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NASCAR coming to Wetaskiwin July 29 weekend

Edmonton International raceway’s ‘Luxxor 300’ features Canadian NASCAR circuit
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If you’re a fan of NASCAR, high speed racing, racetrack culture or just a great show in the hot summer weather, you will want to attend Edmonton International Raceway’s Luxxor 300 the weekend of July 29 near Wetaskiwin.

EIR spokesperson Loretta Thiering said the track is eagerly awaiting the July long weekend for one of the biggest events of the year. “July 29 is the big race,” said Thiering at the track July 13.

The Luxxor 300, named after sponsor Bayer’s new herbicide, will be 300 laps of Canadian NASCAR excitement on the Saturday night. The Canadian NASCAR circuit, called the Pinty’s Series, includes teams from Ontario, Quebec, BC and other places who race on official American NASCAR rules and spec. “They’re the big guys,” said Thiering.

She said names like Noel Dowler, and the Admiraal brothers, Ian and Kelly, should be very familiar to anyone with a passing familiarity with the Pinty’s Series.

Thiering said EIR is hoping to see at least 20 NASCAR teams that include veterans of the Daytona 500 and Indy 500. Plus, Canadian Motorsports Hall of Famer Alex Tagliani is also scheduled to appear.

For all the gear heads out there, Thiering said all of the Luxxor 300 teams sport cars that meet all official NASCAR spec. She said they’ve very serious cars driven by very serious drivers.

She said the EIR quarter-mile oval requires even more strategy than a typical NASCAR race that usually includes plans for tires and fuel. But weather also plays a factor, and Alberta’s summer heat could come into play.

She estimated the race could be one and a half hours to two hours long, depending on how many crashes there are.

On Saturday, mini-cups and future stocks will race from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Before the race all the NASCAR teams will have their drivers and cars on the straightaway from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a meet and greet autograph session. Fans can get their photos taken with the NASCAR teams, and get a close-up look at the technology.

That’s not all that’s going on that weekend though. There will be other promotions that week leading up to the race, mini-cups and future stocks racing Friday, July 28 on the oval, Tagliani will be doing a meet and greet at the Wyndham Hotel in Nisku, EIR will be in the K-Days parade and more.

The raceway, located only a couple of kilometers west of Montgomery Glens golf course, is fully licensed, has a full concession and souvenirs. Thiering reminded race-goers to dress for the weather: hats, tanning lotion, bug spray and everything else you need for a hot Wetaskiwin night.

Kids 10 and under get in half-price, and a free shuttle service runs from the Wetaskiwin rodeo grounds, so guests don’t even need to worry about parking. On-site parking is available for a fee. There is no overnight parking at EIR.

Thiering said if you’ve never experienced the thrill of NASCAR, two dozen cars all jostling for position on a quarter-mile track, now’s the time. “It’s NASCAR in your backyard,” she said, adding on this track, technology takes a backseat to driver skill. “You can’t get anything closer in your own backyard.”

Tickets are available online at www.edmontonraceway.com, or at the Best Western Hotel in Wetaskiwin.