[af_vet_rr]

Maybe the thread should be titled "Hell Freezes Over". I'm stunned. Given the egos involved, I almost expected both series to go bankrupt before somebody got some common sense in their heads.

Maybe now American open-wheel racing can get back on track, and Marco can really put to rest any doubts anybody had.

[cripplecreek]

In the days before the split we used to get crowds of 100,000 or more at MIS. These days I estimate the crowds at around 25,000 for open wheel races.

[Sax]

Ovals meets Road Courses, again. Glad to see this.

[kb2614]

Open Wheel racing has been digging this hole for a long time. The NASCAR juggarnaught will be hard to overcome. The morons running OW racing can still figure out away to hose this up. They haven’t shown to have a whole lot of sense. I’m a sportscar racing fan. I’d rather see those auto manufacturers in the ALMS, IMO.

[AbeKrieger]

This is great news if it happens. A legitimate, adult alternative to the unwatchable crybaby soap opera WWE freakshow that is NASCAR.

[Steve_Seattle]

The days when Indy racers - Foyt, Andretti, the Unsers, Rahal - were household names are long gone. I bet the average sports fan couldn’t name anyone from the Champ series, and practically no one from the Indy series except maybe Danica. NASCAR has put both open wheel series about two laps down, and they have a hell of a pit to climb out of.

[Para-Ord.45]

BIG MISTAKE

Champ has better drivers who regularly jump to F1 and F1 drivers who jump to Champ. Champ also has a superior feeder system of young drivers in the Atlantic series.Champ has better circuits and road courses with Long Beach being the crown jewel of road courses. The latest DP01 chasis is the latest and best designed chasis in open wheel racing.

Tony George has an ego, old drivers and ovals.

[JoanVarga]

Wow. Didn't see that coming.

Maybe we all really can get along.

Nah.

[Reo]

Great news! Requires some musical accompanyment. For Mark Knopfler’s “Speedway at Nazareth” link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWo-51v-SFA&NR=1

[Cowboy Bob]

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

[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.