ANTI-TOBACCO LEGISLATION IN CANADA HAS RACING UP IN ARMS

          In the wake of Canadian Health Minister David
     Dingwall's proposed tobacco restrictions last week, race
     promoters told a parliamentary committee yesterday the
     legislation would prohibit tobacco companies from sponsoring
     Formula One and IndyCar racing in Canada, according to Anne
     Dawson of the TORONTO SUN.  The legislation, which Liberals
     members hope to pass by Friday, restricts tobacco signs to
     the sites of sponsored events and restricts the brand-name
     to the bottom 10% of all signs or promotional material.  It
     will still allow the brand-name to be part of the event's
     title (TORONTO SUN, 12/10).  IndyCar officials "threatened"
     to pull major auto races over the anti-tobacco legislation,
     according to James Christie of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL. 
     IndyCar President & CEO Andrew Craig, in a statement: "If
     these proposed regulations are instituted, it will
     jeopardize the participation of several of our race teams
     and we would not be prepared to continue racing in Canada." 
     More Craig: "Even in countries where there is such (ad)
     regulation, major international events such as IndyCar races
     have been excluded" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 12/10).
          POTENTIAL CASUALTIES: Among races threatened by the
     legislation are the Grand Prix of Canada and the Toronto and
     Vancouver Molson IndyCar races (Dan Proudfoot, TORONTO SUN,
     12/10).  The Grand Prix is one of the largest annual
     sporting event in Canada, generating C$50M for Montreal's
     economy and drawing 20,000 foreign visitors (Terrance Wills,
     Montreal GAZETTE, 12/10).  Toronto's IndyCar race puts as
     much as C$25M into the local economy (TORONTO STAR, 12/10).