Just a few minutes northeast of the town of Whitchurch-Stouffville lies Goodwood Kartways, which has been serving fun seekers and serious kart racers for close to 60 years.

Still a thriving business, the facility has been coming under fire lately from a group of local residents who have expressed a variety of concerns related to the environmental impact of the circuit.

The track was originally built in 1956, pre-dating the legendary Mosport Park road-racing facility by six years. Goodwood has hosted Canadian national-level competitive events since 1960 and has played an integral part in the education of many of Canada's international-level competitors including IndyCar star Paul Tracy, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series stock car racer Mark Dilley and Ferrari Formula One development driver Lance Stroll.

Goodwood Kartways has changed little over the decades, with the track itself remaining the same, an original maintenance building and the same house serving as a shop and snack bar.

In the early 1990s, a scoring tower was built by track volunteers and in 2010 a large picnic shelter was constructed to protect families from inclement weather.

Frank Di Leo bought the property in 1994, when his sons Daniel and Marco Di Leo were racing karts. As the boys came of age, they became immersed in the business side of racing and took over day-to-day operations in 2005. Daniel Di Leo says that racing is still his passion and if he can't be a driver, then it is important to him to remain involved and help grow the sport in Canada.

Surrounded primarily by gravel pits, farmland and a golf course for its first 28 years, Goodwood was perfectly situated out in the country and out of the sight of suburban eyes.

In 1984, the first of a community of estate homes called Bristol Pond, just a couple of kilometres north of the property, was built. The development is just about complete. In recent years, Bristol Pond has drawn in new residents, some of whom are unhappy with the existence of the kart track.

A Bristol Pond resident for four years, Ian McGill first approached Uxbridge Town Council to complain about the noise generated by the track activities. At present, there are karts on track six days a week from April until November, depending on the weather. Goodwood is typically open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., with the occasional race or private event keeping karts circulating until 8.

Uxbridge Councillor Pat Molloy explained to Toronto Star Wheels that Di Leo had made efforts to appease the new neighbours by adding a sound-engineer-designed berm and fence. An additional section was added recently to complete the containment.

A group calling itself Help Our Moraine Environment (HOME), led by McGill and consisting of 17 people, was incorporated as a not-for-profit owners’ association.

HOME has concerns about the possibility of expansion at Goodwood Kartways and the effect that any expansion might have on the environment, according to McGill, who says that: "We are all about the rules and ensuring everyone follows them."

He added: “We saw things that concerned us and followed up."

The organization's list of complaints with the track include the fence, the scoring tower and picnic shelter, the expansion of the parking area and the construction of a new track.

McGill says that HOME is also concerned about the use of storage structures on the site and the "consumption of remaining greenspace." He says the township erred in the way it managed the spirit of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan in its dealings with Goodwood Kartways, which is located inside the moraine.

In an interview, Daniel Di Leo said his family has spent thousands of dollars to have a physical sound-control solution created that looks pleasant and conceals the race track from the view of residents — a concern in past years.

High-revving and noisy two-stroke engines are no longer welcome at Goodwood Kartways, he said, and due to international concerns, four-cycle engines are coming quieter each year straight from the manufacturer.

The picnic shelter was built with OMB approval, as was the scoring tower. By 2010, the original scoring tower was becoming a safety hazard and Di Leo received approval to replace the existing structure within the original footprint. He admits there was a miscommunication at the time that led to the construction of an extra vertical level.

At that time, the municipality was asked how the family should proceed and the decision was that the structure could remain as constructed but there would be a financial penalty, which was paid.

The plan for a second, smaller track that would be dedicated to rental kart customers was shelved when Di Leo took over the operation of the kart track at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (the new name for Mosport).

As the business has grown, so has the need for safe and secure storage for customer karts and support equipment. In lieu of a permanent structure, a collection of shipping containers have been employed.

Said Di Leo: “We are being watched, so we are very careful to do everything within the rules.”

Not all of Bristol Pond's residents are unsupportive. Says vintage auto racing fan Colleen Samila: "I can’t tell you how it warms my heart to see some of the arrive-and-drive patrons that go as a family through the week, fresh air, kids learning the mechanics of a kart. It is all just the beginning and you never know who may be the next big driver!"

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It isn't just automotive enthusiasts who are sticking up for the track. Jack Holt, a 34-year resident of Bristol Pond, says that while he is not a patron of the business, he believes it to be a great sport for those who are involved and that the track was there first, so let it be.

This division of opinions has caused somewhat of a rift among residents, to the point where the topic of Goodwood Kartways was banned from discussion at the last Bristol Pond Rate Payers Association meeting.