Montreal Molson Indy threatened?

[Andrew Longman]

This from last August: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Motorsports/NASCAR/2004/08/16/585815.html

Now this is from yesterday's Toronto Star:

From the Toronto Star...

People emailed this week, aghast at last Saturday's column that suggested a
Nextel Cup race would be held at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal in
two or three years. NASCAR is changing, folks. It wants to go to Europe, but
it can't go to Europe, so it will settle for Montreal (which is a very
European city).

It wants out of Watkins Glen because there are no hotels and it's a hassle
getting in and out of the place. It wants to go to destination cities. It
has had it up to here with Georgia and the Carolinas. This has got nothing
to do with the fans, by the way. It has everything to do with image and with
sponsors. France wants to turn NASCAR into the PGA.

And Nextel Cup sponsors are no longer manufacturers of country sausage and
chicken-fried steaks. The sponsors are international communications
companies and fitness centres and the distillers of fine Kentucky bourbon.
Their boards of directors reflect this shift.

A motorhome in the middle of a field in western New York, regardless of how
fancy it is, is no match for a suite in the Chateau Champlain, overlooking
downtown Montreal and Mount Royal. This, then, is the new NASCAR. Get used
to it.

sorry no link. It was sent to me by my wife's cousin in Toronto and I know he didn't make it up. Google turns up a few links mentioning the article but they are all dead. I think they may be in the for-fee web version of the paper. :confused:

The Watkins Glen date is always the second weekend in August. Montreal is always the 4th weekend. I doubt NASCAR or Molson organizers would want to dates so close together. And wouldn't both want to hang NASCAR on the biggest event there behind the F1 race? And cripes, NASCAR actually race at Indy so will anyone really care about the name?

And 2-3 years off? Is that about when the CCWS contract ends?

I don't want to say the sky is falling, but that news spooked me.

[NismoZ]

It should.

[Ankf00]

somehow I don't see many locals showing up for that race, whereas the majority of last year's F1 crowd was locals...

[Accipiter]

That rumor kicked around Jayski's last year. But it has no weight until someone can explain to me how they plan to pit 43 cars at the track. Not to mention find space for 50+ Haulers etc. There is just no room.

[Ankf00]

That rumor kicked around Jayski's last year. But it has no weight until someone can explain to me how they plan to pit 43 cars at the track. Not to mention find space for 50+ Haulers etc. There is just no room.

fill in the canoe racing lanes and pave it over :D

[TorontoWorker]

Its in a members section and it's the old As$hole Norris Mc Jerkoff again:

Good chance of NASCAR race in Montreal


Serious talks still to come, Canadian GP boss says Also urges officials
to focus on future of new drivers

NORRIS MCDONALD

First the good news: there will be a NASCAR Nextel Cup race at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal within two or three years. Maybe sooner.

Now the bad news: while travelling road shows like Formula One, Champ Car and, eventually, NASCAR will continue to flourish in Canada, the homegrown road-racing scene is in serious trouble and needs a fast fix soon or all could be lost.

These words of wisdom came my way several weeks ago courtesy of Normand Legault, president and CEO of Grand Prix F1 du Canada, the promoter of the Canadian Grand Prix.

He was the featured guest at this year's Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Induction Gala and delivered one of the most important speeches on the state of the domestic sport that I've ever heard.

First things first, however.

Every time I get an opportunity to talk to someone "in the know,'' I like to bring up the suggestion made to me in an interview a year or so ago by Canada's most successful international road racer, Ron Fellows.

He said that a Nextel Cup stock car race on the GP course at île Notre-Dame in the St. Lawrence would be nothing less than a success.

Legault seemed somewhat bemused when I launched into my "what-if'' scenario, but then he surprised me completely by saying:

"It's true. We (NASCAR) have been talking. It's definitely a possibility that they will come to Montreal to race. We have not gotten down to anything approaching serious negotiations, but we are talking. I would say two, maybe three years, but I think it will happen.''

Fellows, when he first mused about a NASCAR race in Canada, said it made so much sense because Nextel (now merging with Sprint) is an American communications company looking to establish an international presence (unlike the previous Cup sponsor, Winston, which was only interested in the U.S. domestic market).

Said Fellows: "If you're looking for some kind of international attention, I think Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal would be the perfect place. A street race (like the Molson Indy at the CNE in Toronto) wouldn't work. Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has so much more room. And because of the history of having the Grand Prix there for nearly 30 years, you would have a Canadian event but you would also get an international TV audience because of where it is and the history of that track.''

Since Fellows first talked about such a race, there have been, as they say, developments. First, Brian France, who took over as head of NASCAR from his father, Bill France Jr., has signalled his intent to move Cup racing as far upwater in the U.S. mainstream as he can. Second, a race in Mexico for the Busch Grand National Series was announced for March. Third, NASCAR opened a marketing office in Toronto and some saw this as indicative of NASCAR's intention of establishing a NAFTA-like auto racing/commercial business presence on the continent.

Add all this together, then toss in the rumour that NASCAR might soon try to sell theold Watkins Glen circuit in western New York (thus opening up a road-racing date in the northeast), and a Cup race in Montreal makes all the more sense.

"You're right,'' laughed Legault as I rattled all of this off.

"With all the NASCAR fans from Toronto, Montreal and New York coming to Montreal, I probably couldn't build enough grandstands to hold everybody.''

Time will tell, but a Cup race in Montreal sure looks like a no-brainer to me.

************************************************** ********

The rest of the article was discussing driver development and wasn't NASCRAP related per say.

About the article posted at the start of this thread - it is McJerk talking about the email he got (I've heard from a source at the Star that it was 100% negative) about the article he wrote (the one above) the week before.

Remember: This is the guy that HATES Champ Car and whenever he can slam
Champ Car he does. Quite a few of my friends, (all marshals) have trashed his in box with emails whenever he is factually incorrect or screws up.

I believe he has refered to us as "Champ Car attack dogs". I know one of my buddies has asked him to say that to his face at Mosport. He refuses to show his face at Mosport because of this. Last year he wrote an article on the 2004 Aug ALMS race at Mosport and was quoting drivers who last raced in the series in 2003 and were not in the 2004 race! That generated a whole host of new emails (some of them from race fans) that burned his butt big time and he even mentioned a few(!) people pointed out his "little errors" concerning the ALMS article. I figured the IRL boot licker must have used the 2003 ALMS media guide to write his goofy story thinking, "how much can a series change in a year?" :rofl:

He wouldn't show his face at last years Molson Indy after we emailed Molsons copies of his pro IRL stories and DEMANDED Molsons make him BUY a ticket instead of giving him a media pass. He didn't show - we looked for him - although he was quite proud of going to the 04 Indy on TG's dime.
Lemming...

[RTKar]

Remember, Montreal sent the great American pastime packing......

[NismoZ]

Plus, I have to believe hockey fan=NASCAB fan Way North. :gomer:

[JLMannin]

I really liked this line:

And because of the history of having the Grand Prix there for nearly 30 years, you would have a Canadian event but you would also get an international TV audience because of where it is and the history of that track

Dream on, Norris. The "place fan" marketing strategy has been proven not to be viable.

[Andrew Longman]

Plus, I have to believe hockey fan=NASCAB fan Way North. :gomer:

Careful. Dallas is one of the few NHL teams making money and lots of it and Texas is home to the few really viable IRL races outside of Indy. And they pack the place twice a year for NASCAR. :)

[Ankf00]

And they pack the place twice a year for NASCAR. :)

okies and arkies damnit. where's border patrol when you need it?

[NismoZ]

Right, that's what I mean...there MUST be a connection! :)

[Steve99]

That rumor kicked around Jayski's last year. But it has no weight until someone can explain to me how they plan to pit 43 cars at the track. Not to mention find space for 50+ Haulers etc. There is just no room.

Tear up the existing track and replace it with a 1/2-mile oval, then you have lots of room. :gomer:

Montreal and Mexico City, it feels like CCWS is being stalked.

[dando]

okies and arkies damnit. where's border patrol when you need it?
Chillin' @ Stubb's and escorting the next crew of drywall hangers across the border. Sorry, not very PC, but definitely true around these parts.

-Kevin