Topic: It's official: IRL to absorb Champ Car

[airbalancer]

Look like it is finally done

 It's official: IRL to absorb Champ Car
 
Feb 22, 2008 04:55 PM
Mike Harris
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series have signed a deal to unify the two U.S.-based open-wheel series.

IRL spokesman John Griffin abd Champ Car's David Higdon said Champ Car co-owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe signed the agreement with IRL founder Tony George today.

The deal will unify open-wheel racing after a 12-year divorce that started when George, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500, launched his own series after quarrelling with the former CART series.

One casualty of the unification is that the Grand Prix of Toronto (formerly the Molson Indy) will not be on the calendar this year. It's expected, however, to be included in the 2009 schedule.

Spokespeople for both series said a press conference will be called o release, and explain, details.

[rrocket]

Danica better keep posing in bathing suits...or switch to nudies.  Her chances of winning just got alot slimmer with this merger...

[tpl]

Remembering the fuss about the Molson Indy before it started.  I bet that if it misses a year it won't come back. The anti car, anti racing people will find away to not let it come back again. All the old arguments about wating energy, noise pollution etcetera will be dragged out again and Miller is just the sort of soft lefty to pay attention.

[dr_spock]

Has it been 12 years? 

[duck]

Danica better keep posing in bathing suits...or switch to nudies.  Her chances of winning just got alot slimmer with this merger...

Yup, Danica is soooo  HOT!!!   

[duck]

Any info about the Edmonton  race?

[Mister F]

Hopefully it returns to Toronto. Sure it brings noise and traffic, but that's part of living in the city. Any word on how the series will be run? I'd like to see it expand more outside of North America. There's not a whole lot of room for open wheel racing in the US, but there's lots of room for an F1 alternative in Europe, Asia, and South America.

[TopGun]

Any info about the Edmonton  race?

Edmonton will stay...for now...as they have an iron-clad contract for that race.

Any word on how the series will be run? I'd like to see it expand more outside of North America. There's not a whole lot of room for open wheel racing in the US...

This year is going to be complicated...they are running TWO points-paying races on the same weekend...one in Long Beach and one in Japan (contractual issues).

For me, going outside NA made it F1-light...not differentiated enough.  I think there is room for open-wheel racing in the US..especially given the F1 Indy race is toast.  In the hey-days of CART (mid 90's) CART was "it"...and the demographics on the fans that watched the races was very different from NASCAR.