TORONTO, ON – Following a public nomination process that was conducted during the months leading up to the late-July submission deadline, the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (CMHF) is pleased to announce that 15 new members will be inducted during the Hall’s annual Gala Induction Ceremony in Toronto, in February.
Twelve individuals and one racing duo will be inducted in the Competitors / Motorsport Builders / Race Support Participants category, while two veteran Canadian motorsports journalists will be honoured in the Media category.
Fifty-six individuals and organizations – representing varied racing disciplines and regions from across Canada – were put forward for consideration by members of the public. Once the nomination period closed, the CMHF Independent Selection Committee reviewed and scored the nominations. Subsequently, the recommendation was made to the Board of Directors to induct 15 new members into the CMHF. The Board approved the recommendation at its meeting on Thursday, October 19.
The new members in the various categories are:
COMPETITORS / BUILDERS / RACE SUPPORT PARTICIPANTS:
• Claude Aubin * (Bois-des-Fillions, QC) • Jeremy Dale (Toronto, ON) • Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON)
• James Hinchcliffe (Oakville, ON) • Ernie Jakubowski (Oakville, ON) • Norman Jennings (Toronto, ON)
• Brad Moran (Toronto, ON) • Patrick Richard (Squamish, BC) • Didier Schraenen (Mont-St-Hilaire, QC)
• Frank & Dan Sprongl (Georgetown, ON) • William (Bill) Vallis (Welland, ON) • John Waldie (Stratford, ON)
• Kuno Wittmer (Brossard, QC)
MEDIA:
• John Massingberd * (Burlington, ON) • J. Wally Nesbitt (Port Perry, ON)
* denotes deceased
Discussing the ‘Class of 2023’ nomination and selection process, CMHF Chair Peter Lockhart said, “We’re excited to announce this year’s new inductees to the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. We appreciate everyone who took the time to research and submit nominations. And we applaud the contributions of those who will be inducted, as well as all of those who were put forward for consideration. We’re very grateful to the Canadian racing community for the exceptional quality and quantity of the nominations. And I would like to recognize and thank the members of the Independent Selection Committee – headed by our Chair Emeritus Dr. Hugh Scully – for thoughtfully reviewing and scoring the nominations. It was a lot of work, and they did an excellent job identifying worthy individuals for induction to the Hall.”
Lockhart continued, “As soon as the Board approved the recommendation for the Class of 2023, I had the honour and pleasure of reaching out to each of the inductees to congratulate them on being selected and as well to their nominators, to thank them for submitting their successful nominations. On behalf of the Board of the CMHF, we celebrate their contributions to racing in Canada. And we look forward to welcoming them to the CMHF in February.”
The next CMHF Induction Gala is co-sponsored by Clubine Motorsports, OTSFF Sports Marketing Group and TNG Exotics & Limited Editions and will take place during the Canadian International Autoshow (CIAS), on Saturday, February 17, 2024, in Toronto. The public is welcome to attend the event. Tickets will be available at AutoShow.ca starting Friday, December 1.
Additional details regarding the new inductees and the Induction Gala will be announced soon. Please visit CMHF.ca. For info, please email info@cmhf.ca.
ABOUT THE CMHF: The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (CMHF) exists to honour and recognize the efforts, achievements and contributions that Canadians have made in the realm of Canadian Motorsports. The CMHF was officially opened in 1993 and began inducting honourable members in that year. Including the 2023 inductees the Hall of Fame will have inducted 290 individuals and organizations, who have been recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to Canadian motorsports. These men, women and organizations have earned the privilege to be a part of the Hall. Categories for induction include: Competitors, Motorsport Builders, Race Support Participants and the Media. The CMHF hosts an annual induction ceremony that has become a popular and important event to the Canadian motorsport industry. The Canadian Motorsport Heritage Foundation operates as a not-for-profit charitable institution. For info, visit CMHF.ca or email info@cmhf.ca.
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