It appears the Indy Racing League and Champ Car Series may finally be close to a merger that would end the ugly split that has been so damaging to open-wheel racing in the United States.
The two sides acknowledge being close to a deal that would bring the two series together in time for the 2008 racing season.
For years now, open-wheel racing has struggled to gain a widespread audience as NASCAR gained millions of fans nationwide, and the split between IRL and Champ Car has long been blamed. Because of the split, neither side could boast the most competitive fields. Consider that the prestigious Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend featured several rookie drivers; anyone who tried to qualify for the race made it in.
"Reports that open-wheel racing is close to unification is the best thing to happen to the sport since Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr. and Danny Sullivan were battling each other in front of huge crowds 20 years ago," said Texas Motorspeedway President Eddie Gossage in a press release. "From a promoter's perspective, it will provide our fans with a larger field that could lead to even more exciting races and drama."
Under the merger, IRL would offer chassis and engines to the Champ Car teams, then several of the top Champ Car events would roll into the IRL schedule.
It would be remarkable if the two racing leagues could merge in time for this season. IRL's season begins on March 29 at Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla. while Champ Car's first race is the Grand Prix Long Beach on April 20. That leaves less than two months to get all of the issues ironed out.
And there is one apparent big stick point, as the Grand Prix Long Beach is scheduled to take place the same weekend as the IRL race in Motegi, Japan. Neither side feels it can move their race to another date because of contractual commitments.
"It's as close as it's ever been to being together, but we don't know if we can get across the goal line," Tony George, the head the Indianapolis Motorspeedway, told Speedtv. "But no one is giving up yet."
