By Dan Proudfoot -- Toronto Sun

Toronto's Molson Indy is safe through 1998, but the following year remainsin doubt.

Molson, CART and Health Ministry officials finally met face-to-face onTuesday in Ottawa. It was a non-smoking meeting, naturally, with deputyHealth Minister Michele Jean presiding.

"What will happen in 1999 was one of the things discussed," said RonRichards, who represented Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc., at themeeting because CEO Andrew Craig was otherwise committed.

"That's one of the things that's still not clear," said Richards, who isCART's vice-president of communications. "They're still gatheringinformation -- in fact one of their objectives in meeting us seemed to be togain an understanding of how our series operates.

"In 1997 and 1998 we can continue to operate essentially as we have in thepast," Richards said. "But we were looking for confirmations that were notforthcoming. They've indicated we should have some matters confirmed withinthe next two weeks."

Representing Molson, which requested the huddle, were Brent Scrimshaw,Molstar president in charge of Molson's hockey and racing, and Mike Smith,general manager of Toronto's race. Unavailable for comment last night,Scrimshaw and Smith are expected to make an announcement today.

According to one source, Molson was seeking assurance beyond 1998 beforeinvesting $1.5 million in a new site for its Vancouver race that's necessarybecause of construction at the present location, Concord Pacific Place.

Restrictions on tobacco advertising affecting racing will begin in October1998. The name of the sponsoring tobacco company will be allowed to occupyonly 10% of any advertising or signage for the race, and advertising will beallowed only on site, in major newspapers with adult audiences, by directmail, and in places closed to children, such as bars.

A source indicated that Jean made clear to Scrimshaw, Smith and Richardsthat there is no possibility of an exemption based on the CART races beingpart of an international series.

Australia already provides such an exemption for visiting CART and FormulaOne races as well as international events in tennis.

Germany, which bans tobacco company names from appearing on race cars,this year is providing an exemption of a sort by allowing tobaccoadvertising in the Grand Prix of Luxembourg, held at Germany's Nurburgringtrack.

In an earlier step, Normand Legault and Richard Prieur of the Player'sGrand Prix of Montreal, whose organization holds the TV rights to FormulaOne races, met March 6 with health and justice ministry officials.

"Our concern was the legality of our showing these races once C-71 passedinto law," Prieur said yesterday. "Our lawyer gave us a reading ofSubsection 3 of Section 31 that said we could be contravening the law.

"We received an assurance in writing that we can continue the telecaststhrough to Oct. 1, 1998."

Source: Canoe Online
used by permission.