Andrew Longman
02-19-07, 02:30 PM
Sound like an ideal weekend for me... but not this year. I have a family reunion that weekend.
http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story/?ID=196189&hubname=auto_racing
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL A CHAMP CAR PARTNER
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Canadian Press - 2/14/2007 5:36:40 PM
MONTREAL (CP) - The Champ Car race that flopped in Montreal hopes to have a new look in Mont-Tremblant, Que. - led by the Cirque du Soleil.
The renowned circus company has become a partner with promoter Normand Legault and race track owner Lawrence Stroll in presenting the Mont-Tremblant race on Canada Day weekend June 29 to July 1.
The presence of Cirque performers along with the racing at the resort town about a two-hour drive north of Montreal may be what sets it apart from the event that was held before ever-dwindling crowds for the past five years.
"What we needed to do was find a place that could accommodate Champ Car from the sporting side and the fans and where we could create an event that had it's own personality," Legault said Wednesday.
"The Cirque complement will make it a totally different event. It's not the Montreal event moved to Tremblant, it's totally new."
Daniel Lamarre, the Cirque's president and chief operating officer, sees it as a springboard to launch a new division specializing in performances at sports events.
The Cirque has had successful shows recently at the Super Bowl and at car launches in Europe for McLaren and Fiat.
"Maybe two years from now, the Cirque will be active at many sports events around the world," said Lamarre.
Cirque founder Guy Laliberte is a huge motor racing fan whose annual party, packed with film stars and other celebrities and off-limits to the media, is considered a highlight of Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
The Champ Cars were chased from Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal when Legault opted to bring in a NASCAR Busch Series event this summer.
He already staged the Canadian Grand Prix Formula One race on the municipal track and the city allows only two race weekends per year.
While Champ Car fought the decision and even filed a lawsuit, in the end the two sides made up and Legault agreed to promote the race in Mont-Tremblant.
While Montreal was held in late August, Tremblant will start a series of three straight races in Canada, followed July 8 in Toronto and July 22 in Edmonton.
Paul Gentilozzi, a co-owner of the Champ Car series, said the Canadian swing will become a mini-series within the 16-race schedule with extra prize money of its own. He said details would be announced in coming weeks. Racing at Mont-Tremblant has a long history.
Mario Andretti won IndyCar events there in 1967 and 1968, while F1 races were won by Denny Hulme's McLaren in 1968 and Jack Ickx's Ferrari in 1970 before the bumpy track was deemed inadequate for high-level racing.
It got a major overhaul in 2004 after it was purchased by Stroll. Legault said further investments were planned to improve safety and other aspects of the 4.26-kilometre road circuit.
Gentilozzi, who owns the Rocketsports team with Canadian Alex Tagliani as his driver, said that while seating capacity will be limited at Tremblant, the picturesque mountain setting may be a hit with sponsors and television viewers.
In Montreal, the Champ Cars compared unfavourably with the more sophisticated F1 machines.
F1 draws more than 300,000 each year for three days of racing, while the last Champ Car weekend drew an announced attendance of 110,000.
Legault hopes moving to Tremblant will give it the same boost the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League got when they moved from cavernous Olympic Stadium to cozy 20,000-seat Percival Molson Stadium in 1999.
"Once they moved, it was full and there was quite an atmosphere," he said. "To me, it really was the revival of the Alouettes.
"I'm quite confident the same thing will happen with Champ Car."
It will make for a busy motor racing schedule for the region this summer, with F1 on June 10 and NASCAR Busch on Aug. 4.
Champ Car hopes to attract fans from the many families who vacation in the Laurentians region in the summer and draw from both Montreal and Ottawa/Gatineau, which are about equal distance.
None expect huge crowds to start - perhaps 25,000. But all expect it grow.
http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story/?ID=196189&hubname=auto_racing
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL A CHAMP CAR PARTNER
------------------------------------
Canadian Press - 2/14/2007 5:36:40 PM
MONTREAL (CP) - The Champ Car race that flopped in Montreal hopes to have a new look in Mont-Tremblant, Que. - led by the Cirque du Soleil.
The renowned circus company has become a partner with promoter Normand Legault and race track owner Lawrence Stroll in presenting the Mont-Tremblant race on Canada Day weekend June 29 to July 1.
The presence of Cirque performers along with the racing at the resort town about a two-hour drive north of Montreal may be what sets it apart from the event that was held before ever-dwindling crowds for the past five years.
"What we needed to do was find a place that could accommodate Champ Car from the sporting side and the fans and where we could create an event that had it's own personality," Legault said Wednesday.
"The Cirque complement will make it a totally different event. It's not the Montreal event moved to Tremblant, it's totally new."
Daniel Lamarre, the Cirque's president and chief operating officer, sees it as a springboard to launch a new division specializing in performances at sports events.
The Cirque has had successful shows recently at the Super Bowl and at car launches in Europe for McLaren and Fiat.
"Maybe two years from now, the Cirque will be active at many sports events around the world," said Lamarre.
Cirque founder Guy Laliberte is a huge motor racing fan whose annual party, packed with film stars and other celebrities and off-limits to the media, is considered a highlight of Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
The Champ Cars were chased from Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal when Legault opted to bring in a NASCAR Busch Series event this summer.
He already staged the Canadian Grand Prix Formula One race on the municipal track and the city allows only two race weekends per year.
While Champ Car fought the decision and even filed a lawsuit, in the end the two sides made up and Legault agreed to promote the race in Mont-Tremblant.
While Montreal was held in late August, Tremblant will start a series of three straight races in Canada, followed July 8 in Toronto and July 22 in Edmonton.
Paul Gentilozzi, a co-owner of the Champ Car series, said the Canadian swing will become a mini-series within the 16-race schedule with extra prize money of its own. He said details would be announced in coming weeks. Racing at Mont-Tremblant has a long history.
Mario Andretti won IndyCar events there in 1967 and 1968, while F1 races were won by Denny Hulme's McLaren in 1968 and Jack Ickx's Ferrari in 1970 before the bumpy track was deemed inadequate for high-level racing.
It got a major overhaul in 2004 after it was purchased by Stroll. Legault said further investments were planned to improve safety and other aspects of the 4.26-kilometre road circuit.
Gentilozzi, who owns the Rocketsports team with Canadian Alex Tagliani as his driver, said that while seating capacity will be limited at Tremblant, the picturesque mountain setting may be a hit with sponsors and television viewers.
In Montreal, the Champ Cars compared unfavourably with the more sophisticated F1 machines.
F1 draws more than 300,000 each year for three days of racing, while the last Champ Car weekend drew an announced attendance of 110,000.
Legault hopes moving to Tremblant will give it the same boost the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League got when they moved from cavernous Olympic Stadium to cozy 20,000-seat Percival Molson Stadium in 1999.
"Once they moved, it was full and there was quite an atmosphere," he said. "To me, it really was the revival of the Alouettes.
"I'm quite confident the same thing will happen with Champ Car."
It will make for a busy motor racing schedule for the region this summer, with F1 on June 10 and NASCAR Busch on Aug. 4.
Champ Car hopes to attract fans from the many families who vacation in the Laurentians region in the summer and draw from both Montreal and Ottawa/Gatineau, which are about equal distance.
None expect huge crowds to start - perhaps 25,000. But all expect it grow.