DECEMBER 12, 2001

Miami makes a bid...

"The Forge GP", a charity Karting race held through the streets of South Beach on December 5th may have been more meaningful than might first appear.

"The Forge GP", a charity Karting race held through the streets of South Beach on December 5th may have been more meaningful than might first appear.

Miami is arguably the most international of US cities and its South Beach section is becoming de rigueur for the vacationing F1 crowd. The event's sponsor, "The Forge" restaurant and nightclub, is the unofficial gathering spot for the racing set, with Eddie Irvine, Gerhard Berger and various CART/F1 refugees often seen appreciating the fashion-model and celebrity crowd it attracts.

While auto racing will return to the streets of Miami in the form of the ALMS Sportscar series "Grand Prix of the Americas" on April 7, 2002 after a 6 year hiatus since CART race moved on, there is a faint rumor that a group is looking at making a bid for an F1 race in the future. The group is thought to be comprised of politically well connected local businessmen and Wall Street investment bankers, among them Fort Lauderdale resident Joseph Safina.

Miami would make sense to host a second US race because of its status as the capital of the increasingly important US-Hispanic business and cultural worlds.

The karting event was won by Indy Lights racer Geoff Boss. Other participants included former Daytona 24hr winner Jay Cochran, and Boss's younger brother Peter who is thought to be considering a run at the European F3000 Championship for 2002.