Opened in 2004, the Grand River Raceway (GRR) in Elora, Ontario, is a family entertainment venue featuring dining, events, and horse racing. In 2021, GRR wanted to enhance that experience with a racetrack upgrade and planned to lengthen the track from 1/2 mile to 5/8 mile. This upgrade would allow for races with up to 9 horses wide to leave from the starting gate and would give the horses more room to move and create the opportunity for more action and positioning throughout the race.

In 2001, GEI legacy company, Gamsby and Mannerow Ltd., designed the original track and facilities for GRR. For the modern expansion, GEI’s team was ready to build on the team’s previous work to create an even better racing experience. GEI’s familiarity with the site helped move the project along quickly and identify any site challenges and lessons learned from the previous project.

The design process began by completing a full topographic survey of the existing track and surrounding area. The team then discussed with horse track consultants from Kentucky to help design the track alignment. The final design included spiral curves between the straightaway sections and the large curves at each end to help smooth the transition for the horses entering or exiting the corners. The grading design began as the horizontal alignment was confirmed, and it was decided that the new track would have 4% crossfall in the straightaways changing up to 11% crossfall in the turns.

While the main task was the track construction, the project also included several related tasks, which included the following:

• The entire track lighting system was removed and upgraded with a new LED lighting system.
• The old camera towers (which originally had active camera operators during race events) were upgraded to camera poles with remote cameras relaying the race back to the video room.
• A portion of the area in front of the grandstand was regraded and repaved, and the fence along the grandstand viewing area was also replaced.

The newly constructed track runs alongside The Grandway restaurant and patio, which required a small retaining wall and new fencing. Now, when guests sit at the patio’s edge, they are right next to the racing action.

Once the project was complete, the horses started training at the track the next day. GRR and the entire racing community were excited to see the upgrades and watch the first scheduled races of the 2024 season.