22 Jun 2005
14 Cars Boycott Gran Prix After Tire Flap

Boy, did this little protest go over badly here. You don't come into the ultimate shrine to motorsports and then decide to pack up your toys and go home, expected to get away unscathed. Many of these people had literally flown halfway around the world to attend, only to see a demo drive in the end. But there's more ...

Those American fans attending were suitably shocked to hear the hottest new driver on the Indy car circuit, Danica Patrick, a huge fan favorite here, mercilessly insulted Friday by Bernie Ecclestone, the head of Formula One racing:

"You know, I've got one of those wonderful ideas. ... Women should be all dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances."

What I found most amusing was the undercurrent of international politics that surfaced. Michelin is catching the blame, and because they're a French company, so is France. My wife worked the race as a beer vendor, and once the reality of the situation set in, she told of spontaneous chants of "F*ck the French!" in a dozen or so languages that would break out. Tony George, the President of the IMS made an apology to fans (even though this fiasco really had nothing to do with the Speedway) asking them to make their feelings know to Michelin and the FIA.

Rumor has it that the Speedway has "disinvited" the FIA - which would mean no US Grand Prix here next year. Nothing official has come down yet, but I daresay that if they do hold one in 2006, you would probably have your choice of seating on the morning of the race, although you might have to elbow with both other attendees to get a really good box.

AP - Formula One's bid to capture the American audience was crippled Sunday when only six cars participated in the United States Grand Prix. The other 14 drivers boycotted the event amid safety concerns with their Michelin tires.

(link) [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]

Update: A local radio host explained the situation: as Michelin supplies tires to the French military, they only work well when the vehicle is moving in reverse ...

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