Bottom post of the previous page:
As it now looks certain the merger has happened, time to start a thread about the new series?Champ Car Memories
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HC
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We have an IRL thread, Tony will take over CCWS.
I don't feel bad for any rich bastard losing money over it but I'm sure there will be others who will feel it in their pocket. Also I feel sorry for all the people who will be out of a job. The way the CCWS owners handled this whole deal once again proved why they had to make the deal in the first place.
Anyway, more people to pick in the IRL Manager I guess.
I don't feel bad for any rich bastard losing money over it but I'm sure there will be others who will feel it in their pocket. Also I feel sorry for all the people who will be out of a job. The way the CCWS owners handled this whole deal once again proved why they had to make the deal in the first place.
Anyway, more people to pick in the IRL Manager I guess.
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PTfan54
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All I can say is: What took so fucking long?
I watched CART/Champ Car in all its guises for a while, but around 2005 or 2006 it was clear that the jig was up, and I just stopped watching. Bourdais was dominating, and the rest of the series was predominently no names. I mean, who in the name of Will Power did they have driving in the series? Exactly. The thing that kills me is that CART was a fantastic series for so long, but the beginning of the end was definetly when FedEx, Honda, and Toyota left. It's a relief for me that the series is combined now. Maybe, just maybe, it can reclaim some former glory.
I watched CART/Champ Car in all its guises for a while, but around 2005 or 2006 it was clear that the jig was up, and I just stopped watching. Bourdais was dominating, and the rest of the series was predominently no names. I mean, who in the name of Will Power did they have driving in the series? Exactly. The thing that kills me is that CART was a fantastic series for so long, but the beginning of the end was definetly when FedEx, Honda, and Toyota left. It's a relief for me that the series is combined now. Maybe, just maybe, it can reclaim some former glory.
Bernie Ecclestone's Glasses: The Greatest Spectacles in Racing
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Truls1
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IRL, Champ Car To Merge
Open-Wheel Racing Leagues Come Together After 13 Years
POSTED: 1:12 pm EST February 19, 2008
UPDATED: 1:20 pm EST February 19, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -- After 13 years apart, open-wheel racing will once again run as one.
An agreement has been reached between the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series to bring the two sides together for a unified 2008 season, using IndyCar series equipment and rules, 6Sports' Dave Furst reported.
An official announcement is expected on Wednesday. 6Sports first reported on merger talks a few weeks ago.
At the time, the last major hurdle was a conflict during the April 19 race weekend. Champ Car hosts its annual bash in Long Beach that weekend, while the IRL is at the Honda-owned track in Motegi, Japan. That conflict was resolved after Motegi agreed to change its date.
Teams from Champ Car are now scrambling to prepare for new equipment used by the IndyCar series.
The IRL holds an open test at the Homestead Miami Speedway next week. Of the teams expected to switch to the IRL, Newman-Haas Lanigan, Forsythe-Pettit, and PKV are expected to contribute as two-car teams.
6Sports will have more on the merger beginning First At 5:00.
Link: http://www.theindychannel.com/sports/15 ... etail.html
Open-Wheel Racing Leagues Come Together After 13 Years
POSTED: 1:12 pm EST February 19, 2008
UPDATED: 1:20 pm EST February 19, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -- After 13 years apart, open-wheel racing will once again run as one.
An agreement has been reached between the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series to bring the two sides together for a unified 2008 season, using IndyCar series equipment and rules, 6Sports' Dave Furst reported.
An official announcement is expected on Wednesday. 6Sports first reported on merger talks a few weeks ago.
At the time, the last major hurdle was a conflict during the April 19 race weekend. Champ Car hosts its annual bash in Long Beach that weekend, while the IRL is at the Honda-owned track in Motegi, Japan. That conflict was resolved after Motegi agreed to change its date.
Teams from Champ Car are now scrambling to prepare for new equipment used by the IndyCar series.
The IRL holds an open test at the Homestead Miami Speedway next week. Of the teams expected to switch to the IRL, Newman-Haas Lanigan, Forsythe-Pettit, and PKV are expected to contribute as two-car teams.
6Sports will have more on the merger beginning First At 5:00.
Link: http://www.theindychannel.com/sports/15 ... etail.html
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Ian-S
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at frakking last....
I am very sorry if you find my posts long and boring, I like to type and often go off on a tangent.
If this is the case, you may click here to solve the problem, or alternatively here too.
If this is the case, you may click here to solve the problem, or alternatively here too.
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Dan
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Mightas well toss this article in the mix too. Sounds like KK won't be back for any kind of announcement until Thursday.
IRL closer to deal with Champ Car
IRL closer to deal with Champ Car
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Truls1
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Thanks Dan, and welcome onboardDan wrote:Mightas well toss this article in the mix too. Sounds like KK won't be back for any kind of announcement until Thursday.
IRL closer to deal with Champ Car
Last edited by Truls1 16 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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Super Aguri
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JCollins28
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Joey A.
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Hey Nisbet, glad to have you onboardDan wrote:Mightas well toss this article in the mix too. Sounds like KK won't be back for any kind of announcement until Thursday.
IRL closer to deal with Champ Car
"To be the man, you gotta beat the man!" - Ric Flair
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Dan
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Thanks Joey!Joey A. wrote:Hey Nisbet, glad to have you onboardDan wrote:Mightas well toss this article in the mix too. Sounds like KK won't be back for any kind of announcement until Thursday.
IRL closer to deal with Champ Car
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strad
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[quote]-- A deal that would unify America's two open-wheel racing series under the IRL umbrella entered the final stages Thursday.
Talks have centered on a proposal in which some teams from the Champ Car World Series would blend into the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series. The unification would become one series known as the IndyCar Series, Champ Car spokesman David Higdon said.
"We're closer than we've ever been," Higdon said. "Many of us remain hopeful that it will be completed today and we will be talking about a unified open wheel series tomorrow."
IRL spokesman Fred Nation said there are "four issues they will try to hammer out by the end of the night." He did not identify the issues.
Champ Car series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven was en route to Indianapolis to meet with IRL founder and Indianapolis Speedway owner Tony George, according to Higdon. Kalkhoven had been in England on family business.
Since the IRL began competing with what was then the established CART series in 1996, the two have gone head to head for drivers, teams, fans, sponsors and TV ratings, generally losing out on all counts.
Things have only gotten worse for both sides in the face of the current U.S. economic woes.
Before the proposed agreement, Champ Car was set to begin its season April 29 at Long Beach, Calif., with no more than 17 cars. The IndyCar Series was in danger of starting its season March 29 at Homestead, Fla., with as few as 16.
With the deal apparently nearing completion, it appeared Wednesday between six and 10 cars from the Champ Car side would take the offer from George of a free Honda engine lease program, free Dallara chassis and $1.2 million in team incentives.
Several Champ Car teams are not expected to take George's offer because, even with the engines, cars and incentives, it would take an additional $2 million or more to compete in the IRL. The teams that don't have the sponsorship or backing to continue will either close down or move to sports car racing, which is less costly.
Obviously, those who would take the deal see it as a winning proposition.
"I believe it would be a stronger series again with a lot of solid events," said Eric Bachelart, a former open-wheel driver and now owner of Conquest Racing in the Champ Car series.
What the IRL has is a good package, with the Indianapolis 500 and some other things that will help attract sponsors. There will be lots of cars, lots of teams. A good show."
Like everyone else involved, though, Bachelart was waiting to hear a confirmation that the deal is done.
"I'm ready to move any time soon and enter two cars in the IRL," Bachelart said. "I believe this is the best option to go that way. And, with Champ Car, it has lost a lot of credibility at this point."
CART went into bankruptcy in January 2004 and was bought by Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi, all team owners in what is now Champ Car. They have since added Dan Pettit, another team owner, as a partner.
Led by Kalkhoven and Forsythe, Champ Car decided to abandon the traditional open-wheel ovals and focus its efforts on city street races, hoping the carnival atmosphere surrounding these events would assure success, and on racing outside the U.S., away from the IRL.
It worked, to a point. Champ Car's most successful events are the street, airport or road races in Long Beach, Edmonton, Toronto, Australia and Mexico City. And most of the races outside the U.S., including several events in Europe, did make money.
Overall, the series made little impact in America, its home base.
The impending deal is expected to include Long Beach, Edmonton and Australia in 2008, with negotiations for several other current Champ Car events to be added to the IRL schedule in 2009, likely including Toronto and Mexico City.
The unification and addition of the three races would give the IRL a solid 19-race schedule for 2008. Nation said the organization would then take "a clean sheet of paper" in building its 2009 schedule.
Other Champ Car teams expected to make the move include series powerhouse Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, which has won four straight series championships, Kalkhoven, Pettit and former CART champion Jimmy Vasser's PKV team, Forsythe Championship Racing, Derrick Walker Racing and Dale Coyne Racing. Several others could also be part of the deal.
[/quote
Talks have centered on a proposal in which some teams from the Champ Car World Series would blend into the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series. The unification would become one series known as the IndyCar Series, Champ Car spokesman David Higdon said.
"We're closer than we've ever been," Higdon said. "Many of us remain hopeful that it will be completed today and we will be talking about a unified open wheel series tomorrow."
IRL spokesman Fred Nation said there are "four issues they will try to hammer out by the end of the night." He did not identify the issues.
Champ Car series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven was en route to Indianapolis to meet with IRL founder and Indianapolis Speedway owner Tony George, according to Higdon. Kalkhoven had been in England on family business.
Since the IRL began competing with what was then the established CART series in 1996, the two have gone head to head for drivers, teams, fans, sponsors and TV ratings, generally losing out on all counts.
Things have only gotten worse for both sides in the face of the current U.S. economic woes.
Before the proposed agreement, Champ Car was set to begin its season April 29 at Long Beach, Calif., with no more than 17 cars. The IndyCar Series was in danger of starting its season March 29 at Homestead, Fla., with as few as 16.
With the deal apparently nearing completion, it appeared Wednesday between six and 10 cars from the Champ Car side would take the offer from George of a free Honda engine lease program, free Dallara chassis and $1.2 million in team incentives.
Several Champ Car teams are not expected to take George's offer because, even with the engines, cars and incentives, it would take an additional $2 million or more to compete in the IRL. The teams that don't have the sponsorship or backing to continue will either close down or move to sports car racing, which is less costly.
Obviously, those who would take the deal see it as a winning proposition.
"I believe it would be a stronger series again with a lot of solid events," said Eric Bachelart, a former open-wheel driver and now owner of Conquest Racing in the Champ Car series.
What the IRL has is a good package, with the Indianapolis 500 and some other things that will help attract sponsors. There will be lots of cars, lots of teams. A good show."
Like everyone else involved, though, Bachelart was waiting to hear a confirmation that the deal is done.
"I'm ready to move any time soon and enter two cars in the IRL," Bachelart said. "I believe this is the best option to go that way. And, with Champ Car, it has lost a lot of credibility at this point."
CART went into bankruptcy in January 2004 and was bought by Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi, all team owners in what is now Champ Car. They have since added Dan Pettit, another team owner, as a partner.
Led by Kalkhoven and Forsythe, Champ Car decided to abandon the traditional open-wheel ovals and focus its efforts on city street races, hoping the carnival atmosphere surrounding these events would assure success, and on racing outside the U.S., away from the IRL.
It worked, to a point. Champ Car's most successful events are the street, airport or road races in Long Beach, Edmonton, Toronto, Australia and Mexico City. And most of the races outside the U.S., including several events in Europe, did make money.
Overall, the series made little impact in America, its home base.
The impending deal is expected to include Long Beach, Edmonton and Australia in 2008, with negotiations for several other current Champ Car events to be added to the IRL schedule in 2009, likely including Toronto and Mexico City.
The unification and addition of the three races would give the IRL a solid 19-race schedule for 2008. Nation said the organization would then take "a clean sheet of paper" in building its 2009 schedule.
Other Champ Car teams expected to make the move include series powerhouse Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, which has won four straight series championships, Kalkhoven, Pettit and former CART champion Jimmy Vasser's PKV team, Forsythe Championship Racing, Derrick Walker Racing and Dale Coyne Racing. Several others could also be part of the deal.
[/quote
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Dan
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Yeah, might not be an announcement today...
Merger Talks Update for Thursday Night
Story posted - Feb 22 2008 2:51 AM
The IRL sent the following information at 11:15pm (ET)
The following statement was issued tonight jointly by the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series:
"The ongoing talks between the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series will continue into at least Friday in regards to the unification of open-wheel racing. Any confirmation of unification will be made once an agreement is in place. There are no plans for a news conference at this time. Much progress has been made toward unifying the sport."
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JCollins28
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Still some sticky points on Long Beach. Nothing that is going to be a deal breaker though. With the weekend to iron out the finer details announcement should come out on Monday.Dan wrote:Yeah, might not be an announcement today...
Merger Talks Update for Thursday Night
Story posted - Feb 22 2008 2:51 AM
The IRL sent the following information at 11:15pm (ET)
The following statement was issued tonight jointly by the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series:
"The ongoing talks between the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series will continue into at least Friday in regards to the unification of open-wheel racing. Any confirmation of unification will be made once an agreement is in place. There are no plans for a news conference at this time. Much progress has been made toward unifying the sport."
"I'm F**king Ben Affleck."