Judge dismisses USGP lawsuit

A U.S. federal appeals court upheld a judge's dismissal of a class-action lawsuit against Formula One, French tiremaker Michelin and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by fans upset that seven race teams boycotted the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix.

Angry fans sued after concerns about tire safety prompted 14 of 20 drivers to pull off the track just as the race was about to start. The fans argued that the defendants were obligated not only to put on a race, but to put out their best effort to make it exciting.

Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook on Friday dismissed such claims in a 14-page ruling. The reduced race was allowable under F1 rules, he wrote, "and once it is established that the plaintiffs received a regulation race, they admit that they had no additional right to a race that was exciting or drivers that competed well." AP Story