Are we there yet?

Posted by Iannucci | 2/19/2008 | 10 comments »
Bookmark and Share


Well, now that we have that big stock car race out of the way we can rejoin our regularly scheduled Robin updates.

Most Champ Car teams were told to quit working on their Panoz chassis Monday and expect delivery of their new cars in a few days. Paul Tracy is coming to Indianapolis later this week for a seat fitting. And one of Champ Car’s co-owners admitted to a fellow owner there would only be one series in 2008.

SPEEDtv.com has learned that the Indy Racing League and Champ Car have officially, and mercifully, agreed to become one entity. A press conference could come as early as Wednesday if Kevin Kalkhoven is back from England in time.

Following nearly two weeks of negotiations between Tony George, Gerry Forsythe and Kalkhoven, an agreement is in place to bring several Champ Car teams and a handful of races into the IRL domain. It’s believed attorneys from both sides worked all weekend to finalize some kind of arrangement for the two men who claimed CART’s assets in bankruptcy court in 2004.

George, who started the IRL in 1996 when CART was in its heyday, would not confirm any deal when contacted late Monday night. “While it is true that I continue to believe we at the threshold of something long-overdue, we have not yet stepped across it,” he said.

(MORE from SpeedTV)
After several weeks of Chicken Little-type reporting from all sorts of places it's probably best to wait for something - ANYTHING - official. Until you see the Champ Car site redirict to IndyCar.com, or a big red whit and blue ICS logo on the Champ Car team sites, or Gerry Forsythe sporting "I Am Indy" gear, it's not yet a done deal.

39 days to Homestead.

UPDATE: As pointed out in the comments, Curt Cavin's blog today starts off with this.

Curt's note: As of this morning, I don't have confirmation that a deal is done, but I believe it is. Stay tuned.

Hey, I believe in Santa Claus, but I still need the elves on record to confirm his existence. Imagine all of the auto racing reporters furiously talking at various voicemail boxes RIGHTNOW!

UPDATE 2: Speaking of long-standing animosity, I see that Fidel Castro has resigned. Coincidence?

10 comments

  1. pressdog // February 19, 2008 8:02 AM  

    Robin nukes everyone again. Even Curt says on his blog "yeah, I believe it's true." Too bad he can't do a story about it due to Gannett's goof on-the-record-only policies. If everyone did that, what would us bloggers have to post?

  2. Johnny // February 19, 2008 8:05 AM  

    Pressdog:

    If everyone did that, what would us bloggers have to post?

    Conspiracy theories and sarcasm?

  3. Fred Hurley // February 19, 2008 8:28 AM  

    Like I've said before, I'll believe it when the green flag falls at Homestead-Miami on a field featuring Helio, TK, Danica, Wheldon, Wilson, Rahal, Tracy, and Power. Until then, this is just an ammusing fantasy - albeit one that doesn't feature Ashley Judd.

  4. Anonymous // February 19, 2008 8:36 AM  

    Speaking of long standing animosity, I see that Fidel Castro has resigned. Coincidence?

    Jeff, you know Castro's slogan:

    "Mordisquear Coche o muerte!" [Champ Car or Death!]. Since CCWS is folding and the Havana Grand Prix fell through. . . . .

  5. Puretone Audio // February 19, 2008 9:01 AM  

    Jeff, I do believe you are the first on the breaking Kalkhoven to Take Over Cuba story...promising phase switches and certified pre-owned Panozes to the masses!

    !Viva Kalkhoven!

  6. Iannucci // February 19, 2008 9:02 AM  

    I just always wondered which would fall first - Champ Car or Castro. I guess it's a draw.

  7. Anonymous // February 19, 2008 9:42 AM  

    If the official announcement comes tomorrow does that mean Castro wins? Furthermore, does this mean the embargo ends and I can buy Cuban cigars without treking to Canada? Furthermore--does this mean I'll get to watch a "real" Indy 500--in person--I was at the last before the split, the first after the split, and I'd find it fitting if the last before the end of the split is the one that got rained out. DUN DUN DUHNNN!!!!!!!

  8. Fred Hurley // February 19, 2008 9:46 AM  

    The embargo won't end in time to celebrate the end of the split by lighting up a Cuban. At least, I sure hope not! Can they make the official announcement, already, so we can get down to the serious business of bench racing!?

  9. Anonymous // February 19, 2008 10:40 AM  

    Paul Tracy is coming to Indianapolis later this week for a seat fitting.

    Someone needs to bring Mr. Tracy up to speed on the changes to the IRL since he last raced in it back in 2002. He especially needs to know the cardinal rule in the IRL:

    "Thou Shalt Not Crash Danica! out of a race"

    Although, a knock-down, drag out between Danica! and "Captain Cruch!" might be just what we need. . . . .

  10. Anonymous // February 19, 2008 10:55 AM  

    Blue-Ray also won the Format war, maybe world peace next.