GP fiasco claims Terry Mackenroth
Premier Anna Bligh, who was overseas as it emerged that the A1GP cars would not be racing in this weekend's event, said this morning Mr. Mackenroth had told Sports Minister Phil Reeves and the race board of the decision over the weekend.
Mr. Reeves, whose portfolio includes responsibility for the Gold Coast race, told ABC radio this morning he had not spoken with Ms Bligh on the weekend .
A1GP cars which were scheduled to run on the Gold Coast are locked up in London because of unpaid debts, and V8s will become the key racing category because of the open-wheeler's non-appearance.
10/19/09 It is certain someone needs to be held accountable for the Gold Coast's humiliation. On Saturday afternoon, Mr. Hooton and Mr. Mackenroth cut desolate figures as they stood behind Sports Minister Phil Reeves as he announced the A1GP race series was dead.
They knew people would be calling for their heads to roll — and they were right.
Yesterday, Opposition Leader and Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek called for the sacking of Mr. Mackenroth and Mr. Reeves.
Mr. Langbroek initially flagged problems with the A1GP team in September, but was ignored.
"Anna Bligh should come back and demand the head of Terry Mackenroth and Phil Reeves on a platter," said Mr. Langbroek.
"They assured us it would go ahead and now they have egg on their faces and we are an international laughing stock … the event is in absolute disarray."
Mr. Hooton, who is the vice- president of event underwriter IMG as well as sitting on the Gold Coast Motor Events Corporation board which selected A1GP to replace Indy, was this weekend clearly worried his head also would o be on the chopping block.
But he maintained his only focus was on salvaging the SuperGP.
"My future here is concentrating on the event … I haven't even considered the fact people might infer I should resign," he said. "That is not even in my thought process."