Admittedly, I was pretty surprised that such an impressive crowd attended the NAPA Auto Parts 200 (Nationwide) in Montreal last August.
Could it be because Quebecers massively turned to NASCAR following the withdrawal of the Formula One Grand Prix? Or because a record five local drivers were taking part in this major race?
Is NASCAR really taking root in Quebec -- to the extent of replacing F1 in the hearts of enthusiasts?
Hard to say…
Hosting a Nationwide race here in Montreal is nice, but as pointed out by the event’s promoter, François Dumontier, the ultimate goal is a Sprint Cup race with the fastest cars, the hottest stars and all the related hoopla.
The famous "Chase" for the title involving the 12 highest-ranked drivers is run exclusively on oval tracks and the only Sprint Cup races on road courses (Sonoma and Watkins Glen) take place in June and August, respectively.
A fraction of fans, drivers and team owners is open to the idea of hosting a round of the Chase on a road course. However, the vast majority is still opposed. For these purists, such venues simply don’t belong in stock car series. Sonoma and Watkins Glen are tolerated, but adding another road race, especially far north in Canada, is out of the question.
It’s the same problem with the possible use of rain tires in the Sprint Cup series. Goodyear is pushing really, really hard to get the big wigs to adopt their tires and thus allow races to continue even under the rain. The postponement of the Watkins Glen race in August did not sit well with anyone.
At times, the organization known as NASCAR seems to be suffering from its ossified business model. That’s a shame because it could easily conquer new markets with just a little more effort.
Could it be because Quebecers massively turned to NASCAR following the withdrawal of the Formula One Grand Prix? Or because a record five local drivers were taking part in this major race?
Is NASCAR really taking root in Quebec -- to the extent of replacing F1 in the hearts of enthusiasts?
Hard to say…
Hosting a Nationwide race here in Montreal is nice, but as pointed out by the event’s promoter, François Dumontier, the ultimate goal is a Sprint Cup race with the fastest cars, the hottest stars and all the related hoopla.
The famous "Chase" for the title involving the 12 highest-ranked drivers is run exclusively on oval tracks and the only Sprint Cup races on road courses (Sonoma and Watkins Glen) take place in June and August, respectively.
A fraction of fans, drivers and team owners is open to the idea of hosting a round of the Chase on a road course. However, the vast majority is still opposed. For these purists, such venues simply don’t belong in stock car series. Sonoma and Watkins Glen are tolerated, but adding another road race, especially far north in Canada, is out of the question.
It’s the same problem with the possible use of rain tires in the Sprint Cup series. Goodyear is pushing really, really hard to get the big wigs to adopt their tires and thus allow races to continue even under the rain. The postponement of the Watkins Glen race in August did not sit well with anyone.
At times, the organization known as NASCAR seems to be suffering from its ossified business model. That’s a shame because it could easily conquer new markets with just a little more effort.