Open-wheel merger a possibility
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – A possible unification of America’s two open-wheel series is still on track, with both sides saying Tuesday progress is being made. David Higdon, Champ Car World Series spokesman, said discussions are “heating up,” but no announcement was expected Tuesday. “As long as everyone is still talking, there’s hope.”
Fred Nation, a spokesman for the Indy Racing League, told The Associated Press “there is no deal yet.” He said talks “between the principals from both sides” are continuing and IRL officials remain “optimistic” an agreement can be reached, possibly as early as Thursday.
Both sides have struggled for fans, sponsors and TV ratings since the IRL, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George, began competition in 1995, competing against the established CART series.
CART later went into bankruptcy and was bought by its current owners, Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi, all team owners in what is now Champ Car.
George was in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, attending a meeting, while Kalkhoven was attending to business in England and was expected to return to the United States no later than Thursday.
There have been numerous attempts over the years to get the two sides back together, several of them launched by longtime racing star Mario Andretti and Champ Car car owner Paul Newman.
Chip Ganassi, whose team won an unprecedented four straight CART championships in the 1990’s before moving to the IRL, said last week at Daytona International Speedway, “There can’t be five people on the planet that don’t want it to happen, so let’s hope it happens.
“If they were to get back together, I think that’s only when the work would begin. It’s probably like the 1994 baseball strike. The work really begins once you get all of the problems behind you. It would be nice to get all of the issues in one place. Get all of the rulesmakers in one place. Get all of the promoters in one place. Get everybody at one table instead of two. It would certainly end a lot of confusion in the marketplace.”
Most of the previous negotiations broke down over the issue of who would control the merged series.
This attempt began several weeks ago when George offered to supply any Champ Car team willing to compete in the IRL in 2008 with a Honda engine lease program, two Dallara chassis and $1.2 million in incentives now going to current IRL teams.
Talks almost broke down last week when it was reported on the internet an agreement was imminent. Kalkhoven was incensed over the apparent leak and issued a statement saying the 2008 Champ Car season would go on as scheduled.
However, talks have continued with both sides working their way through a number of sticky issues.
Among the obstacles cited were the head-to-head scheduling of Champ Car’s season opener April 20 in Long Beach and the IRL’s April 19 event in Japan. But George and former Honda racing executive Robert Clarke made a quick trip to Japan and apparently came back with an agreement to move the Motegi race date.
A unification would improve the prospects for open-wheel racing in America, which currently is far behind NASCAR in popularity.
Most recently, each series lost its top stars – four-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais to Formula One and 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti and three-time IndyCar champion Sam Hornish Jr. to NASCAR.
Copyright Associated Press 2008