It broke my heart when Race City closed at the end of the racing season last year. It broke thousands of other hearts too.
I have been canvassing for more than a year about the eventual loss of the facility in Calgary and its importance to the region. With the recent news of a world-class facility that could be located near my city (Airdrie), I couldn’t be happier.
I met members of the MARCS Committee (Motorsports, Arts, Recreation, Culture and Sports) in September of last year while filming a documentary to commemorate the track’s closure. I was optimistic then, but not overjoyed.
Then, this past May, the group held a quiet meeting with members of the racing community, stakeholders and asked that it not be reported on, to help get the ball rolling and get a plan in place to bring to the effected municipalities.
That’s when I got excited. All this happened before three big trips to cover World Superbikes in Utah, and Indycar in Toronto and Edmonton. That allowed me to smell the ethanol racing fuel and burning rubber while the local group worked on their plans.
Now that my major racing events are over for the year, I come home to hear that MARCS has released its plan to the public and are going ahead with contacting municipalities to get the wheels turning.
Now, I understand there are no shovels in the ground, or rubber on the road, but something of this magnitude takes time and a lot of steps.
MARCS has proposed a $27-million facility, which will have a 4.5-kilometre track and all the extras needed to run a track safely.
One of the biggest downfalls of Race City was the inability to attract major motorsports series like the Grand American Road Racing series, or even AMA Superbike to the track, as the track was not in good enough condition to host these series.
Without those events, it’s tough to draw an audience that would help pay bills and maintain the track. Local car and motorcycle groups would pay to rent the track a couple weekends each year. It’s tough to attract a crowd when you have to pay upwards of $250 a weekend to bring your car out on track.
No sponsor wants their name on a track that draws no crowd.
This track will be built to Grand American Racing Series specifications, which in North America, are the safest specs around. With a track that is safe and big, in a picturesque location like the hills east of Airdrie, this track can succeed.
A few years ago, the Calgary Kart Racing Association got boo’ed out of Irricana by the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) crowd.. Many people cited the sounds of karting as the reason they didn’t want a track near their town. I can understand that. To most people, it’s annoying, but look at the other options. Karting and racing keep the youth and adults who like to drive fast off of the street and gives them somewhere safe to practice their art.
The everyday resident should keep in mind the benefits of this facility. It is planned for land east of Airdrie and won’t effect many residents. Lighting for a racing complex costs too much, and racing will always have a curfew… nightfall.
The remaining steps in the process, which most likely won’t see shovels in the ground until the middle of next year, is up to our elected officials and residents.
If you are a fan of motorsports, write members of Rocky View County council and voice your opinion to them with an email or letter. If you are involved in motorsports, do the same, and educate your neighbours on the benefits of this facility… everything from keeping racing off of our roads to bringing a new type of entertainment to our youth and adults alike.
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