Race City - SAVED!!

[fireball]

Guys,
As ya'll know the track is the only place to fully experience a Viper and with the pending closing of Race City it's been a sad forecast for Viper owners and anyone with gasoline in their blood.

The good news is that city council yesterday voted to let the track live until 2015 - 5 more years.

This means that I'll likely organize another track event next year so be sure to budget for it! If you're curious about a track event and what a track experience in your car would be like, just ask one of the folks that attended this year - I'm pretty sure that you'll get a positive review.

Here's how the council voted. I suggest supporting those that supported us and crush those that didn't - at least if you live in Calgary and are able to vote.

Alderman Dale Hodges FOR
Alderman Gord Lowe AGAINST
Alderman Jim Stevenson FOR
Alderman Bob Hawkesworth AGAINST
Alderman Ray Jones FOR
Alderman Joe Connelly FOR
Alderman Druh Farrell AGAINST
Alderman John Mar FOR
Alderman Joe Ceci AGAINST
Alderman Andre Chabot FOR
Alderman Brian Pincott AGAINST
Alderman Ric McIver FOR
Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart FOR
Alderman Linda Fox-Mellway AGAINST
Mayor Dave Bronconnier AGAINST


Ric McIver for Mayor!!!!!

Greg

 

[Baked]

That's great news.

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Congrats from a fellow track rat down in the US. Always good to hear of a track staying viable. Usually the economic impact of these arenas are not judged properly , but it does appear you have some Alderman's on your side.

Sounds like it is time to get all the car groups together so you have a united front in the years to come -- or maybe that is already being done.

 

[RACR77]

Great news Greg, maybe time for me to look for a track car

 

[fireball]

Great news Greg, maybe time for me to look for a track car

You HAVE a track car!

Vipers are some fo the best track cars there are and truthfully they cannot be fully explored on the street. They just can't.

Anyway, I hope to see you at the track again, regardless of what you're driving.

Greg

 

[RACR77]

Hey Greg,
I would prefer to have a track specific car that is setup for the track and keep the ACR in its stock condition. The track car would be another Viper.

 

[All Blue ACR]

Happy Happy Joy Joy

That was too much fun to just do once

 

[Crompton]

thats great i am in for the next one as long as i can keep the rubber on my tires.Great job fighting for it guys.Way to make your voices heard and get the votes.Big pat on the backs for all of you.

 

[RTTTTed]

Congratulations. Does this mean the Grand Prix will continue as well?

Ted

 

[fireball]

Congratulations. Does this mean the Grand Prix will continue as well?

Ted

Grand Prix? There's the Indy race in Edmonton but no Grand Prix in Calgary. But we're working on it!

I'm just so freak'n happy! I looked at my car this morning it it was crying tears of joy. I guess it just couldn't stand the thought of driving around town and going to the mall for the rest of it's life. It would be Viper hell......

Greg

 

[Tony2]

Fireball,

That is great news for Calgary, though I have a question for you as you spend a lot of time at Race City and probably have more insight than most.

Please keep in mind that I have never raced on any portion of the facility and have only been a spectator a couple of times, with that being said the facility is in pretty poor shape from a spectator standpoint with minimal amenities or frills. I have also heard from multiple users that the track is also is in pretty poor shape? I just always chalked it up to the uncertainty of the future of the track and that there was no sense for the owner(s) to throw more good money after bad if the facility was going to be closed due to the lease situation and not get any return on their investment.

It goes without saying, a nicer track with modernized facilities in our ever growing city would draw more users and spectators equaling more money. However with only a 5 year extension which really is not that long in my opinion, do you feel the owner(s) will invest any money on upgrades with this news or will it just stay status quo?

Last of all to your knowledge are the terms of the lease changing which could also result on the owner(s) simply not opening at all next season?

Thanks for your insight!

Tony2

 

[fireball]

Fireball,

That is great news for Calgary, though I have a question for you as you spend a lot of time at Race City and probably have more insight than most.

Please keep in mind that I have never raced on any portion of the facility and have only been a spectator a couple of times, with that being said the facility is in pretty poor shape from a spectator standpoint with minimal amenities or frills. I have also heard from multiple users that the track is also is in pretty poor shape? I just always chalked it up to the uncertainty of the future of the track and that there was no sense for the owner(s) to throw more good money after bad if the facility was going to be closed due to the lease situation and not get any return on their investment.

It goes without saying, a nicer track with modernized facilities in our ever growing city would draw more users and spectators equaling more money. However with only a 5 year extension which really is not that long in my opinion, do you feel the owner(s) will invest any money on upgrades with this news or will it just stay status quo?

Last of all to your knowledge are the terms of the lease changing which could also result on the owner(s) simply not opening at all next season?

Thanks for your insight!

Tony2

There's only one person that rents the Race City roadcourse more often than I do. I'm not bragging I'm just saying that I'm qualified to answer your question.

The track has been financially marginal for the past few years and with the added pressure of the track closing no major improvements were made to the facility. This is likely to continue. They'll make patches where required but it's unlikly there'll be any major upgrades.

Many people complain about the track but I expect that they haven't been to many other tracks. Race City is a mid line track. It's far from the worst but nowhere near the best. I expect a continuing slow decline to a club facility - which it really is. I was at Aztec Speedway in Aztec New Mexico as a spectator just over a week ago and I still have nightmares over the bathroom facility. Words can't describe it but imagine a place so horrible that you won't even piss on it!


I've raced at Gimli (terrible track - but it's a track), Westwood (gone), Laguna Seca(world class), Infineon (world class), Sebring (pretty good), Shannonville..... on and on. The best way to put this is that Race City is the very best track for hundreds of miles in any direction.

I've already spoken with the track owner and I'm already booking next years dates so although it's always possible that it won't open, all intentions are that it will.

The simple solution here is that we don't need a new lease - we need a new Mayor!

Greg

 

[Tony2]

Hey Greg,

Thanks for your insight, was just more of a curiosity thing than anything. I guess time will tell on the lease and see if the city is going to make the terms reasonable or not. I would think with a city our size that both the private sector and the city would want to invest in some type of motorsport facility and that it could be a good attraction...........but what do I know! lol

Tony2

 

[RTTTTed]

Grand Prix? There's the Indy race in Edmonton but no Grand Prix in Calgary. But we're working on it!

I'm just so freak'n happy! I looked at my car this morning it it was crying tears of joy. I guess it just couldn't stand the thought of driving around town and going to the mall for the rest of it's life. It would be Viper hell......

Greg

Dew drops running out of the headlights eh?

One problem we have with racing is the Federal gov. and their "Anti-race Gas" efforts. Government in Canada seems to be anti race, anti supercar and anti citizens. Politicians are losers!

As ong as we keep screaming and asking for less taxes - because the Gov is pushing so much business and Tourism to the US, maybe we'll be allowed to exist at least?

Keep up the good work Greg.

Ted

 

[HSSSSSS]

Congrats Greg.
I know that no one pushed harder than you did to keep Race City open. It must be gratifying for you to see the fruits of your labor realized. I am happy for you and all the lives you will help to save by keeping a lot of street racers on the track.

Next year I will bring the noise but not the flames, OK?

 

[fireball]

Next year I will bring the noise but not the flames, OK?

You have a deal!

 

[Darbgnik]

I don't know obviously how a world class track feels, but I have to admit that the track is a lot smoother than I'd been led to believe. Only pavement that was really bad to me was the end of the back straight(a few ripples). The rest was as smooth as my meagher skills required.

Happy it's open.

 

[Rizzo]

I've heard it's up for grabs again?? What is the deal now. Council was fighting it again and up'd the rent 3000 %? No. not 300 % but 3000%. They are still trying to shut it down. buggers. Wonder how this is going to play out?

 

[fireball]

It 'LOOKS' like everything will still work out - but Bronco is still pushing hard to get rid of it.

When I find out that Race City has a signed lease I'll let you guys know. Greg

 

[Tony2]

The whole situation really is unfortunate, correct me if I am wrong but aren’t the city’s plans for that land put on hold due to budget constraints/cuts? If that is the case why in the world would the city want to throw out an existing paying business buy raising the lease amount through the roof?

Even if one is not into cars, couldn’t care less about having access to closed course racing in their community, or all the benefits that go along with it, it would seem that just from a common sense and business stand point that the City and tax payers would want some type of revenue generated for the short term even if renewed on an annual basis ........that is better than none in my eyes.

Heck the City needs all the money they can get for the infamous pedestrian bridge over the Bow River!!

Tony2

 

[RTTTTed]

What I don't understand is why we would elect low IQ people to run our Government??? We elect the dumber ones to be most of our Provincial Ministers? I'm sure that some intelligent people must get into Gov., but what's with the "Who cares what the people want" and the "dumb Politicians"???

I don't get it but it's looking like you have to pay extra for Good Government.

And Government thinks that employees wages should go down while Taxes should go up??? Economy is bad so raise the Taxes?

Ted