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m10-power
08-27-2013, 04:29 PM
Friends, PCA members and sportscar enthusiasts:

I am excited to invite you to a Press Launch & “enthusiasts Q&A session” with Jacques Villeneuve and founders of the new motorsports park & racetrack coming to the Southern Okanagan.

The name of the proposed motorsports park is Area 27.

Jacques Villeneuve, the Canadian of F1 racing fame, is coming to the Okanagan to tour the site of the track, for a meet and greet and press launch of Area 27.

Details are still under wraps (so the following is my understanding of it all), but Area 27 will be a full road course, motorsports park and members club. The location will be on First Nations land in the Osoyoos area.

The Porsche Club of America (BC Interior Region, http://bci.pca.org) has been invited to the exclusive “enthusiasts Q&A” session during the press launch Sep 1 (Sun), at Spirit Ridge Resort and Spa, Osoyoos, BC ( http://www.spiritridge.ca/).

The Sep 1 invitation is also open to any sports cars enthusiasts who are interested in motorsports, supporting racing in BC, and potentially being a member of Area 27.

Area 27 Launch Schedule Spirit Ridge Sunday September 1, 2013

11:00am to 12:00 noon, Jacques and kids at Spirit Ridge autographs session 12:00noon to 1:00pm, break for lunch 1:00pm to 3:00pm, media session and dignitaries meet and greet 3:30pm to 5:30pm, auto enthusiasts and prospective members Q & A 7:30pm, founding members dinner party with Jacques

gamman
08-29-2013, 10:23 PM
Yay. This and then t'sui Tina and or Morley!

Cheeba
08-30-2013, 06:29 PM
I couldn't find anything on Google - is there a site where I can receive updates on the development of this?

woodywoodford
08-30-2013, 08:13 PM
Whatever happened to that one that supposed to come up in Mission? And then the one for Drumheller? So many promises....

89s1
08-31-2013, 02:13 AM
Mision has a dragstrip, not sure about anything else there, but the "Drumheller" one is still very much a go.

These things don't happen overnight.

woodywoodford
08-31-2013, 10:52 AM
Originally posted by 89s1
Mision has a dragstrip, not sure about anything else there, but the "Drumheller" one is still very much a go.

These things don't happen overnight.

Yeah, I just remember getting excited about those two literally 5 years ago. Mission was supposed to have a world class road course worthy of F1, as I was hearing back then. Didn't know drum was on the go though so that's good :D

89s1
08-31-2013, 01:57 PM
The project is called Badlands Motorsports Park if you want to research it further.

sdubid
08-31-2013, 07:53 PM
Originally posted by woodywoodford


Yeah, I just remember getting excited about those two literally 5 years ago. Mission was supposed to have a world class road course worthy of F1, as I was hearing back then. Didn't know drum was on the go though so that's good :D

I believe you are thinking of merritt not mission. I live in Mission and have never heard of that.

Isaiah
08-31-2013, 07:59 PM
Originally posted by sdubid


I believe you are thinking of merritt not mission. I live in Mission and have never heard of that.
He was thinking of the drag strip that is already operational a few blocks north of Mission on 17th Ave SW. I believe it is commonly known as The Red Mile.

m10-power
08-31-2013, 09:24 PM
Originally posted by Cheeba
I couldn't find anything on Google - is there a site where I can receive updates on the development of this?

"Details are still under wraps...press launch Sep 1"

"Area 27 Launch Schedule Spirit Ridge Sunday September 1, 2013"

I would imagine there will be many more details after Sept 1

Link to Indian Band website (http://oibdc.ca/)

They are a model of success in business the band conducts, no doubts this will go ahead.

sdubid
09-01-2013, 02:44 PM
Originally posted by Isaiah

He was thinking of the drag strip that is already operational a few blocks north of Mission on 17th Ave SW. I believe it is commonly known as The Red Mile.

haha coincidence then as I am from mission, BC. Didn't know there was another mission racetrack.
http://www.missionraceway.com/

m10-power
09-02-2013, 08:42 AM
Proposed track layout

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pp6OWQJU3K4/UiSiJV1zslI/AAAAAAAAA70/iIGy7ZgXgOw/s400/photo.jpg

m10-power
09-04-2013, 09:29 PM
http://okanagansun.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/jacques-villeneuve-osoyoos-news.jpg


Link to article (http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/autoracing/Jacques+Villeneuve+helps+envision+South+Okanagan/8860878/story.html)

"OSOYOOS — A consortium that includes a developer, a native band and a Canadian motorsport legend is looking to uncork a new whine into the heartland of B.C.’s grape country.

The proposed South Okanagan Motorsports Club’s Area 27 is envisioned as a country club for driving enthusiasts, and on Sunday at this B.C. resort town the principals gathered to unveil their plans.

Among them was Jacques Villeneuve, Canada’s most accomplished professional race car driver, who is a vice-president of South Okanagan Motorsports Club (SOMC) and, more importantly, will design the 4.5- to 5.5-kilometre asphalt circuit. The ‘27’ in the name refers to the number both Jacques and his legendary father Gilles, campaigned under for much of their careers.

“I’ve always loved creating, writing, so I find this super exciting,” Villeneuve told the small gathering at the Spirit Ridge Lodge, noting he has already designed one circuit to date — a go-kart track in Mirabel, Que., north of Montreal. “It is a dream to design a track like this, to start from scratch. The possibilities are limitless.”

The location of the Area 27 facility is 20 kilometres north of Osoyoos in Oliver, the self-proclaimed wine capital of Canada, and sits on land owned by the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB).

The band’s chief, Clarence Louie, was also on hand, and is in full support of the proposal.

“I’m a car, truck, motorcycle guy,” Louie said, “And I hope this happens. I can’t wait to hear the words, ‘Gentlemen and Ladies, start your engines.’”

Before those famous words will ring out over the south Okanagan benchlands, however, the group behind the proposal needs to sign up members to the private club. And while 300 is their target, the SOMC president says 200 will be enough to get Phase 1 of the planned four phases completed.

“We’re launching now and the market response we get is going to dictate a great deal of how we move ahead,” explained David King, a longtime director at Intrawest and current director of ClubLink Enterprises Ltd.

“The target market is people who are at a stage of life that can afford expensive automobiles yet get frustrated because there is nowhere to use them.”

King said initiation dues for the first 100 members are $30,000, with that bumped to $35,000 for the next 100. Annual dues are expected to be in the $3,000 to $4,000 range.

“There are three places you’re going to find these kinds of cars and this kind of money,” King noted. “Calgary, Vancouver and Kelowna.”

The concept is not unlike a golf country club, only instead of playing golf, members drive their performance cars on a purpose-built track, with on-site facilities to service, fuel, store and detail their machines.

SOMC founder Bill Drossos, a longtime friend of Villeneuve’s dating back to their days as student instructors at the Ontario-based Spenard Racing School, explained the four planned phases.

“Phase 1 will be all the asphalt of the track, the driving academy, karting facility and service roads,” he said, noting that the track contractor will be Lake Excavating Ltd., operated by founding member and current Canadian Tire NASCAR series driver/owner Trevor Siebert. “Phase 2 will be commercial buildings, including an on-site service building for tires, brakes, fuelling and detailing, the clubhouse and on-site vehicle storage.”

Phase 3 will incorporate trackside townhouses and condominiums, what Drossos referred to as “arrive and drive suites.” Essentially, one and two bedrooms up top with a garage below with direct track access.

The final phase is to build grandstands, a timing and scoring tower and media centre for competitive motorsport events.

Drossos envisions four such events a year.

“The Canadian Tire NASCAR Series, Canadian Superbike, a historic weekend along the lines of the Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca and a car show similar to the Goodwood Festival,” the Penticton-born Drossos said, noting the 40-foot wide circuit will be built to FIA Level 2 certification, meaning the only series that couldn’t race on it is Formula One.

The IndyCar Series has made no secret about its desire to return to Canada’s West Coast after years of successful events in downtown Vancouver, and Area 27 would be an ideal venue, much along the lines of Sonoma Raceway in the Northern California wine country.

The estimated cost of Phase 1, expected to take between six to eight months when approved, is $7.5 million. The overall budget is $10 million to $12 million.

SOMC would rent the land from the OIB, and Chief Louie, who has guided the band on many successful business ventures, including Spirit Ridge Lodge, says it will benefit his people.

“It’s the same benefit every other business gets: jobs, jobs, jobs and income,” he said, adding, “It’s good for tourism, and not just for the south Okanagan but for all of B.C.”

Apart from the challenge of signing up members to make Area 27 a reality, one issue that no doubt will come to the fore, as it always does with racetracks, is noise.

SOMC founders are fully aware of this and have done some preliminary tests.

“Our initial sound testing with a volume typical of a road vehicle exhaust was not able to register on a decibel meter at any of the nearby residents,” said Drossos, noting the proposed track location is on benchland above vineyards and protected by a cliff and ridge. “We’re going to do a second round of testing just to see if it registers.”

Chief Louie also acknowledged this hurdle, saying “The issue of sound is something I’ll be dealing with (with) my people. There will always be someone complaining about something.”

As to a timeline, King said that once SOMC gives the go ahead — meaning a critical mass of members have joined up — the Osoyoos Indian Band will initiate a ‘Designation Vote’ process to approve the project, which will take between four to six months.

So, realistically, the first rubber to hit the road at Area 27 could be as early as the summer of 2015.

The SOMC will be providing information, and signing up members, at the Luxury and Supercar Weekend at VanDusen Gardens in Vancouver this Saturday and Sunday. The SOMC website, area27.ca, is expected to be up and running in two weeks.



"As the site is located on land owned by the Osoyoos Indian Band (O.I.B.), the South Okanagan Motor Sports Corporation has signed a ‘letter of intent’ with the O.I.B. for a land lease agreement."

http://okanagansun.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/villeneuve-land-osoyoos-daily-news.jpg

asp integra
09-04-2013, 10:02 PM
very cool! only 20 mins south of the okanagan house!

darthVWader
09-26-2013, 08:59 PM
New site up http://www.area27.ca/

Blair Robertsha
10-28-2013, 01:20 PM
M10 power, you need to send your wife to a Porsche dealer and get her to shop for a race ready GT2 or GT3, then....Drumheller will be not only a destination for her but also a place where ....you never know what you may get!

milesmcewing
10-29-2013, 07:05 PM
Hey Blair,

Paul was actually quoting someone else.

If she needed to go shopping I'm sure he would loan her his GT2 to go shopping somewhere...............or maybe the Lotus.

Giddy up!

Sugarphreak
10-30-2013, 12:57 PM
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