GP of Toronto: "...we may have to prepare ourselves for 2009"

Charlie Johnstone, president of the Grand Prix of Toronto responds to questions about the 2008 race

February 27, 2008: Toronto (ON) – An announcement last Friday of the unification of the Indy Racing League (IRL) and Champ Car series and today’s press conference outlining the details of that merger have left the fate of the 2008 running of the Grand Prix of Toronto in question. The Grand Prix of Toronto slotted into the July 4th through 6th date on the Champ Car series calendar long before the issue of the unification of the two racing series was settled and conflicts with an IRL race with a 60-year history at Watkins Glen.

“We entered into negotiations with Exhibition Place several months ago, and as you can appreciate, Exhibition Place has many other functions and events throughout the summer and into the fall, including the CNE,” said Charlie Johnstone, president of the Grand Prix of Toronto. “Finding an appropriate alternate time slot based on the respective schedule of the venue, the city and the racing league is proving to be difficult under this tight time frame. We will continue to work diligently with all of the key players to find a solution, but the reality is that we may have to prepare ourselves for 2009.”

Discussions will continue until such date as the complete schedule is finalized and released from the IRL.

“There is tremendous support for the Toronto race from our loyal fans, sponsors, partners, drivers and government,” said Johnstone. “The Toronto Grand Prix is a keystone of the Toronto summer schedule and an important economic driver for the city.”

From Rachelle Khalaf / Torchia Communications