JUNE 21, 2005

First Lawsuit Filed in U.S. over Indy

The Indianapolis Star has reported today that one Larry Bowers, a Colorado resident, has 'filed a class action lawsuit against the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Formula One Group, Formula One Administration, Michelin and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway following Sunday's United States Grand Prix.

Bowers claims the event was fraudulent in that 'Formula One, the FIA, Michelin, the teams partnered with Michelin and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway forged an agreement allowing the Michelin teams to participate in the formation lap and then exit the track prior to the start of the race.'

'The alleged 'race' participated by just three teams did not constitute a true Grand Prix race under the FIA and Formula One rules in that the race was started with an insufficient number of participants,' the lawsuit states.

Bowers is seeking reimbursement for the five tickets he bought for the race as well as 'other costs' he spent as part of his attendance.