The “Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC v. Alex Palou Montalbo, ALPA Racing, SL” case in Marion County, Indiana is closed, and does not disclose the specific items for which Palou is being sued by the CGR, but the attachments in the filings do point To tweets and/or press releases from McLaren Racing and Palou where they announced his signature to drive to McLaren Racing in 2023 on the same day that CGR announced that it had signed Palou and retains exclusive rights to his services in 2023.
Comment accessed by RACER, a team spokesperson provided the following statement:
“Alex Ballou is under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing until the end of the 2023 season. He is an important member of our team, and we will continue to support him in chasing wins, podiums and championships in IndyCar. As a result of a rival racing team improperly trying to sign him regardless of the clear terms of our contract, we are moving to legal action. According to the contract.”
As explored in A recent RACER articleThe dynamics of the team suing its driver during an active racing season as the two parties continue to work together is all unprecedented in professional motorsports. If Palou gets out of the No. 10 CGR Honda before this weekend’s race, the team has 2012 IndyCar champ Ryan Hunter-Reay under contract as a reserve driver.
Among the petitions filed this week, one asks for a speedy handling of the matter and cites the type of recourse sought: “Plaintiff Chip Janassi Racing, LLC, by counsel, respectfully requests a speedy hearing on her application for the preliminary injunction. The plaintiff estimates that two hours will be sufficient for a hearing Listen, requests to be determined before the end of August.”
The Panel’s attorneys filed an Emergency Request for Urgent Discovery, which reads: “In this proceeding in which Plaintiff Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC . . . is seeking a discovery necessary to prepare for the initial hearing, Ganassi has submitted this motion for permission to submit the interrogations. formal, notarial and admission requests on Defendants, respectively; filing notice on paloo; and non-party document requests filed by McLaren Indy, LLC and McLaren Racing.
Ganassi has provided its verified complaint, with a compliment to the attorneys for the designated Defendants, and Ganassi is providing service to Palou, individually, and its associated entity, ALPA Racing, SL, by serving on them directly and again via their designated counsel. Ganassi to obtain a Substantive Written Discovery from the Defendants expeditiously, take the statements of individual Defendant Palou and ALPA’s designated representatives promptly, and find out what is needed from a third party, and proceed with a preliminary hearing.
“To expedite this procedure, Ganassi requires that defendants be ordered to respond to Ganassi’s discovery requests fully and without evasion within 14 days of service. Ganassi requests that third party discovery be expedited so that the waiting period for third party discovery is waived for Pilot Base 34(C)(2) ), and with responses also to be submitted within 14 days.”
As media activities begin at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Thursday, the team and drivers are not expected to comment on the lawsuit, with the closing sentence in the statement reading: “All inquiries relating to the matter will be dealt with by our legal counsel.”
“Typical food guru. Problem solver. Devoted beer practitioner. Professional reader. Baconaholic.”