First held as a national GT event in 1967, the Grand Prix de Trois Rivières is the oldest street race in North America. The temporary circuit is based in the city’s fairgrounds and on the surrounding streets which includes passing through the narrow Porte Duplessis. Trois Rivières has hosted Trans-Am, Can-Am and the American Le Mans Series, but the Grand Prix was for single seaters such as Formula Atlantic or Indy Lights until 2004. It was in the 1976 Atlantic race that Gilles Villeneuve announced himself to an international audience by beating a field that included future World Champions Alan Jones and James Hunt. Hunt was so impressed that he recommended Villeneuve to McLaren’s Teddy Mayer which led to the French-Canadian making his Formula 1 debut a year later at Silverstone.
