Michelin is trying to win back fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The French tiremaker, which triggered a boycott of last year’s U.S. Grand Prix by seven Formula One teams, plans a series of fan events before this year’s race, including an autograph session with all of its drivers and a public meeting with 2005 F1 champion Fernando Alonso.

Michelin also will donate $5 for every tire sold at participating dealers to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis for the Race Against Drugs program.

“It’s all part of helping to promote the race, however we can,” a company public relations spokesman said Tuesday.

“There are several rationales for it; that’s a piece of it, obviously,” John Love, president of Event Management Corporation, said of the effort to make peace following last year’s pullout that still threatens F-1’s future in Indianapolis.

Another reason, he said, is to promote the success of Michelin and Alonso, who won seven races en route to the F-1 championship last season and leads the series with four wins already this year. The U.S. Grand Prix, the 10th of 18 races this season, is scheduled for July 2.

Alonso, who drives for Renault, and the drivers for the Sauber, Honda, McLaren, Red Bull and Toro Rosso teams will be available for autographs, and Alonso will take questions from fans during a session June 29.

“This will be a rare chance for American race fans to learn more about the new F1 champion, from his interests to how he prepares for a race,” said Frederic Henry-Biabaud, Michelin group director of competition.

Last year’s boycott was prompted by the failure of two Michelin tires during practice, one of which caused a crash that prevented Ralf Schumacher from competing in the race. Michelin then said the tires were unsafe for the 2.6-mile Indianapolis road course, and after FIA refused to consider installing a curve to slow the cars, Michelin advised its teams not to compete.

All 20 cars lined up at the start, but 14 of them pulled off the track before the race began, leaving only the six using Bridgestone tires, including winner Michael Schumacher.

Michelin later offered to refund money to fans who bought tickets for the race and said it would buy 20,000 tickets for the 2006 race and give them to people who attended the race last year.

Michelin announced in December it would withdraw from F-1 after this season.

USA Today

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