Skip to main content

Calgary councillor wants city to explore designated racing areas to curb illegal street racing

Share

In an attempt to slow down the issue of illegal street races on city streets, one Calgary councillor wants to explore creating temporary venues to allow supervised racing.

Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot has put forth a motion to have city administration look into implementing temporary road closures to allow for street racing. The motion says officials should consider having police, bylaw, EMS and firefighters on location during events to ensure safety.

"Since the closing of Race City Speedway, new drivers have been seeking an outlet to test out their vehicles," the motion reads.

"Young people who are very mechanically motivated and inclined have been enhancing their vehicles and seeking areas to test their enhancement and improvement to their vehicles compared to those made by others," reads the motion, which will go to the executive committee on Tuesday morning.

Chabot's motion lists a number of problem areas that are prone to illegal street racing, including Rundlehorn Drive, Temple Drive, 52nd Street, 16th Avenue and Memorial Drive.

Calgary police regularly issue warnings to drivers about illegal street races and the serious consequences the races can have. An operation aimed at cracking down on illegal racing was launched by CPS in 2019 and hundreds of tickets have been handed out since.

Race City Speedway closed a decade ago leaving drivers few places in Alberta to test out their cars, but a new race track is set to open next year near Calgary.

The $35-million Rocky Mountain Motosports (RMM) track near Carstairs, 65 kilometres north of Calgary, will welcome professional and amateur drivers in the spring.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Stay Connected