IndyCar Drivers Deny Discussing TMS Boycott

Several IndyCar drivers “dismissed any notion of boycotting Texas Motor Speedway, and said the entire issue has been blown out of proportion," according to Jenna Fryer of the AP. Driver Helio Castroneves yesterday said, "I want to stop all this nonsense discussion about boycotting. It's absurd, it's ridiculous and we are professionals and will race there."

TMS President Eddie Gossage “reacted angrily last week to rumors that IndyCar's drivers had discussed skipping the June 9 race at Texas over concerns with how the fence is constructed." Justin Wilson, who serves along with Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan as a driver representative for the series, said yesterday that a boycott “was never even discussed." He said that Texas “was discussed briefly during a Feb. 13 driver meeting in Indianapolis, but the issues covered centered on both pack racing and the fencing at Texas."

Wilson: "All the drivers got together, and (Kanaan) explained the situation to them as to what could happen, as far as going back there to Texas and pack racing could happen. And he said missing that race is not an option. And not one person disagreed. We all 100 percent, all agreed, we have to go and do that race, and that's what I've always said."

Still, Fryer noted Gossage “remained disappointed Monday that the issue ever came up." Gossage: "If there was a better technology, we would do it." He added, “But right now, what we have, our engineers tell us is the best, and I have yet to meet a driver who is also a structural engineer" AP