The popular Edmonton Indy race will not be on the IZOD
IndyCar Series calendar in 2013, after a decision by local promoters Octane Motorsports Events to end their role in staging the event.
Octane said that it had made a business decision based on lower than hoped for attendance at this year's staging of the event at Edmonton City Centre airport, which meant that the race was no longer deemed economically viable.
The City of Edmonton, while expressing sadness about Octane's decision to withdraw, also made it clear it had no intention of stepping into the breach. The announcement added that the city would not be seeking a replacement promoter or take any other steps to hold the event, and so the event will not go ahead in 2013.
"The 2012 Edmonton Indy was a great event both on and off the track. It, like previous races, brought economic benefits and international exposure to Edmonton," said the city's Mayor, Stephen Mandel, in a statement. "We appreciate the contribution of all our partners in making the event a positive experience for both residents and visitors."
"This news is disappointing for the city and race fans," added Mandel. It means the end of the road for the Edmonton Indy after eight years on the calendar, with the first race taking place in 2005 in the Champ Car series.
It's also another big blow and a headache for the IZOD
IndyCar Series organisers, who are trying to pull together a provisional calendar for next year and must do better than the curtailed 15-event season they ended up with in 2012 after the the dropping of the ill-fated Las Vegas Motor Speedway as a venue and the late cancellation of an August race in China.
However,
IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said that the loss of Edmonton from the 2013 calendar had already been prepared for in the series' upcoming plans.
"When we finalised our schedule for the upcoming 2013 season, it unfortunately did not include Edmonton," said Bernard. "We thank the city of Edmonton and all the fans for their support of the event over the last eight years."
"This has not affected our plans for a minimum of 19 races next season," he insisted. "We remain optimistic that we will return to having two races in Canada as early as 2014."