Vancouver Champ Car race 'discontinued.'

The Champ Car World Series has confirmed that the Molson Indy Vancouver will not be part of the calendar in 2005.

The Canadian race had been missing from the initial 14 date calendar released in October, although at the time negotiations were still on going with numerous venues about adding further events to the calendar.

However with work due to start in preparing Vancouver for the Olympics, Molson Sports and Entertainment made the decision to discontinue the Vancouver race.

"The Molson Indy Vancouver has always been a popular stop on our race schedule," executive vice president of development, government affairs and planning for the Champ Car World Series Joe Chrnelich said. "We love the Vancouver market and very much appreciate the wonderful fan support we received.

"However, there were a variety of factors that contributed to the ultimate decision not to add the event to our 2005 calendar. Many elements must be considered when determining the long-term viability of a new or established event and the economics must work for all parties involved. Clearly, planning for the Olympics has had an impact on our situation, but we certainly understand as the Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a city.

"We will continue to work with Molson Sports and Entertainment on our tremendously successful Molson Indy Toronto event. We wish the city of Vancouver well in its Olympic endeavor and we hope future circumstances will again allow us to bring Champ Car racing back to the streets of Vancouver."