We had just reported that an agreement to reunite the estranged U.S. open wheel racing series of the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series was all but inked, and now it is officially official. The two sides have issues a press release revealing the IRL founder and CEO Tony George, who occasioned the split in the first place, and the owners of Champ Car have officially signed a deal to bring the two series together again. We reported already on all of the logistical hurdles that had to be jumped, not the least of which is combining the season schedules of both series. It appears that all of the wrinkles have been ironed out, and both sides will be presenting the nitty gritty details in a press conference that's just listed as "forthcoming". Will the joined series be a force once again in motorsports? F1 is considered the pinnacle of racing on a global scale, and NASCAR is the WWE of car racing with legions of fans, while even the Le Mans Series, particularly the ALMS, has grown to become an extremely well respected series. As such, we're both curious and cautious when it comes to making predictions about open-wheel racing in the U.S., but are glad these once warring factions have buried the proverbial hatchet and will get back to racing. Thanks to everyone who sent us this tip!
[Source: IndyCar.com]
Ford Ranger Max concept debuts at Thailand Motor Show (w/VIDEO)
2009 Mini Cooper Cabrio unveiled! Detroit debut, hits showrooms in March
Mazda3 hatch unveiled, will debut next week
Enter the Rumormill: Harley-Davidson quietly launches XR1200 in US?
BREAKING: More Porsche Panamera pics surface
The Top 10-ish Orphan Car Brands_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
In The Autoblog Garage: BMW X6 XDrive 35i
Event Alert: December Calendar of Automotive Events
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS
_thumbnail.jpg "In The Autoblog Garage: BMW X6 XDrive 35i")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
May @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:16PM
I am sticking to Formula One races ;)
Franz @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:35PM
Bout time. I might actually start watching these again, if the racing is good. Still not a fan of the ovals though.
howard @ Feb 24th 2008 12:45AM
I've just quit watching NASCAR, to much "same old, Same old"! I did see a replay of the two Dodges winning the Daytona 500! they had to work for it! they'll have to really be up for the Cailfornia race Sunday! Jeff gordon and Jr. will be running the experimental engines Nascar just turns their back on during regular inspections!
Bert @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:40PM
Congratulations!
RLQ @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:43PM
I really hope this works out.
Greg @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:45PM
Great news! But I just looked at the schedule and still see Motegi in April. What about Long Beach??
VP @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:45PM
Mr.Neff,
You might not like NASCAR racing, you certainly have the right to. But calling it the WWE is a slap in the face. It's no more fixed than your sophisticated F1 racing. As the editor of a noted car blog i find it insulting to many of your readers including me.
As for the merger of IRL & Champ....about damn time.
Frustrated Consumer @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:23PM
Easy there tiger, most NASCAR fans know it's not fully on the 'up and up' and don't care. Get off your high horse (even if you are a 'blog editor') and sit in the stands once in while...you might actually learn something from the people you report to represent.
James @ Feb 23rd 2008 11:39AM
I follow more F1 than NASCAR, but even I found the jab insulting. I got what they were trying to do (WWE is insanely popular as is NASCAR), but it still made it sound like less of a racing series than the others mentioned.
Every race series has bent the rules slightly to make the whole of the series competitive (yes even F1) and will continue to do so in order to attract and maintain fans. NASCAR, I think, has been a bit more open with its changes than other series and as such has more to scrutinize.
Regardless, a better comparison could have been made involving NASCAR
Kayne001 @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:47PM
Love Le Mans, trying to get into F1
Brendan @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:56PM
I hope they do cut back on the ovals, since it's waste of an open-wheel car to run them on there. Hopefully they also manage to get some sponsorship dollars and some diversity in the engine/chassis manufacturers. It might be a couple years but it could turn into a competitive, well-respected, and fun to watch series if they make the most of it.
Hank @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:51PM
allow rotary engines with comparable power outputs to be used in the racing chassis
that'll give ya some diversity, and headlines ;-)
bring back the 26b 4 rotor!!! rawr!
Ed @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:20PM
The car needs a makeover -- like bad... IRL cars are stuck in the 90's! I think i heard it once described as a wood block jammed through a pencil sharpener... Superspeedway aero can be mucked around, but the car needs to look sexy first.
David(Postal) @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:37PM
I get the same feeling when I see these cars. I understand they dont have as much money as F1 but come on
Ohso Clutch @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:03PM
finally!
olddavid @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:28AM
Count me as unimpressed. I volunteer at PIR every year to do grunt stuff, just to keep Portland's hoary race coming back. We, will undoubtedly be a casualty, and with the combined series using that god-awful sounding piece of #$%&*@ motor along with those ugly cars.............well, I'm sorry. I try, but watching those ugly cars that the France's try to call sports cars is also beyond my ability to absorb ugly. Must be some genetic defect.........
Rich @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:48PM
THANK YOU GOD!
i've been a fan of CART back in its heyday (90-00) and was sad when all the known CART teams bolted to run in circles. what i'd like to know is what chassis and engines are they going to run, because Champ Car just got the Panoz with the paddle shifters a'la F1 and still continue to use a 2.65L turbo V8. i would love to see a non-spec series and have at least three engine manufacterers duke it out every race.
KyToyota @ Feb 24th 2008 1:48AM
Maybe open wheel racing can become more popular here in the states. Still more of a NASCAR fan but racing is racing. V-8 Supercar from down under id pretty cool as is CORR.
P.S. Can we be adults in all the blogs, I mean come on, if you hate NASCAR. then leave it alone.
Hector Junior @ Feb 24th 2008 10:38AM
It would be a great thing to see the IRL cars run at Daytona, following the same ROLEX 24 road course and then go through the track and around the roads that go in front and behind the race track next to the airport on Williamson Ave, Midway Ave. and back to International Speedway Blvd. What do you all think and, if you have the time, please check it out on google maps and see that immense and exciting possibility?
Paul Bronson @ Feb 25th 2008 12:21AM
Hopefully it will be a good merger, that will ensure promotion money, and bring in new fans. Maybe the INDY 500 will have a chance to return to its former glory too!
I don't understand the dislike for ovals. Watching Indy cars, inches apart, at 220+ MPH at MIS or Texas is amazingly dangerous, but damn exciting!