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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndyCar has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the organizers of the canceled Grand Prix of Boston, which had been planned for Labor Day weekend this year and again each year through 2020.
The suit, filed Monday in federal court in Indianapolis, lists defendants as The Boston Grand Prix LLC and organizers John Casey and Mark Perrone.
IndyCar entered into an agreement with the organizers in May 2015 and the race was included as the 15th event on this year's 16-race IndyCar schedule.
Boston was expected to host the race on the city's streets Sept. 4. IndyCar touted the weekend as an opportunity to showcase its product in front of a new audience that would include many college students.
But, on April 29, organizers called off the event, saying financial and other demands by public officials made the race “fiscally untenable,” despite what they called strong ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.
What IndyCar is seeking from the lawsuit is unclear. The complaint and all of its exhibits were filed under seal because IndyCar said the filings contain "trade secret and commercially sensitive business and financial information," including the event agreement.
"The public interest will be served by prohibiting access to this sensitive and proprietary information, and IndyCar would face a significant risk of substantial harm if the information were disclosed," IndyCar wrote in the complaint.
IndyCar also filed a redacted complaint that it said could become public in 14 days. That complaint won't include information on pricing structures, sanction fees and other financial arrangements.
IndyCar replaced the canceled event with a Sept. 4 road race at Watkins Glen International in New York.
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