A race track is long overdue for the city of Calgary.
We, as a city, have been deprived of the spectacle of motorsport since 2011. When Race City was shut down, enthusiasts in and around Calgary were filled with heartbreak. The closest tracks were hours away and not ideal for a quick evening of track time. Tracks like Area27, RAD Torque and Strawberry Creek all took on the burden of Calgary's insatiable car fanatics. Unfortunately, so did the streets of Calgary. Dangerous racing exploded onto public roads and gave Calgarys car scene a bad reputation.
Now, after 11 years, we finally have a world class race track in our back yard.
Rocky Mountain Motorsports park is a 3.5km long circuit designed by TILKE Gmbh & Co out of Germany. If that name seems familiar, it should. They have also designed the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi and COTA in Texas. It features 36 meters of elevation change, several different track configurations and only 20 minutes from the city. Calgary finally has a place where speed junkies can test their limits.
Turn 17 Garage - The ultimate track car brought to Canada
The Rush SR is a single seater track car designed by RUSH Auto Works out of Houston, Texas. These cars feature a 1000cc engine that put 145HP to the rear wheels. 0-60 is completed in a blistering 3.3 seconds and they top out at 152MPH (244KPH). All of this is wrapped up in an open top, beautiful single seater weighing 935lbs (dry weight). That means that the RUSH SR has a power to weight ratio similar to a Porsche GT3 Cup car...
Turn 17 Garage, located right at Rocky Mountain Motorsports park, is western Canada's importer for these wicked cars. They had their inaugural race inviting several classes to compete on the brand new track north of Calgary.
The level of dedication and service that Turn 17 has for these cars and the drivers was amazing to see. A team of techs would go over each vehicle once they pit, making sure they were ready to go for the next session. The only thing I could compare it to is when you buy a multi million dollar track car that comes with its own personal team, like an Aston Martin Vulcan.
Founded in late 2017, RUSH Auto Works is by no means a veteran in the track car world. That being said, with the right team of people and a passion that is clearly visible, they have created an outstanding machine. With its affordability and performance, It's only a matter of time until you see an entire series dedicated to RUSH Auto Works.
Check out Turn 17 Garage and RUSH Auto Works for more information on these unique racers. Also check out Rocky Mountain Motorsports for membership opportunities and track days!
