Area 27 Motorsports Club will feature a driving academy and high-performance go-karts for the general public. The multi-million dollar facility southeast of Oliver is slated for construction this year if all goes according to plan. Photo contributed
There won’t be anything secret or alien about Area 27 near Oliver, but the one thing it will have is beautiful, fast cars.
But really, it’s more than that, said Bill Drossos, president of the South Okanagan Motorsports Corporation, the company bringing this huge venture to fruition.
Drossos, the co-founder of the corporation, along with racing legend Jacques Villeneuve, recently celebrated a milestone in completing the designation process with the Osoyoos Indian Band. The multi-million dollar motorsports club will be located on band land – on a bench southeast of Oliver off NK-Mip Road.
The corporation has jointly achieved final approval for the 277-acre site for a period of 110 years.
Drossos said they are working on a lease with the federal government and finalizing the engineering of the five-kilometre (three-mile) track with 16 corners.
Drossos said Area 27 is really three things. First, it’s a country club for car enthusiasts, who will be able to truly experience what their sports cars can do without getting into trouble (and without the speeding tickets).
The second aspect that Area 27 will focus on is the driving academy, a place of learning, Drossos pointed out.
It will also be a corporate entertainment facility, where car companies and dealerships can train their sales teams.
The third aspect is probably the most exciting one for the general public. Drossos said they will host special events throughout the year, such as car shows and races.
Of significant interest will be a go-kart track, where members of the public can drive high-performance karts for about $25 (that will get you a helmet, suit and approximately 15 minutes of driving time).
“It really lowers the barrier for motorsports . . . it brings it down to where the kids and adults can enjoy. These karts go two Gs around corners and 70 mph; a lot of people are excited about that.”
Drossos said they hope to start construction this spring, possibly in March.
He believes the venture will have a huge impact on Oliver, Osoyoos and the South Okanagan.
He recalled when the corporation officially announced the proposal at Spirit Ridge in Osoyoos in 2013. One member visited a local winery and bought out the entire Riesling stock for the year.
Drossos said Area 27 will definitely have an impact on the local real estate and tourism markets.
“It’s a big plus and will help build a case for a hotel in Oliver . . . we see it as the perfect fit.”
Drossos said they chose the bench location so it will have little or no impact on the neighbours. “You don’t hear anything when you’re below it.”
Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie said the land in question has been used to grow hay and corn since the 1980s.
“It (Area 27) is a huge improvement over what the land has been used for during the past 35 years. Hay fields and corn fields don’t bring in tourists, and they don’t have any spin-offs.”
Louie said the motorsports club will create many jobs and provide a boost to the community by attracting a whole different class of business people to the area. This may result in some new business networking opportunities, he pointed out.
“Some people have the old mindset that Oliver doesn’t need to grow, but I disagree with that,” Louie said.
The chief said he can see the motorsports venture having a positive impact on local schools in terms of increased students enrolment.
Oliver Mayor Mayor Ron Hovanes said the motorsports club sounds very exciting.
“My understanding is that it can turn out to be a huge attraction to our area. It should benefit everyone. Another great accomplishment for the band. Great job!”
Villeneuve and Drossos met at the Spenard Racing school early on in their racing careers. Drossos attended the famed Monaco Grand Prix in 1988 as a guest of the Villeneuve family and from 1989 to 1993 Villeneuve enjoyed a week or two of August in the South Okanagan.
It was during those early days at the race track in Shannonville Ontario that Drossos thought to himself that it would be great if the Okanagan could have a race track.
Drossos, an avid skier, discovered a suitable piece of land for a track after returning from skiing at Mount Baldy. Further inquiries revealed that the site was on Osoyoos Indian Band land and that Chief Louie was open to reviewing the proposal.
Drossos contacted his old friend (Villeneuve) and asked him if he ever wanted to design a race track. Hell, ya!
The two went on to form the corporation with the intention of building Canada’s first country club resort-style motorsport facility.
Motorsport country clubs are popular in the US, but the concept is relatively new in Canada.
Drossos said the capabilities of the modern sports car mean that it’s no longer acceptable to utilize even a fraction of the cars’ potential on public motorways. Hence the idea for Area 27.
It is expected that a strong membership base will support businesses and infrastructure already in place in the South Okanagan.
After viewing the site, Villeneuve said there is tremendous potential to build a truly spectacular circuit here. He noted the surrounding area and climate are better than most of the stops on the Formula 1 circuit.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
