Montreal: CCWS out NASCAR Busch in

[luke]

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazett...66def1&k=46373

The Champ Car World Series, which will stage its fifth annual Montreal race on Aug. 27, is the odd car out, unless it returns as a companion or support race to the NASCAR event, whose date is not yet known.

But that spot could go to the Indy Racing League, Champ Car's main competitor.

The renewal of a 10-year lease for racing on Ile Notre Dame, a contract between the city of Montreal and motorsport promoter Normand Legault, is the final turn to be negotiated, one that's expected to be rounded in the next couple of weeks.

And I thought Legault being the new promoter was meant to be a good thing...

[astinus4]

Originally Posted by luke

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazett...66def1&k=46373



And I thought Legault being the new promoter was meant to be a good thing...

I assume you meant Labrosse not Legault? Legault is the one who want Champcar out and Nascar Busch in.

This is really bad news if true. I really enjoyed the Montreal Champcar race last year and was hopeful it'd be on the schedule for years to come. What are the chances of a 3rd race being allowed at Circuit Gilles Villenevue from 2007?

[BobHWS]

Originally Posted by astinus4

...What are the chances of a 3rd race being allowed at Circuit Gilles Villenevue from 2007?

There's no chance of a third race, i.e., a Champ car or other race on Ile Notre Dame (site of the F1 race). Legault's contract with the city only allows two races per year on that site. It's also clear that Legault has no interest in continuing with the Champ car race, which drew a relatively small crowd last year--partly because it was poorly promoted. The low key promotion of the race was perhaps intentional--to send the mesage to Champ cars that they were not wanted anymore.

Here is a link to an article from today's Montreal Gazette about NASCAR in Montreal:

Busch Series will provide excitement
It took 40 years, but Normand Legault finally succeeded in luring NASCAR north
The Gazette
May 15, 2006

...Born with a racing pedigree fuelled by entrepreneurial blood, Normand Legault, head of Grand Prix F1 du Canada Inc., and Brian France, chairperson and chief executive of NASCAR, are bringing roofed race cars to Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2007...

[astinus4]

Legault's contract with the city only allows two races per year on that site.

This is the part I'm still not clear about. Are you saying that Legault is the only promoter with the rights to host a motor race at Ile Notre Dame? Or is it possible for another promoter to negotiate with the city to hold another race?

[BobHWS]

Originally Posted by astinus4

Are you saying that Legault is the only promoter with the rights to host a motor race at Ile Notre Dame?

Yes, and only two race weekends per year.

Originally Posted by astinus4

Or is it possible for another promoter to negotiate with the city to hold another race?

No, it's not possible. Because of the city imposed limit of 2 races per year on Ile Notre Dame, no other promoter would be given permission to hold a race on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit.

Ile Notre Dame is a city park which has many uses. It has a casino, an amusement park, a beach, gardens, etc. The city does not want to turn it into a semi-permanent venue for auto racing. Also they do not want to inconvenience people who live within earshot of the island with the noise of a weekend of auto racing more than twice a year.

So there is no chance that Champ cars will return to Ile Notre Dame unless they are part of a NASCAR weekend, and that seems unlikely.

[BootsOntheSide]

It's unfortunate for ChampCar to lose this race, but it says a lot about NASCAR's desire to expand north of the border - I'm sure they're paying Legault a lot more than ChampCar could hope to. We can pretty safely bet that Tracy and perhaps Carpentier will be in the race as well, unless it clashes with ChampCar.

[luke]

What's to say thought that NASCAR will be big in Canada? It had poop crowds at Mexico City compared to the CCWS one.... yes they may get good viewing figures but they thought the same with Mexico...

[coyote9999]

Hello Everyone,

Being from Montreal I would like to correct some of the information that was provided in this link.

1. True only two races can happen on Ile Notre Dame.

2. True Normand Legeault was once promoter and had rights to two events.

3. False is the claim he still has the rights to both events. Legeault sold his rights to Alan Labrosse 3 years ago.

4. These promotional rights for both Legeault and Labrosse end this year and must be renewed.

4. Important factor: The city council of Montreal must decide on whether they give the rights to the same people (Legeault and Labrosse) or give everything to Legeault knowing very well Nascar would take over for Champ Car.

There you have it and nothing is signed yet

[BobHWS]

Originally Posted by coyote9999

3. False is the claim he still has the rights to both events. Legeault sold his rights to Alan Labrosse 3 years ago.
4. These promotional rights for both Legeault and Labrosse end this year and must be renewed.
4. Important factor: The city council of Montreal must decide on whether they give the rights to the same people (Legeault and Labrosse)...

I stand corrected about Legault still having rights to the Champ car race.

But I think it's true that Legault's sale of the rights is part of a plan to get rid of Champ car in Montreal and replace it with NASCAR.

I also think it's very hard to imagine anyone other than Legault getting the rights to promote future races on Ile Notre Dame. Legault is held in very high esteem in Montreal and in the racing world. Legault is the man who built (over the last ten years) the F1 race in Montreal into one of the world's most successful F1 races.

The city government and Bernie Ecclestone have no desire to do business with anyone else. And based on his success with F1, he is the natural choice to promote NASCAR. While it may be true that nothing is official yet, I would bet my money on Legault as the future promoter of both F1 and NASCAR races in Montreal.

[Amar7605]

This really stinks because Champ Car really needs to have a consistent schedule right now, and this situation doesn't help matters one bit.

[luke]

Well in theory why not race at Calgary next year? Oh well yet another street race but it could just as popular as Edmonton...

[coyote9999]

Sorry luke but a Calgary race would help kill the Edmonton race. We need a race in the east. Let it be Mont Tremblant, Québec City or some place else we simply need to have a foothold in that market. The American North east is also a region which should have more expossure.

[Amar7605]

I agree. The Northeast needs to be in the Champ Car schedule, be it in Canada or the US.

[macdaddy]

luke:

What's to say thought that NASCAR will be big in Canada?

It already is, luke. VERY big.

[BobHWS]

Tuesday's Montreal Gazette reports that Montreal F1 race promoter Normand Legault is very close to finalizing the deal to bring a Busch Series race to Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2007...which means that Champ Cars will be gone from Montreal after this year. After last year's poorly promoted and poorly attended Montreal Champ Car race, I even wonder whether this year's planned race might get cancelled.

He'll pave the way
NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton is eager to test the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve next month
DAVE STUBBS, The Gazette
Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Eighteen-year NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton...probably will be the driver chosen to test a 750-horsepower Chevrolet Monte Carlo on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve June 19 or 20.

By then, Canadian Formula One Grand Prix race promoter Normand Legault hopes to have confirmed a summer 2007 race in the Busch Series...

...Legault expects to renew an Ile Notre Dame race-site lease soon with the city of Montreal, his landlord. The ink might not even be dry on that document when he announces a NASCAR race...