada Flight 143, a Boeing 767 that had run out of fuel mid-flight, made an emergency dead-stick landing on one of the decommissioned runways during a Formula Ford race weekend. The aircraft, nicknamed the "Gimli Glider," landed safely with racers and volunteers on hand, and no one was seriously hurt.
From national series to grassroots hub
Gimli hosted rounds of national championships through the 1970s and 1980s, including the CASC Atlantic Championship and the Canadian Superbike Championship, and even staged the Sunfest rock festival on its grounds through the early-to-mid 1990s. A chicane was added before the final turn in 2007 to slow entry onto the main straight and improve safety at pit entry. Today the park is owned by the Rural Municipality of Gimli and functions primarily as a grassroots hub for Manitoba motorsport, hosting Winnipeg Sports Car Club track days, Manitoba Roadracing Association motorcycle racing, Manitoba Karting Association events and a full season of drag racing at Interlake Dragway.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Gimli Motorsports Park road course?+
The road course is 2.14 km (1.33 mi) with 8 turns.
Where is Gimli Motorsports Park?+
It's in Gimli, Manitoba, about an hour's drive north of Winnipeg on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg.
Why is Gimli famous beyond racing?+
The track sits on the former RCAF Station Gimli runways, where the "Gimli Glider" — an Air Canada Boeing 767 that ran out of fuel — made a famous emergency landing in 1983 during a race weekend.
What other facilities are at the park?+
Alongside the road course, the complex includes the Interlake Dragway quarter-mile drag strip, a karting track and a motocross track.
Can the public drive the road course?+
Yes, through organised track days run by clubs such as the Winnipeg Sports Car Club rather than casual drop-in access.
Did Gilles Villeneuve race at Gimli?+
Yes, Villeneuve took his first Formula Atlantic win at Gimli on June 22, 1975.
Other tracks nearby
- Brainerd International Raceway · 511 km · road course & oval
- Spring Creek Motocross Park · 778 km · motocross
Facts checked against 3 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.