Molson Indy Vancouver
Molson Indy Vancouver was an annual Champ Car race held in a street circuit near BC Place and running past Science World in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada held in July, August or September from 1990 to 2004.
 | |
| IndyCar / CART / Champ Car | |
|---|---|
| Location | Concord Pacific Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 49°16′34″N 123°6′24″W |
| Corporate sponsor | Molson |
| First race | 1990 |
| Last race | 2004 |
| Most wins (driver) | Al Unser, Jr. (4) |
| Most wins (team) | Newman/Haas Racing (3) Team Green (3) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chassis: Lola (7) Engine: Ford-Cosworth (4) Honda (4) |
| Circuit information | |
| Surface | Asphalt/Concrete |
| Length | 2.865 km (1.780 mi) |
| Turns | 15 |
On September 2, 1990, the first race took place on the original circuit, which was won by Al Unser Jr. From 1998, a new circuit was created to the east of the old Pacific Place, where only a small part of the original circuit was used. The circuit was popular with drivers and often produced an entertaining race. For most of its fifteen years, the Vancouver Indy attracted in excess of 100,000 spectators over the course of its weekends, and in 1996 held the Canadian single-day sporting event attendance record until it was beaten by the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal that year. [1] The final event in 2004 had race day attendance of 63,000 with a total three day turnout of 158,420 spectators. [2] However, from 2004, Vancouver was left off the Champ Car fixture list, and no race has taken place since.
Controversy and cancellation
For much of its time in Vancouver, the Molson Indy was a source of considerable local controversy, as local residents complained of the noise and disruption caused by this major event. As the lands of the former Expo 86 site were developed into the billion-dollar condominium development by Concord Pacific, debates raged over whether the Indy made Vancouver a "world-class city" or an "urban nightmare." Such debates were chronicled by Mark Douglas Lowes in his 2002 book, Indy Dreams and Urban Nightmares: Speed Merchants, Spectacle, and the Struggle over Public Space in the World-Class City.[3]
The official explanation for the cancellation came from Jo-Ann McArthur, president of sponsoring Molson Sports and Entertainment, who stated that "the bottom line is the business model couldn't work".[4] The race had just two seasons left in the city, due to the impending construction of the Olympic Village for the 2010 Winter Olympics on the south end of the course. She stated that the lack of a long-term commitment to holding the event made it difficult to attract sponsors to continue the race.[5]
Following the cancellation, Champ Car continued to race in the Canadian cities of Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton as part of the 2005 season.
CART/Champ Car race winners
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Indy Lights/Atlantic winners
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References
- Charters, David A. (2007). The Chequered Past: Sports Car Racing & Rallying in Canada, 1951-1991. University of Toronto Press. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-8020-9394-3.
- Sabine, Alex (2005). Autocourse Official Champ Car Yearbook 2004–2005. Crash Media Group Press. pp. 110–113. ISBN 978-1905334001.
- Lowes, Mark Douglas (2002). Indy Dreams and Urban Nightmares. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 148. ISBN 978-0-8020-8498-9.
Indy Dreams and Urban Nightmares: Speed Merchants, Spectacle, and the Struggle over Public Space in the World-Class City.
- "Molson ends Indy-car race in Vancouver". The Seattle Times. November 19, 2004. Archived from the original on 12 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
- "Vancouver Molson Indy cancelled". CBC News. Toronto. November 18, 2004. Retrieved October 10, 2017.