Race Organizers

The founder of the Baltimore Grand Prix asked a judge Wednesday to prevent organizers of the race from using ticket sales as collateral on future loans because, he alleges, they have failed to make tens of thousands of dollars of payments to him. In separate lawsuits filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court, race founder Steven Wehner and early investor Sean Conley allege that current race organizers have defaulted on payments to them. Wehner and Conley write that the amount that race organizers have borrowed indicates "the real possibility that little, if any, unencumbered monies would be available to satisfy [their]

The agreement with new managers for the Baltimore Grand Prix looked risky for city taxpayers when MayorStephanie Rawlings-Blake's administration signed it in February. With little visible progress since then on putting this year's race together, and with signs of dissent among the new race promoters, it now looks much worse. It's time for city officials to give up on the notion of holding another IndyCar race in Baltimore this year. Ticket sales for the 2011 Grand Prix began the previous December.

The agreement with new managers for the Baltimore Grand Prix looked risky for city taxpayers when MayorStephanie Rawlings-Blake's administration signed it in February. With little visible progress since then on putting this year's race together, and with signs of dissent among the new race promoters, it now looks much worse. It's time for city officials to give up on the notion of holding another IndyCar race in Baltimore this year. Ticket sales for the 2011 Grand Prix began the previous December.

When it became clear that the Baltimore Grand Prix was in financial ruin and wouldn't be able to pay the city millions it owed in taxes and expense reimbursement - not to mention millions more it owed to the state and to assorted vendors - former Baltimore Racing Development CEO Jay Davidson took to The Sun's op-ed page to pin the blame on the lack of subsidies from the city. He suggested that Baltimore waive the fees it was charging the race organizers in exchange for a bigger share of the eventual profits.

Organizers of the Baltimore Grand Prix auto race that debuted Labor Day weekend reportedly sold more than 100,000 tickets, thrilled spectators and gave city residents a gratifying boost in civic pride. But a report this week that race promoters are facing $1.6 million in unpaid bills has sent up the yellow flag for enthusiasts who want to see motor sports here. The Grand Prix's apparently dire financial situation calls into question not only how successful the 2011 race actually was but also whether there's a viable future for such events in Baltimore.

Organizers planning to bring the Annapolis Triathlon back for a second year this September are already dealing with opposition from businesses and churches, and now they face another hitch: The county has denied them a parade license because of the bicycle portion of their race. "This is unfair, arbitrary and, frankly, baffling," organizers said in an announcement this week.

PARIS -- Austrian skier Ulrike Maier, a two-time world champion and the only mother on the Alpine circuit, died yesterday after crashing and breaking her neck during a World Cup downhill race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.Maier, 26, lost control of her right ski in a narrow section of the 1.7-mile course while traveling at about 65 mph. She hurtled off the course, slammed into a timing post, lost her helmet and tumbled several times before sliding limply to a stop in the middle of the run.Medical staff and race officials attempted unsuccessfully to revive Maier with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage.

The next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race has its first entry. Ericsson Racing Team, which finished fifth in the seven-boat competition that ended in June, announced yesterday that it will be at the starting line in Alicante, Spain, in the fall of 2008. Race organizers have decided to shorten the down time between the around-the-world competition from four years to three years. The Ericsson venture will again be managed by Atlant Ocean Racing, which managed the Disney-backed boat Pirates of the Caribbean in the last race.

The Baltimore Tree Trust, a new nonprofit whose mission is to "transform Baltimore with trees," would like to join the citizens of Baltimore in expressing our dismay at the removal of mature healthy trees on downtown streets for the convenience of the Grand Prix . At a time when our urban forest is visibly in decline and only trees can help cool hot city streets, Baltimore should work with the race organizers to create grandstands where the...

The Tour Du Pont cycling race will be coming to the Baltimore area, after all.Race organizers and Howard County officials will hold a news conference today in Ellicott City, Tour spokesman Steve Brunner said. Columbia apparently will be the site for the finish of a 130-mile stage race May 11. The event, which appeared the previous two years under the Tour de Trump banner, was bumped out of Baltimore's Inner Harbor because of a conflict with this year's Preakness Festival celebrations.The 11-stage, 1,100-mile tour begins with a prologue in Wilmington, Del., May 9. The race to Columbia starts in Newark, Del.Among the cyclists expected to compete are three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond, 1989 Tour de Trump winner Dag-Otta Lauritzen of Norway and Olympic gold-medalist Viatcheslav Ekimov of the Soviet Union.

The Baltimore Grand Prix's problem was not that the city didn't do enough to subsidize the race but that an inexperienced and unwieldy management group overpaid for goods and services and underestimated the amount of capital it would need to cover first-year losses. That's the inescapable conclusion to be drawn from a series of internal documents obtained by The Sun's Luke Broadwater. They show the race faces debts of more than $12 million, only $1.9 million of which is owed to the city in taxes and service fees.

The Baltimore Grand Prix is still in its infancy, and it is growing up on a very loud, very public stage. The race's entrepreneurs should be celebrated for their vision and for being willing to take the risks necessary to pull off a public event of such magnitude. Granted, they had a few problems. All start-ups do. But it would be incredibly short-sighted for the public to dwell solely on the problems. The smarter move would be for the city and state to double-down by committing more grants/loans/partnerships to help the race organizers through this massive learning curve.

Organizers of the Baltimore Grand Prix auto race that debuted Labor Day weekend reportedly sold more than 100,000 tickets, thrilled spectators and gave city residents a gratifying boost in civic pride. But a report this week that race promoters are facing $1.6 million in unpaid bills has sent up the yellow flag for enthusiasts who want to see motor sports here. The Grand Prix's apparently dire financial situation calls into question not only how successful the 2011 race actually was but also whether there's a viable future for such events in Baltimore.

The IZOD IndyCar Series will return to the city on Labor Day weekend 2012 for the second Baltimore Grand Prix, race president and promoter Jay Davidson confirmed Tuesday. IndyCar is expected to make the official announcement Friday in Las Vegas, where the season concludes Sunday. "We're absolutely excited," Davidson said of having the race return for the three-day weekend Aug. 31-Sept. 2, "just based on the crowd we had here for the inaugural event and the people hanging around on Sunday after the race, just enjoying the day. "And I think it has a nice symmetry with the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend kicking off the summer and our race on Labor Day weekend.

I have to first say that I do not always agree with Dan Rodricks ' position on some issues. In fact, on some occasions, he's set my blood to boil. But that being said, I could not agree more with his recent column on the Baltimore Grand Prix ("Grand Prix gripers: Give a little credit where it's due," Sept. 8). Since the Thursday before the race, it seemed every issue of The Sun had a "doom and gloom" story that seemed to equate the upcoming event to a plague of locusts. Maybe The Sun should have just run a headline: "We hate auto racing," and let it go at that.

On Saturday, I crossed the Baltimore Grand Prix track via the skywalk between the Pratt Street Pavilion and the Gallery. Racecars were speeding around the track, so I lingered for a moment to see what my tax dollars had bought. But only for a moment, because then three police officers ordered me to move along. Now, I know that it wasn't for crowd control or a safety issue - there were only three other civilians on the bridge besides me, and I have seen far more people congregate on that bridge for a parade on Pratt Street without risking a collapse.

The Baltimore Tree Trust, a new non-profit whose mission is to "Transform Baltimore with Trees," would like to join the citizens of Baltimore in expressing dismay at the removal of mature, healthy trees on downtown streets for the convenience of the Grand Prix . At a time when our urban forest is visibly in decline and only trees can help cool hot city streets, Baltimore should work with the race organizers to create grandstands where the audience...

After struggling last time for an American presence, Volvo Ocean Race organizers announced yesterday that Puma, the international sporting goods company, will enter a boat in the around-the-world competition that begins in October 2008. The entry of Puma, with international headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and international public relations based in Boston, casts some doubt on whether Baltimore and Annapolis will serve as a U.S. port-of-call for the fourth time. Officials of Ocean Race Chesapeake, the organizer of the local stopover, say they have not heard from Volvo headquarters whether there will be a change in U.S. stopover.

Tens of thousands of spectators trooped through crowded paddocks and grandstands, clutching ear plugs and checkered flags. Auto-racing teams praised the exciting twists and straightaways through roads normally choked with harried commuters. And the cars, intricate and sleek, careened through downtown Baltimore, blazing what many hope is a new tradition in the city's collective life. The inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix concluded Sunday, impressing spectators, particpants and city officials.

The founder of the Baltimore Grand Prix asked a judge Wednesday to prevent organizers of the race from using ticket sales as collateral on future loans because, he alleges, they have failed to make tens of thousands of dollars of payments to him. In separate lawsuits filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court, race founder Steven Wehner and early investor Sean Conley allege that current race organizers have defaulted on payments to them. Wehner and Conley write that the amount that race organizers have borrowed indicates "the real possibility that little, if any, unencumbered monies would be available to satisfy [their]