Get Ready to Kiss Racing in Canada Goodbye
BAD news for big-league car-racing fans

By Norris McDonald, The Globe and Mail, Toronto
©1997 The Globe and Mail and SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.

BAD news for big-league car-racing fans.

Federal Health Minister David Dingwall appeared before the Senate committee holding hearings into the tobacco legislation this week and had absolutely no problems fielding the two or three cream-puff questions that a couple of the senators lobbed his way.

So unless some of the sponsors of sports and arts events come up with some exceptional arguments in the next few weeks, or Prime Minister Jean Chritién calls an election and the bill dies (but nobody had better be counting on that one), this legislation is going to become law and auto-racing fans can kiss goodbye to the Player's Grand Prix of Canada and start preparing to say so long to the Molson Indy Toronto after July, 1998, and the Molson Indy Vancouver after this Labour Day.

It is obvious that the government and the senators think all of this talk is just a big smoke screen . . . that all of these threats are just that, threats. The antitobacco lobby — and even some well-meaning motorsport commentators — have somehow managed to convince these legislators that because the Formula One cars run without tobacco signage in Britain, France and Germany they will agree to race this way in Canada.

No, no. A thousand times, no.

Britain is the centre of international motorsport. Auto racing is a huge industry. Most of the Formula One teams are based in Britain, the majority of the formula cars being raced anywhere in the world are built there (Indy cars, Formula 3000, Indy Lights, Atlantics, IRL cars, Formula Fords, etc.), the centre of the sports-car industry is there, the international motoring press is based in Britain, and on and on and on. Motorsport is truly a part of the culture of that country.

That explains why F-1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and the tobacco sponsors can only grin and bear it when they are forced to remove the cigarette names from the cars and the drivers' uniforms when racing there. It would be politically impossible to cancel the British Grand Prix.

The same can be said for France. The headquarters of the Federation International de l'Automobile (FIA) is in Paris. It is the bureaucratic centre of motorsport in the world. There is no way Ecclestone could pull an F-1 race out of France.

But now it gets interesting. The FIA and FOCA (the Formula One Constructors Association) agreed to add a race to the world championship this year. Although it is being called the Luxembourg Grand Prix, it will be held in Germany, at the Nürburgring — much like the San Marino Grand Prix is held in Italy, at Imola. And although Germany does not allow tobacco advertising on race cars, an exception is being made for the Luxembourg Grand Prix. Why? Because it was suggested to the German government that if this exception was not made, they would not only lose the second race but the primary one, the German Grand Prix, as well.

So, with the exception of Britain and France, the squeeze is being applied to have the cigarette signs remain on the cars elsewhere. And why not? The tobacco companies are pumping millions of dollars into these race teams and want the recognition that goes with it. They ultimately really don't give a damn where the races are held; just that the cars appear in competition on TV screens in 185 countries throughout the world with the brand names Rothmans, Marlboro, Benson & Hedges, Mild Seven and West easily identifiable.

See what I mean about not caring about the venue? Three of those five brands aren't even available in Canada. Which means they don't need us, or our race. They can cancel this Grand Prix and still have 15 left. No big deal. It costs a fortune to come over to North America for one race anyway. Who says they need a North American presence? They don't have one in Africa, and nobody seems to care.

Mark my words, if the legislation is passed without creating an exemption for international motorsport, as is the case in Australia, the Formula One race will be gone from Montreal and the Molson Indy races will be certain to follow.

The Indy Racing League will get international television exposure again this Sunday, compliments of ABC (would the deal to air the IRL have anything to do with the rights to the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, perchance?), when the Phoenix 200 goes to the post with a grand entry total of 23, maybe.

And the series that was created especially to give American oval-track racers an opportunity to crack the big time will once again see a field mostly made up of failed CART road racers. Oh, excuse me, owner Rick Galles had to find a driver to replace the still-injured Davy Jones but instead of signing some up-and-coming midget or sprint-car star opted to go with one Kenny Brack, last year's European F-3000 champion who'd never seen an oval in his life until he tested at Phoenix a month ago — the perfect choice for an all-oval series, don't you think?

Norris McDonald can be reached via E-mail: nmcdonald@GlobeAndMail.ca