Mike,

It looks like you might get your entrance fee back from the Indy F1 GP. This was on the ITV web site on Tuesday.

US GP REFUND UNDERWAY

The process of refunding spectators short-changed by the farcical six-car US Grand Prix took another step forward on Monday when claim forms were made available to individual ticket holders.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is administering the refund on behalf of the Michelin tyre company, offered the forms at its ticket office, online at and by telephone.

Refund claims must be postmarked by August 29 and received by IMS by September 9. Cheques will be mailed to ticket holders the week of September 19-26.

The vast majority of the estimated 100,000 attendees will not have to complete the forms as they have accounts with the Speedway and will be refunded automatically.



There is also an article about the future of F1 at Indy

BERNIE CONFIDENT OF INDY FUTURE

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he expects to see a United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis on the 2006 calendar, despite this year’s tyre fiasco that saw just six of the 20 cars take part.

The short- and long-term future of the Indy race has still to be decided, and circuit officials remain guarded on the subject.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Joie Chitwood declined to offer any guarantees that the circuit will seek a renewal of its existing contract with Formula One Management, which runs out next year.

“It’s important to us because we’ve made a huge investment in the sport by building the road course and adding the buildings in Gasoline Alley – but we have to decide what’s in the best interests of our fans, the Speedway and the city,” said Chitwood. “It’s obviously something we’re trying to figure out.”

However, Ecclestone said he hoped the 2005 event was now water under the bridge and next year’s race will go ahead as planned.

“I hope everybody understands – or will if they don’t now – why it all happened,” he told the Associated Press on Monday.

“It wasn’t the fault of Formula One Management, it wasn’t the fault of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it wasn’t the fault basically of the teams.

“It was the fact that Michelin supplied the wrong tyres for that circuit and it would have been dangerous to run.

“If somebody would have been killed it would have been more or less murder because we knew it was dangerous, so to send people out like that would have been totally irresponsible.

“Unless something drastic comes up which is going to preclude [IMS chief executive officer] Tony [George] from putting the event on, I don’t see any problems.”


Paul

:thumbup:


Well, thank God for that!

Thanks for letting us know, Paul.

I just feel sorry for the people who took their annual leave and / or had to travel a long distance to get there. I am sure that they will only refund the entrance money.

So how are you Skins ? Have you worked out how the jewellery roller thing works yet ?

Paul

I'm well, thanks, Paul. Really enjoying being able to work.

The rolling mill is great. It's really interesting putting metal under so much pressure. I'm working with much heavier stock - 2mm doesn't sound like very heavy sheet, I know, but get a hunk of it and try to squash it down to 1mm, and boy, there's some pressure there. I'm having to anneal the metal much more thoroughly than I've ever done before, and that's fun - like, jeez, is it going to melt or not?

And I can put designs or patterns on to the metal - just scratching the surface - if you'll pardon the pun, but I'm making a style of ring just now I've never been able to contemplate before.

Just got a digital camera, a second-hand Canon G5 (my first camera, would you believe - all my images have been handmade previously) so I can maybe sell my jewellery on the net. It's been slow going learning that technology today, but real fun.