MVN: Most Valuable Network

Montreal Gazette: League open to discussing 2010 race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

With the end of Formula One's Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is looking for a second tenant to accompany the NASCAR Nationwide Series on their yearly schedule.

Could the IndyCar Series fit the bill? Randy Phillips of the Montreal Gazette says that the IRL's open to discussing a possible trip to the Canadian city in 2010. American open-wheel racing has been absent from CGV since the old Champ Car World Series completed a five-year run at the facility in 2006.

Adding Montreal to the schedule is an intriguing possibility, and it's one that may have some steam behind it if league and track officials can commence talks -- especially because of the past history between the two sides.

IRL-to-Montreal rumors intensified a couple of years back and according to IRL spokesman John Griffin's account in the Gazette, a handshake agreement was even made between the league and CGV promoter Normand Legault.

But the race never happened. Griffin told the Gazette:

"We were negotiating during the summer of '06 for a race in '07 and actually moved around a few other dates anticipating success with the Montreal agreement. We were pretty far along in an agreement, but after switching dates of other venues in anticipation of Montreal, all of a sudden, it never went beyond where we were at that point."

I gotta say that when it comes to natural-terrain road courses, Montreal seems like a fine choice at first glance. At the very least, it'd be a nice consolation prize for losing Surfer's Paradise. However, the track itself may be needing some renovation first after parts of it disintegrated during F1's last hurrah at CGV in 2008.

I also wonder why the league is waiting on a phone call from Legault and his people instead of going after them. This seems arrogant for a series that really ought to get out into the public, bust their butts, and promote themselves. Lord knows ISC isn't gonna do it -- they should have taken the bull by the horns as soon as word got out that Bernie Ecclestone was pulling the plug.

We'll keep an eye on this one...