Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Barber Motorsports Park General Manager Vickie Abbott said Thursday that a deal to host a 2004 MotoGP event at the new track near Birmingham, Alabama is not a done deal.

Abbott made her remarks in reponse to a Roadracingworld.com post that quoted Barber Motorsports Park Event Manager Crystal Trammell as saying “If it does come, tentative dates would be early April. I can say that. Besides that, it’s a very strong possibility. We’ll put it that way. It’s in very heavy discussion. I have a feeling it would be very soon that you would know. I don’t have a specific time you would know. It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

In a phone call to Roadracingworld.com following the original post, which was headlined “U.S. MotoGP Very Strong Possibility For April 2004, Announcement Could Come Very Soon,” Abbott said that Trammell handled club events at the track and was not authorized to comment on the track’s MotoGP plans.

In a separate phone call to Roadracingworld.com, Trammell said that she did not know that she was talking to a reporter and specifically stated that she was not to be quoted.

In fact, Roadracingworld.com Assistant Editor David Swarts called Trammell, identified himself, and, when asked, told Trammell that he was looking for information for a roadracingworld.com post. Trammell gave Swarts her name and title, and at no time stated that she was not to be quoted.

Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has said an announcement on the location of a 2004 U.S. Grand Prix could come as soon as May 9 during the Grand Prix at Jerez. Ezpeleta also mentioned Barber as a possible location but expressed concerns over Barber Motorsports Park’s infrastructure, specifically a lack of garages at the $54 million facility. Trammell said that the track could build garages to address that concern.

“It is what it is,” Abbott said. “Everybody in the industry knows that Dorna is looking at Barber Motorsports Park as well as Homestead, and that they very much want the MotoGP to return back to the States in 2004, and more than likely it will be one of the two facilities. And yes, we would very much like to have it, but that decision has not been made as yet.

“I can say that the dates they are looking for for 2004 are in early spring, but that could be here or it could be at Homestead,” said Abbott.