Baker fed up with F1 decision

When the Clark County Commission selected Billy Walters to develop a golf course on the south end of the Strip, Las Vegas didn't just lose a coveted Formula One race and its accompanying $200 million annual windfall.

It also lost Tommy Baker.

Baker, who has campaigned for the past 3 1/2 years to bring the international racing series here, said he is leaving Las Vegas by the end of this month.

And he's not going quietly.

Baker fired a few parting shots at Walters, Circus Circus Enterprises and the county commissioners Tuesday following the commission's vote to award Walters the development contract.

"There is obviously an ongoing relationship with (the County Commission and) the Walters group; they approved him on Desert Breeze (a similar project on BLM land on the city's west side) and he's renegotiating that deal as we speak. It will not be available to the public," Baker said.

"This golf course will not be available at any kind of municipal rate to the public -- which the commissioners thought was a great concept as we presented it over a year ago."

Walters vehemently denied Baker's accusations, stating that Clark County residents will have access to the new course "51 percent of the time" for $53 including cart.

"I won't even dignify (those charges) with a response," Walters added.

But Baker contended that Circus Circus, which opposed Baker's proposal for a golf course and 2.9-mile F1 road course, had worked behind the scenes to forge a deal with Walters.

"Circus Circus themselves wanted to build a private golf course on that land in March of '97 and couldn't figure it out ... Bill Walters has figured it out for them," Baker said. "There never will be a public golf course on the south Strip ... and that's too bad for the public."

Baker had proposed to build a public golf course, spa and race track on the 160-acre parcel of land as early as last September and received a 7-0 vote of approval from the county commissioners. Since then, however, development of the land went through a formal Request For Proposal process which brought the Walters group and Club Corporation of America/Gary Player Design groups into the mix.

So what happened to the appeal of Baker's proposal between last September and Tuesday?

"Nothing, except that (the commissioners) chose to maintain their private fraternity relationship with Bill Walters and he, in turn, has created a pact with the Circus Circus people," Baker said.

"This town has lost a lot and it has lost a lot specifically to a private-interest group and an internal fraternity (where) the casino industry wins again, for themselves."

As for Baker, he said he will give up any further plans to try to bring an F1 race to Las Vegas. Whether he will be involved with one of the other three American cities lobbying to get the event will be up to Formula One president Bernie Ecclestone, Baker said.

Ecclestone has said he will make an announcement early next month which American city will host the F1 series beginning in 2000.

"Las Vegas in general is the real loser," Baker said.

"There would have been an annual $200 million impact from the event and the marketing reach of the Formula One race itself is evaluated in excess of $20 million.

"Neither of those numbers speak to the gaming propensity of the 150,000 people internationally who will come to it. All that goes away and I don't know how they look to replace it."

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