SAP to sponsor USGP.

Indianapolis president Tony George today revealed that the first United States Grand Prix since 1991 had signed a title sponsor to further enhance its new image.

Running at the 'home of US motorsport', the USGP will be backed by German software company SAP - part of the same organisation that also sponsors McLaren's F3000 operation. Although George would not reveal the length of the announced multi-year deal, he claimed that the agreement gave further credence to the decision to return Formula One to the States.

''The rich racing heritage of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is known world-wide,'' he said, ''and we're happy that SAP is bringing its international reputation for excellence and success to the USGP through its title sponsorship. The Speedway is the world capital of motorsports, and there is no better venue for SAP to choose to achieve its goals.''

The event already looks certain to be a success in terms of spectator numbers, with George claiming that in excess of 200,000 seats have already been sold for September's race. Whether the public will be as enthralled by Formula One action as they were with last weekend's Indy 500 remains to be seen, but George is determined to fill the Speedway to demonstrate his new baby to the biggest possible audience.

''If we had priced the event the way some of the European events are priced, I'd have been disappointed when we only had 30-40,000 people interested,'' he said, with reference to his decision to charge as little as $30 for a ticket, ''Establishing some sort of continuity of date and home to come back to each year is what the event was lacking before, and I hope that we can build a future and a following here.''