Perhaps none of the area paving companies will kick in the asphalt for free, or else somebody in Edmonton read Frank Lowe's suggestion published here yesterday that to keep the Edmonton Indy going they should run it backwards a week later in Toronto.
In any event, the Edmonton Indy – as I suggested - is not dead. Yet.
The Edmonton Journal is reporting today that Edmonton city council has decided the race is worth keeping and to start negotiating with Octane Management of Montreal to get the event back on the 2011 IndyCar schedule.
Here is the Journal's report:
"Edmonton city council is fighting to keep the Indy alive.
"In a meeting Tuesday night, council put forward a motion instructing city administration to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to restart the Indy’s engine.
“ 'It instructed the administration to talk to Octane and negotiate as vigorously as possible to allow the Indy to continue,' said Bryan Anderson, Ward 9 councillor.
"The fate of the event has looked grim since negotiations between the city and Octane Racing Group turned sour in late October.
"In July, council approved $5.5 million in funding for the Indy over the next three years, as well as $1.5 million in transit and emergency services.
"However, the two sides couldn’t agree on how to cover an additional $3 million in costs, which arose from the need to move the race to the east side of the City Centre Airport.”
The race is just not important to the city, but to the IZOD IndyCar Series, the sponsor, Honda Canada, and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, which counts on the Edmonton Indy as being its signature event in Western Canada.
Cross fingers they find a compromise.
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