CANADA: NO NASCAR FOR YOU

Kennedy, who dangled a carrot about maybe going to Canada, or Mexico, down the road.

Prior to NASCAR releasing the schedules for its three National touring series, in early October, there was much speculation that the Cup Series would be heading to Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2024.

As well, many assumed that the Craftsman Truck Series would be returning to Ontario’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Labour Day event that had been so popular prior to it being knocked off the schedule by COVID.

Leading up to the announcement, Dale Earnhardt Jr. – arguably the most popular and influential personality in NASCAR – told Sirius XM NASCAR Radio that he loved “the idea of going to Canada in any way, whether it’s Montreal or anything… to get in front of our fans up there, across the border.”

Earnhardt, you’ll recall, played a significant role in the rejuvenation and return of North Wilkesboro as a NASCAR track, after sitting dormant for more than a quarter century. When Dale Jr. talks… people listen.

So, there was surprise and disappointment when a scan of the 2024 Cup, Xfinity and Truck series schedules revealed that no Canadian venues were included. At all.

In a ZOOM press conference following the announcement, NASCAR’s Sr. VP of Strategy and Innovation, Ben Kennedy, discussed the sanctioning body’s schedule news, including the lack of Canadian content.

If a Montreal Cup Series race in 2024 was virtually a ‘done deal,’ as many close to the sport had been openly discussing for months, it was only briefly addressed by

“As we think about international venues in general, we still are bullish about finding our way either north of the border – whether that be in Montreal or Toronto or another market – or south of the border down into Mexico. As we’ve mentioned in the past, we want to bring our NASCAR Cup Series there at some point. We think it’s important for us to get outside of the United States with our series in some way, shape or form, so that’s something we’re going to keep our pulse on as we think about 2025 and beyond.”

Kennedy continued, “… timing is always critical to a lot of these venues, and we want to make sure that the market is ready for the NASCAR Cup Series, that the timing makes sense for the industry and the sport, and hopefully we’ll be able to move in that direction at some point.”

As for the Truck Series not returning to CTMP, there’s no clear indication as to whether the track even wanted the race back, or not. For anyone who has attended the Truck races there, the place is jammed to the point of being the best attended race on the entire schedule, including the February event in Daytona.

But for the past few Truck-less Labour Day races at CTMP, the headline NASCAR Pinty’s Series has also drawn impressive crowds of campers and race day walk-ups, possibly turning the considerable added expense of bringing the Truck Series into something that wasn’t necessary for the success of the weekend.

The reaction of Canadian fans was mixed. Some were hoping to see these series and their stars in action on Canadian soil. But others asserted that the homegrown tours –including the Pinty’s Series, FEL Motorsports tours and others – are preferrable.

NASCAR is in the business of selling races to promoters who will pay top dollar for them. And with the history of huge crowds produced by past Nationwide (now Xfinity) and Truck Series races in Montreal and at CTMP, respectively, it makes sense that NASCAR’s big three National touring series should on track in the ‘Great White North’ at some point in the future.

Spiteri Steps Down

Prior to the recent NASCAR Pinty’s Series finale at Delaware Speedway, Tony Spiteri announced that he had stepped down as the GM of NASCAR Canada. He’d been in the role for approximately one year. Prior to that, he was prominent in the sport for well over a decade as the face of Pinty’s, a major series supporter that ultimately became its title sponsor.

Saying that he didn’t want his news to distract from Treyten Lapcevich’s title celebration, Spiteri wasn’t in attendance at Delaware. Contacted by Inside Track, Spiteri offered the following statement regarding his resignation.

“After spending the majority of three decades in motorsports, the time comes to step away from the day to day. This last year as General Manager of NASCAR Canada has given me incredible insights into the daily operations of the business. I am grateful for all the progress we have been able to make in both the domestic and international series.

“A few weeks ago, I advised NASCAR of my decision to leave the company at the end of the 2023 season. I will always be grateful for the learnings at NASCAR. As I make my transition out of the day to day, I am excited to see all that the sport can achieve. I am confident that the NASCAR Canada team will continue to drive the business to new heights. I sincerely look forward to enjoying a race or two from the grandstands with the greatest fans in sports, in 2024.”

Speaking personally and on behalf of Inside Track, Tony was always a great supporter of Canadian motorsports and those involved in the industry. We thank him for all his efforts and wish him success in his future endeavours. IT