Just Turn Left

Calgary, AB (September 28, 2009) - City Hall gave Race City the green flag for another five years of racing but served noticed that it will be the last laps of racing and the final checkered flag for the historic facility will wave in 2015.

Following yet another closed door session with the city's legal department, a motion to honor the existing lease with Race City Motorsports Inc. introduced by Alderman Rick McIvor was re-worked to simply instructing city administrators to negociate a new lease with Race City based on the original lease but having a fixed term of 2015 without the option to renew.

The motion passed.

A frantic ten days of activity by the motorsports community in Calgary that included a superb show of support at last Friday's Secret Street event at Race City, a cruise through the downtown core on Saturday, seemingly never ending media reports on TV and in print and on the web ended with a clearly agitated Mayor Dave Bronconnier on Sunday declaring the issue was done and that the citizens should move on.

There was plenty of drama at City Hall on Monday as administration tried to strong arm the outcome of the vote with the Mayor demanding an in-camera (closed door) session with the city's legal bullies followed by council members dismantling an outrageous amendment proposed by Alderman Bob Hawkesworth that would have had  Race City pay over $3 million dollars in landfill and waste management upgrades to the property.

In the end, a majority of council acknowledged that a motorsports facility is required in Calgary.

Everyone here at JustTurnleft.ca would like to recognize the efforts of the entire motorsports community during this past year, sincerely thank Rick Francescone of the Motorsport Council of Calgary for his tireless campaign to bring awareness to the issues and lastly to Alderman Rick McIvor, thank you for championing the cause on our behalf.