IndyCar Series’ Edmonton race black flagged for 2011

The IndyCar Series race set for July 24 in Edmonton is dead.

IndyCar officials said the city of Edmonton in Canada changed the deal and expected the race promoter, Montreal-based Octane Racing Group, to pay $2 million to $3 million in paving costs at the race venue. The race was to be held at the Edmonton City Centre Airport.

Terry Angstadt, president of the IRL’s commercial division, who stood up with Octane boss Francois Dumontier and Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel making the much-ballyhooed announcement in July, called the cancellation “a tremendous disappointment.”

Angstadt said the Honda Indy Edmonton, which was raced on a 1.96-mile road course, was successful and well attended for the open-wheel series. He added that it’s likely too late to replace the race on the 2011 schedule. But IRL CEO Randy Bernard said he hasn't given up on the idea of finding a replacement race for Edmonton.

Octane officials were told that Edmonton airport officials decided to keep the west runway on which the race previously has been held open and wanted to move the race to the east runway, which has been closed. The east runway, however, needed substantial upgrades for the race, and Octane declined to pay.

The untimely cancellation reduces the schedule to 16 races and leaves almost a month between races in the heart of the season. Without Edmonton, the IndyCar Series will race in Toronto on July 10 and not again until Aug. 7 in Mid-Ohio.