Ottawa to replace Montreal
09/01/06 Two Ottawa City Councilors are waiving the checkered flag at a proposal to hold an auto race at the former Rockcliffe airbase. The Ottawa Sun reports the Champ Car World Series wants to locate the race to the Ottawa site off the Aviation Parkway.
Both Jacques Legendre and Peter Hume suggest the idea won't get the green light from City Hall. Legendre says the race is the strangest proposal for the land he has heard. 580 CFRA Radio
08/30/06 If Champ Car races at the Rockcliffe Airport in Ottawa, Canada, it won't be the first time a race has been held there. Rockcliffe Airport is the home of the Canada Aviation Museum. Formerly an active Royal Canadian Air Force base from 1922 to 1964, the airport is still in use for the Ottawa Flying club and for support services for the Museum.
In 1970, a 2.2 mile road racing circuit (pictured right) was laid out on the runways for a round of the Gulf Canada backed National Driving Championship for Formula A and B cars. The event was given the rather grand name of National Motor Races, and was sponsored by the Department of the Secretary of State of the Government of Canada.
On Canada Day, July 1, a large crowd, estimated at 25,000 (encouraged by free admission), attended the race that was won by Eppie Wietzes driving a McLaren Mk10B Chevrolet.
This information is from an upcoming book listing all road racing courses in Canada by noted Canadian motorsport author and Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee Tom Johnston with materials from the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Archives.
08/28/06 UPDATE #2 The Champ Car World Series confirmed a Sun story yesterday that Ottawa is near the top of the list to replace the Grand Prix of Montreal at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Champ Car officials also confirmed that the ideal location for a race in the nation's capital would be the former Rockcliffe air force base, pictured right.
Champ Car president Steve Johnson first brought up the Ottawa option earlier this weekend in a question and answer session with selected members of the media.
Yesterday, Champ Car director of public relations Steve Shunck repeated that Ottawa is on the series' radar as a venue to replace Montreal on its race calendar.
"We are exploring all of our options for a third race in Canada and Ottawa is certainly being looked at right now," Shunck confirmed to the Sun.
What makes Ottawa so attractive to Champ Car is its status as national capital and its proximity to Quebec — a fan base that the series does not want to lose after being told that its 2007 Montreal race date will filled by the NASCAR Busch Series.
From a logistics point of view, Rockcliffe, with its wide-open landing strips, is ideal for the big-horsepower, high-speed cars that run in Champ Car. Ottawa Sun
08/27/06 Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and the country's fourth largest city (behind Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver). It is located in the Ottawa Valley on the eastern edge of the province of Ontario, right at the border with Quebec, about 400 km (250 miles) east of Toronto and 190 km (120 miles) west of Montreal. It is a city on the banks of the Ottawa River, a major waterway that forms the border between the two provinces. Total population is 1.1 million.
08/27/06 A Champ Car World Series race at Ottawa's little-used Rockcliffe Air Force base is under serious consideration to replace the Grand Prix of Montreal, the Toronto Sun has learned.
It is the closest race-ready site that could accommodate the 800-horsepower, 300-km/h Champ Cars within driving distance to Montreal, a source close to the talks told the Sun.
Ottawa's bilingual national capital status would also allow Champ Car to maintain its important links to French Canada.
Champ Car president Steve Johnson officially announced on Friday Champ Car would not be returning to Montreal after a five-year run.
"It is crucial that Champ Car have a race, if not in Quebec, at least close enough to be considered a home race for Quebec drivers like Alex Tagliani and Andrew Ranger," the source said. Toronto Sun