Pardon my french, but there's a bit of a soap opera brewing in Quebec over the future of racing at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.Normand Legault is the promoter of the F1 race. And again this summer, Alan Labrosse is the promoter of the ChampCar race at the end of August.
The debate centres on who will control the 'second date' in 2007 and beyond. Labrosse contends that he has a new five-year agreement with ChampCar to put on that event. Legault, on the other hand, wants the date so that he can put on the long-rumoured NASCAR Busch Series race.
Legault's camp is floating the notion that F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is adamant that there be one promoter in charge of any venue that holds an F1 race. The point being that this group would have people think that if Legault doesn't get the coveted 'second date', Montreal's F1 race could be pulled. No one says these guys don't play hardball. The decision rests with the mayor of Montreal.
Looking at how this impacts upon Canadian racing, last week we posted news about the fight between ChampCar and NASCAR over the future of a street race in Phoenix. Last year, Edmonton's ChampCar promoter said he wasn't allowed to invite CASCAR to his race because of a clause in his contract with ChampCar.
With the battle lines being drawn, it appears that Legault, NASCAR (and therefore CASCAR) are on one side, staring across the trench at Labrosse and ChampCar.
CASCAR still has a TBA date in late August on its Super Series schedule; presumably the Montreal ChampCar race. Hopefully, CASCAR will not fall victim to the NASCAR v. ChampCar battle.
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