MONTREAL – Since first coming here (coinciding only with the first Grand-Am race here), this most recent north-of-the-border trip uniquely produced a first: Ol’ DC climbed aboard “The Metro” and got where he needed to go. On a first attempt, yet!.
It also may be his last, whether willingly or otherwise.
Furthermore, though, “NASCAR” in whatever form may not return at all to Montreal – or so proclaimed numerous NASCAR “gear” vendor signs greeting those offing the Metro (works for me because “disembarking” doesn’t), reading “ADIEU NASCAR!” and “80-percent off!” the idea being the vendors would rather now take a hit on already absurdly priced products than sell none whatsoever in the future, evidently not yet learning of this thing called “The Internet.”
The issue boils down to bragging rights, according to “The Guys Having Connections,” (TGHC) a.k.a., “informed sources,” because Québécois want it all: a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Anyone who knows anything about everything knows the difficulty in getting a Sprint Cup date.
Just ask Kentuckians, who were a part of or witness to the travails of Kentucky Speedway lawsuits (involving NASCAR), a buy-out (by O. Bruton Smith’s Speedway Motorsports Inc.) and a race/date/site shift (from Atlanta; another SMI site).
From track construction to date shifts, all told getting a Kentucky Sprint Cup date probably cost somewhere just north of $1 billion when such was finally consummated earlier this year.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Quebec, governmental, travel or “somebody’s” authorities are withholding a $500,000 contribution toward advertising, thinking such will force NASCAR into scheduling a Circuit Gilles Villeneuve NSCS date.
Such even has left one of Quebec’s greatest native sons, Jacques Villeneuve, greatly consternated.
“They are a proud people,” said one of the TGHC’s in reference to the Mexi . . ., er, Canadian, er, Mont Royale standoff.
Just for the heck of it: 2,000 $500,000 units comprise $1 billion.
Chump change, huh?
Do the Québécois in charge really think the $500,000 being held hostage will move mountains?
Interestingly, a $250,000 provincial Quebec grant and $225,000 from Ottawa (Canada’s functional equivalent of Washington, D.C., in the U.S.) were okayed for next weekend's Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières – a motorsport event which draws far more from within the province than without, especially when it doesn’t have a Patrick Dempsey to offer.
Then there’s the road-course aspect .
For some odd, perhaps quaint reason this poor soul has yet to grasp (and, all told, may never grasp), NASCAR clings to holding only two road course events annually for its most vaunted series where drivers proudly proclaim themselves, if no one else, as “the best.”
Without any intention whatsoever of making light of skills involved in oval track racing, one still ain’t gonna git Ol ‘ DC to trash talk road-course racing by comparison.
But he will bash the idea of holding two races among the 36 “officially scheduled events” on the NSCS calendar.
Add a Daytona qualifier here, a “Winston Million,” there, and before long one realizes fewer than 5-percent of Sprint Cup’s annual calendar is devoted to turning in any direction other than just “left.”
Recently, Jimmie Johnson said he’d like to see more road course races on the Sprint Cup schedule while Matt Kenseth expressed disdain for such, his seeing the NSCS as being “rooted” in bull rings scattered throughout North America.
One is just left wondering which of the two drivers have had the greater road course racing success, huh? Take a guess.
In a Thursday, after-dinner happenstance meeting outside of “Vargas” in downtown Montreal, NASCAR Nationwide Series director Joe Balash affirmed that doubtful would be he and his NNS crew hanging at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve beyond the scheduled Sunday race date, unlike last week’s Sprint Cup race at The Glen which spilled like a rainstorm runoff from Sunday to Monday.
If more frequently made were the point that road-course types tend to run a show as originally scheduled – and therefore go home on time – perhaps more “Left Turn Traditionalists” (LTTs) might willingly accept more road course events.
Yet, the boys getting the glory largely are clueless, what with “private” aircraft and personal valets (some would say “go-fers’) abounding who “handle” life’s little hassles.
Noting much is to be said for experiencing those little hassles, even a single unexpected additional day’s worth of on-the-road lodging, local transportation, food (as many as three more meals per day for each team member; 16 for Tom Seabolt) and even better, being told “there is no more room at the inn” – such otherwise regularly happening to anyone and everyone else, fans included, who suddenly learn a race has been postponed.
You know, it’s not like a hotel can cancel all the rooms it booked for still other folks or that commercial air carriers like Delta can or will just show up at an airport with a few extra but empty aircraft alone reserved for delayed team members, fans, media and other workers.
Yep, a delayed race really can put a crimp into a whole bunch of well laid plans, as the gods have attempted at Montreal for many of the NNS dates run there so far but which, as noted, still holds the show as scheduled.
Yet, with all its positives – not the least of which would be proving that NSCS drivers are “real men” – such ain’t gonna happen with the Sprint Cup teams and, if it were, likely wouldn’t happen at Montreal anyway, especially now that the provincial gov’ment has decided to, um, cajole NASCAR’s cooperation.
Having been a part of racing for many decades, this writer has yet to see the equal in ancillary race attendance – that is, family and friends who accompany team members – as those who will come to Montreal for this race.
Husbands and wives find romance; a father – as did this one – will introduce children to a truly cosmopolitan North American city having few equals worldwide.
Do the hard math with the available numbers, e.g., “team members from two North America racing series” (NASCAR’s Grand-Am and Nationwide series) and then reasonably, even conservatively extrapolate the numbers of those who accompany team, media, or fans coming from all over North America, along with international origins, and it soon is easy to see how that $500,000 is easily “repaid” many times over.
“Proud” has its place.
This one is misplaced.
Later,
DC
