Honda Canada to sponsor Edmonton Indy car race

Honda Canada is now the sponsor of two Indy car races in Canada, not just one.

At a media conference today in Edmonton, Honda Canada executive vice-president Jerry Chenkin announced that his company would sponsor this year’s Indy Edmonton and that the arrangement would be for more than one year.

Honda, of course, sponsored the Toronto Indy last year when big-league open-wheel racing returned to the Canadian National Exhibition grounds following a one-year absence. The company will continue as title sponsor of the Toronto event this year and again in 2011.

The announcement in Edmonton was made by Chenkin, Ken Knowles of race promoter Northlands and Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel

Said Chenkin: “We will be working closely with Northlands and the event sponsors to ensure the Honda Indy Edmonton remains as the largest motorsports event in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest for this year and beyond.”

The Edmonton Indy has had several title sponsors over the years. The first race, in 2005, was sponsored by the West Edmonton Mall. The Brick was then title sponsor for a year, followed by Rexall-Pharma Plus.

The Honda Edmonton Indy will be held July 23-25, a week after the Honda Indy Toronto (July 16-18). As well as a big deal in both big cities, the week between is an unofficial racing event for the truck drivers employed by teams in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

When the racing drivers get out of the cars in Toronto on July 18, the cross-continent race to be the first team truck to Edmonton will start.

The prize? Bragging rights only, of course.

Comments

[bob loblaw]

Nice of Honda to do this, but this series is a mere shadow of its former self. They are even going to trott out PT for his annual Canadian showing.

Series has no real colour and good drivers are on the sidelines while the liks of Milka Whats-her-face steam up the track.

I cant see how the series will last more than a couple of yrs

[David White]

What is neded is a couple of younger Canadian shoes to cheer for.