Local organiser claims New Jersey GP deal is done
The local organiser of the proposed Grand Prix of America at New Jersey has claimed that a 15-year deal is in place with Bernie Ecclestone, and that the first race will go ahead as planned in June 2014.
Leo Hindery, the man who initially announced the new Grand Prix in 2011 said to NJ.com that all problems are now behind and that he has managed to secure a new deal with Bernie Ecclestone. The previous agreement was annulled in fall last year as the organiser was facing financial issue and could not meet demands that were set out in preparation of the new Formula One race.
Hindery however now says that it has taken some time, but finances are now in place, and construction is underway again.
“Bernie was 100 percent correct in that we hadn’t satisfied his demands and we didn’t have a binding contract in place, and he had every right to question our ability to get it done,” Hindery said. “And as we told Gov. Christie, we were going to do it without any money from the state or the towns, and that made it very difficult. And it took us longer.“
Another issue that plagued the event was its date clash with the final round of golf‘s U.S. Open which is also to be broadcast on NBC sports. The broadcaster however said this week that it was encouraged by ongoing talks with Hindery and F1 on the scheduling issue.
"We have had positive discussions with both Formula One and Leo Hindery’s group regarding potential broadcast windows that will maximize media exposure for this race,” an NBC Sports spokesman said to NJ.com in a statement, “if Formula One adds it to the schedule.”
