By Steven English Tuesday, February 12th 2008, 11:03 GMT
Senior Honda advisor Robert Clarke is optimistic that an agreement on the Indy Racing League's proposed merger with Champ Car will be reached after promising talks were held in Japan yesterday.
IRL officials were hoping to convince the Japanese manufacturer to agree to move the race at its Motegi circuit to another date, to allow the Champ Car round at Long Beach on April 19 to be incorporated into the IRL schedule.
American newspaper the Indianapolis Star today suggested that Honda have accepted one of IRL boss Tony George's suggestions for a rescheduled event, after Clarke told them: "It was a good meeting. I don't see any reason not to be optimistic."
Clarke refused to confirm that any deal had been reached, saying that George must answer the questions.
But the series boss gave no further comment to the Indy Star than "nothing is going to happen quickly, if at all."
George is due back in America later today to discuss the result of the meeting in Japan with other senior IRL and Champ Car officials.
Source: Autosport
Another website is reporting that the meeting was indeed successful.
What we re finally seeing in public is the dynamics of what Gentilousy part is in the ownership group. Both KK and Forsythe has used PG as a swing vote to push their own agenda. In the past PG was firmly in KK's pocket. Somewhere around two years ago the tide shifted and Forsythe started to use PG to his advantage. KK is clearly the out man out and has been for awhile now.
His actions today IMO is nothing more then a power play against Forsythe and PG. Once other teams get news of this I really doubt they will stay in CC. GF and PG will have no choice but to side with KK and BK CHAMP CAR. That is the way I see this playing out.
I used to watch both series regularly, but ever since 2006 they've bothed bored me to tears (especially the IRL, which I found incredibly dull last year).
Hopefully reuniting will just get the focus back onto giving the fans an entertaining, politics-free racing series with a healthy car count, varied calendar and a talented selection of drivers.
It would be a sad day if ChampCar did finally die, but I'm pretty sure it's the best for US Open Wheel racing.
Autosport.com wrote:Walker predicts the end of Champ Car
By Steven English Wednesday, February 13th 2008, 11:14 GMT
Team owner Derrick Walker predicts that Champ Car is close to the end, amid rumours that series bosses are planning to file for bankruptcy.
Negotiations are ongoing between senior Champ Car and Indy Racing League officials to reach an agreement on a merger between the two, but Walker isn't convinced Champ Car can survive if the amalgamation doesn't go ahead.
He told the Associated Press: "It has all the makings of the end of Champ Car. I don't know how it's going to be done, but I think Champ Car is going to shut down."
But Champ Car executive vice president David Higdon denied that the series is shutting down: "We've been hearing these rumours since Friday and, as we've continued to say, our doors are open and people are working.
"We are proceeding with our plans and will keep operating as Champ Car."
Walker claimed several teams have not received last year's prize money, and decided not to field his cars in the first pre-season test at Sebring last week, instead choosing to start work on switching his team to IRL for this season.
"About a month ago there were several teams that had never been paid prize money, I don't know whether that was resolved," he said.
"My truck was on its way to Sebring and I turned it round because nobody in Champ Car could tell me what was going on. We've put our energy into IRL and will work toward that until someone can show me that Champ Car is really going to happen.
"I'm praying for a merger but you have to be careful what you wish for. It costs about $1.3 million to show up for the IRL races so that's the money we've got to find."
There have been no developments on the proposed merger since IRL boss Tony George returned from talks with Honda in Japan yesterday. He was hoping to move to date of the Motegi round on April 19 to allow the Champ Car race at Long Beach on April 20 to be added to the IRL schedule.
IRL spokesman John Griffin last night said: "Our executive team got back from Japan earlier today and we continue to work and see what we can accomplish here in the immediate future."
IRL does have a bigger following than CCWS. (Proven by TV ratings, Website hits, etc, some IRL Races beat CC in spectators and some CC beat IRL.) And No, most CC Fanatics will not watch the IRL.
They will spend the rest of their lives bitter and conceited at the IRL and posting about it on their forum. And maybe sending continual e-mails to Don Panoz to get him to use the DP-01s.
If the forum stays alive, that is. There's a rumour that says Gentilozzi was paying their server bills as long as they remained 'champcarfanatics.com' and not 'crapwagon.com'. Now that they're in full-out flame mode, their financial backer may not be so willing to pay those bills.
Well, I guess I will not be renewing my Toronto tickets then, because it looks like that'll be a waste of my money......
Oh, and KK, I hope you like failing. I also hope you like having every CC fan after your ass for the rest of your time in US motorsports. Sell your squad to Vasser if you don't want to be the single most hated man in American racing. Like, right now. Seriously. If you're at Mosport, I'm gonna make a concerted effort to spit in your face. You've earned it. That same goes to Paulie G-string and Dan Grim Reaper Pettit. I hope you all rot, because you didn't just let us down, you did what TG couldn't do. Nice job, you losers.
Oh, and the first IRL diehard who pokes fun at us CC fans about it is gonna get it.
