Honda Indy Edmonton Winners Entries
Race to the Honda Indy Edmonton Stories
Entrants from across Canada shared their memorable Edmonton/Indy moment for the chance to win an ultimate Indy prize package featuring a hair-raising ride in an Indy Pace Car. Check out their stories below:
Checkered Flag Package
David shared his adrenaline-filled Edmonton moment:
I was working as a marshal at Edmonton International Speedway in the early 70s. One day I was working at Turn 1 facing the oncoming cars. The fellow working with me said suddenly my eyes popped wide open as a Formula Ford spun out of control and started heading directly for our marshal station. The station at that corner was a wooden stand about 3 feet off of the ground. The car continued to spin and eventually hit the bank just a few feet past our station with a bump that shook the wooden stand. My job was to wave the "accident flag" until the first car through had come around again. Once each driver has seen the waving flag the marshal is supposed to hold it steady until the track is cleared again for the green flag. I had so much adrenaline flowing I just waved it wildly until drivers started waving back trying to tell me "I've been through before!" Not really a bad event, but it looked pretty spooky for a second.
Open Wheel Packages
Joanna shared her most memorable Edmonton Indy moment:
People in Calgary are always hypothesizing about what makes our water taste so bad. Is it fluoride? Perhaps it is too much sulfate content? It is more likely to be the bitter taste of envy of our northern neighbors. A beautiful river valley and the Oilers (just kidding) may come to mind for some, but for me it has to be the Honda Indy Edmonton race. I was able to attend the race back in 2008 as a birthday gift, and it is still an experience I regularly share two years later. From the exhilarating sounds and smells, to the opportunity to meet childhood favorite Paul Tracy, it was truly an unforgettable day. However, the one moment that left my jaw on the pavement had to be witnessing a pit stop from 15 feet away. If only my car repairs took 10 seconds! So while my fellow Calgarians don their cowboy boots and dig out their big belt buckles in the month of July, I hope to be putting on a helmet and suiting up for another great race in the Capital city.
Marie Fanshaw – Prince George, BC
Marie shared her description of what her Indy experience would be like if she won an Indy prize package:
Much like me…full speed ahead and life in the fast lane for a weekend of fun! There would be nothing like hearing the loud roar of the engines as they race at unimaginable speeds around the track and getting caught up in the world of SPEED!!! To be able to take a pit stop and enjoy the attractions at West Edmonton Mall – well, that would just make it all complete! I would LOVE to catch a glimpse of Franchitti, Patrick or Tracy – just thinking about it has me all revved up! It has been awhile since I have seen the Indy race in person - how cool it would be to go again! And personally – it seems like my whole life has been a race this past year -constantly shifting into overdrive, teaching full time, doing my masters, single mom-ing it with my two boys. It would be nice to sit back and enjoy the INDY experience and escape for just a while – a time to re-fuel before going back to my race :) I know it would be nothing short of spectacular!
Steve told us why he wants to come to Edmonton:
I want to come to Edmonton because since graduating from U of A Engineering in 2006 I haven’t been back to see any of my family members or former classmates. I used to go to the Vancouver Indy annually until it was cancelled and always told myself that I’d find a way out to the Edmonton Indy but just haven’t been able to make the time.
I’ve been racing go karts at an amateur level for 15 years now and am introducing my one and a half year old son to it slowly. He is fascinated by cars and watches races with me. Somewhere along the way he picked up “GO, GO, GO!” and “GO, GO, CAR!” from me. At my kart races he yells “GO GO PAPA” from the fence line. I would love for him to be near to and feel the thunder of professional racing cars at a world class event such as the Edmonton Indy. I hope to be selected so my son and I can experience multiple car races, hundreds of thousands of race fans, and meet the cousins, aunts, and uncles he’s never met.
Fast & Furious Packages
Mike shared his most memorable Edmonton Indy moment:
I was volunteering for Champ Car back in 2005 and was working the driver autograph session, making sure people stayed in line, getting through quickly, etc. It was a hot day, the line was very long and it looked like all of the fans were not going to be able to get through the autograph session. I noticed a kid in a wheelchair and his father, all decked out in racing clothes, looking quite anxious that they were not going to get any autographs.
I went up to them and asked if they would like to come with me and I was able to get Noah to wheel his chair behind the drivers and get to talk to the drivers one-on-one and get all of their autographs. Some of the drivers gave him hats and other souvenirs. I took some pictures and asked the father for his email to send them the pictures. Brent (Noah's father) could barely keep his composure as the tears welled up in his eyes for getting his son a VIP moment with his heroes, the drivers.
Anyway, I emailed him the pictures and ever since that fateful day, I have been able to do something memorable for Noah at every race since. I have gotten him behind-the-scenes meetings with drivers, officials, etc. In 2007, he was made the official fan for the Atlantic series and was treated to a fantastic weekend by the series.
To see a kid get so excited about the Indy is a very satisfying experience, and to be able to make him feel special and "normal" for a few moments is something I will relish for my entire life. Noah's father is a special person and it must be hard to raise a physically disabled child. If I won, I would like to give the Pace Car ride to Brent so his son Noah can see the smile on his dad’s face at the track.
Tracey Urquhart – Edmonton, AB
Tracey shared her adrenaline-filled Edmonton moment:
One full moon lit night on May 15th, 1992 I was 36+ weeks pregnant with our second child. We had travelled to our Wabamun Lake cottage for the long weekend. At 11:30 pm after unpacking, my water broke. Out of town and nervous! Contractions started fast. My husband panicked! His hair stood straight up! He screamed "What do I do, what do I do?" I was the calm one (of course), “Start the car and get me to Edmonton as fast as you can!” He burst out of the cottage with luggage and spooked a skunk which sprayed the car! He helped me into his beloved 1981 BMW 528i. "The car’s a bit smelly," he exclaimed. He had completely wrapped the front seat in garbage bags. Heavens to Betsy something might happen to those seats! We started off for Edmonton, “How fast do you want me to go?” he said. In a word “FAST” It was one Speedy, Slip ’n Slide, Stinky, Hair-Raising ride all the way to Edmonton! He has never driven that fast since. Our lovely daughter Kelly was born that bright night. Born racing! Edmonton is a great place to race kids – I mean raise kids…GO INDY!
Checkered Flag Package: an Indy Pace Car ride, 2 Single-Day Bronze tickets to the Honda Indy Edmonton, 2 return airfares to Edmonton, a 3-night stay at the Fantasyland Hotel, and 2 Edmonton Weekend Fun Passes
Open Wheel Packages: each package contains 1 Indy Pace Car ride, 2 Single-Day Bronze tickets to the Honda Indy Edmonton, a 3-night stay at the Fantasyland Hotel, and 2 Edmonton Weekend Fun passes):
Fast & Furious Packages: each package includes an Indy Pace Car ride, 2 Single-Day Bronze tickets to the Honda Indy Edmonton, and 2 Edmonton Weekend Fun passes
