Baltimore seeks new Grand Prix team

BALTIMORE, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Baltimore City Council members say they're urging great transparency in the city's search for a new team to manage the Baltimore Grand Prix auto race.

The Baltimore Sun said city officials have not publicized the names of groups seeking to run the event. Baltimore Racing Development, the group that put on last year's inaugural race, owes more than $12 million to creditors, including $1.5 million to the city, the newspaper said.

"We lost a lot of taxpayers' money. We need to make sure it will be secure if they move forward," Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke told the newspaper. "We're the ones paying the bill."

Deputy Mayor Kaliope Parthemos has said there are only a few groups IndyCar would consider approving to run the race. The final contract will have to go before Baltimore's Board of Estimates, although the panel has not voted down a contract in recent memory, the Sun said.

The mayor's office strongly supports continuing the race, which pumped $47 million into the economy last year, the newspaper said.