In a statement, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has refuted a story published today by the Sports Business Journal claiming that former IMS and IndyCar chief Tony George and a group of team owners are developing a proposal to purchase IndyCar.
The statement, attributed to Jeff Belskus, president and CEO of Hulman & Company and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – which serve as the parent companies of IndyCar – reads as follows:
“The IZOD IndyCar Series is not for sale, and representatives from Hulman & Company and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation have not received or considered any offers to purchase the series. Further, executive management from both Hulman & Company and IMSC maintain continuous and open dialogue with INDYCAR team owners about numerous issues related to the IZOD IndyCar Series, and no INDYCAR team owner formally or informally approached either organization about purchasing the IZOD IndyCar Series.
“Both Hulman & Company and IMSC remain committed to working with the IZOD IndyCar Series and its partners as they prepare for the 2013 season and beyond. The racing in 2012 showcased great competition on track and added to the foundation for growing the series. The just-announced 2013 schedule includes several new twists that could make the racing even more exciting. The combination of the return of nearly all the 2012 venues, including all the ovals, the addition of new tracks and the revival of the Triple Crown award make this one of the most exciting schedules in recent memory."
George, grandson of IMS board Chairman Mari Hulman George and former Speedway boss Tony Hulman, rejoined the Hulman & Company board of directors in February 2011, after having resigned from it the previous January. He resigned from his position as head of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series following a board of directors meeting in June 2009.
The SBJ report said George declined to confirm or deny that he had put together a group of investors, but that he described the story's "premise" as "inaccurate"