Kevin Schwantz’statement that he was banned from COTA during the private MotoGP tests earlier this month in Austin, despite being invited by Attack Performance and LCR Honda, provoked a response from COTA about a week later, who released their own statement when several American motorcycle websites requested clarification on the matter: It is well known that Kevin Schwantz filed suit against Circuit of The Americas last year, and that case is working its way through the legal system.
The MotoGP test that was hosted by the Circuit last week was a private event, and open only to participating teams and invited media.
Mr.
Schwantz was not invited to attend the session by Circuit of The Americas, and as a private property owner, the Circuit determines who has access to its facility.
Mr.
Schwantz does not have any relationship with Circuit of The Americas.
He is not one of the investors who spent $400 million to design and build the facility.
Finally, Circuit of The Americas is the organization responsible for bringing MotoGP to Texas through its promotional agreement with the commercial rights holder Dorna.
Following the above statement the former World Champion let loose with another statement on both on Facebook page and on his Schwantz School website that also contains a video and correspondence between Dorna, Schwantz a Texas comptroller, and COTA’s original press release regarding the announcement of the 10-year contract, but this was all before Tavo Hellmund, the brain behind the project, sued his partners for breach of contract and then later accepted an out-of-court settlement to quit the company and also apparently signed a non disclosure agreement to reveal circuit information, and that has brought him back into the courtrooms following an email with a video that he sent to circuit subscribers.
Here’s Schwantz’ new statement after the jump: “Last week, Circuit of the Americas (CotA) issued a statement suggesting I had nothing to do with bringing MotoGP to Austin.
Unlike others who have had disputes with CotA, I am free to speak my mind.
So let me set the record straight: I am the reason MotoGP is coming to Texas and no one currently associated with CotA had anything to do with the design of the actual race track.
There’s no shortage of evidence to prove these facts.
On February 2, 2011, Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta sent me a letter confirming that 3FourTexasMGP, my company, is the ‘sole rights holder for MotoGP in the state of Texas for the years 2013-2022.
’ On February 3, 2011, Comptroller Susan Combs sent a letter to me and Mr.
Ezpeleta confirming that the MotoGP U.
S.
Grand Prix would be included in the state’s Event Trust Fund beginning in 2013.
In that letter, the state comptroller explained that the annual funding would be sent to 3fourTexasMGP, ‘the rights holder for all MotoGP events in Texas.
’ On April 12, 2011, at the request of the state comptroller a press conference was held announcing that MotoGP was on its way to Texas.
Finally, on July 22, 2011, Mr.
Ezpeleta sent a letter to the state Comptroller saying that ‘both Kevin (Schwantz) and I are positive that the measured success of our events in Texas will be fantastic for both the state of Texas and MotoGP.
I have spent too much time and money the past five years on this project, including helping the Comptroller during the 2011 Legislative session and CotA in raising money, for me to sit by and allow this repeated misinformation to continue.
CotA’s attempt to downplay my involvement with Austin’s MotoGP event is silly, but some of the group’s other actions may verge on something far more serious.
It is my belief that just like the F1 event, they are attempting to rewrite history in an effort to qualify for one of the Texas Event Trust Funds.
”In the meantime the Mazda Speedway at Laguna Seca scored massive brownie points with loyal racing fans who’ve opened a boycottCotaMotoGP page on Facebook and on Twitter, when they officially invited Schwantz to attend the Red Bull US GP in July.
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