Drive Festival at Clarington’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park draws big crowds

More than 25,000 people took in a nirvana for car lovers last weekend at Clarington’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

The third annual Drive Festival brought exotic cars of all descriptions to the former Mosport track, as well as the best in new car technology – including an entire section devoted to electric vehicles – along with opportunities for car enthusiasts to buckle up and test their skills on some super fast cars on three different test tracks.

Even the cops were speeding at Drive Fest. Photo Hago Vanayan

The event, who took place over three days of automotive heaven for gearheads, offered plenty of interactive exhibits with new manufacturer and electric automobiles and featured Canada’s largest selection of exotic, classic and iconic cars driven at speed like the McLaren Elva, Ford GT, Jaguar XJ220, Ferrari F40 and more.

The Mobil 1 Dream Car Speed Run was one of the marquee events, giving festival goers the opportunity to see the best collections of exotic, manufacturer and classic cars roar up the track all weekend.

Photos Glenn Hendry

New features this year included the AVIVA EV Launch Pad, which fuses the thrill of acceleration with the eco-conscious power of electric vehicles, while riding shotgun with seasoned professional drivers going zero-to-sixty in under four seconds; The Collection (featuring exotic cars curated to celebrate engineering, design, and innovation); and the Overland Park off-road track.

Test driving some of the newest vehicles on the market, including electric vehicles, was open to anyone with a driver’s licence.

The static displays of million dollar exotic cars were also popular during the weekend and there were lots of vendors and other attractions at the event as well, including a Family Fun Zone, complete with a kids test track with miniature exotic cars and racing simulators.

Just a few million dollars worth of automobiles waiting to go to the Dream Car Speed Run