A track event promoting legal racing has drawn 388 spectators and 250 cars, with approximately 100 new drivers participating.
"It was a great time, and I was thrilled to see so many people participate," said Mathew John, founder of the Police and Community Educating Racers program and co-founder of Paint Source Automotive Supplies. "There were almost twice as many people here this year as last year -- a record for us."
The event took place at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga. John said corporate sponsorship continues to help reduce the cost of track access, making participation more affordable for drivers trying the activity for the first time.
“We’ve taken the initiative further,” he said. “We use sponsorship money to bring down the price of the track to make it more affordable for new drivers.”
Paint Source Automotive Supplies supports PACER as a primary sponsor. Last year’s sponsors also included PBE Distribution, AkzoNobel, 3M, Norton, Tire Stock, CSN Alliance and Mesh Mistry Real Estate. John said sponsorship funding helped reduce track costs for participants again this year.
“It’s great exposure, and a lot of spectators said they want to build their own car and race next year,” he said. "The approach makes it easy for newcomers to join in."
Drivers could also take part in instructor-led sessions using performance cars. “We allowed drivers to use exotic cars this year with an instructor,” John said. Vehicles included a Ferrari 360, Porsche 911 Turbo, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche Boxster and Nissan Skyline.
