Filed under: Motorsports
Canadian race shuffle: NASCAR comes to Montreal, CART moves to Tremblant
To battle its image as a form of motorsport exclusive to the South, NASCAR is going North – to Canada: "the True North, Strong and Free" (at least that's how the anthem goes). So with F1 drivers coming to NASCAR, NASCAR is going to an F1 track: it's been confirmed that next season's Busch Series schedule will include a race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, home of the Canadian Grand Prix.
In past years the track has hosted both F1 and Champ Car races each season. After securing exclusive rights to the track from Montreal city hall in June, Canadian Grand Prix promoter Normand Legault began moving on plans to bring stock car racing to Montreal. As an extra bonus, the weekend will also feature a Grand-Am race.
The Champ Car race, meanwhile, will move even farther north to the legendary track by the slopes of Mont Tremblant. Securing a major open-wheel event is a huge coup for the recently revived track, which was once famously referred to by Michael Schumacher as the "little Nurburgring". (No wonder Ferrari elected to open its first North American driving school there. )
Having grown up in Montreal, this writer can attest that it's a die-hard racing town through-and-through (in the summer, at least). Hosting F1, CART, Grand-Am and NASCAR will only allow more fans, teams and drivers to get a taste of the action.
[Sources: GrandPrix.com and Canada.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ian 3:13PM (10/05/2006)
The only problem is that the Busch race at the Mexico road circuit averaged 65 mph this year..all those "let's bunch the cars up FCYs"... SO how will the die-ghard road racing fans in Montreal react to the Nascar contrived idea of road racing? Not too well IMHO.
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Bert 3:21PM (10/05/2006)
I will be great to see such great cars at Tremblant. Hopefully they will not run the chicane in the first corner. There is a lap video at lecircuit.com and lap times, including that of a 1999 or 2000 Champ car (or something like it). Let's seperate the boys from the men.
There will however, need to have quite a number of improvements at the track and surrounding infrastructure.
From the highway the circuit is about 5km along single lane (one going, one comming) road. The restroom facilities are delapidated and certainly totally inadequate for more than a couple of thousand people.
Hopefully this will force the addition of a permanent foot-path around the circuit. Currently to get from the parking to the padock you have to cross the track.
It is my understanding that the town of Mont Tremblant and Saint Jovite are already none too happy with the current racing at the circuit, which includes a handfull of modern race series and a few weekends of classic car racing. (which is FABULOUS!) What will they say with such a huge event. This will certainly be bigger than the ALMS or Grand American that have been there in recent years.
The surroundings are fantastic, and there is nothing better than starting a long weekend with a Friday at the races. I would certainly go there for a Friday but am not crazy enough to tempt the full weekend.
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John B 5:46PM (10/05/2006)
Bert:
Thanks for the update on the track. I haven't been there for something like 40 years. I remember the location as superb but traffic was awful in and out.
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chuck goolsbee 5:49PM (10/05/2006)
I've run the Tremblant circuit in a vintage car... it is a GREAT track, with some very challenging curves, hills, drops and blind spots. Nice choice!
http://www.goolsbee.org/i-old/ne2003/Wednesday.html
--chuck
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champcarfan 6:11PM (10/05/2006)
CART is dead long live Champ Car.
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Bert 6:45PM (10/05/2006)
John,
The track itself is GREAT, new pavement, completely redone pit and tower. Full communication for signalers, etc. The owner, Lawrence Stroll (jeweler, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, etc.), basically uses it as a personal race track. He has put alot of money in to the track, for which I am fully appreciative. Among his stable includes a Testarossa (the REAL one), GTO, 333SP, 512BB, FXX. F1 Clienti was there too with 3 or 4 cars.
However, the washrooms that I 2 weeks ago are probably the same that you used 2080 weeks ago. I don't care what they look like, but 30 to 50 thousand people probably will care.
Chuck,
I have been to every Sommet des Légendes and this year I added the Festival Ferrari and the Fall Classic. What did you run when you were here?
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Bill Maher is an Idiot 7:00PM (10/05/2006)
CART's still around? I thought it died out with Eminem's career.
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Chris 8:06PM (10/05/2006)
I think both series will be successful but for different reasons. The Champ Car race will be a hit in an area that doesn't see alot of touring series and I think Champ car should try to find a few more like it. The NASCAR race in Montreal will be a success too because Canadians in genral are huge racing fans of all types and the ratings prove it. Then add Villenuve and the popular Montoya to the mix aong with the diver accessability that NASCAR offers to the fans and this will be a huge success. I don't care about average speed of a race, it proves nothing. How many F1 races this year had high average speeds but a lackluster finish? Quite a few except when it rained. I think the fans will appreciate both races.
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John B 10:46PM (10/05/2006)
Bert:
"The owner, Lawrence Stroll (jeweler, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, etc.), basically uses it as a personal race track"
One word - YIKES!
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Jeff 10:27AM (10/06/2006)
Great to see a fellow Montrealer on the autoblog staff! I feel for those people up at Tremblant though... That was some nice country up there that's getting taken over by a plastic ski village and some serious race tracks. Although its pretty cool that that track has such a good reputation around the world.
As for Nascar in Montreal?? Whoa... I guess i'm a little ignorant, but I always though NASCAR tracks were always a simple oval. I guess my prejudice towards that motor sport was a little misplaced.
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Dan Roy 1:58PM (11/06/2006)
Toilet facilities at Tremblent shouldn't be any bigger a problem than they are at the temporary Cirquit Gilles Villeneuve where they just put Porta-Potties in several locations. Entry and exit though will be a mizerable experience. Better think about camping out at the track and taking your time getting out.
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