IRL Confirms Edmonton on 2008 Race Schedule

When the Champ Car World Series merged with IndyCar earlier this year, the 2008 race schedule was thrown into confusion. A large number of races were cancelled in the struggle to fit so many events into an already cramped schedule and a lot of fans saw red. But it would seem that the dents are slowly being beaten out the schedule and things are getting back on track. The IRL recently confirmed that the IndyCar open-wheel auto racing series would be a feature at Edmonton on July 26. The track has received the race under a new three-year deal and officials are already saying Toronto is next on the list to receive a race.

When the Champ Car World Series merged with IndyCar earlier this year, the 2008 race schedule was thrown into confusion. A large number of races were cancelled in the struggle to fit so many events into an already cramped schedule and a lot of fans saw red. But it would seem that the dents are slowly being beaten out the schedule and things are getting back on track. The IRL recently confirmed that the IndyCar open-wheel auto racing series would be a feature at Edmonton on July 26. The track has received the race under a new three-year deal and officials are already saying Toronto is next on the list to receive a race.

Terry Angstadt, the head of the IRL’s commercial division, said that things were still in their early stages but that the IRL wanted to bring at least two events to Canada and that they were working hard to that effect. He also said that the IRL had a very good relationship with Andretti Green Promotions and they expected to sign a deal with this company soon. It hasn’t even been a month since former race driver Michael Andretti announced his decision to form a wholly-owned Canadian company under Andretti Green Promotions. Even as he took ownership of the assets belonging to the Grand Prix Association of Toronto, he commented that he hoped to start hosting an IndyCar series event at the track again soon. While it seems that this may be a reality from as early as next year, Edmonton will be the only track hosting an IRL event in Canada in 2008.

While moving an IRL event to Edmonton has been on the cards for a while, there has been quite a bit of red tape to get out of the way before it could become a reality. A number of legal problems arose from the fact Champ Car filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and this meant that the IndyCar open-wheel auto racing series could not be a confirmed feature of the 2008 season at Edmonton until these problems were sorted out. Fortunately things have finally been taken care of and drivers are already looking forward to the race. Veterans of the track may think they have an advantage over the others, but in truth it doesn’t take long for a good driver to learn the track and start making their way to the front of the pack. Up to 30 drivers are expected to compete in the race on the 14-turn, 1.97 mile circuit later this year. In previous years the race has seen as many as 167 000 fans making their way to the track to watch the race over a period of three days. No doubt the 2008 Edmonton season will be every bit as great as it has been in previous years, so make sure you get in on the action and book your ticket now!