Johnson's not letting the talk go to his head

My latest column in the Globe and Mail:

Jimmie Johnson's fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup title celebration barely got started before the talk began of a run to match the record seven championships held by the late Dale Earnhardt, and Richard Petty.

Johnson wrapped up the NASCAR title in last weekend's Ford 400 at Miami-Homestead Speedway, dominating another Chase for the Cup after shifting into another gear once the 10-race playoff began.

"I am just blown away by the things we've been able to accomplish over the last eight years in the sport. Obviously the last four years have been just unbelievable," Johnson said after winning the championship by a margin of 141 points.

More at Globe Sports

It's official: F1 is back in Montreal

As already noted here, the governments of Canada and Québec, Montréal and Tourisme Montréal have made the official announcement of the return of the Canadian Grand Prix to Montreal.

The cost is $75 million over five years, with the Government of Canada and Tourisme Montréal will each contribute $5 million of this amount. The Government of Québec will provide $4 million and the city of Montréal will add $1 million.

Montréal and its partners will in return receive 30 per cent shares from ticket sales.

The race is a huge tourist attraction with 25 per cent of the usual 300,000 spectators coming from outside Québec. The race brings about $90 million in economic activity each year, including 75,000 overnight hotel stays.

"The return of the Formula One to Montréal attests to our sustained efforts and determination," said Montréal Mayor Gérald Tremblay.

"This win-win deal falls in line with the terms we set and the taxpayer’s ability to pay and will create stability for the next five years. I am very pleased that our metropolis is bringing back this crucial stage in the Formula One series for fans from around the world and an outstanding opportunity in terms of the event’s international reach."

The deal is substantially less than F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone demanded to save the race last year, with his final offer being a five-year deal for $175-million.

One more thing: It's nice to be right!

Brazil to open 2010 IndyCar season

One of the worst kept secrets is out: The IndyCar Series will start its 2010 season in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that is already home to Formula One's Brazilian Grand Prix.

The IndyCar's first venture into the South American country happens with a street race on Mar. 14. The race will mark the first time the series has begun its season outside the U.S. The 2010 IndyCar schedule has 17 races.

The deal was rumoured for almost two years. No details on the venue have been made public.

It is not the first time a U.S.-based series heads to Brazil after the old Championship Auto Racing Teams ran the Rio 400 a couple of times in the late 1990s.

The move will also cash in on the popularity of the series' high profile Brazilian drivers in the series: three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, 2004 IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan, veteran driver Vitor Meira, the 2009 Rookie of the Year Raphael Matos, and Sao Paulo native Mario Moraes.

The news comes only days after Indy Racing League vice-president of public relations John Griffin submitted his resignation effective Dec. 18. No replacement has been named.

Canadian Grand Prix announcement imminent?

It seems the Ts have been crossed and the Is dotted on the contract to remove the asterisk beside Canada's Formula One date on the 2010 grand prix calendar.

Sources close to the new promoter, Francois Dumontier of the Octane group, has agreed to a deal with F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone take control of the Canadian Grand Prix for the next five years beginning in 2010.

Dumontier's organization also runs the NASCAR Nationwide race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The deal appears to be the same one a source in the F1 paddock told me was done months ago.

At the time, the source said Canadian officials were in London in late July to offer F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone $75-million over five years to bring the race back.

That amount was considerably less than the offer rejected by Ecclestone last year when the city came to the table with a five-year package for $110-million in sanctioning fees as well as profit sharing and the proceeds from advertising and luxury boxes.

At the time, Ecclestone held to his demand of a guaranteed $175-million over five years. No deal was reached and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was silent in June during its traditional Canadian Grand Prix date.

But things have now changed with only three manufacturers left in the series – Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault – and the downturn continuing to eat away at sponsor involvement and corporate investments in racing programs.

And although Renault voted to stick around in F1 a few days after Toyota decided to pull the plug on its grand prix operation, many feel it's not long before the French manufacturer also departs the scene.

So a deal at this time for $75 million may be good for Ecclestone, who may be looking at a two manufacturer series before long.

In addition, the deal may have been drawn out to keep the promoters at Britain's Silverstone track from seeing what Ecclestone agreed to in Montreal as they negotiated a contract to host the 2010 British Grand Prix.

That reported 10-year deal is thought to be worth much more than the $15-million annual payment Ecclestone will get from Montreal.

The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's World Motor Sport votes to approve the final 2010 Formula One calendar next week.

Hildebrand not testing with US F1?

Further to post yesterday about flexible principles at US F1, just wondering if anyone is asking Peter Windsor why Indy Lights champion and up-and-coming U.S. driver J. R. Hildebrand gets a test with Force India and not with the North Carolina-based team.

The 21-year-old from California will drive the Force India 2009 car in Jerez, Spain, for two days beginning Dec. 1.

Hildebrand dominated the 2009 Indy Lights series, taking four wins and six poles in 15 starts. His 545 points was 98 better than second place finisher James Davidson.

You would think that a resume like that and a U.S. passport would at least get him a sniff from the folks at US F1. Maybe it's because he doesn't have those two things AND $8 million in the bank?

Anyway, he'll share the car with DTM standout Paul di Resta, 23, of Scotland. He finished third overall in 2009.

Word on the street is that Hildebrand may be in line for a reserve role at Force India. So, maybe there will be a U.S. driver in F1 next year even if US F1's bosses don't make it happen.

Vickers puts it down to experience

My latest effort for Red Bull on Brian Vickers and his first Chase for the Cup experience:

It’s said that, in sports, you’ve got to learn how to lose a championship before you can win one. If that’s the case, Brian Vickers and his No. 83 Red Bull Toyota should clean up in NASCAR’s Chase for the Cup next season.

The 26-year-old driver’s first appearance in the 10-race championship-deciding play-off ended, almost mercifully, on Sunday at Miami-Homestead Speedway with the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota a whopping 723pts behind 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

Vickers summed up his maiden Chase experience quite succinctly following the season finale in Miami: “Getting in our first Chase was pretty exciting – the Chase itself sucked.”

More at: Red Bull International

Do you know the way Jose?

A couple of months ago, Us F1 co-founder Peter Windsor criticized Formula One for not taking the time to nurture great young U.S. drivers and to give them more opportunity.

It seems that Windsor only took a few weeks to change gears and become part of the F1 establishment he so quickly admonished in August in the pages of Sports Illustrated magazine.

It's funny how $8-million can make those principles more flexible.

News that Argentine driver Jose Maria Lopez has a deal to race with US F1 have been making the rounds over the weekend.

He's a former Renault F1 test driver who raced a couple of years in GP2. His time in the F1 feeder series ended in 2006 after he failed to show that he could win on a regular basis. Lately, he's been driving touring cars in relative obscurity.

One could assume Lopez is one of the drivers with GP2 experience and lots of money that Windsor said they would not hire because they wanted to remain true to their convictions.

Apparently, Lopez needs to find another couple million dollars to secure the seat and, one assumes, diminish the influence of convictions in the driver selection process.

So, it seem that all the U.S. drivers out there that were hoping for a break from US F1 will have to keep hoping. Or pull together $8-million to buy a ride with US F1.

The team plans to make its F1 debut at the March 2010 season opener in Australia.