After 14 successful seasons at full throttle, Vancouver's Molson Indy looks to be screeching to a halt.
While Molson continues to negotiate with the city and searches for corporate sponsors to get the race back on track, things look bleak as Vancouver's preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics have apparently left the Indy in limbo.
"I don't think it's going to happen but it's really more a Molson-B.C. issue and not ours," said Champ Car co-owner Paul Gentilozzi, who also runs Rocketsports Racing. "We love it there, it's a great event and that's successful with the fans. We all like going there."
Vancouver was conspicuously absent when Champ Car released its 14-race schedule for 2005 late last month. It's widely thought that Vancouver's days in Champ Car are numbered because work on the Olympic Village promises to encroach on Champ Cars' False Creek location after 2006. While many felt the series would be hard-pressed to find another location in Vancouver suitable for racing, Gentilozzi suggested the construction issue was a smoke screen.
"We talked to people who said we could still race there during Olympic construction and that it could be accommodated," he said. "I think it was a bit of an excuse."
Molson wants to defray some of the costs of staging the race. But the city is unwilling to sweeten the pot, leaving Vancouverites facing a summer without the sounds of the 750-horsepower Champ Car engines echoing through the streets of False Creek.
"I understand Molson's motives to make a better business deal, but I think that race was good for tourism and they've made a mistake not pulling together," Gentilozzi said.
With the Olympics on the horizon, Vancouver seems reluctant to focus its attention elsewhere, added Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven.
Vancouver remains an attractive event on the Champ Car circuit, finishing well in the attendance list. Last year, Vancouver ranked sixth with 162,271 people going to the three-day event. It's estimated the race brings about $30-million in business to the city.
Despite the city's apparent indifference, Molson continues to try to keep the race afloat even after the event was omitted from next year's schedule.
"The fact that Vancouver is not on the schedule does not mean that the event will definitely not happen," said Cynthea Galbraith, spokesperson for Molson Sports and Entertainment. "Molson, Champ Car and the B.C. business community are still evaluating the possibility of staging a race in 2005.
"There isn't really a deadline and we feel it's important to thoroughly investigate these avenues, so we'll take the time to put in our best effort."
Canada's third race date was scooped up by Edmonton, where the teams will run on a temporary airport circuit much like the one in Cleveland. That race will be July 17, one week after the Toronto Indy in the spot usually occupied by Vancouver.
Molson is not involved in Edmonton's race, but has expressed interest in a partnership.
With a four-week break in Champ Car's 2005 schedule after the race in Montreal on Aug. 28, there remains a glimmer of hope for Vancouver should Molson pull off a deal.
A last-minute agreement would probably return the Molson Indy Vancouver to its traditional Labour Day weekend date, which was usurped by Denver two years ago and pushed the Vancouver race to July.
Jeff Pappone