19 replies to this topic

[Andy]

Local Montreal News reported last night that Circuit Mont Tremblant, former home of the Canadian Grand Prix, is undergoing and almost finished major renovations. Under new ownership since last year (Purchased by owner of Tommy Hilfiger!) the track is being brought up to CART, IRL & ALMS standards, including complete re-surfacing, improved run-off areas and completely new Paddock areas.

As CDNgrl reported last month, the American LeMans Series will be making a stop at Mont Tremblant in Aug. 2001! Asked if there will be a CART or IRL race at Mont Tremblant next year, the answer was "No". Have they approached CART or IRL yet? "No". Do they plan on approaching CART and/or IRL? "Possibly".

Source: CTV - "Pulse News, Montreal"

It will be interesting to see how this plays out on the CART front as rumour also has it that Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (present home to the Canadian GP) is actively pursuing a CART race!...

[John B]

Two questions:

1. Does the IRL citation mean that an oval is part of the renovations, and

2. Is there any chance of both CART and F1 racing at Montreal the same year, or is that still banned?

[pa]

You can bet the farm on one thing - Tommy boy isn't pouring millions into Tremblant so that he has a track to drive his Ferraris on. It'll probably suck some events away from Trois Rivieres. I doubt that the IRL will ever race outside the USA; however, I think the track is too far from Montreal to draw enough fans for CART or F1 races. In that sense, it has the same marketing problem as Mosport - great track, but no subway stop. I think Tremblant's future is in sports car (and prototype) races.

[Todd]

Where is that Ross kid? This could be related to our discussion the other day.;)

[Ross Stonefeld]

Originally posted by Andy
Under new ownership since last year (Purchased by owner of Tommy Hilfiger!)

Keeping em honest

[Andy]

JohnB - Don't know about the oval bit. I do know that the Montreal folks have been talking recently about trying for a CART race but am not aware of any ruling re CART & F1 in the same year. Right now Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is used for rollerblading the rest of the summer!! Personally I think it's so we can thumb our noses at Toronto and say "Nah, nah, na, na, naah - We got both races and you only got one!!"

Tremblant is not that far from Montreal, 1.5 hour's drive.

[mhferrari]

Another oval?
Please tell me how many ovals there are in North America, including those quarter-mile tracks.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Tremblant is no oval

its the best track I've ever been on, and probably will ever be on, no matter how far in racing i go

[pa]

Originally posted by Andy
Tremblant is not that far from Montreal, 1.5 hour's drive.

Is that the same 1.5 hour drive that let Montreal steal the Canadian GP from Mosport? (FYI, Mosport is roughly 1.5 hours from Toronto) Like I said, the subway doesn't stop there. Also, until Don Panoz bought the track, it was on serious life support.

It'd be nice if they built a real road course in Toronto, but they're pretty fixated on the Olympics right now, so that's not gonna happen.

Hey Ross- if you like Tremblant, try a hot lap or two at Mosport. Love that turn 2, especially when rookies brake at the first apex and go flying off into the wilderness. Happens a lot, believe it or not...

One of the Americans (who will remain nameless) who raced there duing the ALMS weekend said to me: "This is a hell of a track! I won't **** for a week!"

[Jhope]

pa: the fear the F1 drivers said they had at Tremblant was way more than they had at Mosport. They said the track was very very challenging, but too dangerous for them! this was 1972!!! since when were tracks considered too dangerous for a driver in that era, besides Spa?


Andy, good news for us Montrealer, uhhh and Lavalois. starting in 2002, there will be a historic event run every year. the cars used will be those of the F1, CanAm and other tin tip formula run during the sixties and seventies! Are you thinking of going to the ALMS series next year? if so, i'll see you there! I have a friend that has land at Val des Lac. it's 45km from Tremblant. About 30minutes in the car. I have a place to stay then. I'll see if he would let me bring others with me, ie: you.

[pa]

JHope - ever driven at Mosport? I've driven at both tracks, and Mosport has Tremblant beat. BTW, Nikki Lauda agrees with me; he called it the most challenging circuit in _North America_, and one of the world's best. They were designed by the same man.

Mt. Tremblant hosted only two GPs - in 1968 and 1970. Eight were run at Mosport (including 1972).

BTW, as of this month, Mosport complies with FIA standards!

http://www.mosport.com/news111000.htm
[p][Edited by pa on 11-15-2000]

[mhferrari]

I know the real Mont Tremblant track, but someone said that IRL might come in. And only Eddie Cheever and Eliseo Salazar are the only IRL drivers that can turn left on a regular basis.

[Jhope]

pa: Sorry if I came off as an Arrogant SOB. Yes, I've driven Mosport, and I don't take anything away from the track, but for some reason, i prefer Tremblant. I drove it 2 years ago, and I wa sin awe. I just love the elavation changes and the amazing corners it has.


With these upgrades, Tremblant too is FIA approved. Ain't life great in Canada? Three tracks up to FIA standards, and nothing east of Toronto! HAHAHAH to all those west of Ontario...SUCKA! (just kidding, love you all!)

[Jhope]

here's the highlights of the Article in from the Montreal Gazette:


Ian MacDonald

"We have had CART people 9who race Indycars) here and the track has met all specifications for staging a championship event," Circuit president Alan Wilson said at an on-site media conference yesterday.

"But we will not be staging a CART race here."

Next year, for instance, there will be a four-hour feature round of the ALMS.

Among support events that weekend will be the Speedvison World Challenge Series.
"The ALMS series is reminiscent of the old Can-Am series," said Vince Loughran, Wilson's vice-president and general manager."Those races were among our most successful."

Over the years, Tremblant didn't have the financial means to maintain its status as a top-drawer races track. A bumpy surface made it a risky proposition for even lighter cars, although longtime Quebec Racing Federation executive Claude Giroux pointed out: "It may have been tough on the cars, but we've only had one fatality at the track in 36 years."

In talking about the improvements, Wilson said, "We are pleased to have been able to upgrade the circuit to current FIA standards while retainig the character and Ambiance of the old circuit.

"We have been able to make the track 10-per-cent faster, 10-per-cent scarier and 100-per-cent safer."

...Journalists were shown how the track is 8 feet wider for it's full 2.65-mile length, with larger run-off areas and a much longer and wider pitlane.

[Andy]

Jhope - You better believe I'll be at the ALMS race next summer!! My younger bro is currently building a Chalet 10 mins from the south side of Tremblant, am going to see if I can "book" it for that weekend. Chalet is to be finished mid-Feb 2001. Otherwise, might take you up on your offer! Must talk with my client, Scott Maxwell, who races ALMS prototype (Multimatic Lola), and see if he'll be racing that weekend.

I have never driven the Tremblant track but have done Mosport in a Minivan!! Mostport is a good track, but personally, I prefer the 'setting' of the Tremblant track much better.

BTW, you better believe the fact that Gilles Villeneuve was racing F1 at the time was one of the biggest factors for moving the Canadian GP to Montreal. I think the actual tracks were secondary in this decision. IMO.;)


P.S. Do you think we need a "Atlas F1 Headquarters" at Tremblant?? Hmmmm

[f1sl]

Mosport is NOT at FIA standards yet. i was marshaling there for the CASCAR weekend this year, and i thaught that they had done some improvements from last year but they're not at the FIA standards yet. maybe they will be there in a couple of years.

[pa]

Re: Mosport not at FIA standards yet.

Follow the link.

http://www.mosport.com/news111000.htm

[Andy]

pa - Hmmm, the track WIDTH is to FIA standards, but this doesn't answer if the entire circuit is up to code?

[Jhope]

actually, Tremblant is NOT FIA approved either. the track is just up the their standards. Oh well! Close.

[pa]

Andy - When you've spent millions on bringing the paved surface up to FIA spec, there wouldn't be any point in not going the extra yard on the small dollar stuff (if indeed that has yet to be brought up to spec). Especially not for Don Panoz, who doesn't exactly have a reputation for being cheap!

I think it's pretty safe to assume that the track meets FIA specs, if not now, then before the season starts next year.