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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Edmonton Off The 2013 Calendar
It didn't take a lot of effort to figure out where the future of the Edmonton IZOD IndyCar Series was headed.
IndyCar will miss out on its one remaining airport circuit with the demise of Edmonton. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)
It didn't take a lot of effort to figure out where the future of the Edmonton IZOD IndyCar Series was headed.
Series CEO Randy Bernard made multiple trips to Alberta, Canada, to keep the event from falling apart before its July 22nd date, and within minutes of Helio Castroneves claiming the win on the airport circuit, senior officials from Octane Motorsports, the race's promoters, were seen arguing in a heated manner outside the media center.
Leaving the event, one thing was obvious: the promoters clearly weren't on the same page.
With two months to reflect on the event, and following a smaller crowd than was expected, Octane decided to pull the plug on the race which made its debut in 2005 under Champ Car sanctioning.
“Despite our tight management policies and all our efforts to offer to the fans a world-class spectacle, we were not able to make this event profitable and nothing allows us to hope for a better profitability next year," the company revealed in a prepared statement.
"As we stated in a release earlier in July, this year’s attendance was good, but we were also convinced that the event, especially with the quality of the spectacle offered, should have attracted many more spectators over its three days.”
Although the search for a new promoter would seem like the next course of action, Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel did not give the impression he will seek to keep the event in play going forward.
“This news is disappointing for the city and race fans," he said. "The 2012 Edmonton Indy was a great event both on and off the track. It, like previous races, brought economic benefits and international exposure to Edmonton. We appreciate the contribution of all our partners in making the event a positive experience for both residents and visitors.”
The IndyCar Series also gave an indicator of what's to come with its next racing calendar.
"When we finalized our schedule for the upcoming 2013 season, it unfortunately did not include Edmonton," said series CEO Randy Bernard. "We thank the city of Edmonton and all the fans for their support of the event over the last eight years.
"More importantly this has not affected our plans for a minimum of 19 races next season, and we remain optimistic that we will return to having two races in Canada as early as 2014. We anticipate announcing our full 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule the first week of October."
PHOTOS: Click Here or on the image below to view INDYCAR: Edmonton 2012
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, and covers the IndyCar Series. Before joining SPEED, Pruett worked in open-wheel racing for 20 years as a mechanic and engineer. He also contributes to RACER, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett.
Series CEO Randy Bernard made multiple trips to Alberta, Canada, to keep the event from falling apart before its July 22nd date, and within minutes of Helio Castroneves claiming the win on the airport circuit, senior officials from Octane Motorsports, the race's promoters, were seen arguing in a heated manner outside the media center.
Leaving the event, one thing was obvious: the promoters clearly weren't on the same page.
With two months to reflect on the event, and following a smaller crowd than was expected, Octane decided to pull the plug on the race which made its debut in 2005 under Champ Car sanctioning.
“Despite our tight management policies and all our efforts to offer to the fans a world-class spectacle, we were not able to make this event profitable and nothing allows us to hope for a better profitability next year," the company revealed in a prepared statement.
"As we stated in a release earlier in July, this year’s attendance was good, but we were also convinced that the event, especially with the quality of the spectacle offered, should have attracted many more spectators over its three days.”
Although the search for a new promoter would seem like the next course of action, Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel did not give the impression he will seek to keep the event in play going forward.
“This news is disappointing for the city and race fans," he said. "The 2012 Edmonton Indy was a great event both on and off the track. It, like previous races, brought economic benefits and international exposure to Edmonton. We appreciate the contribution of all our partners in making the event a positive experience for both residents and visitors.”
The IndyCar Series also gave an indicator of what's to come with its next racing calendar.
"When we finalized our schedule for the upcoming 2013 season, it unfortunately did not include Edmonton," said series CEO Randy Bernard. "We thank the city of Edmonton and all the fans for their support of the event over the last eight years.
"More importantly this has not affected our plans for a minimum of 19 races next season, and we remain optimistic that we will return to having two races in Canada as early as 2014. We anticipate announcing our full 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule the first week of October."
PHOTOS: Click Here or on the image below to view INDYCAR: Edmonton 2012
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, and covers the IndyCar Series. Before joining SPEED, Pruett worked in open-wheel racing for 20 years as a mechanic and engineer. He also contributes to RACER, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett.
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