As nice and tidy the first-ever MotoGP race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) seems, there is a black cloud for this silver line: former bike racing star Kevin Schwantz and COTA officials are not at all in good terms, and that's putting it mildly.
Kevin Schwantz claims he has been escorted off the COTA property by security and accused on criminal trespassing. It appears that COTA officials had Schwantz banned form the premises and his presence in the perimeter was denied despite him being officially invited there by teams LCR Honda and Attack Racing CRT, who attended Honda's private test, alongside Yamaha.
Last autumn, controversy between Kevin Schwantz and COTA officials sprung up as the latter denied Schwantz his integral role in bringing the MotoGP to the Texas circuit, and his benefits in all this have been also denied.
At the moment, Kevin Schwantz is suing the COTA owners for the cutting him out of the whole MotoGP business and we'll keep you informed of the outcome. Until matters are settled, Kevin Schwantz has been threatened of being arrested if caught within the COTA complex.
Last autumn, controversy between Kevin Schwantz and COTA officials sprung up as the latter denied Schwantz his integral role in bringing the MotoGP to the Texas circuit, and his benefits in all this have been also denied.
At the moment, Kevin Schwantz is suing the COTA owners for the cutting him out of the whole MotoGP business and we'll keep you informed of the outcome. Until matters are settled, Kevin Schwantz has been threatened of being arrested if caught within the COTA complex.