Infineon Raceway President Steve Page said yesterday that Infineon's departure as the track's naming-rights partner "was not a surprise." Page said, "We've known for three or four years that Infineon was not going to renew. When we did this deal in 2002, Infineon's management people were very active around motor racing. They had Mario Andretti on retainer and brought clients here from around the world." He added that the raceway is "in the market for a naming-rights partner." Page: "Hopefully, we'll have a new name by the end of the year. We have lots of conversations going on, but there's nothing imminent" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/8).
READYING TO RACE: In Austin, John Maher notes Tilke GmbH Managing Partner Peter Wahl, whose company is building the $300M Circuit of the Americas, has "made periodic trips to Austin to see how construction was faring." Wahl yesterday said that he was "excited and even surprised to see what he called 'fantastic progress' that had been made since his last visit." He said, "I can already say we will be ready earlier than November. I'm sure it will meet all the requirements of Formula One. ... It will be one of the best tracks in the world" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 3/8).
REVAMPING FOR RELOCATION? The GLOBE & MAIL's Sean Gordon reported Quebec City's municipal council has approved C$6.8M to "revamp the aging Colisée this summer -- but will spend the money only if the NHL decides to relocate a franchise to the Quebec capital this coming fall." Mayor Régis Labeaume is "evidently sending a signal to the league and to the handful of struggling NHL franchises that his city is willing and able to host a team as soon as" the '12-13 season. Labeaume indicated that the original estimate of about C$11M to "refurbish the home of the Nordiques was inflated, and tenders will be issued this week for bids to bring the aging building up to NHL standards" (GLOBE & MAIL, 3/7).
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: In L.A., Rong-Gong Lin II reported the L.A. Memorial Coliseum Commission yesterday "spent nearly all of its monthly meeting behind closed doors, continuing a pattern of secrecy that critics say runs afoul of laws requiring government transparency." The commission’s agenda "suggested that its main business was the panel’s ongoing efforts to surrender control of the taxpayer-owned stadium" to USC. Racked by a "yearlong financial scandal, the commission is so broke that it cannot pay for Coliseum upgrades it promised in a lease with USC." The agency instead is "preparing to allow USC to take over and refurbish the property under a new lease" (LATIMES.com, 3/7).
