The Penticton Speedway has new owners.
The Aantjes family owned the track for almost 24 years and the vision for the future is for the property to remain a racetrack for years to come, said Johnny Aantjes, the current owner and president of the Penticton Speedway.
An investment group led by Trevor and Ingo Seibert of Avion Developments have entered into the final stage of an agreement to purchase the Penticton Speedway. There are still some remaining due diligence items to complete prior to closing the agreement with current ownership.
“There is a potential purchase of Penticton Speedway pending. The condition of the property remaining as a functioning Speedway is a top priority for the sale. This transaction will help maintain racing at a higher level for many years to come,” said Aantjes.
The new potential owners are 3rd generation racers. The lead partner, Trevor Seibert, is the co-designer, engineer, constructor and founding partner of Area 27. Area 27 is a high-performance motorsports park five minutes east of Oliver.
This group knows motorsports, has a deep history in it, and are clearly committed to the South Okanagan, said Aantjes.
“It’s not a done deal yet, but we are extremely happy that racing will continue to be a part of family entertainment in Penticton for years to come,” said Aantjes. “We are really proud of what we’ve done at the Speedway. We’ve had a lot of people try to buy here but our criteria has always been that it had to remain a racetrack.”
“We are very excited about the potential the Penticton Speedway has when combined with the team at Avion Motorsports. We will continue to serve the existing fans and various racing groups while at the same time investing into facility improvements and expanding the venue offerings,” said Trevor Seibert, who is also the CEO of Avion Developments. “As we complete the due diligence, Avion and its team will provide more information regarding the future plans.”
The Penticton Speedway Foundation and all its charitable elements will continue, said Jasmine Aantjes.
Johnny Aantjes will now focus on a new project, the Osoyoos Desert Park racetrack.
“We’ve been working with Desert Park and we think it’s an amazing facility that needs a new direction.”
Plus, the horse track fits nicely with their Feedways which are now in Penticton and Oliver and soon to be in Keremeos.
Aantjes said he envisions reviving horse racing there and bringing 4H kids programs there too.
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