Indycars in Montreal?

[Rex Monaco]

Since F1 has dropped Montreal from their schedule, does anyone else think that the ICS should pick that date up ASAP?

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/FREE/810079983/1002/FREE

And with the ongoing self destruction of F1, does anyone else feel the same frustration that AOWR is not healthy enough to fill that void?

[Chris R]

I would imagine they should - but share your frustration that they can't/won't...

If Indycar follows the CART model and goes with a modest international presence in USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Japan they stand a good chance of spreading out their fanbase etc.....

[DBell]

I think IRL should look into Montreal, though I'd rather see them working on getting into Cleavland and Road America first.

I disagree that F1 is self destructing. Political bs with the FIA aside, the on track racing has been great the last couple of years. Another championship is going down to the wire with 7 different winners this year. Add 6 manufacturers in the sport with new venues like Singapore that are paying F1 over 30 million a year in fees. I don't see F1 disappearing anytime soon. On the contrary, I can only wish AOW could "self destruct" on this level.

[Osiris333]

Yeah, they should go there. It's a great track and a great city. If Indycar actually builds a decent racing machine and get's rid of the Krapfenvagons, it would be amusing to see Indycars break the F-1 track record there.

[mpj4582]

You expect the IRL to go quicker than F1 around Montreal? The CART/Champ Cars were 8-9 seconds off F1 pace. Looking at the times around Long Beach, thet'e a fairly similar sort of lap times.
Even taking into account the changes in F1 next year, I can't imagine that IndyCar will produce a car that much faster than the current breed.

[F1boat]

I disagree that F1 is self destructing. Political bs with the FIA aside, the on track racing has been great the last couple of years. Another championship is going down to the wire with 7 different winners this year. Add 6 manufacturers in the sport with new venues like Singapore that are paying F1 over 30 million a year in fees. I don't see F1 disappearing anytime soon. On the contrary, I can only wish AOW could "self destruct" on this level.

I agree. Just because the spor is not like "the good ol' days" - no matter whether we are speaking about 80-ies or 60-ies - doesn't mean that it is bad.

[Rex Monaco]

Political bs with the FIA aside...

Political BS is what is responsible for the current status of AOWR! If it weren't for the ego driven politics that started the failed split, AOWR would be MUCH healthier.

[seppefan]

This is such a good chance for the IRL. Take it.

[garyshell]

I disagree that F1 is self destructing. Political bs with the FIA aside, the on track racing has been great the last couple of years.

The racing IS better but F1 is self destructing. Even Max Mosley seems to think so...


Formula one might not survive much beyond one more season if teams do not drastically slash costs, FIA president Max Mosley has warned.

On the same day that the World Motor Sport Council gave him the authority to enter talks with the teams' FOTA alliance about "radical" cost cutting measures, Mosley said the futures of up to three teams could be in doubt.
In interview with BBC Sport, he insisted that the problem existed long before the current global financial crisis.

"It really is a very serious situation. If we can't get this done for 2010, we will be in serious difficulty," Mosley said.

He said the loss of two or three teams would mean F1 no longer has a "credible grid".

"We can survive through 2009, but I'm not too sure about after," Mosley said.

He said small teams like Toro Rosso and Force India are being "subsidized" only by billionaires like Dietrich Mateschitz and Vijay Mallya.

"It depends at the moment on millionaires -- billionaires, we don't have millionaires now. Without them, those teams wouldn't be there," he added, suggesting that not only the small teams are in trouble.

"You cannot run a business when the outgoings are two to three times more than what's coming in.



Gary

[champcarray]

I love Montreal but I don't really care for Circuit G. V. -- I'd rather the Quebecois AOWR fans and I could all attend a race at New Hampshire!

[nigelred5]

Not untill they get a new car. I think they would be pigs at Montreal. I agree I want to see Road America on the Indy car schedule before I see any other track added to the series. I wouldn't care if they wanted to add SPA, Silverstone, Monza and the old Hockenheim, Road America HAS to be on the Indycar schedule.


I'll be curious to see what effect the global economic meltdown has on racing in the next 24-36 months. There's a lot of banking money in F1 that just dissappeared. Even China is now starting to complain about the downturn in the economy.

[DBell]

The racing IS better but F1 is self destructing. Even Max Mosley seems to think so...




Gary


I'm going to have to see things like an exodus of manufacturers and teams folding for me to feel F1 is in danger of collapsing. F1 has survived economic downturns before and also outlasted many predictions of doom in the 30 years I've been following it. As far as Mosley, he's simply laying the ground work for when he announces he's not stepping down as FIA president. He's needed too much for him to walk away is the spiel he's been trying to sell from the moment he retained his presidency. After his Gestapo gang bang incident he doesn't have the same influence he used to. If he does remain and gets his way with the future of F1 rules he'd like to see implemented, then I will be worried for F1. We'll just have to see how this plays out.

I tend to agree with the others that think IC should worry about some of the other venues before Montreal.

[Placid]

With the surprise annoucement that Canada is off the F1 schedule, will the
IRL take advantage to make a last minute addition to the 2009 schedule?

[acescribe]

Highly unlikely.

[DanicaFan]

I would rather see them race in Las Vegas, Phoenix, or back in Michigan and Nashville before I would Montreal.

[MAX_THRUST]

Bernie has just made a huge mistake.....He would never have done this during the cart era. TG and the IRL need to build on this quick..........

[DBell]

Why do we need another thread about this?

[seppefan]

Bernie has just made a huge mistake.....He would never have done this during the cart era. TG and the IRL need to build on this quick..........


Real quick.

New engine manufacturers for 2011 will look at the venues and BMW are not too happy about Bernie pulling the plug.

Golden opportunity for the IRL

[Rex Monaco]

Bernie has just made a huge mistake.....He would never have done this during the cart era. TG and the IRL need to build on this quick..........

To me this will be the first real management test of the 'new and improved' IRL.

[MDS]

As much sense as this might make, it simply won't happen.

I think while a lot of people on this board would agree snatching up a former F-1 event in a North American Market would make sense and allow the IRL to really have a strong footprint in Canada, which could perhaps bring in a paying TV deal from that country, it won't get done.

Tony George and his staff will consider it for all of five minutes and discard it. They don't have the vision to fully capitalize and leverage moments like this.

[jimispeed]

To me this will be the first real management test of the 'new and improved' IRL.


Is the IRL, "New and Improved"??

Some very important changes need to be made across the board for Indycar to build a fanbase that would accept this kind of racing.

Right now, it's not even close!!

[NickFalzone]

Unless Toronto or Edmonton get dropped, there's no way I see this happening. As far as I know, they just signed multi year deals with both of those.

[dataman1]

Why do we need another thread about this?

I agree. Merge this thread with the other one on same topic.

[DBell]

As much sense as this might make, it simply won't happen.

I think while a lot of people on this board would agree snatching up a former F-1 event in a North American Market would make sense and allow the IRL to really have a strong footprint in Canada, which could perhaps bring in a paying TV deal from that country, it won't get done.

Tony George and his staff will consider it for all of five minutes and discard it. They don't have the vision to fully capitalize and leverage moments like this.

I agree.

[-Helix-]

I don't see the IRL going with 3 races in Canada. Though I would be happy if they dropped either Edmonton or Toronto in favor of Montreal. At least it's a real race track.

[MAX_THRUST]

Depends on how much the IRL wants to expand in to the Canadian market. Its next door to the US and has a huge racing fan base. If the crowds came to see it, then it would make sense to drop a poorly attend race for it.

I feel some Market research would need to be done, but at the end of the day IF F1 is gone then there is a whole that needs to be filled, that can only be good for the IRL.

[Placid]

With the surprise annoucement that Canada is off the F1 schedule, will the
IRL take advantage to make a last minute addition to the 2009 schedule?

I say go for it.

[Easy Drifter]

The Mtl., Quebec and Federal Govts. are discussing a financial bailout. With our Federal Election on Tues. and the outcome in doubt I would not expect anything definite for a week or so.

[Mark in Oshawa]

As much sense as this might make, it simply won't happen.

I think while a lot of people on this board would agree snatching up a former F-1 event in a North American Market would make sense and allow the IRL to really have a strong footprint in Canada, which could perhaps bring in a paying TV deal from that country, it won't get done.

Tony George and his staff will consider it for all of five minutes and discard it. They don't have the vision to fully capitalize and leverage moments like this.

Bang on. It isn't that the IRL needs another road course. It probably doesn't but the Canadian market is the ONE place they can really grow into to fill the void. Champ Car was more popular here than any other series in terms of fans in the seats and the fact there were 3 dates up here with a TV deal that was putting money INTO the series coffers (at least until the Amigo's showed up). With f1 screwing us Canadian fans over once again (Bernie Ecclestone seems to think we should pay him 15 million a year to see his parade) this is a chance for the IRL to be the white knight for Canadian OW racing fans and if they had a Quebecois driver behind the wheel of a car I am sure the place would be packed. The Champ Car dates did just fine when the promotor wasn't trying to drive down attendance to justify dumping them to get NASCAR. It can work and it is GROWTH and it is what this series needs to be mroe than just a parasitical exercise in support of the Indy 500. Unfortunately, I think the view from 16th and Georgetown is that all other events in this series justify themselves in relationship to the Indy 500.

[champcarray]

I don't know that Bernie is done toying with Montreal yet, but the door is ajar for anyone to walk in. Unfortunately market chaos and a looming global recession don't exactly encourage new ventures.