The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place during the Canadian International Auto Show on Saturday, February 17th 2024. Competitors, builders and media who’ve contributed to racing in Canada were honoured for their careers.
Two days before the main ceremony, Dario Franchitti was recognized as the ‘international’ inductee, in recognition of his six victories at Canadian races including the Honda Indy Toronto, Molson Indy Vancouver and the Molson Indy Montreal at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Although he could not attend the main ceremony on Saturday, Franchittii’s Indianapolis 500 winning cars were on display.
Inside the John W.H. Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, hundreds of supporters gathered for the induction ceremony. Members of the racing community of all ages came to celebrate those being honoured, which showed the diverse connections made by these people throughout their racing careers.
New inductees were honoured during the ceremony and many gave speeches recounting their careers. Local hero James Hinchcliffe became the youngest Hall inductee ever, thanks to his six IndyCar race wins and the pole position he took at the Indianapolis 500; undoubtedly one of the most popular drivers in Canada. The late Claude Aubin, who ran Autodrome De Laval, was posthumously honoured for his achievements and his daughter accepted the medallion on his behalf. Before each inductee was recognized, a video highlight package was shown, outlining their diverse histories.
For us at Demaras Racing, the man of the hour was out team principal, Bill Vallis. For more than 45 years, Bill has operated Vallis Motor Sport and introduced countless drivers to Formula 1200 / Formula Vee racing. This quiet man was welcomed with great applause welcomed him to the stage for his speech. Video of Bill Vallis’ acceptance is below.
The video package before his speech showed photos from Bill’s long career as a car builder, and even from his time as a driver in the early days of his career. Bill recounted the history of Vallis Motor Sport, explained how the team provided drivers, mechanics and engineers a foothold in the Canadian motorsports world. The team has always made sure that grassroots, open-wheel racing is available to anyone with a passion for the sport. He finished off by giving credit to his wife Shirley for the work she has done over the years, that surely keeps Vallis Motor Sport in business..
On a personal level, without Bill Vallis, I would not have had the chance to compete in open-wheel racing these past two seasons. His hard work and knowledge from a long career in this sport has produced a program today that allows drivers without big budgets to climb into race cars and be competitive right away. I was proud to bring the F1200 championship back to Vallis Motor Sport in 2023, and seeing a photograph of Bill, me and the No. 12 car included in the video package at the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame was an incredible and surprising moment. Being part of this team means being part of Canadian racing history.
Daniel Demaras
Vallis Motor Sport driver
Congratulations! I love watching your videos but I was a little intimidated by the 3-hour run time of this one.
Golly, dont watch the whole thing! I was jn the audience and could barely sit through it.
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But I tried a trick shating the YouTube video. It should start playing at the 2:21:00 mark. Thats the moment when the 2 minute video about our team principal, Mr. Bill Vallis, begins.
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It was a thrill to go to such a prestigious event. And we’re very proud of Bill!
The trick worked. I am often reminded that I should move more slowly as I peruse blog entries. I’ve always been a fast reader, but sometimes too fast. Interesting post as usual!