Area 27's 10-year anniversary weekend now has a new official benchmark. Paul Tracy established the Area 27 Overall Official Lap Record with a time of 1:46.515 on Saturday, July 11, 2026, driving a Panoz DP01 Cosworth Champ Car World Series race car.
More from Paul Tracy's record weekend
New official Area 27 lap record
We are pleased to announce that Paul Tracy has established the Area 27 Overall Official Lap Record with a time of 1:46.515. The lap was set on Saturday, July 11, 2026, during Area 27's 10-year anniversary weekend.
The time was set in a Panoz DP01 Cosworth Champ Car World Series race car, placing the new benchmark in the Open Wheel Race Car category and giving Area 27 a clear official reference point for future record attempts.
For anyone searching for the fastest lap at Area 27, the official number is now 1:46.515 by Paul Tracy, verified through Area 27's timing process and supported by the vehicle eligibility rules below.
Why this record matters on the 10-year anniversary
Area 27 was designed to reward precision, rhythm and commitment rather than simple straight-line speed. The circuit's elevation changes, technical corner sequence and long-radius sections ask a driver to carry momentum without overworking the car. A record lap here is not just a horsepower number. It is a full-lap test of confidence, timing and control.
That is why this lap landing on the 10-year anniversary weekend matters. It connects the circuit's founding idea - a serious motorsports park shaped by Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve - with one of Canada's most recognizable open wheel racers setting the new official benchmark.
Paul Tracy: Canadian open wheel champion
Paul Tracy is one of Canada's best-known racing drivers and one of the defining personalities of the CART and Champ Car era. His official profile lists him as the 2003 Champ Car Champion, and the Road Racing Drivers Club credits him with 31 Champ Car victories over a major open wheel career that included Penske, Newman/Haas, Team Green and Forsythe.
Tracy built his reputation as an aggressive, committed racer who could extract speed from high-downforce open wheel machinery. His career included wins at major North American venues, the 1990 Indy Lights championship, a Formula 1 test role with Benetton, and later work across IndyCars, stock cars, trucks, sports cars and television commentary.
That background makes the new Area 27 official lap record especially meaningful. The benchmark was not set in a lightly modified road car or a casual demonstration run. It was set by a driver with deep experience in the type of machinery used for the lap: a high-powered, purpose-built Champ Car.
The Panoz DP01 Cosworth Champ Car
The record car was a Panoz DP01 Cosworth Champ Car World Series race car. RM Sotheby's documentation describes the DP01 as the sole Champ Car chassis for the 2007 season, built by Elan Motorsport Technologies and fitted with the Cosworth XFE turbocharged V-8. The DP01 was developed for the final Champ Car era, with carbon-fiber construction, revised underbody aerodynamics and a design intended to improve close racing and high-speed safety.
For Area 27, that matters because the record eligibility framework is built around real competition vehicles. The DP01 is not a track-day special or a promotional shell. It is a proper open wheel race car from an officially recognized circuit road racing series, which is exactly the type of vehicle the Open Wheel Race Car category is intended to capture.
Combined with Tracy's experience, the Panoz DP01 Cosworth gives this record clear sporting context: a championship-era driver, a legitimate Champ Car platform and a verified lap on one of Canada's most technical private motorsports circuits.
Official Area 27 lap record categories
Going forward Area 27 will recognize two official lap record categories:
Purpose-built open wheel vehicles with eligible competition history in a recognized circuit road racing series.
Eligible closed-wheel competition vehicles with documented participation in a sanctioned circuit road racing series.
Eligibility and timing verification
To be eligible for an official record, a vehicle must currently compete - or have previously competed - in an officially sanctioned and recognized circuit road racing series.
All record times must be verified through Area 27's MyLaps timing system, with supporting documentation confirming the vehicle's eligibility, competition history and current safety equipment. This keeps the Area 27 official lap record process clear, repeatable and meaningful as faster cars and new categories appear in the future.
Mandatory Pirelli tire requirement for Radical and GT54
Area 27 is also reminding competitors that the mandatory Pirelli tire requirement remains in place for Radical and GT54. Drivers and teams preparing for competition should confirm the current tire specification before an event and ensure their car is compliant before arriving for technical review or timed competition.
This requirement is separate from the Overall Official Lap Record announcement, but it supports the same goal: fair, documented and consistent competition standards.
Fastest lap at Area 27: what happens next
Paul Tracy's 1:46.515 lap is now the official target for future Area 27 open wheel record attempts. The closed wheel category gives Area 27 a second formal path for production-based and GT-style race cars, while the eligibility rules keep both categories tied to vehicles with documented competition history.
For members, racers and fans, the new record gives the circuit a clean reference point: who set it, when it happened, what car did it and how Area 27 will verify the next one.
Fastest lap questions
What is the fastest lap at Area 27?
The official Area 27 Overall Official Lap Record is 1:46.515, set by Paul Tracy on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
Who set the official fastest lap at Area 27?
Paul Tracy set the official fastest lap in a Panoz DP01 Cosworth Champ Car World Series race car.
Is it Paul Tracy or Paul Tracey?
The driver's name is correctly spelled Paul Tracy. Some searches use Paul Tracey, but the Area 27 official lap record is credited to Paul Tracy.
Why do people search for Jacques V and Paul Tracey?
The phrase usually refers to Jacques Villeneuve and Paul Tracy. Villeneuve designed the Area 27 circuit, while Tracy set the new official fastest lap during the 10-year anniversary weekend.
What car set the Area 27 official lap record?
The lap was set in a Panoz DP01 Cosworth Champ Car World Series race car, a purpose-built open wheel race car from the final Champ Car era.
How does Area 27 verify an official lap record?
Official record times must be verified through Area 27's MyLaps timing system, with supporting documentation confirming vehicle eligibility, competition history and current safety equipment.
What are the official Area 27 lap record categories?
Area 27 will recognize Open Wheel Race Car and Closed Wheel Race Car official lap record categories.
Sources and record notes
The lap record details in this article are based on Area 27's official record announcement and timing verification requirements. External background sources were used only for Paul Tracy's career context and Panoz DP01 Cosworth history.
- Paul Tracy official profile
- Road Racing Drivers Club profile for Paul Tracy
- RM Sotheby's 2007 DP01-Cosworth documentation
- Contact Area 27 for competition, eligibility and tire-requirement questions.