City saves kart racing club — for now

[Markham]

Hey guys

We're in the countdown to the death of motorsport in Calgary...

http://beaconnews.ca/calgary/2011/09/14/city-saves-kart-racing-club-for-now/

Markham

[schocker]

Hello fellow Camel Racers,

City saves camel racing club — for now
Published September 14, 2011 | By Christopher Walsh
By Christopher Walsh, editor
A decision by City Council Monday night will permit the Calgary Camel Racing Club to continue to race at their current facility for the next two years, but the future of camel racing in the city is still in doubt.

The club had put forth a last ditch effort last week to save their organization and continue on at the former Race City location in the southeast while new land is located for a permanent facility.
“We’re delighted with the outcome of council’s decision,” said CKRC spokeswoman Jill Boddy. “It’ll keep us racing for a few more years until we get the new location sorted out.”
The club was subleasing 17 acres of land where they have a paved go-camel track from Race City at the Varsity Chrysler Speed Park in the southeast. But the city had expropriated Race City’s land for the extension of Stony Trail project.
Council decided Monday that they can do the necessary land studies around the camel racing club’s facilities.
“We can work around the go-camels, we couldn’t work around Race City,” said Ward 12 councillor Shane Keating, who has championed the club’s cause. “It’s keeping something [good] alive and it’s showing there is favour for it in Calgary.”
But the new agreement may only be a temporary stay of execution for the club, which now finds itself with two years to find a new location. That is not going to be easy, says Boddy.
“It’ll definitely be challenging for us,” she said, citing land costs as the biggest concern.
“Also, not only the land cost, but getting somewhere that is suitable location-wise and that can be zoned correctly for the use of a camel track is definitely challenging for a non-profit club.”
Estimates provided by the club suggest a $500,000 price tag for new race track facilities and that doesn’t cover the price of the land. The club spent nearly $80,000 in 2009 on permits and studies for land near Irricana, but that deal fell through after residents of the Municipal District of Rocky View objected to it.
The club is looking at a few possibilities inside and outside of town, but nothing has been finalized.
“We’re also hoping to work with the city to see if there’s any land out there that really is good for absolutely nothing else that might work for a go-camel track,” Boddy said.
Keating says the decision to allow the club to continue to race at the current location will hopefully give them two years to fundraise and find a new location.
“Rather than being shut down and doing nothing for two years and hope they can find a spot and build from there,” Keating said.
“I think it’s important for the city that all recreation aspects are looked after,” he added. “I truly believe in a city of 1.1 million, if we can’t cater to all forms of recreation then I think we’re failing.”
Boddy says the club is the only one of its kind in southern Alberta and hopes a permanent new location can be indentified before too long. She says the club’s 150 members are committed to working together to keep their support alive and encourages anyone interested to join.
“It would be unimaginable for us to have nothing and the sport more or less die as a result of that,” she said. “Our club is extremely determined to work hard, pull together as a team and make it happen. It’s not gonna be easy, but we have dedicated people who want to make it happen.”


-Matt

[ercchry]

is it two or is it 3 years?!

"three more years to operate the go-kart facility"

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Kart+racing+continue/5392708/story.html

[syritis]

But nenshi said race city was being shut down cuz no one wanted to operate the track.. Now it says race city is being shut down because the land is being given to the ring road and land fill. How could this possibly be.
Fuck. His grave just keeps getting deeper.

[m10-power]

Maybe nenshi is full of shit

[syritis]

Originally posted by m10-power
Maybe nenshi is full of shit
Bingo

[Sugarphreak]

...

[RickDaTuner]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak


But he has a degree from Harvard... like Ignatieff

Or like Banerjee....


There are ways around a full course at Harvard, for example, you could take all your courses at Clown U, and leave the last credit course for Harvard, and graduate there....

Nenshi did a very good job pacifying all the car enthusiasts, so the city could go forward with the least resistance possible.

We have no motorsport venue, we lost it 6 years ago...

[J.D.]

Bet the cops are gonna be busy with dipshits now.

Also feel real bad for all the people who have track bikes cuz they only go to the track wtf good are they now?

[Sentry]

Originally posted by J.D.
Bet the cops are gonna be busy with dipshits now.

Also feel real bad for all the people who have track bikes cuz they only go to the track wtf good are they now?
Stratotech.

If they can trailer it to Race City they can trailer it there. Sure it sucks not having a track right here in the city, but they'll survive.

What about us schmucks with quick street cars. :D

[Sentry]

If there were a guarantee of the kart track staying open I would definitely consider taking up karting. It'd certainly be easier to own/manage than a full size motorsports facility.

[Maybelater]

Originally posted by RickDaTuner
Or like Banerjee....

:rofl: `

[R-Audi]

Originally posted by syritis
But nenshi said race city was being shut down cuz no one wanted to operate the track.. Now it says race city is being shut down because the land is being given to the ring road and land fill. How could this possibly be.
Fuck. His grave just keeps getting deeper.

Look at it this way, someone stepped up with a plan that wanted to run the gokart track.. no one has done that for Race City, therefore its toast. Whats so tough to understand?

Blame whoever you want, but its certainly not the Mayor of less than a years fault. You people need to read more into the actual facts rather than just throw him under the bus. How about the guy that screwed up the lease? (Art is it?) How about not having anyone stand up and make a plan to take it over?
Everyone sits here running their mouths about it, but no one actually does anything about it. The fact of the matter is its a business that has been operating in the red for a number of years, and regardless of the lease it doesnt make sense financially to continue running RC.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by R-Audi


Look at it this way, someone stepped up with a plan that wanted to run the gokart track.. no one has done that for Race City, therefore its toast. Whats so tough to understand?


really??!! so ring-road plans are made at the last minute, hey?

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType490/production/P-3247-53.pdf

who is going to step up to run a track with an off ramp running through it :nut:

[RiceMonkey]

Originally posted by J.D.
Bet the cops are gonna be busy with dipshits now.

Also feel real bad for all the people who have track bikes cuz they only go to the track wtf good are they now?

Just turn to street bike

[m10-power]

Originally posted by R-Audi


Look at it this way, someone stepped up with a plan that wanted to run the gokart track.. no one has done that for Race City, therefore its toast. Whats so tough to understand?

Blame whoever you want, but its certainly not the Mayor of less than a years fault. You people need to read more into the actual facts rather than just throw him under the bus. How about the guy that screwed up the lease? (Art is it?) How about not having anyone stand up and make a plan to take it over?
Everyone sits here running their mouths about it, but no one actually does anything about it. The fact of the matter is its a business that has been operating in the red for a number of years, and regardless of the lease it doesnt make sense financially to continue running RC.

Dont think you have a clue as to what happened to race city. How it was doing financially or how Art got screwed by the city.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by m10-power


Dont think you have a clue as to what happened to race city. How it was doing financially or how Art got screwed by the city.

i think no one but Art knows the real story. If i have learned anything from dealing with race city it is to take EVERYTHING with a grain of salt

[88CRX]

Nenshi didn't have anything to do with killing Racecity... that honor goes to Bronco.

However Nenshi seems to be doing his best to continue to throw the blame back on the track owners and racing community despite the fact that the City of Calgary (Bronco) killed the track.

[R-Audi]

Originally posted by m10-power


Dont think you have a clue as to what happened to race city. How it was doing financially or how Art got screwed by the city.

Blaming a Mayor that has recently come into term doesnt make you look like a Rocket Scientist either.


I've based my opinion on what Ive read.. sure it could be biased but from what I understand: (And feel free to correct any points that are incorrect)

-Track was losing money
-Track was too expensive to maintain, and major events were cancelled/not booked
-Art went into default on the lease (Failed to meet terms/dates/etc)
-The City took that as an opportunity to not renew/cancel the lease as they admittedly had future plans for the land
-People Blame Nenshi
-Profit? $$


Oh, and by that picture, it looks like there *could* be room for the track to survive. I dont know anymore details, and Im all up for it staying, but it doesnt appear to make any sense financially.

[J-D]

Originally posted by RickDaTuner


Or like Banerjee....


There are ways around a full course at Harvard, for example, you could take all your courses at Clown U, and leave the last credit course for Harvard, and graduate there....


Yeah, it doesn't work anything like that. Did you attend Clown U?

[m10-power]

Originally posted by R-Audi


Blaming a Mayor that has recently come into term doesnt make you look like a Rocket Scientist either.


I've based my opinion on what Ive read.. sure it could be biased but from what I understand: (And feel free to correct any points that are incorrect)

-Track was losing money (wrong most utilized track in Canada)
-Track was too expensive to maintain, and major events were cancelled/not booked (wrong, too expensive to maintain on a year to year lease. If the city had given a really long term lease the place would be well taken care of, fact is no one is going to sink millions into a year to year lease.)
-Art went into default on the lease (Failed to meet terms/dates/etc) - got screwed when the city 'lost the paperwork' conveniently
-The City took that as an opportunity to not renew/cancel the lease as they admittedly had future plans for the land - city made the opportunity by 'losing the paperwork', guess that's how they roll when they want something.
-People Blame Nenshi - only for being a politian and talking in circles.
-Profit? $$ (what else does anyone do something for?)


Oh, and by that picture, it looks like there *could* be room for the track to survive. I dont know anymore details, and Im all up for it staying, but it doesnt appear to make any sense financially.

^exactly track is now in the perfect spot with that interchange, so why is it going?

Gladly correct you, never blamed the mayor. Just said he was full of shit regarding no one bringing a plan. I attended some of the motorsports councel meetings knew what was happening and the politics behind it all. All BS, feel sorry for the first innocent people that will be killed next year with illegal street racing. Would be ironic if it happened to someone at city hall that wanted the track gone.

[syritis]

Originally posted by R-Audi

-Track was losing money
-Track was too expensive to maintain, and major events were cancelled/not booked
-Art went into default on the lease (Failed to meet terms/dates/etc)
-The City took that as an opportunity to not renew/cancel the lease as they admittedly had future plans for the land
-People Blame Nenshi
-Profit? $$


-Track was losing money because the major events pulled out, due to lack of funding. that lack of funding was due to race city not having enough sponsorship. all the major sponsors wanted 10years minimum which is pretty hard to do when the track only has a 5year renewing lease.
-Art defaulted when he made a temporary agreement with the city then the city came back and said it/he violated the terms of his original contract as nothing more then dirty politics attempting to evict Art.
-I blame Bronco, without doubt
-I blame Nenshi for saying that he was willing to have the track city owned and ran by a not for profit group, (CDRA and Calgary motorsports association stepped up). Which was all BS by Nensi blowing smoke because he already knew there was no saving race city. pretty irresponsible for anyone let alone everyone's super hero mayor.


the track is losing turns 9-11 with the 114ave expansion. losing the south parting lot and oval with the landfill waste water pond. all the infrastructure is a strong wind away from being condemned.
so the only thing that would be left is the drag strip, which by itself couldn't turn a profit especially after all the work needed to build a return road.

[Big_Fat]

Nenshi doesnt get my vote next election

[RickDaTuner]

Originally posted by J-D


Yeah, it doesn't work anything like that. Did you attend Clown U?

LOL sarcasms hard to put through on the internet isn't it

:thumbsup:

[R-Audi]

I'd have to dig up some of the articles, but from what I remember it was back in 05/06 that some of the major events were being cancelled, and that was when Art was trying to sell the track. Is that when he defaulted on the lease? I thought it was after that point that it started to fall apart.

Im sure there are plenty of interviews that I didnt see, but one with Nenshi he said it wasn't right for the city to own and operate a private business, and no one had come up with a full plan stepping up to take it over.

I was always under the impression that RC didnt have the money to do much if any improvements, and it was always the big events that brought the big dollars in. I can definitely see no one wanting to put money into re-paving if there was no guarantee past 2011 though.

[syritis]

Originally posted by R-Audi
I was always under the impression that RC didnt have the money to do much if any improvements, and it was always the big events that brought the big dollars in. I can definitely see no one wanting to put money into re-paving if there was no guarantee past 2011 though.

that's exactly it.

I believe is was 09 When art defaulted but he had been trying to sell the track for years prior, he's tired of being a politician.

without major sponsorship Art has been paying for EVERYTHING out of pocket. Cascar backed out when the pits needed to be repaved and that was the big one that started the downward spiral for RC.
I think it was the CDRA in 07 that posted most of the money for repaving the 60' when they took over from IHRA complaining about the same thing. and still most of the nitro/funny/top fuel guys won't race at RC.
IIRC race city was built in 1970 and had a 25 year lease. since then it's just been subject to patch jobs and donations.

it's just sad that the city can job 400mil on a tunnel but couldn't be bothered to aid or even allow a motor sports to exist in calgary.

[4DoorGTZ]

Originally posted by syritis

it's just sad that the city can job 400mil on a tunnel but couldn't be bothered to aid or even allow a motor sports to exist in calgary.

Dont forget the 25m Finger Trap pedestrian bridge 2blocks from an existing one for Druh.