Speed News: New Effort to Unify the Indy Racing League and Champ Car (Merged AGAIN)

[StickShift]

~~~ Sorry, there is incredibly little news on this at the moment, so bare with me ~~~

This was just reported as 'breaking news' on the road-racing edition of Speed News. I'm waiting for it to come up on the Speed website.

Robin Miller described the situation like this:

• Tony George met with CCWS president Dick Eidswick over the past week.
• Robin reported that Dick Eiswick told Kevin Kalkhoven that Tony George practically offered to buy the series.
• When Robin Miller talked to Tony George, George did not deny that he talked to Eidswick, but he did deny that he made an offer to buy the series.
• Tony George has not talked to either Forsythe or Kalkhoven since they bought the series. But suggested if they did, 'things could happen'.
• Kalkhoven, Forsythe, and Gentilozzi in general would be fine if George was a partner, but not if he was in direct control of the sport.
• Mario Andretti has been trying to convince both the IRL and Champ Car to go to a common chassis and engine formula.
• Robin also believes that what he knows at this point is "just the tip of the iceberg".

There will probably be more news on this on Windtunnel tonight, or on the Speed website.

I hope this story holds some water. But realistically, I expect as this story develops, it will spring leaks like a sieve.

[macdaddy]

Obviously, this thread is more-than interesting.

We'll be keeping a close eye on it, especially as fans, but also as moderators because we simply won't allow any bashing of individuals or racing series.

It comes as quite a surprise, though. I wouldn't be surprised if one or more manufacturers have something to do with this. Especially Bridgestone/Firestone, and perhaps even some of the promoters. I don't think that Tony George is doing this of his own freewill, (if in fact this is happening at all).

But I tend to believe the source.

Silly Season will NEVER end at this rate!

[codename_47]

Ok, I guess it's that time of year again....Champcar has a sucessful event and proves to everyone it's not going anywhere and is on more solid ground than people think, and BAM, time for some unification rumours to appear....

If it's true, then I'm sorry, but with someone like Tony George you need to ask what his real motivation is.....NASCAR suddenly being cold towards him??

I think the Three Amigos should send Gentalozzi to talk with George, then TG will announce that he has a handshake from Pg to unify open wheel racing together, only to turn out a couple of months later PG has gotten out of it and gone with something else......two birds, one stone!

Although seriously, if it's the IRL cars, or anything like them I'm out. Thank you and Goodnight, back to F1 where I came from.....

[macdaddy]

The infamous meeting in the Michigan airport hangar saw the "bigwigs" from ChampCar meeting with a representative of Tony George. This time, it's vice-versa.

[codename_47]

Reading the article posted on the SPEED website, things become clearer:
(and reading it took me past the edit time, sorry)

SPEED Article on Unification

Eidswick said George's solution to unification is to buy Champ Car but that doesn't fly with Open Wheel Racing Series owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe.Eidswick said George's solution to unification is to buy Champ Car but that doesn't fly with Open Wheel Racing Series owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe.

"Dick tells me Tony still wants to buy us out and only wants to run races in North America so, in my mind, that's the end of the discussion," said Kalkhoven, who owns 45 percent of OWRS along with Forsythe (Paul Gentilozzi owns the other 10 percent).

"I'm not here to let this series be driven into the dust and neither is Gerry. We've got some good things happening, our strategy is laid out and if Tony wants to join us, that's great."

Forsythe echoed his partner's thoughts.

"We met three times last year and he (George) wanted to buy us out so obviously nothing has changed," said Forsythe. "I have no problem with Tony being our partner but he doesn't seem to want a partner.

"I have no problem with giving Tony some playing cards but I don't want to sell him Champ Car. I think three or four good business people are stronger than one person."

So it's Tony George again trying to open his chequebook to buy the series instead of really bothering to actually try and unite anything.

If he does that, basically all Champcar gets is the oppertunity to run Indy, in IRL cars most likely.

IRL gets everything we have, and discards what they don't want.

Fair?

[macdaddy]

You tell 'em, Kevin!

[Hazza]

But from the sounds of things if George wanted to run outside of America as well it'd be fine by them?

[macdaddy]

Too many promoters, too many contracts...
Can't fit 'em all into one season as it stands right now.

WindTunnel is beginning as I type, and this is to be a main topic of discussion.

[macdaddy]

WindTunnel...

Kendall is slamming Gentilozzi. Big-time. As a driver, not as an analyst.

[codename_47]

Originally Posted by macdaddy

WindTunnel...

Kendall is slamming Gentilozzi. Big-time. As a driver, not as an analyst.

I think he deserves it.

I don't know if he's the fall guy of the three, the one who deals with all the bad press, but every time I see his name attached to a statment I worry what he's running his mouth off about this time....

Thank goodness he's a minority stakeholder! And he's making the other two look good, I guess!

[2112]

I posted this in the IRL forum by mistake so...

Mario has been pushing the common formula as a start to reconcilation. Obviously, the window of opportunity has arrived, with decisions for 2007 to be made soon.
If it`s lost, I`m convinced their will be 2 series for years to come, and probably forever. (maybe a good thing if this is finally put to rest)
Then again, how many fans that are left that still care?

[racefanatic]

It doesn't seem to me that even if TG wants to buy Champ Car and is rejected it will be the end of it.

Chevy is leaving the IRL after this season and everyone thinks that Toyota and Honda will be gone after 2006, so if Tony George doesn't make some attempt to cooperate with OWRS (I just mean as opposed to buying them out) it doesn't look too good for him as far as engines go.

This news is shocking to me, and it will be interesting to see what comes of it. I honestly think that Champ Car will be fine if there is no reunification, which seems most likely.

[mountainstar]

From reading the article I can't really see any new developments. MR. George is still as disrespectful as always as in "Here's a check, screw your teams, venues and fans". No respect shown at all. He just wants to off a competitor in the marketplace and as we found out last year(the infamous gulfstream meeting brokered by Penske), there is zero interest on his side in reunifying.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by racefanatic

Chevy is leaving the IRL after this season and everyone thinks that Toyota and Honda will be gone after 2006, so if Tony George doesn't make some attempt to cooperate with OWRS (I just mean as opposed to buying them out) it doesn't look too good for him as far as engines go.

Engines are not an issue, because you can always have someone like Zytek crank you out some engines, it's the evaporation of 200 million dollars in subsidies from Chevy, Toyota and Honda that's gonna hurt.

[trout]

Given the grumblings that Toyota and Honda are about to leave, George's attempt to buy CCWS is a desperate attempt to save his series. If I am CCWS, I wait it out and see what Honda and Toyota do.

If I read between the lines, George knows something is up and he is trying to buy the Ford contract. It's one thing to compete against the CCWS, but to run the Indy 500 without a known American engine manufacturer like a Chevy or a Ford - not to mention known foreign engines like Honda or Toyota is another matter altogether.

Don't know about you guys, but I do not think that ABC/ESPN or big time sponsors are going to line up for an Indy 500 with Hyundai engines or even Zytec for that matter. The great american race open wheel race will always need an american manufacturer.

I think, and I have had a couple of pints here in Denver ce soir, that unification is close. I see desperation from the IRL

[Kicking-back]

One series is the only way forward.

Otherwise both die and NASCAR pulls ever further ahead.

[cartpix]

From what I have heard & read, tonight, Penske is behind all of this. You know what they say, when the music stops, Roger always has a chair. Kind of ironic, that the first to leave CART is the one trying to get CC & IRL back together.

Jeff

[rustyfan]

I think Mario Andretti has a pretty interesting take on this:

"The only answer right now for things to come around, for both sides to find an answer, is for both sides to maintain enough equity in themselves so they can maintain autonomy. Each side has something to offer," he said. "Each side separately does not have enough to be a force in this sport, to be anywhere where they used to be."

Andretti proposes treating the IRL (with its mostly ovals regimen) and Champ Car (mostly street and road courses) like conferences in the NFL. The series would have three to five common races - including Indianapolis - to determine a unified champion and still crown separate champions with points from their own events.

[Kicking-back]

Andretti's idea would muddy the waters even further.

We need a single series with a balanced schedule of oval and road racing.

[Amar7605]

K-B is right; there has to be one series.

Here are some questions that i have:

1. When is CC's contract with Ford expiring?
2. If Honda and Toyota leave after 2006, what are their plans afterwards - especially Honda because Toyota will more than likely focus on NASCAR after 06.

[Kicking-back]

CC's contract with Ford is a sponsorship deal - the engines are Cosworths - Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerry Forsythe own Cosworth.

[dubby99]

If i were CC i will turn my back on Tony George period.

OWRS does not need Tony George

Die hard Champcar fans don't like Tony George. Trust me they don't.

You would think Tony George has everthing going for him at the moment that would put him and his series on top of the world right now like engine and chassis manufactures, teams, indy, and TV exposure and still can't even turn a dime.

But Behold, things seam to be slipping fast away from Tony and he can't do anything to stop it. So i question people in this forum, do we really need Tony George or could we do with out him??

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by dubby99

OWRS does not need Tony George

No, they certainly do not, but you forget one thing, the Indianapolis 500, and while you might prefer to ignore Champ Car's history at that place, it's quite evident not everyone involved in Champ Car is prepared to do so.

Personally I think Mario's idea sounds excellent, as it would please both hardcore audiences as well as the "in-between ones" (like myself).

[jock25]

I think GF and KK should play real nice and offer to supply Cosworth engines for 2006 when Tony is left pulling the engines out of his limos to put in the back of the Penske's...

Seriously though, the ownership of Cosworth could be important. Are the current CCWS Cosworth engines totally incompatible with the Dallara/Panoz chassis? Could a supply of Cosworth engines force the IRL to effectively adopt Champ Car specs? At worst everyone could happily run at Indy every year and Mario's 'conference' idea could become the first step towards a full unification.

[BootsOntheSide]

The pendulum may jsut have swung back in ChampCar's favour, with them having a secure in-house engine supply and the IRL faced with losing its Honda/Toyota backing for 2007 or sooner. Even then, while the IRl has the biggest race in US racing, it can only be ignored at your peril. Years of lacklustre fields didn't stop the race being the biggest thing in the US, even as NASCAR rose and CART staged their rival Michigan 500. The success of the USGP might come down purely to its location - certainly the fact that it was on a proper road course rather than a street circuti was crucial. TV companies won't lose interest simply because the engines don't have big-name brands on.

A merger is the best thing for US OW racing, and I guess everyone will have to make sacrifices. The IRL might have to give up its chassis, outside-produced engines and an ocal-dominated schedule, while ChampCars would give up its overseas vision and most of its street races (in favur of the voals it lost to the IRL in the first place).