Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[BREAKING: Indy chief Tony George reportedly resigns]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/breaking-indy-chief-tony-george-resigns/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/breaking-indy-chief-tony-george-resigns/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/breaking-indy-chief-tony-george-resigns/#commentsFiled under: ,



It's the end of an era for open-wheel racing in America as Indy chief Tony George has stepped down from his post. The long-time president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, George was widely seen as the impetus for the 1996 split in Indy racing that created the Indy Racing League (IRL) and the rival Champ Car series (formerly known as CART), but he was also instrumental in fostering the merger of the two championships into the new IndyCar Series over which he's presided.

During his nearly two-decade tenure as the head of the famous race track, George also brought NASCAR, Formula One and MotoGP to the speedway for the first time, vastly expanding the calendar of events at the iconic venue. However, elements within the Hulman-George company that controls the business were concerned with the amount of resources their chief executive put into the reintegrated IndyCar Series and recently asked him to reorganize the company, but Tony evidently decided to step down instead. He'll be focusing his energies on the Vision Racing team which he fields in the series, while the job he vacates will be split into two: CFO Jeffrey G Belskus will take the reins at the speedway, while chief legal counsel W Curtis Brighton will oversee the operation of the series.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty]

BREAKING: Indy chief Tony George reportedly resigns originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indy racing chief Tony George is serious about reconciliation and moving forward with a truly unified racing series, and to that end is making several overtures to make the joining Champ Car teams feel more at home racing with this IRL teams.

Among the steps being considered is a name change to reflect the unification of the two erstwhile series. Acknowledging that the Indy Racing League name poses an inhospitable barrier for migrating Champ Car teams, George is suggesting the series return to the IndyCar World Series name used before the split. George would also like to use the Vanderbilt Cup, the oldest trophy in American motorsports that CART took with it on its departure. Meanwhile, George suggests that the calendar of the combined series could be split equally between oval tracks, road courses and temporary street circuits, with six races on each type of track, literally and metaphorically leveling the playing field for all those involved. Lastly, George finally owned up to his own mistake of locking out the bulk of the 1996 Indy 500 to only eight Champ Cars versus a 25-car IRL field, which prompted CART to boycott the event and widen the rift between the two series.

Their recent reunification initially drew heat from various people within the Champ Car world who felt it was really a take-over. If that is the case, George deserves all the more credit as the magnanimous victor extending a hand towards the defeated rival instead of taking a victory lap.

[Source: AutoWeek, Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty]

Tony George proposes name, format change to welcome Champ Car migrants originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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]

BREAKING: IRL and Champ Car unification agreement signed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champ Car and the Indy Racing League, the two de facto open wheel racing series in North America since CART split after the 1995 season, are reportedly close to a truce that could reunite the two series as soon as the 2008 season. AutoWeek is reporting that Tony George, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and league chairman of the IRL, along with two of his associates, flew to Motegi, Japan recently to meet with track officials about changing the date of the Motegi race on April 19th. The reason is because the IRL race conflicts with the Long Beach Grand Prix, a mainstay on the Champ Car schedule. In order to consolidate the season schedules of both series, officials from both sides are apparently working hard to resolve conflicts like this. The fact that Tony George himself would fly to Japan indicates to AutoWeek that the man responsible for the split in the first place is serious about mending what he helped rend apart. And date conflicts between races are but one obstacle among many in bringing the two series back together, though they appear to be the biggest thing in the way of a resolution that could see a unified open-wheel racing series back on track in 2008.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Champ Car and IRL working hard on truce for 2008 season originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cartchamp carChampCarindy racing leagueIndyRacingLeagueirltony georgeTonyGeorgetruceFri, 08 Feb 2008 13:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Hydrogen 500: The world's first hydrogen race coming in 2009]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/12/hydrogen-500-the-worlds-first-hydrogen-race-coming-in-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/12/hydrogen-500-the-worlds-first-hydrogen-race-coming-in-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/12/hydrogen-500-the-worlds-first-hydrogen-race-coming-in-2009/#commentsFiled under: ,



AutoblogGreen just ran a story we wanted to make sure all of our readers were aware of, so we're running it here, too. It looks like the days of hybrids being seen by some people as pure exercises in extended fuel economy are numbered. Maybe someday soon people will start to associate fuel-cell hybrids with high performance and even, dare we say it, racing.

It seems that hybrids will be hitting the track soon. A new racing series run by the recently founded Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation was announced on Wednesday. The series hopes to stage its first races by 2009. As you may have guessed, the cars in this series will be electric hybrids powered by hydrogen.

Autoextremist founder/publisher Peter M. DeLorenzo is the President and CEO of the new organization. And this isn't some rinky-dink egghead endeavor, either. Executives from Bridgestone-Firestone and Michelin, Indy Car's own Tony George, and Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series are behind this new series. It looks like a pretty powerful group. At the center of the series will be the Hydrogen 500. Click over to AB Green for the rest of the story and additional links. We'll certainly keep you posted as more info becomes available.

[Source: AB Green]

Hydrogen 500: The world's first hydrogen race coming in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>American Le Mans SeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesautobloggreenBridgestone-FirestoneHydrogen Electric Racing FederationHydrogenElectricRacingFederationIndy CarIndyCarMichelinPeter M. DeLorenzoPeterM.DelorenzoScott AthertonScottAthertonTony GeorgeTonyGeorgeFri, 12 Jan 2007 19:04:00 EST