JUNE 9, 1997

...and another case is brewing

PATRICK PETER, the former organizer of sportscar racing with the BPR company, is taking the FIA and ISC to court in France claiming $20m of damages as a result of the FIA decision in March this year to establish an FIA Grand Touring Championship without the participation of BPR.

PATRICK PETER, the former organizer of sportscar racing with the BPR company, is taking the FIA and ISC to court in France claiming $20m of damages as a result of the FIA decision in March this year to establish an FIA Grand Touring Championship without the participation of BPR.

The Barth Peter Ratel Organization (BPR) emerged in 1994 and attempted to fill the void left behind by the cancellation of the FIA World Sportscar Championship at the end of 1992 by organizing a series of non-championship races for GT cars. These races became a championship - although it was not recognized by the FIA - in 1995.

At the end of 1995 the FIA claimed the TV rights for sportscar racing and during 1996 BPR and the FIA worked together. There were plans for this to continue in 1997 but Peter and his fellow BPR directors fell out. Ratel joined forces with the FIA to run an all-FIA series and Barth retired. This left Peter with nothing and BPR was dissolved.

Peter has applied to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris but there are not expected to be any hearings until November at the earliest.