Champ Car, Indy Racing League (IRL) Get Together

Speed TV ^ | 8 Feb 2008 | Robin Miller

[af_vet_rr]

The long, costly war between Champ Car and the Indy Racing League is close to being over and, for the first time since 1995, there could be one open wheel series for 2008. But there’s still one major hurdle to overcome to make this long-awaited union a reality.

SPEED has learned that Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe, the co-owners of Champ Car, have reached an agreement with IRL founder Tony George to race together this season.

As reported by SPEEDtv.com recently, George offered the Champ Car ownership free Dallara chassis and Honda engines to any CC team that signs up for the full season in addition to receiving $1.2 million per car as part of the IRL’s new TEAM program. Additionally, the Champ Car races at Long Beach, Edmonton and Surfer’s Paradise, Australia would be added to the ’08 IndyCar Series schedule.

[Para-Ord.45]

That`s too bad.

CCWs has the better tracks, superior chasis and racers. Even B. Rahal counseled his son to drive in CCWS if he wanted to improve his skills and possibly jump to F1 if good enough. Irl has the indy 500 and ovals of which NASCAR has the fan monopoly on.

A racing fans real merger would see the end of ovals, adoption of the Panos chasis and CCWS circuits.

[Cowboy Bob]

Now the important question: Will Danica Patrick win a race this year? America waits! /sarc

[Para-Ord.45]

Are they still dangling the cheesecake in their desperate efforts to garner ratings?

What next, Danica racing in a bikini.

[af_vet_rr]

Given that you would have the stars from both series, Danica ain't going to be winning anytime soon.

Speed Report - video discussing the merger.

IndyStar - IRL official optimistic - looks like they are close to working out a deal with Motegi.

Hopefully we'll get a lot more road coarses. Ovals were getting way too boring.

[af_vet_rr]

Even if the IRL/CCWS haven't worked it all out, one owner is on the way to switching to IRL:

Tri-City Herald: Derrick Walker isn't buying Champ Car's company line.

He's parked his car, withdrawn from testing and focused his attention on running in the rival Indy Racing League this year even though Champ Car officials say they will race this season.

Walker, a Champ Car owner who has also competed in the IRL, told The Associated Press on Tuesday he believes Champ Car is finished.

[Ouderkirk]

racertainment-marketing

I thought of your comment today. It's 3:15 PM and I decided to swerve through FOX to see who was leading the race. I get Brooks & Dunn? Good lord, the race used to start promptly at noon. That's it for me.... I'm done with it. NACSAR has become unrecognizable from the man's man sport that it used to be

[kb2614]

I’ll be honest, I forgot it was on. I work midnight shift, so unless I’m paying attention I’m liable to miss events like this. Needless to say, I stopped paying attention to the marketing entity known as NASCAR a long time ago.

Now for a non-NASCAR racing announcment. The Sebring 12 Hours begins 9:30AM-3/15/08 on SpeedTV :-). Unfortunatly they won’t show the whole 12 hours. Probably around 8 or so.

[af_vet_rr]

More non-NASCAR stuff (ESPN)Constituents with a stake in American open-wheel racing are still waiting to see if the most advanced discussions to date between the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series result in the two groups racing under one umbrella in 2008 and beyond.

Sounds like there are a few holdouts, but I think it will happen.

[af_vet_rr]

Speed TV thinks it's officially a done deal: Most Champ Car teams were told to quit working on their Panoz chassis Monday and expect delivery of their new cars in a few days. Paul Tracy is coming to Indianapolis later this week for a seat fitting. And one of Champ Car’s co-owners admitted to a fellow owner there would only be one series in 2008.

After 12 years of warring that cost open-wheel racing much of its sponsorship, audience and momentum, common sense has finally prevailed.

SPEEDtv.com has learned that the Indy Racing League and Champ Car have officially, and mercifully, agreed to become one entity. A press conference could come as early as Wednesday if Kevin Kalkhoven is back from England in time.

Following nearly two weeks of negotiations between Tony George, Gerry Forsythe and Kalkhoven, an agreement is in place to bring several Champ Car teams and a handful of races into the IRL domain. It’s believed attorneys from both sides worked all weekend to finalize some kind of arrangement for the two men who claimed CART’s assets in bankruptcy court in 2004.

George, who started the IRL in 1996 when CART was in its heyday, would not confirm any deal when contacted late Monday night. “While it is true that I continue to believe we at the threshold of something long-overdue, we have not yet stepped across it,” he said.

But all signs point to this tumultuous chapter of American motorsports finally being closed.

“I’m supposed to fly in Indy later this week to get fitted for a seat and then we’re going to have to thrash to make it to the first test in Homestead,” said Tracy, the winningest active driver in Champ Car and its premier personality. “We don’t have any experience with those Dallaras and we’re going to need all the practice we can get but this is definitely the best thing that can happen for open-wheel racing.”

The IRL’s first open test is on the oval at Homestead, Fla. on Feb. 27-2

[af_vet_rr]

There's an echo in here, but anyways, keep an eye out for the Friday press conference:

IndyCar resolution to come Friday

By Bruce Martin PA SportsTicker Contributing Editor

IndyCar officials have tentatively scheduled a press conference for Friday in Indianapolis, where they likely will announce that the long American open-wheel racing war has come to an end.

Series officials had hoped to make the announcement Thursday. But Champ Car principle Kevin Kalkhoven will not be back from England, where he is tending to family business.

Friday's announcement will end the 13-year feud that began when Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George announced the creation of a new racing series on March 20, 1994. At that time, most of the teams that competed in the Indianapolis 500 were in CART, a series that went bankrupt and would later be revived as Champ Car.

George's original intention was to have CART teams participate in what was then known as the Indy Racing League. But most of those teams refused, starting a lengthy and divisive battle for supremacy in North American open wheel racing.

But Champ Car has agreed to cease operations, which will allow its teams to accept George's offer of a free Dallara car and free Honda engines to make the transition to the new series.

As part of the agreement, IndyCar will purchase Champ Car's "intellectual properties," including the historical database.

For example, Sam Hornish Jr. is officially listed as the series' all-time wins leader with 19. But under the new agreement, the all-time lead would be returned to A.J. Foyt, who has 67 career victories.

In addition, IndyCar is expected to get Champ Car's race dates for the Long Beach Grand Prix along with street races in Edmonton, Alberta; Surfer's Paradise, Australia and Mexico City.

This would not be a merger of Champ Car and IndyCar because the IndyCar Series will be the only series in competition. And it is not technically an acquisition because IndyCar will not be acquiring the assets of Champ Car.

The proper term would be an "amalgamation," which means Champ Car closes up business and its teams join IndyCar.

[af_vet_rr]

All three of us say "Yay". The nightmare is partially over (Tony George will still screw it up but at least everybody will go down together).

IndyCar.com

Indy Racing League founder and CEO Tony George and owners of the Champ Car World Series have completed an agreement in principle that will unify the sport for 2008.

Gerald Forsythe, co-owner of Champ Car, signed an agreement in principle Feb. 22 in Chicago, joining his partner, Kevin Kalkhoven. George signed the agreement Feb. 21.

Details of a news conference about the agreement will be forthcoming. When scheduled, the news conference will be shown live on indycar.com.

The Indy Racing League, sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series, will conduct its first Open Test of 2008 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Feb. 27-28. The test (4-10 p.m. ET both days) is open to the public free of charge, with viewing from the fourth level of the main grandstand. Timing and Scoring will be available on indycar.com. An Open Test on the Sebring International Raceway road course for the IndyCar Series is scheduled for March 3-6.

"Now the work begins," said Terry Angstadt, president of the Indy Racing League's coommercial division, in a meeting with league personnel.

Champ Car Fanatics are pissed of course (check their header). My Name is IRL is gloating a bit too much, but the series are now officially unified.