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Metro’s own reporter is off to the races – Metro US

Metro’s own reporter is off to the races

With the fate of Race City Speedway hanging in the balance, I decided I would take to the asphalt on an all-day race adventure this weekend.

Strapped into the car donning a helmet, gloves and a fire-retardant race suit, I took to the oval track in a beat up Neon with the #15 — roaring head-to-head against seven much more experienced female drivers in the Powder Puff Race.

A last place finish wasn’t enough to deter me from doing it again. A crowd of friends were also anxious to feel the speed and excitement of roaring around the track.

And they can, unless the motion to extend the lifeline to the race track isn’t extended, according to the president of the Calgary Oval Racing Association, Chris Paavola.

“It gives people a place to test the boundaries of the cars in a safe way, instead of street drag racing,” he said, adding anyone with a learner’s licence and a respect for the rules can race.

Ward 12 Ald. Ric McIver, who has put forward a motion to extend the Race City lease until 2015, agrees.

“These people were racing in a safe and legal environment, and my concern is if that is taken away, will some of them turn to the streets and race illegally?” he said.

The motion goes back to council on Sept. 28.