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Late 1977. Cheap Vapormax Nz Sale . Roger Peart receives a call from the president of the Fédération Automobile Québécoise. Its the Labatt beer company, the then-title sponsor of the Canadian Grand Prix held annually at Mosport near Toronto. They want to know if Montreal can host a Formula One race. "Great question," says Peart, who then asks for a little time for reflection — 30 minutes to be precise. "I first thought of Île Notre-Dame. Then, I looked at a route that would start and end at the Olympic Stadium, but that would have been devilishly complicated to implement. I even looked at [building a track at] Laval." "We didnt have to go far down those roads," says Peart. "The first idea was always going to be the best." After 30 minutes, he phoned his interlocutor back to tell him yes, Montreal could accommodate a full-fledged Formula One Grand Prix, and that the best venue was Île Notre-Dame – a man-made island built to host Expo 67 a decade earlier – if for no other reason than its excellent access to public transit. The timing was perfect. Montreals then-Mayor Jean Drapeau had just announced that the artificial island would be devoted to sporting events, while the neighbouring nature-made Île Sainte-Hélène would host cultural-type events. By April 1978, Montreals city council had accepted the idea of a racetrack — "on the express condition that it cost the taxpayers nothing," recalls Peart. Peart, an engineer, is well-known in the world of international racing. Over the past five decades, he has not only competed as a driver (largely in amateur races) but has monitored and inspected racing circuits all over the world. Now 80-years-old, Peart is still president of the Canadian National Sports Authority (ASN Canada), and the only sports commissioner in the country recognized by the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile (FIA), Formula Ones governing body. Unsurprisingly, it was Peart who was given the mandate to design the Île Notre-Dame track, which would need to meet Formula Ones rigid standards. The Briton, who was then living in Montreal (he now calls Ontario home), still remembers the moment he went to first inspect what would become Canadas most famed racetrack. Mother Nature had dropped a major snowfall on top of the island, forcing him to develop the initial drafts without even being able to inspect the actual ground he was surveying. "I remember those days at my cottage in Saint-Sauveur in the Laurentians; when skiing conditions were poor, I drew up plans, plans and plans again." The challenge was more than he expected. "First, I had to ignore the old pavilions of the Expo 67 scheduled for demolition. Then I had to deal with some elements – the lake and park in the center, the river on one side, the Olympic basin on the other – that were obviously there to stay." "There wasnt much space and I had to fit a circuit in there, with rights and turns." Despite the challenges, the track, by and large, remains almost the same as Peart originally designed it. The buildings to the east of the island, where the boathouse was situated and where the hairpin turn is still today, were originally used as the pits. One weekend a year, the boats would then give way to the F1 cars — "It was an economical solution," recalls Peart. Because of the impracticality of this arrangement, new pits have subsequently been built in their current location, to the west, just before the Senna turn. This is the most significant change in the circuits 36-year history, a testimony to the excellence of Pearts original design. "Everything Was Going Too Fast!" The construction of the circuit that would later bear the name of Gilles Villeneuve was executed in record time. "It was a crazy time," says Peart. "Everything was going too fast!" After a winter spent developing the best possible layout, the British engineer travelled to Europe to attain approval for the plans by the FIA. By May 1978, after a meeting in Monaco, approval was granted and the construction began shortly thereafter, in July 1978. The first F1 race was held barely three months later. A Fairy Tale for All Sunday, October 8, 1978. The first of 35 Grand Prix of Canada races to be held on the new Circuit Île-Notre-Dame – its been held there every year since 78, except in 1987 during a sponsorship dispute between Labatt and Molson, and in 2009 when event funding became an issue – unfolds like a fairy. Its a fairy tale for Peart, who, serving as the race director, gets to hear firsthand from racers like Jackie Stewart that "his circuit" is "a little paradise in the middle of a great river." Its also a fairy tale for the Quebec public. In a race seemingly scripted by the gods of motor racing, Quebecs own Gilles Villeneuve takes the inaugural checkered flag in his Ferrari to the delight of more than 72,000 excited spectators. Its Villeneuves first win in 19 races, and he receives his much-deserved trophy from Prime Minister Pierre-Elliot Trudeau. For Ferrari, it is the companys first success in eight years. The track would be renamed in 1982 to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in honour of its first champion after Villeneuve tragically died in a crash during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix 36 Years Later: Peart Still Hasnt Missed a Race A technical track - Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve requires full concentration at all times and leaves little room for error. It is a circuit of long fast rights, interrupted by tight corners where, even today, the tires, brakes, engines and transmissions are strained to their limits. However, "unlike so many other F1 racetracks, Montreal has several opportunities for overtaking," says Peart. "That means the races are always exciting." Peart has not missed a Canadian Grand Prix since 1978. He watches every race from the control tower, as one of the three sports commissioners delegated by the FIA. This year will be the first exception as Peart has delegated his position to another steward — hell still be there, just with a different view. And if you happen upon him and ask if, after all these years, he would change anything about his original design? Hell tell you that, to this day, throughout the world, he has never seen a track as perfect. Encounter With A Young Gilles Villeneuve Early 1970s. Peart is, at the time, chief instructor at the Fédération Automobile du Québec, when as he recalls, "a quiet little man from Berthierville comes to see me." "He wanted to drive race cars. I asked him about his experience, and he replied that he was racing, of all things, snowmobiles. "As our summer events were all finished, I suggested he rent [some time at] Sanair [Super Speedway], bring along a car and we would see what kind of automobile racer he would make." "The day he showed up with his brothers Mustang, I had to leave for a business appointment. But I asked a fellow instructor to work with him and give me a report. Later in the day, the instructor called me, excitedly saying, Hey, boss, we may have something here!" "Each and every lap, the young Gilles Villeneuve was faster than his instructor. Obviously, we gave him his racing license." "I remember that to thank me, he wanted to give me a five-dollar tip." Via www.Autofocus.ca Cheap Vapormax Nz .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown. Cheap Vapormax Nz Online . - Houston defensive end J. http://www.cheapvapormaxnz.com/ .com) - Colorado may be ahead of the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference standings, but they are a club that the Avalanche may want to avoid in the playoffs. As head coach of Canadas junior mens national team, Roy Rana has worked with the countrys brightest talent, and having coached the likes of Tristan Thompson and Andrew Wiggins among others, knows what separates the good from the elite. Coincidentally, it only took two summers for Tyler Ennis to prove he could make the jump, during which, Rana witnessed a maturation in the Brampton, Ont. native, that makes his standout play leading the undefeated Syracuse Orange (18-0) a logical progression rather than a surprise. During the 2012 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, the 6-foot-2 point guard endured an arduous tournament, struggling in pressure situations. Matchups and defensive schemes posed challenges for Ennis as the Canadian squad had a strong showing, but lost to the host Brazilians 66-62 in the semifinal round. As a result, Rana and his staff talked with Ennis extensively regarding his leadership and need to carry the team. Ennis took the direction and loss to heart and came back a reinvented player the following summer at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship. “It was amazing to see his transformation within that year,” Rana said. “Just how much more confident he was in himself, how much more assertive, how much more of a leader he was. He really started to understand the subtleties of how to impact his teammates.” This time around Ennis was also asked to shoulder Canadas scoring load, something he did effortlessly. Ennis averaged a tournament leading 20.9 points, outscoring projected 2014 NBA lottery picks Marcus Smart, Dante Exum, Dario Saric and Aaron Gordon. By riding that performance into his freshman season at Syracuse he has been a steadying force, toning down his scoring to facilitate the team offence, but also making key baskets when needed. Ennis averages 11.9 points per game and shoots 40 percent from the three-point line and leads the Orange with 5.5 assists and 2.7 steals per (the latter, good for ninth in the nation). His numbers and Syracuses record make a very strong case that Ennis is the best point guard in college basketball right now - regardless of class. Despite his solid stats he maintains the individual numbers and accolades arent his ambition. “I dont really have any personal goals,” Ennis saaid. Cheap Vapormax Nz Free Shipping. “I just want us to win the ACC and I know its close to impossible to go undefeated in a college season, but to just get better as a team and lose the least amount of games.” Syracuse has yet to lose and Ennis wont concede a loss to anyone, not even his own family. His older brother Dylan, a sophomore guard for the number four ranked Villanova Wildcats squared off against his younger sibling when both teams met in late December. Tyler was all business in that game scoring 20 points in a 78-62 Syracuse win, but still values the advice his brother gave him on preparing for his first year at the collegiate level. “He always told me to get in the gym by myself and work on my own stuff,” Ennis said. “Just get in the gym as much as possible, while taking care of your body.” Ennis wasnt overlooked coming into the season, but not even the most optimistic experts pegged him as a one-and-done NBA prospect. Ennis had other plans however. “Thats pretty much what I worked for,” he confidently said. “Not to be one, but to just have the opportunity to get to the professional level. Not to leave, but just to have the opportunity.” Still, he hasnt given leaving after his first year any consideration and is only focused on winning games for Syracuse. But ?talent evaluators are starting to take notice that his play to date says first round pick far more than it says first-year student-athlete. “Absolutely, I think hes a one-and-done guy,” Rana said. “Its his choice, does he want to come back for a second year of college, or does he want to go to the NBA? If Im a GM and Im drafting, hes certainly a guy I would be going after pretty hard. Hes going to be a fantastic pro, a great NBA player and whatever organization he goes to, theyre going to be a better organization because of it.” Regardless of his future, Ennis is focused on the madness of March. His maturity, ability to score, pass and affect the game in a myriad of ways is no longer a surprise to anyone. The summer ahead could prove to be even more promising than the last, particularly if he chooses to forego his college eligibility for the NBA Draft, making another jump, this time to the highest level. ' ' '