Full Throttle

The story first hit the wires about ten days ago. The first of the month Speed TV ran Fight of the Phoenix that detailed war of words between Kevin Kalkhoven’s CCWS, NASCAR, the City of Phoenix and the Arizona state legislature.

Kalkhoven’s part in this mechanized passion play is a claim that NASCAR officials, and the ISC, are actively sabotaging a proposed CCWS race in downtown Phoenix for 2007. He has also said that NASCAR has pressured the state legislature into introducing a bill that calls for a decibel level for any future motor sports events in a city or town in Arizona. A caveat in the bill states the noise restriction only covers events not held on purpose built facilities.

In other words, ISC as owners of the only “purpose built” venue (PIR) can keep on doing what they have been doing. Champ Car would be left out in the cold of the desert so to speak.

Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s vice president of corporate communications has denied everything up to and including playing lead blocker for “any of its representatives, agents, or employees” and flatly stated we ain’t done nothin’, that’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

At the time I blew the entire episode off and didn’t post anything, although I believe I did make a comment elsewhere to the effect I thought Kalkhoven had a bit too much of the “grape” and was talking out of his posterior. However, I apparently was wrong.

But first lets look at what I did post. I throw out a rather tongue-in-cheek post about Jeff Burton possibly testing this month in Montreal at the le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve that holds both an F1 and a CCWS events. That was based on a Montreal Gazette story claiming that the announcement heralding a Busch Series race at le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, in 2007, was imminent. That was 13 days ago that falls a bit outside the “imminet” criteria most would agree.

What your asking? How does a “french speaking” Burton, the CCWS, the ISC, the Arizona desert, F1 and the very upscale and cosmopolitan Montreal all get wrapped up in one tidy little package?

The Inside Track does the honors via Le Nest du Hornet. Greg M breaks it down for us.

Normand Legault is the promoter of the F1 race. And again this summer, Alan Labrosse is the promoter of the ChampCar race at the end of August.

The debate centres on who will control the ’second date’ in 2007 and beyond. Labrosse contends that he has a new five-year agreement with ChampCar to put on that event. Legault, on the other hand, wants the date so that he can put on the long-rumoured NASCAR Busch Series race.

Legault’s camp is floating the notion that F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is adamant that there be one promoter in charge of any venue that holds an F1 race. The point being that this group would have people think that if Legault doesn’t get the coveted ’second date’, Montreal’s F1 race could be pulled. No one says these guys don’t play hardball. The decision rests with the mayor of Montreal.

Confusing isn’t it?

With six players involved it breaks down to a sanctioning body head honcho menage a trois… times two. Who the hell knows what the outcome will be, but one thing is sure. Both F1 and NASCAR are the heavy weights in the fight and if anyone one comes out bloody the odds don’t favor Kalkhoven and CCWS. I’d also bet Jeff Burton won’t be needing any of those “French lessons” in the near future.

And BTW, Greg adds this little tidbit. Kalkhoven is apparently playing the old “pot calling the kettle black routine.” Last year Champ Car held a very successful street race in the Western Canadian city of Edmonton. The promoter of that event said he “wasn’t allowed to invite CASCAR to his race because of a clause in his contract with ChampCar.”

All’s fair in love, war and race sanctioning I guess.

CASCAR, NASCAR, Busch Series, Montreal, CCWS, Champ Car, F1, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle