Ottawa woman, 70, dies in crash at Calabogie race track

Published Jul 31, 2023 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 2 minute read

An Ontario Provincial Police cruiser. POSTMEDIA / FILE PHOTO

A 70-year-old Ottawa woman died in a motorcycle accident at the Calabogie Motorsports Park on Sunday afternoon, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.

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The OPP received a call just after 4 p.m. for a single-vehicle collision. One person was seriously injured and transported by Renfrew County ambulance to a local hospital.

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The Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario has been contacted and a post-mortem examination will be conducted as part of the investigation, the OPP said. A traffic collision investigator and an accident reconstruction specialist are also assisting officers from the OPP’s Renfrew detachment in their investigation.

The name of the dead motorcyclist has not been released.

Racetrack officials refused to answer questions about the incident Monday.

“We have no comment,” said the woman who answered the track’s phone.

The privately-owned Calabogie racetrack opened in September 2006 and caters largely to amateur car and motorcycle drivers.

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Many of them belong to car and motorcycle clubs. The Ducati Owners Club, for instance, held a motorcycle rally at Calabogie Motorsports Park on Sunday. On Saturday, the Viper Club of Quebec, a group devoted to the Dodge Viper sportscar, held an event.

All drivers must sign an online “release of liability waiver” before arriving at the track; guests and visitors must sign the same waiver.

The weekend death is the second fatality at the track in the past 12 years. In July 2011, 42-year-old Calvin Essex, of London, Ont., died in a motorcycle collision that seriously injured two other drivers.

The motorsport park’s 2.2-kilometre west track and its 2.81-km east track can be used separately, or combined to form a five-kilometre loop with more than 20 turns.

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According to its website, the Calabogie track offers “a unique combination of speed and elevation changes which engage drivers of all skill levels in flowing corner combination challenges from the very first corner.”

“The track rewards smooth, patient driving and is designed to test a driver’s concentration and car control skills throughout the entire lap,” the website reads.

Top drivers can reach speeds of more than 150 kilometres per hour on the track.

The track’s construction was opposed for years by local residents, who feared its attendant noise would ruin the quiet, scenic area. The racetrack must abide by municipal noise bylaws.