"Sponsorship of Alpine Canada Alpin, the Canadian alpine ski team and the Pontiac GMC cup, beginning in 1998, represented a return to alpine ski racing for Pontiac. For General Motors, sponsorship of the Pontiac Cup between 1969 and 1981 proved to be a very successful association with the sport of skiing.
"Adding GMC to the sponsorship was consistent with our marketing strategy. In addition to our passenger cars, we know that our sport utility vehicles, vans and pickup trucks are ideally suited and equipped to answer the needs of Canada's 4.5 million skiers.
"That original series produced such Canadian skiing greats as Todd Brooker, Steve Podborski, Ken Read, Laurie Graham and Kathy and Laurie Kreiner," he said. "We have high hopes that others will follow in their ski tracks and become World and Olympic ski champions. The first three seasons for the Pontiac GMC Cup have been outstanding. Over 50 races were held across Canada and $50,000 was distributed to skiers as prize money each year — and the competition was fierce."
Canadian female athlete of the century, Nancy Greene Raine, twice Alpine Ski World Cup overall champion and 1968 Olympic gold medal winner, who was instrumental in creating and launching the original Pontiac Cup, said that, "Top Canadian junior racers are getting the tough competition they need in the Pontiac GMC Cup series. This is what they have to have if they are to develop into World Cup and Olympic calibre athletes."
Ski resorts in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec will host four Pontiac GMC Cup Winter Snow Festivals where Pontiac and GMC vehicles will be showcased.