FEBRUARY 22, 2006

Moves towards peace in IRL-Champ Car fight?

There are reports in the United States that Indy Racing League founder Tony George and Champ Car owner Kevin Kalkhoven have reached an agreement to merge their two competing championships with the pair becoming co-chairmen of a new series. Kalkhoven says that he had discussions with Tony George at the Race of Champions in Paris in December and has had a couple of social meetings since then. Both Kalkhoven and the Indianapolis Motorway Speedway are denying a deal has been done but it is clear that the two men are trying to find common ground before open-wheeling racing in the United States is completely buried by NASCAR.

Both series are suffering from a lack of cars, sponsors and TV ratings and many of the teams have NASCAR operations as well, just in case the decline continues.