Is it perhaps time to eliminate the Toronto race from the schedule? Although I am sure IndyCar, the drivers, and the Toronto organizers would love to keep it, I wonder how much Torontonians really care about it anymore. What was once one of the premier events on both the sporting and social calendars in the city, the event long ago fell off both and is barely a blip on non-racing fans radar. Crowds are nowhere near what they used to be, the buzz is no more, the pre-race events are basically non-existent, and the venue is under constant change. Back in the heyday of the Molson sponsorship and open wheel unification, there was no better place to spend a summer week in Toronto then at the Indy. Crowds of over 65,000 on race day and a week long festival of events that were mostly sold out made it a must be at event. But now the race crowd doesnt even outdraw Toronto FC or many Blue Jays games. In fact the Tudor and NASCAR Truck crowds at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport) are larger than the Indy crowds. The addition of BMO Field wasnt much of a factor in venue modification, but the new hotel has been and will continue to be, and future plans for Ontario Place could also have a major effect on the track. Further the grounds themselves are a mess and current organizers, along with CNE officials, havent done enough to make it more presentable on race weekend. Id hate to see the Toronto race go, but perhaps the upcoming Pan-Am Games are a perfect excuse to remove the race from the schedule.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:32:38 +0000
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