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!

[2112]

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?

[Kicking-back]

The sooner there is one series the better.

The current farce must not be allowed to continue.

[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 championship with a balanced schedule of oval and road racing.

[JohnSSC]

I agree with the single schedule, K-B - but at least someone who "knows" is talking sense in that open wheel is broken and needs to be fixed.

[jock25]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Andretti's idea would muddy the waters even further.

But it would at least provide a foundation upon which to re-establish the Indy 500 as the top race in the US and one of the world's greatest sporting spectacles. I would settle for a bumper Indy grid with all IRL and Champ Car drivers and teams than continue to watch as the race struggles to get a decent field.

And perhaps the 3-5 races per season could become a "super-series" that would eventually supersede the IRL and Champ Car and do away with any need to physically get the two sides to join/merge/kiss and make up.

[GP Racer]

Very interesting news indeed. I was glued to Windtunnel last night!

I have to believe that the manufacturers, Bridgestone/Firestone, the teams, Mario, Roger, and other luminaries have to be behind this push to get a deal going. Maybe TG has found somebody he can deal with in Eidswick, because it's plain to see that no deal was coming between him and the 3 Amigos.

Tommy Kendall had a very interesting take on the news. He believes that reunification is not the answer. He doesn't believe that you can go back to the glory days with the old CART like, USAC like formula. What worked 10-20 years ago, will not work today. He says that neither series has been able to market itself properly, or find it's core audience or provide the stability necessary to make open wheel appealing again to a US audience. He said we need to look forward, not backwards.

Valid points IMO. Reunification may not be the panacea for American open wheel racing. Some fans will feel left out of the "new" series, and its no guarantee of being able to draw new fans in. For instance, no IRL fan will want to see a race in China, while no CC fans would want to give up their beloved turbos. There will be alot of compromising to be done.

But there's no doubting something must be done, so let's see what happens...

[Snrub]

I didn't catch the whole WT, but I did catch TK's comments. While he seems to make some valid points, what is the solution? How has any racing really fundimentally changed?

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by Snrub

I didn't catch the whole WT, but I did catch TK's comments. While he seems to make some valid points, what is the solution? How has any racing really fundimentally changed?

I think he was getting at how TV viewers and fans habits have changed over the last decade more than the racing, and that just because CART was so successful through the 80's and early 90's is no guarantee that it would be today even if it was one series. I believe we have to stop fighting the NASCAR way, and just take the best of what they do, and run with it. No sense reinventing the wheel, it's already there!

Stability! NASCAR is the only series out there that is currently giving us that. We have been without that for so long, that OW has forgotten just how important that is! We are always in a constant state of commotion and upheaval. Unless your a hard-core fan, you'll give up!

Stars! being a celebrity driven society, we have to have drivers that are here for the long haul, and we need to make them into stars, like NASCAR does, where there drivers are taught and coached on how to interview and sell. They all give great interviews! Then look at say Hornish or Rice, dullsville!

Marketing! seems like a real no-brainer, but we never seem to do it right! Find our core brand, who we are trying to attract, make a 5 year plan, and stick to it!

Americans! Sorry to say this, but this series simply will not grow without there being more than 2 or 3 home grown drivers! Stop throwing drivers at us that we have never heard of, or never seen, or never watched.

Schedule! it has to be predictable, for instance a race every two weeks, always on Sunday, always at 1 PM, and on the same network! Spreading a small series over 3 or 4 networks is ludicrous. Fans need to know the W's, who, what, when, and where.

Sponsor! We need to find us a NEXTEL to sponsor our series. A real Goliath. Somebody with real cash and real clout to buy us a network like they have with Speed Channel. NEXTEL has now made NASCAR available almost 24/7 now. Amazing!

Attitudes! As OW fans, our attitudes suck! We have the audacity to look down our noses and make fun of NASCAR constantly, even while there killing us in every which way imaginable! Thats no way to attract more fans.

Thats my 2 cents anyway...

[jock25]

KK, GF, PG and TG should all hand over the reigns to GP Racer! The only thing you missed out was "Ego transplants - remove the collectively oversized egos of TG and the 3 amigos".

[sgw2]

Who cares? This is a pipe dream of a small few who don't wish to admit Tony George outlasted them. The sentiment is understandable, has a fair logic to it, but is absurd.

To be honest I think the issue is now moot ... or soon will be once the LBGP officially switches to IRL. (Yes I'm ahead of myself here, but I can think of no other reason to dealy the announcement of next year's race sanctioning unless a switch was almost a done deal). Once LBGP switches the last significant piece of the fued is over.

CCWS is moving off shore more and more anyway, and will continue in that direction. Talks with Chinese, Japanes and other Asia-Pacific venues for new races indicate where the Australia Kalkhoven plans to take that series.

This is much about nothing.

[gttouring]

do not poo poo unification talks... the whole reason these things have happened for about ten years since the split is because nobody truly believes 2 of the basically same series can exist together, everyone sees it as a problem and everyone want a solution that best fits themselves. If CC goes more asian-pacific so will IRL it has Motegi after all. they need to be in the same place as it was and still is/ certtainly can be the openwheel king superseries on the planet, not for sheer technology standpoint or goofy rules like F1 now adays but for incredible racing and cars strong enough to take a bump or two against a wall or other cars, and where the driver certainly must handle the car. the closer spec formula that these series hold surely helps this feature but everyone wants one mighty superseries, say what you will about TG and the 3 but we all think back to the "good ole days" and not the 60's or seventies but a mere 10 years ago... this is not what we want? All eprsonal feeling about these meat heads running the series aside, it is better with the one and EVERYBODY knows it, and after seeing the racing in LBGP and Fontana and Indy and Texas and Laguna and Denver, the world can realize it...but they knew and believed it ask Mansell.
the collective forces of the 2 existing series can likely make headway into Nascar country again, and globally...really it is the American way for an American-based series, United we stand- divided we fall. ahem or get squashed by Nascar...

[trow]

Originally Posted by sgw2

Who cares? This is a pipe dream of a small few who don't wish to admit Tony George outlasted them. The sentiment is understandable, has a fair logic to it, but is absurd.

To be honest I think the issue is now moot ... or soon will be once the LBGP officially switches to IRL. (Yes I'm ahead of myself here, but I can think of no other reason to dealy the announcement of next year's race sanctioning unless a switch was almost a done deal). Once LBGP switches the last significant piece of the fued is over.

CCWS is moving off shore more and more anyway, and will continue in that direction. Talks with Chinese, Japanes and other Asia-Pacific venues for new races indicate where the Australia Kalkhoven plans to take that series.

This is much about nothing.

Yeah, you're probably right. I foresee KK getting out of this soon if they don't get something worked out quick. Money is hurting them terribly. They're trying to keep it together but with no substantial income coming in, they can't really afford to run a series on fumes. There's nothing to merge with other than Tony extending a hand to help quell the bs and get everyone under one roof. In any case if they continue to move overseas what's that gonna do for Americans? F1 is still trying to catch on here. Makes no sense.