Circuit Of The Americas Lawsuit Documents Sealed, Track Operator Wants Them Released

The Austin American-Statesman yesterday filed a plea in state District Court in Travis County "seeking access to information that has been sealed in a lawsuit by the former head of the Formula One racetrack project against several track investors and officers,” according to the paper’s Ricardo Gandara. A hearing on the paper's request “is set for May 29.” Statesman Managing Editor John Bridges said, "The public's right to access the records in this case is particularly important because the F1 project relies so heavily upon taxpayer money.” Full Throttle Managing Partner and the former face of the Austin F1 project Tavo Hellmund filed a lawsuit in March against Circuit of the Americas Chairman Bobby Epstein, investors and officers involved in the $300M F1 project "under construction southeast of Austin.” Hellmund said in the suit that terms for his $18M buyout "were not fulfilled and that he was scheduled to make $500,000 a year for 10 years as chairman of the F1 U.S. Grand Prix.” COTA VP/Public & Community Relations Julie Loignon said that the track’s attorneys “want court proceedings sealed because they say they would have to divulge business practices that are confidential.” But Hellmund's attorneys “want all court proceedings open” (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 5/17).