Baltimore officials “have zeroed in on Indianapolis-based building contractor Dale Dillon to take over operations of the city's Grand Prix race," and he is the "only bidder with whom they are negotiating," according to sources cited by Scharper & Broadwater of the Baltimore SUN. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's administration “has been immersed in talks for weeks with Dillon.” Sources said that the administration has been “seeking terms that would cushion the city from losses without imposing overly burdensome fees on the organizers.” Council member William Cole IV said that the situation “grows more urgent each day, because the new operator would need months to organize another race.” Sources said that after city officials asked for proposals to take over the race early last month, "only two groups responded: Dillon's team and an organization led by Geoff Whaling, who had worked on a Toronto race." Officials said that Dillon "won their trust during preparations for last year's race." Dillon, who “previously built tracks for IndyCar races in St. Petersburg, Fla. and Toronto, came to Baltimore weeks before the Labor Day event.” Baltimore Deputy Mayor Kaliope Parthemos, who “is leading the city's negotiations," has said that she "hopes to present a contract to the city's spending board by mid-February.” That would give a new team “about six months to conclude sponsorship deals, market and sell tickets, and arrange logistics for the three-day festival” (Baltimore SUN, 2/3).
