From left: Bill Drossos, president of Area 27; Jacques Villeneuve, racing car driver; and Trevor Siebert, owner of Lake Excavating, attended the grand opening of the Area 27 racetrack on Saturday. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

The builder of Area 27 admits that he was initially skeptical about the dream to bring a motorsports club to the South Okanagan.

But once he saw how serious the founders were, those doubts vanished like a super fast car.

“It was a crazy idea from a crazy guy (namely president Bill Drossos),” said Trevor Seibert at last Saturday’s grand opening and media launch of Area 27.

Seibert, owner of Lake Excavating, stood beside Drossos and Canadian race car driving legend Jacques Villeneuve while addressing the media prior to the ribbon cutting, which featured the three men literally cutting a giant ribbon with their sports cars worth more than $5 million combined.

Seibert, who also races cars, said he was skeptical at first about how successful a racetrack would be on a piece of land between Oliver and Osoyoos.

“A lot of people try to do this … one guy building a racetrack does not work, but 300 members (does).”

Drossos said he envisioned the track five years ago on his way down from skiing at Mount Baldy. He then met Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie (who loves Indian motorcycles) to discuss the location, which was basically a field consisting of corn, hay and weeds.

Drossos knew that the only way this dream could happen was if he assembled a super team.

So the first guy he called was Villeneuve, who always wanted to design a racetrack. The second guy he called was Seibert, and the team was born.

Once they started working, it took only three years to introduce the first cars to the track, thanks to investors and the 250 members who signed up, leaving only 50 memberships up for grabs.

Villeneuve admitted that he wondered what Drossos was on when the president asked him to design the track.

“Every time I came here the dream became more real . . . I drove (the track) for the first time yesterday, and it was better than I expected.”

In designing the track, Villeneuve explained that you need corners where your car can make a difference and surprise you.

He noted it was easier to design the track on this location because the land basically designed the track by itself.

Villeneuve said the best racing comes with high-speed corners that are flat, but he noted the importance of designing sections that allow drivers to breathe.

However, Villeneuve admitted that this track is tough to achieve really fast speeds, but it’s a fun track, he noted.

This is what he likes about Area 27 compared to other tracks – it’s more fun to drive.

Seibert said Villeneuve wanted a track that gives you the feeling of going somewhere, where you can relax.

A lot of tracks are not fun to drive on because you’re too busy navigating them, he said.

Villeneuve agreed, saying he has exited cars and felt like he didn’t enjoy himself. But that’s not the case here where Area 27 boasts elevation changes and blind corners.

“If you botch a lap, you still feel good about it,” Seibert said.

Drossos was asked to list the benefits that Area 27 brings to the South Okanagan – a very easy question for the co-founder.

He noted that people are buying vacation homes here, adding there are at least $500,000 in hotel bookings this year.

He also said members are buying $4,000 worth of fuel, food and beverages during every extended visit to the South Okanagan.

Seibert estimated that more than 70 per cent of Osoyoos Indian Band labour has been used to build the track, referring to cement and concrete work.

That put a smile on Chief Louie’s face.

“When was the last time you saw a $1 million car hanging around Oliver?” Louie asked.

Ruffling the hair of a nearby youth, the chief pointed out that Area 27 is a good place for young people to get involved.

Louie also made special mention of former race car drivers Richard Baptiste and Paul Louie George, who used to tear up area tracks.

Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes said it is unbelievable to have Area 27 in our backyard.

“This is a game changer for the Okanagan,” said Hovanes, who added he’ll own a Lamborghini in his “next life.”

Seibert updated the media on what’s coming next. He said a two-storey administration building is in the works, as well as a maintenance shop and garages. A karting track is also coming, in addition to a clubhouse.

This would all take a few years.

The grand opening on Saturday featured media hot laps, where members of the press were given hair-raising rides in several supercars.

This editor was taken for a spin by driver Ben Hsu in a $200,000 Dodge Viper ACR that boasted 645 horsepower. It was truly unforgettable and admittedly a little scary going around those corners.

Later in the afternoon, vintage car owners from the Cactus Jalopies show in Osoyoos were invited to take part in a parade lap at Area 27. After a day of sitting in Gyro Park, classic car owners let loose on the track and felt young again.

LYONEL DOHERTY

Special to the Times

The grand opening of Area 27 in Oliver last Saturday saw some of the fastest and most beautiful cars in North America, including this Lucra driven by Gord Lindsay, a founding member of the local motorsports club. Lindsay gives the thumbs up as he prepares to do laps. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

Everyone has something in common at Area 27 — fun and fast cars (and bikes). Last Saturday’s grand opening attracted hundreds of people who couldn’t get enough of the place. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

Classic car owners from the Cactus Jalopies show in Osoyoos last weekend were thrilled to have the opportunity to do a lap at the Area 27 racetrack in Oliver. Here, a 1932 Ford hot rod begins its lap. (Lyonel Doherty photo)