RFM Front Page News

ST. JOVITE, Quebec (July 4, 2007) — Last August in Montreal, we left the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve soaking wet, having not seen a Champ Car race, and unsure if we would see another one in the province of Quebec. While the race would be run the next morning, the future of Champ Car in Quebec was still a big question mark. Though there were rumours of Champ Car races everywhere from Ottawa to Quebec City, a race was eventually announced at the historic Circuit Mont Tremblant 1.5 hours North of Montreal. The circuit, situated in the picturesque Laurentian mountains, next to the world renowned Mont Tremblant Ski Resort, hosted Formula 1 in 1968 and 1970, but has not held a major motorsports event since. Though the circuit went through a major overhaul in 2004, there were still many questions as to the viability of the venue for Champ Car. Was the track safe for 750HP open-wheel cars? Could the venue handle the crowds of a major motorsports event? Finally, would there even be a crowd at such an isolated event? Come Canada Day weekend, those questions and any others the skeptics had would be quickly answered.

Friday morning started with a drive through some of most breathtaking scenery you will find on the east of the Rockies in North America – along the undulating roads of the Laurentian mountains through spectacular river valleys and around crystal clear lakes. It was a nice feeling knowing that you would soon watch Champ Cars negotiate this very terrain. As most people coming to the Tremblant area, I passed through the town of Mont Tremblant (formerly known as St. Jovite), which was decked out with Champ Car banners and checkered flags at every restaurant. Unlike in Montreal in previous years, you knew there was a big race in Tremblant!

With perfect weather, upon arriving around 10:00am, there was already a steady stream of people entering the circuit. Though Friday qualifying had yet to begin, the grandstands were more full than they are at most other Champ Car events during the race. The questions of would people come had already been answered.

When the cars finally hit the track, the question mark of the track’s suitability was also answered. All drivers interviewed raved about the fast, smooth, flowing nature of the 2.62 mile track. Polesitter Tristan Gommendy commented, “It was a big surprised because it’s very smooth, very nice. If I wanted to compare with a European track, it’s like Spa, but smaller.” That’s not to say all was positive, with many drivers complaining that it would be difficult to pass during the race. As Team Australia driver Will Power put it, “Unless someone makes a mistake on the exit of a corner, that’s the only way you’re going to be able to…have a chance of passing.”

That wouldn’t matter during the race though, as the typically unpredictable Mont Tremblant weather ensured one of the most entertaining Champ Car races of the year. Our first taste of the wacky Tremblant weather came during the Friday qualifying press conference, when a bright and sunny day was interrupted by a torrential downpour – all of the press turning to look outside astounded by the sudden change in conditions. Welcome to racing at Mont Tremblant, where it can be bright and sunny on one corner, and pouring rain in the next!

Speaking to a few Champ Car fans from Toronto, they enjoyed the event, but were surprised by the lack of the other attractions at the track. Unlike street racing festivals, such as Toronto and Long Beach, there were no beauty contests, car shows, volleyball games, beer gardens or even a great variety of food and drink for that matter. This wasn’t an issue for most Tremblant fans though, who were there to see racing, not models and to eat and drink from a cooler, not from a café.

The action wasn’t limited to the circuit though – as anyone who’s been to Tremblant will tell you, no visit is complete without spending time in the pedestrian resort village at the base of the mountain. The village features a variety of trendy restaurants, bars, outdoors stores and souvenir shops in the atmosphere of a small town in the Swiss Alps. Saturday night, the village was alive with Champ Car fans and participants mixed with the usual assortment of tourists from around the globe that visit Tremblant year-round. Attractions included everything from an open-air concert to a Quebec winter tradition – maple taffy on snow! With the checkered flags flying and Champ Car posters in the windows of every business, it was clear that the Tremblant resort had its arms wide open for Champ Car. Though the place was hopping, a giant stage setup for Canada Day showed that the real party was to get underway the next night.

Sunday morning, the weather was cool and drizzly – which in most places would signal the start to a wet and gloomy day – not in Tremblant! As I was entering the track at 8:00am, there was already a 30 foot line of people waiting at the track box office and a steady stream of people entering with lawn chairs and coolers. Inside, the track was already lined with people 2-3 rows deep, and the cars had yet to hit the track! Unlike most of the street circuits Champ Car visits, the Tremblant circuit featured vast general admission areas that provided great views of all the action, with many great photo opportunities – without a media pass! Though some traditional Tremblant viewing spots, including the outside of Namerow corner, were closed to spectators, there have been discussions of having them opened up in future years if spectator safety can be assure in these locations.

Walking the grid half an hour before the race, a live band played and the grid girls took their positions. With a spectacular mountain backdrop, the scene was almost surreal. I felt like I was in the middle of a great party, with the best part yet to come!

As the race began, 4 of the 17 Champ Cars failed to leave the grid – signaling what would be the start of one of the wackiest races in years. As the race continued, the challenging mix of rain and sun created some of the most exciting racing you’ll ever see, with almost non-stop overtaking as drivers struggled for grip at every corner.

The highlight for some enthusiastic Tremblant fans had to come on lap 28, when Quebec’s enemy #1 Paul Tracy broke down in front of a large group of fans near the CDW bridge. The crowd gave PT a rousing chorus of “Na-Na-Na-Na, Na-Na-Na-Na, Hey-Hey-Hey, Goodbye” – a song commonly sung at the end of Montreal Canadiens games as a serenade to the losing team. Be it at a hockey rink or the race track, it’s hard to find more enthusiastic fans than the Quebecois.

When the checkered flag finally flew, Team Minardi USA rookie Robert Doornbos emerged as a popular first-time winner, ahead of three time Champ Car Champion Sebastien Bourdais. After stepping out of his car, Bourdais immediately proceeded to berate Doornbos for blocking in his post race interview, beginning a tantrum that would last through the podium celebration and into the post-race press conference. As the crowd let out a deafening chorus of boos – the likes of which I have never heard at an auto race in my life, my photographer colleague and I turned to each other and laughed our heads off – though Bourdais is known for complaining about other drivers, this display was above and beyond anything either of us had ever witnessed from a professional driver. From the point of view of a racing purist, it was a disgusting display of unsportsmanlike behaviour. From the point of view of press covering the event; however, we were loving it – every good story needs a villain after all, and Bourdais was gladly volunteering for that role, capping off what will be regarded as one of the most memorable races in Champ Car history.

The end of the race signaled the beginning of the post-race traffic jam. As with many permanent road course facilities access was via a single two lane road, making exiting after the race an exercise in patience. Luckily, many fans of the 42,300 fans chose to stay and watch an always-exciting FF1600, while the traffic cleared. As I drove out of the circuit at around 6:30PM, bright sun shone down on the hills of Mont Tremblant, creating a beautiful scene that couldn’t be further from the gloomy scene in Montreal last August. Champ Car had found a new home in Quebec, and one that we all hoped to return to for many years to come.