The 2016 race season preparations at Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin have already started

Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Edmonton International Raceway (EIR)

Statement from Wetaskiwin Stock Car Club:

Wetaskiwin, Alberta September 28, 2015

The 2016 race season preparations at Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin have already started.

Less than 24 hours after the trophies for the last 2015 race were handed out, work began in preparation of the 2016 race season. The work to install the rumoured extra 3,000 seats is on. “We were fortunate to obtain these bleachers from the lendary track in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina”, says Ron Thiering, the track racing operator. Continuing; “The Myrtle Beach track has had pretty much everybody in the NASCAR who is who racing there, so these seats have some pedigree. And we intend to keep that image alive”.

The new seating will go up around turn four, in the North East corner of the track. This will bring total seating up to about 4,500 permanent seats. It will also allow the track to fully promote major events, like the NASCAR Canadian Series race.

“An additional benefit is that these seats will act as a sound barrier to dampen the sound leaving the track. Once the seating is up, there will also be a 20 foot high wall as additional sound barrier and wind break behind the seating”, says Alar Aksberg, President of the Wetaskiwin Stock Car Club.

The tracks long-term intent is to create a major motorsports entertainment venue. The 2014 repaving is near perfect. Some of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series racers agree that EIR may have the smoothest racing surface in Canada. There are plans in effect for further development to be finished by the tracks 50:th anniversary in 2017.

Alar Aksberg, President, Wetaskiwin Stock Car Club

Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Edmonton International Raceway (EIR)