City council expected to make final decision today on potential race-saving deal
Will the Edmonton Indy make a comeback?
The answer may come down today as the Edmonton City Council is expected to make their choice on supporting a new deal that could save the IZOD IndyCar Series event at City Center Airport. Earlier this month, the event was cancelled after the City and promoter Octane Racing Group were unable to decide on who would cover the additional costs of moving the race course from CCA’s west side to the east side.
The original deal has the City paying Octane $5.5 million in sponsorship money over a three-year span, as well as another $1.5 million in service fees (police, fire, transit). Octane was set to take over promotion of the race from Northlands prior to the event’s cancellation.
But if the Edmonton Indy is going to survive, it may not be getting help from the Canadian government. An article written Tuesday by the Edmonton Sun’s Frank Landry had some politicians in Ottawa being iffy about that possibility, mentioning that events such as the Indy should be self-sustaining after a few years of federal funding.
