2010 last year for Edmonton Grand Prix?

[icemachine]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...790/story.html

Edmonton Indy in no danger
EDMONTON — Edmonton’s Indy race will not have its wings clipped by the closure of a runway at City Centre Airport.

Officials with the airport and Northlands, the race operator, confirmed Thursday the event will go forward as planned July 26 and again in July 2010.

The three-year sanctioning deal between Northlands and the Indy Racing League expires after the 2010 race and there have been no discussions yet on an extension, according to IRL and Northlands officials.

Edmonton city council voted to close 1 runway this week with the second runway kept open for museum/medical puposes only. Apparently most of the airport lands are up for development, so its likely next year will be the last for the race at that property. I doubt Edmonton or Calgary will host a street race, and Race City on the edge Calgary already has troubles with council, and would need some upgrades I think to host IndyCars anyhow. Looks like Western Canada might lose out completely.

[macdaddy]

Shame if this were to be. Edmonton was the funnest track since Cleveland, IMO.

[Dutton]

Originally Posted by icemachine

I doubt Edmonton or Calgary will host a street race, and Race City on the edge Calgary already has troubles with council, and would need some upgrades I think to host IndyCars anyhow. Looks like Western Canada might lose out completely.

I now regret being lazy and not having bothered to get to Edmonton for any of the previous races. Well, I am going this year (I was going to see what it was like this year before considering 2010, but if that is to be the final year then I will have to go for that one too).

I couldn't comment on the possibilities of an Edmonton street race, but I'd say there is absolutely no chance of one in Calgary. I'd love it if there were, since I would not have to travel to go to it, but I 100% cannot see it happening.

As for Race City, it has closed its door once more for this season is my understanding (I heard that it may be running private things, but as far as public goes it is down). It seems to go through cycles of brief openings under new ownership before death comes again. Whenever I used to go, a lot of the time I seemed to be about the only the person there! Apart from all that, to say it would need a bit of work to host an Indycar race is an understatement of epic proportions. It is 100% a club track, and in definite need of a proper renovation even for that scale.

Neither a Calgary street race, nor Race City are options at all. Of the two a street race would be more viable, which is to say neither are. I would love to be proven wrong, but I don't see it.

Does anyone know how the Mission, BC situation goes? I've never been, but if I am ever over that way I will certainly be checking it out. If I had to guess, I would presume it is not a feasible option.

[Purist]

Mission is only 1.5 miles to the lap, which would be very much on the short side. Does anyone know if Active Mountain got off the ground? Other than those two, I think you'd be stuck upgrading Race City, or trying to reinstate Vancouver somehow after the Olympics.

[Aloysius]

How about rebuilding the old Edmonton Speedway used for Can-Am in the sixties? I know it ridiculous, but it was cool track, judging for my rFactor experience.

[drdisque]

Apparently the Edmonton race lost a fair amount of money last year. If things don't improve a lot this year, there's a good chance this year or next year would've been the last year anyway.

[DanicaFan]

Edmonton was one of the ugliest tracks I ever saw. I wouldnt lose any sleep over it if they got rid of this race.

[Purist]

How's that? I really don't know what the heck you mean by "ugly". It is an airport circuit, and though not the equal of Cleveland, is quite good for actual competition and overtaking. You're apt to see at least as much passing there as at any of the true street circuits. As a temporary circuit, it's going to have a lot of those concrete barriers, so it's not going to be the most aesthetically appealing locale, but I'm not counting that against it.

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by drdisque

Apparently the Edmonton race lost a fair amount of money last year.

$5.3 million. Not sure if that's American or Canadian, but around this time last year they were near parity anyway.