Fontana to axe IRL, IRL won’t replace Champ Car in Montreal

UPDATE #5 This rumor is now upgraded to 'fact' with the press release put out today by Normand Legault's office – see Hot News page. The IRL will NOT be replacing Champ Car in Montreal. 09/12/05 The IRL expects to announce its 2006 schedule Tuesday. Whether it includes a race in Canada remains to be seen. Ken Ungar, the league's senior vice president of business affairs and chief schedule-maker, said there is currently no deal with officials from any Canadian city, including Montreal, which is considering replacing its Champ Car race with the IRL. "We still have options in Canada," Ungar said Sunday. Ungar said that Tuesday is not a deadline for the Canadians. He noted that last year the IRL added the street course race in St. Petersburg, Fla., after the schedule had been released. Indy Star AND The Toronto Sun reports that NASCAR officials said they won't hold any races in 2006 in Canada, but are hoping to put something together for 2007, so it looks like the part of this rumor that has the IRL racing in Montreal in 2006 is 'false.' "There's just not enough time to get a date for 2006," said NASCAR Chief Operating Officer George Pyne. "But we are still very interested in a North American expansion strategy that includes Canada." 09/11/05 According to Robin Miller on Wind Tunnel, Legault may have purposely not put grandstands up for this year's Champ Car race to discourage fans from coming to the race. This resulted in much lower attendance and it is thought that the contract may have said that if attendance was below a certain level the promoter has the option to find an alternate event.

If this is the case, we expect to see this one decided in the courtroom. But even if Champ Car wins, the relationship is soured so how poorly will next year's event be promoted?

09/10/05 The IRL won't be returning to Fontana in 2006 so that part of this rumor is now 'fact.' Robin Miller writes on SPEEDTV.com, "Originally, it was believed the IRL schedule was being delayed because of Fontana, which hosts Nextel Cup in the spring and fall. The IRL didn't want to run in the heat of July and offered to go on Friday night with NASCAR during Labor Day weekend but was turned down by Brian France.

"So now there will be two International Speedway Corporation tracks missing from the '06 schedule. As first reported last July on SPEEDTV.com, Phoenix, a staple of Indy cars since the mid-1960s, has been dropped and California Speedway is also being axed."

Meanwhile, the same article reports that Ken Ungar, IRL senior vice-president of Business Affairs, and IRL chief operating officer Brian Barnhart have reportedly reached a handshake agreement with Montreal promoter Normand Legault to bring the IRL to Ontario [We assume Robin means Quebec] in '06 with NASCAR's Busch or Craftsman Truck series.

Supposedly, Legault told IRL officials that Champ Car has breached its contract and attorneys are examining the documents but Kevin Kalkhoven, co-owner of Champ Car, refuted the IRL being in Montreal in '06.

"It wouldn't surprise me if that happens in 2007 but we've got a contract with Montreal for 2006," said Kalkhoven, speaking from Belgium where he's attending the Formula One race at Spa.

"And we've also got a backup plan if Montreal does go away."

08/22/05 IRL president Brian Barnhart said finalizing the league's 2006 schedule will come when issues regarding the proposed street course race in Quebec City are resolved. Barnhart said the race, to be held on an 18-turn, 3-mile downtown course, would be a fall event if it happens. If it doesn't, the race at California Speedway likely will be in that slot.

The California race also could be held the week following the Indianapolis 500, he said. Barnhart said there was talk of the IRL staging its California race on the Labor Day weekend as a Friday night support event to the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series races. But there were too many issues to resolve for 2006, he said. "It's something we want to take another look at for 2007," he said. "We think it would be good." Indy Star

08/22/05 According to Robin Miller on SPEED News Sunday, the IRL is having difficulty fitting the Fontana race in next year's schedule. They want to wrap up their season right after Labor Day and NASCAR does not want the IRL to run with the Cup cars on Labor Day weekend at Fontana and there is another Cup race in the spring. With the pitiful crowd that the IRL gets at Fontana, it's thought this race could go away and spare everyone the trouble and embarrassment. We have said all along that the France family does not need the IRL anymore now that it accomplished what they wanted (destruction of Indy Car racing by splitting it and killing it off), so we are not surprised that they are not willing to do them any favors and allow them to run with the Cup cars on a Friday night.