Edmonton International Speedway

{{For|the present day oval race track near Wetaskiwin|Edmonton International Raceway}}

{{Motorsport venue|

| Name = Edmonton International Speedway

| Image = File:Can-Am Edmonton 1973.jpg

| caption = September 1973 Can-Am race

| Location = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

| Opened = 1966

| Closed = 1982

| Demolished = 1982

| Coordinates = {{coord|53.607|-113.557|display=inline,title}}

| Former_names = Speedway Park

| Events = Can-Am, Formula Atlantic, Formula 1600, Formula 5000, Trans-Am, NHRA

| Capacity = 30,000

| Layout1 = Road course (1966-1982)

| Length_km = 4.067

| Length_mi = 2.527

| Turns = 14

| Record_time = 1:20.403

| Record_driver = {{flagicon|USA}} Mark Donohue

| Record_car = Porsche 917/30 TC

| Record_year = 1973

| Record_class = Group 7

| Layout2 = Short oval

| Length_km2 = 0.4

| Length_mi2 = {{frac|1|4}}

| Layout3 = Dragstrip

| Length_km3 = 0.4

| Length_mi3 = {{frac|1|4}}

}}

Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, was a {{convert|251|acre|km2|adj=on}} multi-track auto racing facility located in the present Cumberland and Hudson neighbourhoods{{cite web|url=http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/Hudson_NSP_Consolidation.pdf |title=Hudson Neighborhood Structure Plan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616145956/http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/Hudson_NSP_Consolidation.pdf |publisher=Planning and Policy Services Branch, Planning and Development Department, City of Edmonton |archive-date=June 16, 2011 |page=8 |date=September 2007 |access-date=September 24, 2016 |url-status=dead }} of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The facility featured a {{convert|1/4|mi|m|adj=on}} dragstrip, a {{convert|2.53|mi|km|adj=on}} 14-turn road course, and a {{frac|1|4}}-mile short oval. At its peak, it had capacity for over 30,000 fans.

History

In the late 1940s, the dirt-surfaced Breckenridge Oval opened on the site. In 1952, the oval was shortened and paved as a {{frac|1|4}}-mile asphalt oval, and the 8,000-seat facility was renamed Speedway Park.

File:Formula A race at the Edmonton International Speedway (36662770271).jpg

In 1967, the {{frac|1|4}}-mile drag strip opened and had a full length of {{convert|4350|ft|m}}. In 1968, the road course opened in time for the first Can-Am race. Over the years, the facility also hosted Formula Atlantic, Formula 1600, Formula 5000, Trans-Am, as well as NHRA-sanctioned drag racing.

Qualico Developments was the land owner in the latter years. The track closed in 1982, after the area was annexed by the City of Edmonton. Qualico then converted the land to housing. Edmonton would be without any form of professional racing until Capital City Raceway Park opened in 1991.

In popular culture

David Cronenberg's movie, Fast Company (1979), was primarily filmed at Edmonton International Speedway.

Major Series

=Can-Am=

The thunderous Can-Am series raced in Edmonton from 1968-1973, where the race was known as the Klondike 200, and the primary sponsor was Molson Brewery.
Denny Hulme won all four races from 1968 to 1971, while Mark Donohue won the 1972 and 1973 races driving a Porsche 917 for Roger Penske.
Other well-known Can-Am drivers that raced at EIS included Bruce McLaren, Jackie Stewart, Peter Revson, Jacky Ickx, and Danny Sullivan.

=Formula 5000=

The Canadian Road Racing Championship raced F5000 cars twice at EIS:
June 22, 1969 (Winner: Eppie Wietzes, Lola)
June 14, 1970 (Winner: Eppie Wietzes, McLaren)
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) raced F5000 cars three times at EIS:
May 24, 1970 (Winner: Ron Grable, Lola)
August 1, 1971 (Winner: David Hobbs, McLaren)
June 4, 1972 (Winner: David Hobbs, Lola)
When the SCCA put full-bodies on F5000 cars and called them Can Am cars, this series raced once at EIS:
August 16, 1981 (Winner: Geoff Brabham, VDS)

File:Villeneuve & Rosberg Formula Atlantic EIS 1977.jpg

=Formula Atlantic=

Formula Atlantic was originally called Formula B, and as FB it raced in Edmonton three times:
June 20, 1971 (Winner: Jacques Couture, Lotus)
June 25, 1972 (Winner: Ric Forrest, March)
July 3, 1973 (Winner: Alan Lader)
The speedway brought in the Formula Atlantic series from 1974–1977, and again in 1981:
June 2, 1974 (Winner: Bill Brack, Lotus)
May 24, 1975 (Winner: Bertil Roos, March)
May 16, 1976 (Winner: Gilles Villeneuve, March)
July 3, 1977 (Winner: Gilles Villeneuve, March)
August 15, 1981 (Winner: Tim Coconis, Ralt)
Other well-known Atlantic drivers that raced at EIS include Bobby Rahal, Keke Rosberg, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Kevin Cogan, and Howdy Holmes.

=Trans-Am=

The SCCA's Trans-Am series raced at EIS twice:
June 20, 1971 (Winner: Mark Donohue, AMC Javelin)
August 19, 1973 (Winner: John Greenwood, Chevrolet Corvette)

Lap records

The fastest official race lap records at Edmonton International Speedway are listed as:

colspan=5 \| Road Course: 4.067 km (1966–1982)
class="wikitable" !Category!!Time!!Driver!!Vehicle!!Date
Group 7	1:20.403{{cite web\|url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Edmonton-1973-09-16.html\|title=Can-Am Edmonton 1973\|access-date=31 May 2022}}	Mark Donohue	Porsche 917/30 TC	1973 Molson Cup Can-Am
Can-Am	1:22.106{{cite web\|url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Edmonton-1981-08-16.html\|title=Can-Am Edmonton 1981\|access-date=16 October 2022}}	Teo Fabi	March 817	1981 Letheridge Brewery Can-Am Edmonton
F5000	1:23.900{{cite web\|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1972-edmonton-f5000/\|title=1972 Edmonton F5000\|access-date=16 October 2022}}	Brett Lunger	Lola T300	1972 Player's Continental
Trans-Am (TO)	1:35.869{{cite web\|url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Edmonton-1973-08-19.html\|title=Trans-Am Edmonton 1973\|access-date=31 May 2022}}	John Greenwood	Chevrolet Corvette	1973 Edmonton Trans-Am round
Trans-Am (TU)	1:47.400{{cite web\|url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Edmonton-1971-06-20-18567.html\|title=Trans-Am Edmonton [Two-Five] 1971\|access-date=31 May 2022}}	John Morton	Datsun 510	1971 Edmonton Trans-Am round
Group 5	1:49.100{{cite web\|url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Edmonton-1968-07-28-27918.html\|title=Edmonton [Main] 1968\|access-date=31 May 2022}}	Bob Stevens	Chevrolet Camaro	1968 Edmonton Main Race
Sports car	1:53.000{{cite web\|url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Edmonton-1968-07-28-27915.html\|title=Preliminary Edmonton [ASR+BSR+CSR+FL+AP+BP+CP+DP+EP] 1968\|access-date=30 May 2022\|website=RacingSportsCars.com}}	Mike Atkin	Merlyn-Ford	1968 Edmonton Preliminary
Group 3	1:58.700{{cite web\|url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Edmonton-1968-07-28-27916.html\|title=Edmonton [Production] 1968\|access-date=31 May 2022}}{{cite web\|url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Edmonton-1968-07-28-27917.html\|title=Consolation Edmonton 1968\|access-date=31 May 2022}}	Bruce Berry Jake Rempel	Lotus Elan Sunbeam Tiger	1968 Edmonton Production race (identical lap times)