Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie and Area 27 president Bill Drossos put the first shovel in the ground during last week’s ground-breaking ceremony on site off Nk’Mip Road near Oliver. At left is Trevor Seibert, the veteran race car driver who is building the five-kilometre track. (Lyonel Doherty photo)
Many of the founding members of Area 27 grew up racing slot cars on plastic tracks. But they never thought they’d be breaking ground on a real one in small town Oliver.
Dozens of supporters of South Okanagan Motorsports Corporation witnessed just that at the track site off Nk’Mip Road last Wednesday.
“This is a real global showcase . . . we’re making history here,” said Area 27 corporate member Jai Zachary from Summerland.
Zachary, president of a clean energy company called ElectroMotion, was one of many new members who attended the event.
“I can’t wait to get on the track and let it out, and not have to worry about getting (speeding) tickets on the highway,” he said.
The five-kilometre track is being built on 227 acres of First Nations land owned by the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB). Funded by private memberships, the facility will feature a clubhouse, on-site accommodation, a driving academy and a go-kart centre for the public.
“This project will impact the entire Okanagan and B.C. … and it will impact all of Canada, hopefully,” said OIB Chief Clarence Louie.
Area 27 president and co-founder Bill Drossos from Penticton recalled watching Formula 1 racing on television and asking his dad why there was no track in B.C.
Fast forward a few years, Drossos went to racing school and met Canadian motorsport legend Jacques Villeneuve.
“My dream for a track in B.C. never died,” Drossos said.
Three years ago he was driving back from Mount Baldy ski hill when he saw a piece of land that he thought would make a great track. After speaking to Sam and Tony Baptiste, he met Chief Louie.
“Clarence said, ‘how much are you gonna pay me,’”
The crowd of people standing in the snow-covered dirt broke out in laughter, and Louie immediately shook his head and said, “Not me!”
Drossos admitted that Louie was initially skeptical about the plan, unsure if anyone would show up and support it.
But after Villeneuve said he would design the track, and race car driver Trevor Seibert would build it, the skepticism quickly faded.
“I think we have all become believers,” said Seibert of Lake Excavating Ltd. “Pushing dirt . . . it’s really going to happen.”
Seibert said he’s so glad that Drossos had the perseverance to chase down all the memberships.
Drossos returned the compliment by saying “there is no other builder in North America that has as much racing experience as Trevor.”
Seibert has been racing for 30 years, getting his start at the Williams Lake oval track.
He later raced with Villeneuve in the Formula Atlantic series, and now has a Canadian NASCAR team.
The Chronicle asked Seibert what the secret was to winning a race.
“If you’re going to be first, it has to be in your head. You actually have to feel it. Ninety per cent of it is mental.”
He was then asked how many speeding tickets he gets.
“I get the odd one, but I’m a fairly sedate driver on the road (because I save the racing for the track),” Seibert said.
The driver admitted that he has had some “bad crashes” in his career, but he’s hoping that what people learn at Area 27 might save their lives on the road some day.
Seibert said the majority of the track construction will begin in February and the plan is to have rubber meet road in August.
Villeneuve was absent at the ground-breaking ceremony, but Seibert said the track design will feature some natural elements as opposed to the traditional “ruler and compass” (linear) design.
“There will be a good mix of technical and high speed, but we have to keep it safe because there will be a lot of novice (drivers) and beginners,” Seibert pointed out.
The veteran driver said Area 27 will put Oliver on the map.
“People are always talking about Kelowna and Penticton, but not Oliver (now they will).”
Zachary has plans to use his combined heat and power technology (called Revolution) to build an environmentally friendly race car.
“I’m trying to keep it under wraps what I’m going to have for a track car. It’s top secret, you know, but I can promise it will be unique, fast, high tech and very cool . . . clean and green and a blast to drive!”
Zachary hinted that the car would be powered by free and renewable electricity.
Meanwhile, the push to attract more members is expected to continue over the winter months.
LYONEL DOHERTY
Special to the Times
