NASCAR officials are reported to be studying the possibility of scheduling a Truck tour race at a proposed new track in Calgary, Alberta, as part of their new Canadian strategy. And NASCAR executives have stepped up public-relations operations in Toronto, bringing in top Cup drivers such as Jimmie Johnson and Bobby Labonte in recent weeks to promote NASCAR’s entry into the Canadian market. One possibility is a Truck race on Toronto’s temporary street course.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-7-2005)
UPDATE: Canadian beer giant Molson talking with a premier American racing series about staging an event in Calgary [Alberta, Canada] to be held at the Stampede Grounds. Molson has met with NASCAR and local officials about staging a Craftsmen Truck Series race on the grounds. The CTS is NASCAR’s third most-important series behind only the Busch and Nextel Cup. The potential venues in Calgary for a CTS race are the Stampede Grounds and Race City Motorsport Park, with the former seemingly the most likely, according to sources. A temporary roadcourse circuit winding through the Grounds is the front-runner, but the idea of converting the horse track at the Grounds has been floated. A new horse-racing facility is slated to be built north of the city for an April 2007 opening. First off, Molson, NASCAR, the Stampede Board and the mayor’s office confirmed there was a meet-and-greet held in Calgary in July during the Stampede. It was, however, a very informal meeting, said all involved, including NASCAR CTS manager of communications Owen Hearns. “It’s no secret we’ve been looking at Canada for years,” said Hearns. “But in terms of anything specific, there’s nothing really to say at this point.”(Edmonton Sun)(8-31-2005)
