Edmonton Indy July 24-26?

[Coldrsx]

By Dave Lewandowski
indycar.com



Edmonton, Alberta, is hosting a summer celebration and the IndyCar Series will be the main attraction.

Northlands, operator of the Rexall Edmonton Indy, has signed an agreement with the sanctioning Indy Racing League to host an IndyCar Series race weekend through 2010. This year's event is July 24-26 and will come on the tail end of two annual week-long public festivals - Edmonton's Capital Exhibition and A Taste of Edmonton.

"We welcome the opportunity to partner with the Indy Racing League during such an exciting time," Northlands president Ken Knowles said. "Under this new partnership, we expect that this year's event will be the biggest and best to date."

The 14-turn, 1.973-mile circuit is laid out on Edmonton City Centre Airport runways that reach 75-feet wide for most of the course.

"Edmonton is all about handling," said Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing's Justin Wilson, who won the 2006 race and was runner-up in 2007 under Champ Car sanctioning. "It's a high-speed airport circuit with some very technical corners where you have to be very precise. From Turn 2 to Turn 9 is continuous and very demanding, so you have to keep your momentum."
About 80 percent of the race course, which is five minutes from downtown, can be seen from anywhere in the grandstands.
"The fans are always really enthusiastic," said KV Racing Technology's Will Power, the pole sitter for last year's race. "I think with all the best drivers and teams in one series you're going to see a very competitive race and a lot of good racing. It's the most physically demanding track we did last year. There are really no long straights and there's generally fast corners and it's a very bumpy track, so you're on the wheel a lot. That's what makes it so physical. Obviously, the faster the corner the more downforce there is and the heavier the wheel."
The Rexall Edmonton Indy (5 p.m. ET, ESPN) will follow the July 20 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance. It will be the first IndyCar Series event held in Canada.
"The city of Edmonton and Northlands have put together a first-class event, and we're excited that we can bring the IndyCar Series to such a great venue," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division of the Indy Racing League. "While drivers such as Justin Wilson and Will Power have raced in Edmonton before, some of our other stars - Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Marco Andretti and Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon - will compete there for the first time. We look forward to a long relationship with the Rexall Edmonton Indy."

Auto racing in the provincial capital dates to the late 1940s - a dirt oval named Breckenridge Oval. It was converted in 1952 to a quarter-mile asphalt oval and re-named Speedway Park. It hosted races in, among others, the Can-Am, Player's Formula Atlantic, Formula 1600 and Trans-Am series. For the Rexall Edmonton Indy, more than $1 million (Canadian) in runway asphalt resurfacing at City Centre Airport is underway.

"This announcement is great news for Edmonton and for race fans across Canada," Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel said. "The economic benefits to our city are extensive and our citizens and corporate sector have really embraced this event, making it one of the most successful racing venues in North America."

Fast facts

Length: 1.973-mile temporary road course, 14 turns
First year of event: 2005
Tickets: On sale through Ticketmaster or online at www.edmontonindy.com.
About Edmonton, Alberta: The capital city of the province is the second-largest (after Calgary) with a metropolitan population of almost 1.1 million. It resides on the North Saskatchewan River, and is the staging point for large-scale oil sands projects and diamond mining operations. In sports, it's most known as being the home of the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL. More about Edmonton: www.edmonton.com/itscoolerhere


http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=11555

[IKAN104]

That's good stuff. I was hoping for more than a three year contract but I guess this is a pretty standard term.

[Coldrsx]

^yes it is...the coverage from this will be considerably higher, in N.A., than Champ's was.

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

....the coverage from this will be considerably higher, in N.A., than Champ's was.

From a discussion I heard on the radio things are looking very bright for the series. The Indy500 just crushed the record for prize money from a race event (previously held by Daytona I believe...) which although isn't a direct reflection of increased sponsors and such, it's a great sign.

[Shodan]

Edmonton's Indy race likely to lose $1M
Delay in making official announcement responsible for lagging ticket sales

John MacKinnon
The Edmonton Journal

Thursday, May 29, 2008


CREDIT: Getty Images
An angry Danica Patrick walks back to her pit box Sunday after attempting to confront Ryan Briscoe, who caused the accident that knocked Patrick out of the Indianapolis 500.

"I am Indy," teased Danica Patrick, the face and -- who's kidding who -- the much-exposed body of North American open-wheel racing, via video.

"Are you Indy, Edmonton?"

It is now. And Edmonton will continue to be Indy through at least 2010, according to the three-year deal between the Indy Racing League and Northlands, owner and operator of the Rexall

Edmonton Indy race.

The deal was sealed last weekend at the Indianapolis 500 and announced Wednesday at a news conference at Northlands.

Now, Edmonton has a date with Danica, along with the wonderfully named Will Power, Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti, Tony Kanaan, sometime dancing whiz Helio Castroneves and the 30-odd other IndyCar drivers on the newly united open-wheel racing circuit.

"It's a big event that will put Edmonton on the map," Northlands board chair Jerry Bouma said of the July 24-26 race weekend that coincides with, and will be married, in a marketing sense, to the Capital Ex, another Northlands property.

The race weekend clearly is a big event in transition, for good and bad.

It's good to have a three-year deal, although a five-year deal would be better. It's good to have a firm race date -- July 26 -- bad that legal issues and contract negotiations delayed its being made official.

"Ticket (sales) are lagging at this time and there's a definite reason for that," said Northlands president Ken Knowles. "It's kind of tough to sell tickets (when people are wondering) is it going to be in the middle of July?

The end of the month?"

Partially as a result, Knowles acknowledged the race at funky, fan-friendly

Edmonton City Centre track probably will lose in the neighbourhood of $1 million this year. He reckons the race can break even in 2009. In 2010, cross your fingers, black ink on the ledger.

It's good the race has been instantly rebranded from the generic Champ Car to IndyCar. For starters, Patrick, the talented, feisty and hugely popular star of the series, kicked the marketing effort up several notches when she won the IRL race at Motegi, Japan, the first-ever Indy car victory by a female.

Throw names like Andretti and A.J. Foyt IV into the mix, along with the grinning, spinning, charming Castroneves, who won TV's Dancing with the Stars last season, and you've got yourself some athletes who cross pop-cultural barriers, some real marketing sizzle.

"These people are really good for the series," said Australian driver Will Power, a Champ Car holdover, who won the Streets of Long Beach race on April 20. "I think it's really great that Danica won her first race -- she deserved it and drove well.

"You need these characters in the series, you need these personalities. I think it's important."

No. They're absolutely crucial for long-term success when IndyCar's competition is the posse of high-profile drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and

Jimmy Johnson that the massively popular, not to mention filthy, stinkin' rich NASCAR circuit showcases.

In Edmonton, the cross-promotional "synergies," as Knowles calls them, between the Capital Ex and the Indy racing weekend make sense, which is good, even if those gears may not end up meshing as smoothly as Knowles believes.

With events like a pro bull-riding competition at Northlands coinciding with the Indy race, the long-established Capital Ex grounds may well be precisely where race fans want to go after a qualifying session, or the race itself, looking for a corn dog and some action after dark.

If so, their IndyCar race ticket will grant them free admission to the

Northlands grounds, and there will be shuttle buses to connect the two sites.

"It's just going to be a huge weekend for the fan who's coming from out of town," Knowles said. "It's going to be the biggest weekend this city has ever seen."

It almost certainly will be the best open-wheel racing experience Edmontonians have ever seen live, a notion Power supported enthusiastically, and not only because he was the pole-sitter here last year when he was racing for Team Australia.

"It's a track that we can be really competitive on because we've actually got some information (on it)," Power said, via satellite hook-up from Indianapolis. "I really enjoy the circuit -- it's bumpy, it's physical.

"I really like Edmonton because it's so good for racing. You make a mistake and you always lose a couple of positions."

So, will the ex-Champ Car drivers have a bit of an edge here, after enduring learning experiences at the 2.5-mile oval at Indy?

"You could say that for the first session, maybe," Power said. "But all good drivers learn the track in about 10 laps.

"It's good to have a circuit that we actually know because every circuit we're going to this year, all the other teams have been to, but the (ex-Champ Car) teams haven't.

"So, if there's any advantage, I think we deserve it, a little."

If the wild, carnage-filled race in Indianapolis is any guide, deserve may not have much to do with it.

Except for this -- after three years of passionate support for open-wheel racing, Edmonton fans deserve to see the race become a long-term fixture on the IndyCar circuit. Which may well happen.

"In business, everything is subject to negotiation," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division for the Indy Racing League. "We have every intent to extend successful venues and relationships.

"We would certainly not be doing our jobs if we didn't."

jmackinnon@thejournal.canwest.com

Check out my blog at: www.edmontonjournal.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2008

Copyright © 2008 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.
CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

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[IKAN104]

Sure ticket sales have lagged because of the delay but I would think that with the merger more people will be interested this year. And I'm willing to bet a lot of people were holding their money until the race was made official and will now be buying their tickets in droves.

[newfangled]

If so, their IndyCar race ticket will grant them free admission to the Northlands grounds, and there will be shuttle buses to connect the two sites.

I could kiss northlands. This is sooooooooooooo much better than blaming the Grand Prix for competing with capex like they did the last few years. Crisitunity!

[Coldrsx]

^wonderful addition! I do hope the "at track, non-race" entertainment is as strong or stronger though.

[IntotheWest]

Originally Posted by IKAN104

Sure ticket sales have lagged because of the delay but I would think that with the merger more people will be interested this year. And I'm willing to bet a lot of people were holding their money until the race was made official and will now be buying their tickets in droves.

The "Official" announcement is fantastic news! And Edmonton is finally on the schedule at http://www.indycar.com/.

I was holding out for this announcement...however, the date change has also thrown a wrench in my plans. After 3 years of telling my wife that if "Hell freezes over", and Champcar and IRL finally merge (and, Edmonton keeps its race)...I'm going, they flip the weekends when we're already booked to be in BC. No way out.

I wonder if the date flip will also hurt sales a bit this year? Regardless, there will be more casual fans that come out too - to see Danica, or Castroneves.

I guess the three year deal will be great though, because there is NO way I'm missing it again next year. I believe Edmonton is the only ex-Champcar event added this year - which speaks volumes of how good of an event Edmonton has hosted (I definitely loved it the first 2 years).

2010 should be the introduction of new Indy cars, that should even be superior to the Panoz Champcars...and hopefully some renewed interest in other engine manufacturers!

Personally, despite some saying "it's not F1" (and hey, I was the biggest F1 fan back in the Senna/Prost days)...Indy is on its way back - guaranteed! I think this is exactly what Edmonton needed - being alongside CapitalEx should just be icing on the cake for Edmonton.

Oh - BTW - there's an article in the current R&T about Indy on the rebound, which mentions taking in the huge Champcars Edmonton and Surfers Paradise events....I think this just shows how quickly Edmonton has established itself.

Sorry for rambling...my wife just doesn't want to hear it anymore ;-) Have fun to those that go!!

[IntotheWest]

Write-up from USA Today about Edmonton, and Surfers Paradise:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...edmonton_N.htm

Sounds like only the Long Beach race may be added next year.

[sdimedru]

PT might make it to Edmonton afterall..... always makes for an interesting weekend if Paul's involved!

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjourna...3-48a76096b91f

[Coldrsx]

while i dont like the guy, it would be interesting to have him running into people.

my yellow flag hand will be busy

[Coldrsx]

officially got word i will be a corner worker, blue/yellow flagger, for the IRL here...yay

[IKAN104]

Congratulations. I'll keep an eye out for the flag man who thinks he's a race car driver. Do you know what corner you'll be at?

[Coldrsx]

^not yet but will next week or the week after.

[trueviking]

its too bad that indy basically just wiped champ off the map...i much prefered champ...better cars, more innovative ideas...fewer ovals...

great that edmonton hung on to the race...

[Coldrsx]

^yup...better series but IRL is a better fan series IMO.

[SHOFEAR]

despite lower TV ratings and much lower attendance the IRL had the sponsors. Not sure how it worked that way, but in the end if they give Edmonton an entire weekend it will be better for us.

[Coldrsx]

received the official schedule yesterday

[Coldrsx]

Text SizeEDMONTON - It appears Paul Tracy has secured a car and is close to signing a deal and securing a sponsor to compete in Edmonton's inaugural IndyCar open-wheel race on July 26.

"We're just down to the wire here and getting things locked down," Derrick Walker, owner of Walker Racing, said Tuesday in an interview from Indianapolis.

"We're through the worst. Now it's just getting all the details down and everybody agreeing, and off we go."

Walker, who has been brokering the deal with Vision Racing owner Tony George, said he expects a decision within days and pegged the chances of a deal at "80 per cent."

"I don't foresee any major issues and it's never done 'til it's done, but I think the likelihood is very, very strong," he said.

Nick Challis, Tracy's adviser, has reportedly told him to turn down the deal.

"I know what's going on behind the scenes," Challis tells the Edmonton Sun. "There's no way Paul could have a competitive car out of this deal. My advice to Paul is not to do it.

"I don't see any way he could have the testing or the competitive car given the amount of time they have. I know they'd love to have him there but I don't see the point in sending Paul around the track to embarrass himself. I don't think that's in Paul's best interests."

Tracy agreed with Challis that it would be difficult to step into the car and be competitive out of the box.

"I'm a good driver but I'm not a miracle man," he tells the newspaper. "It's taken the Champ Car transition teams weeks and weeks to get up to speed in the new cars. To do it in a couple of days with an entirely new crew and driver certainly wouldn't be easy."

Tracy, the 39-year-old Toronto-born former CART/Champ Car series champion, was left without a ride in the IRL this spring when his Forsythe team decided not to join the IndyCar circuit in the merged open-wheel series.

The barrel-chested Toronto Maple Leafs fan, known for his aggressive driving and sharp tongue, last raced in April at the Champ Car finale in Long Beach, Calif. He started fifth, finished 11th in the 20-car field and didn't lead a lap.

Otherwise, the man nicknamed the Thrill from West Hill has been idle. Negotiations were ongoing for weeks but faltered over the inability to secure a car, Walker said.

IndyCar is halfway through a gruelling stretch of six races in six weeks. The Dallara cars have been crashing and colliding at an alarming rate, lowlighted by the June 28 smash-up derby at the short oval in Richmond, Va., where half the grid was sidelined by crashes or mechanical woes.

Walker said the deal would see the team borrow a car from Vision Racing, which already has Ed Carpenter and A.J. Foyt IV driving for it. Vision would add a third car for Tracy that would run under the Vision umbrella but be maintained by Walker crews.

Walker said even though there are still two more races before the Edmonton event - starting with Saturday's Firestone Indy 200 in Nashville, Tenn. - they've been assured there are enough resources to guarantee a car.

"If there are any accidents at Nashville, there's still enough equipment in the system to make it happen."

He said having a car in place removes barriers to getting sponsors and getting Tracy to sign on.

"Paul has never been an issue. Paul has said from the get-go 'I'd love to do it,'" he said.

Tracy expressed surprise at Walker's comments that the deal was almost done, saying he thought the former Champ Car owner "was out" of the deal.

"(I'm just) a passenger riding along on a train," he tells the Sun.

Carpenter and Foyt are primarily oval racers, and Walker said Tracy's team would bring a lot of road experience. Edmonton's 1.96-mile road circuit is at the downtown City Centre Airport.

Tracy and Walker Racing competed in the now-defunct Champ Car series. Tracy was the career Champ Car leader in wins at 31 and raced at all three Edmonton events.

Last year, he started well back in 14th spot in the 17-car grid but raced his way up to fifth, 28 seconds behind winner Sebastien Bourdais.

Walker said Vision would help them master the Dallara car and Honda engine while they would deliver the engineering data and experience on the Edmonton course.

"They saw the benefit of Champ Car involvement," he said.

Edmonton organizers are also looking for a publicity boost.

Organizers were not able to advertise in earnest until late spring as legal difficulties arising from the merger kept the Edmonton race from being formally announced. Early forecasts had the race projected to run about $1 million in the red.

After Nashville, four of the next five IndyCar races are on street/road courses, but that doesn't mean Tracy will be on board.

Walker said it would be a one-race deal for now, but the door is open for more.

"We want to get back in the IRL and if Tony has the sponsorship interest and all of those things come together, I see no reason why it wouldn't go more races," he said.

"But right now it's not planned for that."

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/story/...headlines_main