RGeeProductions
02-25-2008, 03:53 PM
HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- The Indy Racing League's absorption of the Champ Car World Series appears to be a press conference announcement away. That announcement, which will likely be made by IRL founder and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George and IRL vice president of public relations John Griffin, may be as early as before that series Spring Training here at Homestead-Miami Speedway past publication Wednesday-Friday.
George and Griffin are to likely say that Champ Car partners Kevin Kalkhovan and Jerry Forsythe, have signed over control to the IRL. Several published reports have stated that Kalkhoven, and Forsythe signed the agreement in principle by Friday afternoon.
IRL officials are to unveil a schedule that is to include at least Champ Car races at Long Beach, Calif., April 20; Edmonton, Alberta, June 18-20 and Surfers Paradise, Australia, Oct. 24-26. George will offer transferring CCWS teams each a free Honda engine lease and a free Dallara chassis. The former Champ Car teams may be eligible for the Team Enhancement and Allocation Membership, which offers at least $1.2 million per team for competing the entire season.
The Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix and the Twin Ring Motegi, Japan events - both held April 20 - will count towards this year's IRL IndyCar Series championship. Each race will be scored separately since the LBGP's date is a contractual stipulation and Motegi promoters were unable to move their race.
The other scheduled nine CCWS races, including those at Cleveland and St. Jovite, may either return to an expanded IRL 2009 schedule or be abandoned. Several events, like the April 25-27 Champ Car/American LeMans Series doubleheader on the streets of Houston, will continue with its co-billed half.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca President/CEO Gil Campbell said his track is among those directly affected.Both Champ Car's March 10-14 Spring Training and its Sunday half of the May 15-17 Grand-Am Rolex Festival of Speed has been cancelled. Campbell said that he is addressing those who bought tickets based on the Monterey, Calif.'s course hosting the May 17 Champ Car race.
"We had an announcment conference set for Friday but it's been postponed," said IRL communication vice president Fred Nation Friday afternoon. "Tony George and Kevin Kalkhoven talked well into Thursday night. There are a lot of details to be worked out."
The agreement ends the 12-year split in American Open Wheel Racing. The IRL and CART/Champ Car vied for the same fan base, drivers pool and team resources with frequently conflicting dates and different engine and chassis packages. CART, before emerging from 2004 bankruptcy court as CCWS, held a rival U.S. 500 1996-99 at Michigan International Speedway and Gateway Int'l. Raceway at Madison, Ill. simultaneously against the Indianapolis 500.
Negotiations between IRL and CCWS officials became intense the last two weeks. George had originally offered free engines and chassis to Champ Car teams in November but withdrew the officer for what he said was a lack of response in January. Kalkhoven, who owns PKV Racing with 1996 CART champ Jimmy Vasser, said he had never received George's holiday time offer.
Champ Car teams have not scheduled test days in lieu of March 10-14 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca pending delivery of their Dallara-Hondas. Some have been at Sebring Feb. 2-4 with their intended Panoz-Cosworths.
George and the IRL are to answer a range of questions at the press conference, including:
-- How does the Australia race fit with IRL's schedule? The IRL and Chicagoland Speedway have Sept 9 as the Indy Car Series' 2008 season finale. The Gold Coast Indy 300 may appear as part of a 2008-09 schedule, like the IRL's 1996-97 calendar, or as part of an off-season international tour.
-- What becomes of CCWS' Madza Atlantic Challenge? The former Formula Atlantic Series has a 40-year history and Champ Car had 26 Atlantic teams test at Sebring Feb. 2-4. The IRL has its Infinit Pro Series, which replaced
CART's similar Indy Lights/American Racing Series. The Atlantics may be spun off to another sanctioning body.
-- Where will the CCWS office and technical staff go? One published report that all but a skeleton crew are in Champ Car's Indianapolis headquarters. Non-essential staff have been given a month's severance pay plus an additional payment for every year employed.
An announcement conference date may be posted at indyracing.com.
Walter Elliot
George and Griffin are to likely say that Champ Car partners Kevin Kalkhovan and Jerry Forsythe, have signed over control to the IRL. Several published reports have stated that Kalkhoven, and Forsythe signed the agreement in principle by Friday afternoon.
IRL officials are to unveil a schedule that is to include at least Champ Car races at Long Beach, Calif., April 20; Edmonton, Alberta, June 18-20 and Surfers Paradise, Australia, Oct. 24-26. George will offer transferring CCWS teams each a free Honda engine lease and a free Dallara chassis. The former Champ Car teams may be eligible for the Team Enhancement and Allocation Membership, which offers at least $1.2 million per team for competing the entire season.
The Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix and the Twin Ring Motegi, Japan events - both held April 20 - will count towards this year's IRL IndyCar Series championship. Each race will be scored separately since the LBGP's date is a contractual stipulation and Motegi promoters were unable to move their race.
The other scheduled nine CCWS races, including those at Cleveland and St. Jovite, may either return to an expanded IRL 2009 schedule or be abandoned. Several events, like the April 25-27 Champ Car/American LeMans Series doubleheader on the streets of Houston, will continue with its co-billed half.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca President/CEO Gil Campbell said his track is among those directly affected.Both Champ Car's March 10-14 Spring Training and its Sunday half of the May 15-17 Grand-Am Rolex Festival of Speed has been cancelled. Campbell said that he is addressing those who bought tickets based on the Monterey, Calif.'s course hosting the May 17 Champ Car race.
"We had an announcment conference set for Friday but it's been postponed," said IRL communication vice president Fred Nation Friday afternoon. "Tony George and Kevin Kalkhoven talked well into Thursday night. There are a lot of details to be worked out."
The agreement ends the 12-year split in American Open Wheel Racing. The IRL and CART/Champ Car vied for the same fan base, drivers pool and team resources with frequently conflicting dates and different engine and chassis packages. CART, before emerging from 2004 bankruptcy court as CCWS, held a rival U.S. 500 1996-99 at Michigan International Speedway and Gateway Int'l. Raceway at Madison, Ill. simultaneously against the Indianapolis 500.
Negotiations between IRL and CCWS officials became intense the last two weeks. George had originally offered free engines and chassis to Champ Car teams in November but withdrew the officer for what he said was a lack of response in January. Kalkhoven, who owns PKV Racing with 1996 CART champ Jimmy Vasser, said he had never received George's holiday time offer.
Champ Car teams have not scheduled test days in lieu of March 10-14 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca pending delivery of their Dallara-Hondas. Some have been at Sebring Feb. 2-4 with their intended Panoz-Cosworths.
George and the IRL are to answer a range of questions at the press conference, including:
-- How does the Australia race fit with IRL's schedule? The IRL and Chicagoland Speedway have Sept 9 as the Indy Car Series' 2008 season finale. The Gold Coast Indy 300 may appear as part of a 2008-09 schedule, like the IRL's 1996-97 calendar, or as part of an off-season international tour.
-- What becomes of CCWS' Madza Atlantic Challenge? The former Formula Atlantic Series has a 40-year history and Champ Car had 26 Atlantic teams test at Sebring Feb. 2-4. The IRL has its Infinit Pro Series, which replaced
CART's similar Indy Lights/American Racing Series. The Atlantics may be spun off to another sanctioning body.
-- Where will the CCWS office and technical staff go? One published report that all but a skeleton crew are in Champ Car's Indianapolis headquarters. Non-essential staff have been given a month's severance pay plus an additional payment for every year employed.
An announcement conference date may be posted at indyracing.com.
Walter Elliot