Area 27 Motorsports Park
| Location | Oliver, British Columbia, Canada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 49°09′21″N 119°31′37″W / 49.1557°N 119.5269°W |
| Opened | 2016 |
| Length | 4.83 km (3.00 mi) |
| Turns | 16 |
Area 27 Motorsports Park is a private motorsports club and racing circuit located near Oliver, in the South Okanagan region of British Columbia, Canada.[1] Designed by 1997 Formula One World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, it is the first premier private membership track in Western Canada.[2][3] The facility is named in honor of the legendary racing number of Gilles Villeneuve.[4]
History
The concept for Area 27 was originated in 2012 by Bill Drossos, a former professional racer who envisioned a "motorsports country club" taking advantage of the Okanagan's unique climate.[5][6] The project was founded in 2013 by Drossos, Jacques Villeneuve, and David King, who formed the South Okanagan Motorsports Corporation (SOMC).[5]
The facility is situated on land leased from the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) under a 99-year agreement.[4] Groundbreaking occurred in early 2016, and paving of the 4.83 km (3.0 mi) circuit began in August of that year.[1][7] Founding members and financial backers include Robbie Dickson, Les Cool, Daryl Carter, Gord Lindsay, Robert Sinneave, Paul Neider, Trevor Seibert and Brett Knelson.[5] Following its inaugural season, the club announced that all 300 family memberships had been sold out.[7]
Circuit design and facilities
The 4.83 km (3.0 mi) circuit was designed by Villeneuve to incorporate classic Grand Prix elements while following the natural topography of the land.[6][3]
- Main Circuit: Features 16 turns and over 350 feet of elevation change per lap.[6][8] A notable feature is Turn 7 (The Carousel), which features 11 degrees of banking.[3][8]
- Kartplex: A 1.21 km (0.75 mi) dedicated karting track with 20 corners, open to the public.[8]
- Academy 27: A professional driving school offering instruction in a fleet provided through a partnership with General Motors.[9] The fleet includes the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac V-Series Blackwing models.[3]
- ZR2 Off-Road Academy: An all-terrain circuit used for high-performance truck training.[8]
Media
In 2018, the circuit was featured in the Amazon Prime series The Grand Tour (Season 2, Episode 10).[10] Hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May tested high-performance vehicles on the track.[10]
References
- ^ a b Fisher, Gavin (Aug 17, 2016). "Paving underway on Okanagan racetrack designed by Jacques Villeneuve". CBC News. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ McCredie, Andrew (Oct 26, 2016). "New country club racetrack designed by Jacques Villeneuve opens in B.C." The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d Stacey, James (June 1, 2018). "Area 27 Race Track". NUVO Magazine. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Jacques Villeneuve designs race track for south Okanagan". CBC News. Feb 28, 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ a b c Stone, Felicity (April 19, 2017). "Jacques Villeneuve helps drive racing club Area 27". BCBusiness. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ a b c McCredie, Andrew (March 11, 2015). "Track walk with Jacques Villeneuve". Driving.ca. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ a b Hayes, Kelly (Jan 31, 2018). "Area27 racetrack in Oliver sold out". Global News. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Track Map - Area 27" (PDF). Area 27. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ Lopez, Jonathan (Oct 15, 2019). "Area 27 Motorsports Park Sees Success With Camaro Driving Academy". GM Authority. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ a b "The Grand Tour Okanagan episode available on Amazon Prime". Infotel News. Feb 17, 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2026.