Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Dorna Sports, the rights holder to the FIM-sanctioned MotoGP World Championship series, entered negotiationing with International Speedway Corporation (ISC) to hold a Grand Prix event on the infield road course at Homestead-Miami Speedway after also evaluating Watkins Glen in New York and California Speedway in Fontana, California.

“We are in preliminary discussions in bringing an event to the Homestead-Miami Speedway, but that’s where we stand right now. They are very preliminary,” said ISC Director of Corporate Communications David Tallie on Tuesday, November 5. “We have met with them (Dorna) a couple of times, but we have no date, no timetable as to when something may or may not happen.

“Certainly, it’s a great series, and we’d be excited to be able to host something like that at Homestead or any of our facilities that they might be interested in if it makes sense for us and it makes sense for them. Having the opportunity for motorcycle fans in the U.S. to see an event like this would be great, again not just for ISC or them but for the fans in the area.”

While Tallie said he was unable to comment on published reports that a U.S. GP would be held at Homestead starting in 2004, he did say “I can tell you from what I know that they (Dorna) initially contacted us, and they were interested in…I think they looked at California (Speedway), Watkins Glen and Homestead. And they did their evaluation process, of which I don’t know what their evaluation process is, but I know they looked at all three and decided that through that process that they seemed to be very interested in Homestead.

“So that’s where we stand right now. I don’t know when future meetings will take place, but we’re certainly interested in their product and they’re interested in our facility in Homestead, or at least that’s the way it looks right now. So we’ll continue conversations, but as I say, no date decided, no timetable as to when something might happen, whether this happens next year or the year after or whenever.”

Asked how long negotiations had been going on, Tallie said “I would assume that it’s been going on for a while if it’s true that they have looked at California, Watkins Glen and Homestead. I assume they did evaluations on those, and it probably took time. Again, I’m guessing because I don’t know what their evaluation process is. It may be just looking at the length of facility or the location. That’s something you’d have to talk to Dorna about. I wasn’t given a specific time as far as how long we’ve been talking to them.”

Tallie called Roadracingworld.com back moments after the initial phone interview to clarify how Dorna “looked at” and “evaluated” the three facilities, saying, “We don’t know whether their (Dorna’s) evaluations involved going out to the specific track or not. That’s something that you’ll have to talk to them about. As I say, I only know that they were only interested in those and have since narrowed down their interest into Homestead. But I don’t know if they physically, I can try and find out, but I don’t know if they physically went out to California, Watkins Glen and Homestead or whether they just gathered information on track size, number of grandstand seats and certain other things that they were looking for and then decided that Homestead was the way they wanted to go.”

Asked if Jim France was leading the negotiations for ISC, Tallie said “I don’t know that he’s leading the negotiations. I know that he is one of the principals here at ISC that they are talking with. Now whether there’s a room full of people or not? As you know, Jim is very interested in motorcycles. So he certainly has an interest in this, but I don’t know that he is the only one in a room talking.

Asked if he knew if the discussions involved a multi-year agreement between Dorna and ISC, Tallie said “I don’t know. Again, it’s very preliminary. So I don’t know that they’ve graduated to that yet. I think, obviously, if we think that it’s going to be a successful event, then sure we’d like to wrap it up as far in advance as we can, but I don’t know that they’ve graduated to that yet. Obviously, you can imagine that there are a lot of points that need to be addressed.

Asked about any modifications that have to be made to Homestead in order to host the event, Tallie said “I don’t. I assume that that is part of the discussions. If in fact modifications do need to be made, then certainly that’s part of the conversations that are going on know.

Asked if ISC would promote the event or just rent out the facility to Dorna, Tallie said, “There again, I don’t know. I’m not privy to the conversations that are going on, but I imagine that all of that is part of the meetings that are taking place or have taken place.

Asked if the Grand Prix event would be combined with an AMA Superbike race, Tallie said, “I don’t know that. As I say, it’s very preliminary. So a lot of the details are still up in the air.”

Calls to Homestead-Miami Speedway and California Speedway did not produce any additional information, but a call to former racer and current race promoter Henry Degouw did. Degouw, who has been promoting CCS regional races at Homestead and other Florida tracks for several years, said, “I’ve been pushing for them to look at this track for a long time, and they finally did. I find it would be quite adaptable for a GP with very little to do. It looks like they, after looking at it, agree.

“I’ve been talking to Mike Trimby (Secretary General of IRTA) about this course at Homestead for a long time. That’s my only involvement. I’ve been saying, ‘Hey, if you want to do a GP in the U.S., take a look at Homestead.’ That’s it.

“We race there, as you know, regularly, and I’ve raced all over the country. I find it one of the safest and by far the nicest tracks in the whole country. It was easy for me to push that racetrack.

“Mick Doohan looked at the track. They’re (Dorna) supposed to be coming over the first week in December. I have invited them, since we’re (CCS Florida Region) going to be at Homestead December 7-8, I have extended them an invitation to come see the track with bikes on the course.

“I believe Carmelo Ezpeleta (CEO of Dorna Sports) will be there, also Claude Danis (President of the FIM Road Racing Commission), Mick Doohan hopefully, and also the rider rep for IRTA, (1982 500cc World Champion)Franco Uncini. My understanding is that they are all coming over. I’m not sure Mick Doohan is, but I believe all the others are.”

Stay tuned for more details as they become available.