ISC lawsuit does't deter Miami race

CART announced on Tuesday that it has acquired a controlling interest in Raceworks, which has been working for months to organise a street race in downtown Miami for American Le Mans Series cars.

In his decision, Miami-Dade Circuit judge Michael Genden wrote: "The contract between the city and Raceworks, which is acknowledged to have been entered into without the city having complied with any of the applicable competitive bid procedures, is hereby declared null, void and of no further legal effect."

The matter was brought to the attention of the judge by Homestead-Miami Speedway and its parent company, International Speedway Corporation. ISC filed suit to prevent the event in downtown Miami because of the possible negative impact on its Indy Racing League and NASCAR events at Homestead, some 20 miles south of Miami.

"We're disappointed by the ruling, but we're more confident than ever that we're going to be victorious and that we're going to be racing in October," said Raceworks head Willy Bermello.

He told the Miami Herald: "They can pester us, sue us, call us names, but the one thing they can't do is stop us."

Jorge Luis Lopez, an attorney for the Homestead track, said his client is pleased with the Judge's ruling.

"I think the judge is very clear that the law is settled and the city failed to abide by its own bidding procedures to award this contract," he said. "We are very interested in receiving the bid specifications from the city, and we are going to attempt to put together a viable and competitive proposal."

CART raced on the Homestead oval from 1996 to 2000 with steadily declining attendance despite having attracted nearly 100,000 spectators to a one-off Champ Car street race in Miami in 1995. Saturday's Indy Racing League event at Homestead drew fewer than 20,000 fans.