Gopher Dunes
| Canada’s Toughest Track | |
|---|---|
| Location | Highway #59 South, Courtland (Norfolk County), Ontario, Canada |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 |
| Owner | Frank and Barb Schuster (as the founders of GoPHER Dunes, Inc.)[1] |
| Operator | GoPHER Dunes, Inc.[1] |
| Broke ground | 1986[1] |
| Opened | 1987[1] |
| Major events | Dirt track racing |
Gopher Dunes is a dirt track near the community of Courtland in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.[2] Many of its sponsors are either locally based companies or local franchises of popular restaurants like Wendy's and Kelsey's Neighbourhood Bar & Grill.[1]
Summary
The track is internationally renowned for being one of the toughest tracks which require conditioning.[3] There are 26 kilometres (16 mi) of trails in addition to a child-oriented track that is much shorter - all strategically places on 20 acres (870,000 sq ft) of land.[1][2] The kiddie (referred to on the official web site as pee-wee) track can only be attempted by motorbikes up to 125cc (e.g., Suzuki DR-Z 125) and quads up to 110cc.[1] Dirt bikes can commonly be seen on the track as recreational biking is encouraged along with organized racing. Rider training is also provided along with memberships. CMRC Pro National races and Mudfest are scheduled races done by the organized motorsports leagues for the purpose of racing their respective seasons.[3][4][5] It is considered one of the most difficult tracks on the national tour.[6][7][8]
A "weird" wedding occurred here involving Mr. and Mrs. Nick Zavitz of St. Thomas, Ontario.[9] They got married in their respective tow straps deep in the mud of the main pit.[9] A trio of quad riders would pull up in front of the Trans Am on a pickup truck chassis and spray the newlyweds with mud instead of rice.[9]
Attempts to maintain profitability in recent years have been affected by illegitimate facilities that have opened up within 30 miles or 48 kilometres of Gopher Dunes. These improvised facilities on improperly zoned land has ruined the peace and quiet that comes with living in rural Ontario.[10]
References
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