Nationwide AND Sprint Cup @ CircuitGillesVilleneuve next year or not ...

[bovic]

Nationwide AND Sprint at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve next year?


Yes

No


Why?

[Lee Roy]

I've been to the Circuit . . . the 1996 Canadian GP. After seeing the circuit it makes me wonder if the pit/garage area could accomodate nealy 180 (including spares) cars/90 teams.

[Simmi]

No.

Just not enough space on the schedule at the moment. It would be nice for them to maybe run this race on one of the weekends without a cup race. This way it might attract a few more cup regulars.

[Sparky1329]

That would be fine with me as long as it replaces an oval track race. Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve looks like a nice track based on what you can see on the telecast and I like the way it's configured.

[Lee Roy]

And Montreal is a WONDERFUL city.

Easy access to the track. Subway stop on the next island and a quick stroll across a bridge. Huge casino in the middle of the track.

[bovic]

I've been to the Circuit . . . the 1996 Canadian GP. After seeing the circuit it makes me wonder if the pit/garage area could accomodate nealy 180 (including spares) cars/90 teams.

Well, there's another place on the island where other cars usually are while the other series is in the garage.. I guess it's like the midle of an oval track if you want.. Yeah, there is room but I don't think that other tracks do accomodate 180 cars in garages either..

[Lee Roy]

. . . Yeah, there is room but I don't think that other tracks do accomodate 180 cars in garages either..

I was assuming that you were proposing a Sprint and Nationwide race on the same weekend. I understand that the City only allows 2 races a year on the Circuit, and I wouldn't think that a NASCAR race would push out the Formula One race.

Sprint Cup and Nationwide joint weekends do have in the neighborhood of 180 cars. Most teams have a spare car, but it's usually in the hauler. So a more realistic model would be close to 90 large haulers or "semis". I know they accomodate them inside the 1/2 mile track at Bristol, I was just uncertain if they had the room to accomodate them at the Circuit at Montreal.

[POS_Maggott]

It's definitely possible.

When you figure that last year for that weekend, they had 43 Busch cars, a field of 36 for the Grand Am race, plus a field of 20+ for the NASCAR Canadian Tire series, you're already looking at 100 haulers. Plus, full-size merch haulers for at least 20-25 of the Busch teams, as well as a good number of the Grand Am teams, and any of the promo haulers that are at any NASCAR race...

I really feel like there is plenty of room there. Anyone who has been to the track knows just how beautiful it is, and how spacious it is. I think it would definitely be a good fit for a Cup race...

[Sparky1329]

And Montreal is a WONDERFUL city.

Easy access to the track. Subway stop on the next island and a quick stroll across a bridge. Huge casino in the middle of the track.

I've been to Canada but never to Montreal. We went through Ottowa on the way to Hull to meet up with friends. From there we went to the shores of the Baskatong to camp and fish. Very beautiful.

[Jonesi]

I would like to see it happen, but it won't. The schedule is maxed out and nobodys likely to sell them a date. Nascar since the begining of the modern era, (early 70s) hasn't taken Cup dates away from tracks (Nashville, Ontario, Riverside, Rockingham & N Wilkesburo all closed down.) So until Montreal is owned by SMI or ISC which could transfer a date, it won't get a Cup race.

[bovic]

Pocono, doing ok? ;)

[Jonesi]

Pocono, doing ok? ;)

Should be. Nearly full stands every race, track should be paid off a long time ago, Mattioli family is probably pocketing well over $10mil a year. And they know the going rate for the track/Cup dates is $340mil ;-) (That NHIS purchase may be the thing that collapses SMI.)

[Sparky1329]

Pocono, doing ok? ;)

It appears so bassed on my last visit. They built a new office building on Long Pond Road and added two stupid looking cathedral spires to the roof of the grandstands. The drivers complained loudly that the track needs to be repaved but Dr. Joe put church steeples on the roof instead.