Baltimore Grand Prix "slow start", MSA "protecting Downforce", concealed info.

[KSweeley]

The Baltimore Sun just published an article on the upcoming Baltimore Grand Prix auto race stating that the new group is much further behind than the previous group and revealed that the Maryland Stadium Authority is "protecting Downforce" and attempted to conceal information from The Sun:

Link: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bre...398,full.story

8:21 p.m. EDT, April 4, 2012

With the second Baltimore Grand Prix less than five months away, organizers of the race have yet to sign key agreements, land sponsorship deals, launch a marketing campaign or start selling tickets.

Downforce Racing LLC has not fulfilled three of five benchmarks that its contract with the city required to be done three weeks ago. The contract, drawn up following the financial debacle of last year's race, was designed to prevent the new racing group from falling into the same problems as the previous organizers.

Yet, as the Labor Day weekend racing festival approaches, the new race team finds itself further behind than its predecessors were last year. The previous group had sold tens of thousands of tickets and signed on many small sponsors by April.

And Downforce has not finalized contracts with Indycar or with the Maryland Stadium Authority.


In an email apparently sent to The Baltimore Sun by mistake, an attorney for the stadium authority noted that the delayed contract could "present some PR problems" for the race group and advised the authority spokeswoman to "refrain discussing this with the Sun."

"At this point, I would give the Sun no information until we find out if [Downforce Racing] has the necessary signatures," Cynthia M. Hahn, an assistant state's attorney, said in an email to the stadium authority's spokeswoman.

Neither Hahn nor stadium authority officials responded to inquiries as to why the agency was concerned with protecting Downforce or concealing information from The Sun.

[MDvet]

This shouldn't be a surprise. The economic reality usually trumps the politics. Maryland politicians want the Indy car race in Baltimore to be profitable and successful. What they are ignoring is no matter how much political support they give the new racing organizers, if the business model itself is bad it is not going to work.

The idea itself is not bad, but it being a profitable is a different story. I believe the first race has shown that this is not a profitable event or margin for the error is very low. Yes, any business can be turned around. But is the new race organizers much more competent than the previous race organizers?

[Wizard777]

I don't think this will be as much of a PR Problem as it will be more of a mental health problem. If this trend continues the Mayor will have to go Psychotic again in trying to explain a blatantly obvious miserable failure as a huge success. Last years Grand Prix was so successful the Mayor had to cancel the contract with BRD. Presumably to prevent a repeat of that huge success. So the Mayor has to admit one of two things.

1) When it came to explaining the financial result of the Grand Prix. The Mayor lost her happy go lucky freakin' mind.

2) Baltimore City has a policy of punishing huge successes and rewarding failure.

Number two would help explain why Baltimore City has to close Fire Houses and sell it's history to pay it's bills. Uh huh.......

[rurdy]

Now you did it. Someone will be here soon to tell you that the Baltimore Grand Prix is a great success and generated a zillion dollars of economic benefit despite not generating a profit and costing the City a bundle. And, "Vroom! Vroom! Those V6 engines cause me to climax when they drive down Pratt Street!" And it's better than spending all that money on illegal immigrants and welfare.....did I miss anything?!

[crabsnbeer]

Meet the new GP Boss. Same as the old GP Boss.

Enjoy the race kids. Because this will be the last one.

[Pigdog]

and it drives me nuts that srb cannot speak for herself. Why always a spokesperson? I guess she think that deflects somewhat from her. just pi$$es me off!

[rurdy]

Meet the new GP Boss. Same as the old GP Boss.

Enjoy the race kids. Because this will be the last one.

I wonder where they will get the 'Payday Loan' this year for the sanction fee? Of course I don't know if this year they can get away with the Solyndra terms the lender got last year that pays them back before anyone else.

Get in on it!*

*Vroom! Vroom!

[ybnormal]

Baltimore has much bigger problems than just the Grand Prix - out-of-control crime; budget deficit; high taxes; political corruption, etc. And how about those sky boxes for all Ravens and Orioles home games reserved for the mayor and governor entertaining their "families, friends and colleagues" every year, including all food and drink on us, the taxpayers?