In a letter Tuesday, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS)
said it is ending an agreement that gives CART the use of the
brand name "IndyCar," according to the INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS.
CART originally licensed the brand name from IMS in '92 for
"marketing purposes." IMS officials say CART violated this
agreement by staging an event against the Indianapolis 500, and
have called on CART to cease using the name within 30 days. CART
spokesman Adam Saal said the request was "under review," but had
no further comment. IMS VP Bill Donaldson: "You can't have a
series that has the name 'Indy' that doesn't run at the
Indianapolis 500." Donaldson also noted the licensing accord has
language that prevents CART from putting IMS or the sport "in an
unfavorable light." He said CART's remarks about the IMS, the
race and Tony George are also "violations." IMS attorney Jack
Sydney said the letter will not affect the name of the PPG
IndyCar World Series, the official name for CART's 16-race
series, as PPG sponsors both CART and the Indy 500 (Bill Koenig,
INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS, 3/20).
