Saturday
NASCAR seeks One Million Dollars from federal and provincial governments
Caught in the Catchfence™
The International Speedway Corporation (ISC) is asking for the money for two years to help provide greater visibility for the Gilles-Villeneuve course among U.S. clients, QMI Agency has learned.
Francois Dumontier, Montreal’s NASCAR and Formula 1 promotor, would not confirm the request for funding, but he acknowledged there is a plan to give Montreal better visibility in the racing world.
“We want to do a promotion on the American courses to attract people here,” said Dumontier. “ISC is the owner of 12 other courses and holds a hundred races across the United States. This direct promotion can be very efficient.”
So why should the governments make a financial contribution to the effort?
“Like all events starting out, there is education to be done in Montreal,” said Dumontier. “We want to work closely with local officials.”
However, NASCAR draws fewer tourists to Montreal than Formula 1.
“NASCAR is the American middle-class,” said Pierre Bellerose, vice-president of Tourisme Montreal. “The F1, that’s the international jet-setter.”
“For now, it’s more visibility than anything else,” said Bellerose. “But it’s important.”
Article Tags: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Formula One, François Dumontier, International Speedway Corporation, NASCAR, Pierre Bellerose, QMI, Tourisme Montreal.
