...but that doesn't mean there isn't some relevant info worth relaying from Champ Car.

First, this weekend the Minardi team took the unusual step of releasing a statement on the whole development, including some very optimistic wording.

In common with other teams competing in the Champ Car World Series, Minardi Team USA is aware of the latest news regarding the possible merger of the Series with the Indy Racing League. Minardi Team USA views this as potentially a very positive development for the future of North American open-wheel racing. As with any major business deal, however, the devil is in the detail, and we understand there are still a number of important matters that remain to be resolved, not least of which is negotiating a suitable 2008 schedule. There are some very good, experienced people working on finding solutions to the outstanding issues, however, and like everyone who is passionate about open-wheel racing in this country, we hope their efforts will be successful. We now await further developments.

Note that didn't exactly say "we're fine no matter how this turns out".

Meanwhile Robin reported on SpeedTV tonight that the Walker team has a Dallara in their shop right now. Reader John E quickly alerts us to the Walker Racing site, which reads:

Walker Racing seeks new employees for 2008 expansion of open wheel programs

Track Engineers with experience in Indy Car, Champ Car, Atlantic,
Indy Pro Series or Star Mazda.

Mechanics with two years of experience in Indy Car, Champ Car,
Atlantic, Indy Pro Series, Star Mazda or Formula BMW.

So if you happen to see Arni the Indy Insider walking around with a sign that says "THE END IS NEAR!", you know why.

UPDATE: USAToday confirms that Walker Racing has a Dallara and is looking at returning to the IRL regardless.

"We're just a small company who is trying to sell our wares, which for us is getting sponsors and going racing," said (Derrick) Walker, who is in discussion to keep his drivers (Will Power and Simon Pagenaud) and main sponsor (Aussie Vineyards) on board if he makes the transition. "That's our business. So we had to look at the IRL and look at the Indy 500, which we thought had a comeback year in 2007."

Here's a breaking news scoop no one has reported. While every reporter is off celebrating The Year of the Rat, your humble host has been checking out the Panther Racing Q&A. And what nugget of information is there to find?

Q. You’ve flirted with possibly being a one-car team this season, how is that looking right now? No deal for PJ Chesson?
A. (2-8-08) It’s safe to say now that Panther will be a one-car team in 2008, at least until the Indy 500, where we would likely expand to a two-car operation.

There's no info to prove this, but it can't help but be pondered how many potential drivers have sponsors who are now sitting on the sidelines waiting for a post-unification racing world. With all of the frothy anticipation in recent weeks you can't blame a sponsor for waiting to see if they can't get more bang for their buck by simply delaying any program by a year. 2008 may be good, but 2009 will most certainly mean more tracks, more competitors and presumably more race fans.

In the meantime, Vitor is literally THE man for the Panther Pack. Bummer for PJ Chesson, as well as the rest of us.

Here’s a updated braindump on the possible acquisition of Champ Car by the IRL (call it unification if you must, but when one party buys the other it’s not a merger). Please be sure to read all the way to the end.

If the merger happens, there are only three tracks on the Champ Car 2008 schedule that the IRL would be interesting in adding tot their current 16 event calendar. They are Long Beach, Edmonton (Canada) and Surfer's Paradise (Australia) -- all temporary circuits. - Motorsport

The Long Beach street race date is not flexible because a contract is in place to close the roads for the event only on that specific weekend, so Motegi would have to be rescheduled. - Autosport

"As long as Honda won't move Motegi, there won't be a merger," Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven told The Associated Press on Friday. "It's certainly a major hurdle, but not the only one." - MLive

The Motegi organisers were agreeable to moving back one week, which is currently the date for the IRL race at Kansas City. The ISC-owned facility reportedly declined the request because it's already a sell-out for the NASCAR/IRL package. - Auto123

Some issues are just plain difficult. Many contractual commitments have been made with suppliers and service companies based on two open-wheel organizations moving forward separately in 2008. Each of those contracts will have impacts that could have significant ramifications for sanctioning bodies, promoters, tracks, sponsors, teams and others. - Inside Indiana Business

BTW, one scenario we'd heard has the CCWS running Long Beach with their cars in 2008 - as kind of a wrap up party. This would require some point adjustments, or other consideration for CCWS teams moving to the full ICS schedule, but there are ways to make this happen. We believe that the CCWS needs to run Long Beach or they might lose the right to promote the event in the future, or be forced to change the contract terms to something less than favorable.

Who knows - it's all up in the air right now! - TSO

Here are some blogger reactions.

I'll wait for details before I do any kind of big report, but what makes Robin's report look good is that it has quotes from the big players and owners all acknowledging that some kind of deal has been agreed to and is being hammered out... - Furious Wedge

Although if this cancels Elkhart Lake I'm out $40 for a non-refundable hotel room. I'm not complaining. Even if it's not 100% accurate and buttoned up, it's difficult to argue Robin's story doesn't serve readers well. - pressdog

To hell with the presumptive press conference; the lot of them can bring a dead horse to the dais, stick a Champ Car hat on its head for symbolism and have Robin Miller or John Oreovicz punch it to show that, like Champ Car, it’s not coming back to life. I wouldn’t even believe that. And yes, I know that this is a gross exaggeration, thank you.

But such is the skepticism I have right now. I don’t want to have it, but history has taught me that in this messed-up realm of motorsport, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. - Indy Racing Revolution

And lastly, a love letter from from Kevin Kalkhoven to Robin.

"Once again, as has happened previously in the past four years, somebody has leaked a story to the press, and the press has turned it into a tornado," he said. "Now it has everyone running around in a circle. It's almost malicious, and it disappoints and infuriates me.” - IndyStar

Which has brought us to this late breaking story.

Officials from the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series confirmed Friday morning that negotiations have recently taken place geared toward folding elements of the Champ Car World Series into the IRL IndyCar Series.

However, the ongoing saga of American open-wheel racing unification took another turn shortly after lunch when Champ Car issued a statement claiming that those talks have stalled. - ESPN.com

So don't get too up or down just yet. Tony George AND former Honda honcho Robert Clarke are reportedly off to Japan to see if they can sort things out over the next few days. In other words, hurry up and wait.

It's my birthday, and Robin REALLY wants to give me a big, fat merger. Probably one of those chocolate AND vanilla marble swirl cakes too.

The long, costly war between Champ Car and the Indy Racing League is close to being over and, for the first time since 1995, there could be one open wheel series for 2008. But there’s still one major hurdle to overcome to make this long-awaited union a reality.

SPEED has learned that Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe, the co-owners of Champ Car, have reached an agreement with IRL founder Tony George to race together this season.

As reported by SPEEDtv.com recently, George offered the Champ Car ownership free Dallara chassis and Honda engines to any CC team that signs up for the full season in addition to receiving $1.2 million per car as part of the IRL’s new TEAM program. Additionally, the Champ Car races at Long Beach, Edmonton and Surfer’s Paradise, Australia would be added to the ’08 IndyCar Series schedule.

However, it’s not quite that easy.

(MORE from SpeedTV)

The holdup seems to be the Motegi race, which is scheduled for the same weekend as Long Beach, and Motegi - Honda's signature event - won't move except to the date the Kansas race occupies now.

Robin's doing a nice job of staying on top of this, even acknowledging that despite the availability of 60 extra Dallaras for Champ Car teams they would still be at a huge competitive disadvantage the first year. I like when Robin actually reports - really, I do.

The main challenge to sealing the deal is that everyone is running out of time for this to happen, but if the CCWS ownership is changing it's tune from their previous demand of ONE HUNDRED MEEEEELLION DOLLARS then it's likely they are now facing a mutiny from within. Most owners are sensible enough to know that free equipment and more exposure is an EXTREMELY gracious offer by the IRL, so may be Kalkhoven, Forsythe, et al are facing a whole lot of costly bitterness this year if they can't make this work. For Tony George, this is called "leverage".

Of course, there are numerous outstanding issues for this "merger" (this sounds more like an "acquisition" to me) like what happens to the Atlantic series, the TV broadcast buys, the naming rights to current races, the DP01s, and all of those Champ Car event girls. While these things are determined this crazy possibility for adding so many teams to the IRL is probably going to leave many free agent drivers having shotgun marriages with teams they barely know. That should be fun.

One request, just because it's my birthday: if the IRL is determined to put a free chassis in every Champ Car pot, could someone please throw Sarah Fisher a free car bone as well? Just askin’.

If you are despairing over whether or not you can afford a trip to The Brickyard to witness the Indianapolis 500, well friend, despair no more. The IndyCar series has teamed up with eBay for their new “And the winner is...” promotion, and the result is quite the little gift package.

Beginning on Monday, February 4th and running through Friday, February 29th, eBay, along with the IndyCar Series and the Grammy Foundation, celebrates "Awards Season" by giving consumers a chance to nominate themselves to win one of three unique Grand Prize Awards. The grand prizes - "The Need for Speed Award," the "Most Victorious Shopper Award," and the "Party Like A Rock Star Award" have all been created to highlight winning moments in sports, entertainment and shopping on eBay.

The Need for Speed Award package includes a VIP trip for four to the 2008 Indianapolis 500. The trip will include four tickets to the race, airfare and hotel accommodations, access to at-track hospitality, a behind-the-scenes tour of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a ride around the track in a pace car, and a $1,000 gift certificate from eBay.

Each day, eBay members will visit the game at www.shopvictoriously.ebay.com. Once registered for the game, consumers can select a Shop Victoriously Award Envelope to get an entry into the grand prize sweepstakes drawing of their choosing. Clicking on an envelope will not only register consumers into the sweepstakes drawing, but will activate an instant win game which will award more than 1,000 eBay gift certificates during the promotional period.

(MORE from TMCnet)

So, Grammys or Indy. Shakira or Danica. Decisions decisions decisions. Speaking of contests, don’t forget you still have until the end of the month to register for PEAK's IndyCar Driving Experience with Danica Patrick sweepstakes. Or more accurately, “...Danica Patrick as The Beaver" sweepstakes.

Maybe Sam Hornish Jr traded in his Dallara for a sedan so he could seat the whole the family. Or maybe not. At any rate, congratulations to the Hornish family on the Monday birth of their new daughter Addison Faith Hornish. (Who knew Sam was such a fan of Bruce Willis and Moonlighting?)

Little miss Hornish's arrival mean's daddy Sam will be completely lacking in rest for his debut in the Daytona 500 in the coming days. Boogity boogity boogity, big guy!

GoDaddy aired another silly ad featuring Danica Patrick during tonight's Super Bowl, but according to the braintrust at TrackSide Online now might be the time for her to get a deal instead with Outback Steakhouse.

On an interesting technical note, the IRL will count both the driver and car weight in 2008. Exactly how they will do that, we don't know. Those details will be given to the teams later via technical bulletins. This means the total minimum weight could actually be different for different tracks. There is sure to be a different weight for the ovals versus the road courses as has been the case in the past. The reason for that detail is simple - steel brake rotors are required on road courses, versus carbon fiber on ovals. Together with the rest of the road course package, that added around 75 pounds to the minimum weight in the past.

The IRL will put out something more official, and clearer, in the future, but for now, here is what the 2008 IRL rule book states:

Appendix B, 103, D (page 110/111) - "The Car and Driver together shall have an overall minimum weight to be identified in a bulletin. This Car/Driver weight includes all lubricants and coolants to be used, but does not include fuel. If ballast is utilized, it must be securely bolted in the main chassis structure from a line behind the pedal bulkhead or securely attached within the bellhousing in a position approved by Officials."

Let's see Mrs Hospenthal sitting at the table having a big slab of meat, a baked potato with all the fixins, a Bloomin' Onion, and a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under added just for good measure. And let's have her sharing it all with Robbie Gordon.

The Andretti Green team scored a major coup last week by signing the tremendous talent of Raphael Matos to their Indy Pro team, but in responding defending IPS champion team Sam Schmidt Motorsports has not only lined up their own quality driver but also have created an instant rivaly for the 2008 season.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports has announced today that it has signed two-time Indy Pro Series race winner Richard Antinucci to drive a team car in the 2008 Indy Pro Series campaign.

In 2007, driving for his uncle, 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner, Eddie Cheever, Antinucci made nine starts in the Indy Pro Series, all at non-oval venues.

As the season ended, Antinucci became a hot driver having placed in the top five in his last four races, including two wins and a second-place finish.

(MORE from Sam Schmidt Motorsports)

Yeah he's really good, but what makes this all the more interesting is the previously vocal grudge match involving the sniping between Eddie Cheever Jr and the Andretti family. While Cheever's chances at winning declined when the better financed AGR team jumped from the CCWS to the IRL, it didn't stop him from having on-track incidents and taking off-track verbal jabs at the Andrettis.

Most famous was Old Man Cheever's quote after colliding with Marco Andretti at Watkins Glen in 2006. "The last I looked, I earned the label of Indy 500 champion; those lobbing unfounded accusations at me have not." You could feel the love.

Despite the fact that neither of them have ever competed on an oval, the quality of their teams and their previous accomplishments on the track sets both Antinucci (who most certainly must be one of my distant relatives) and Matos as the IPS favorites heading into the new season. An incident or two between these two may go far in not only devloping their talents but also in the storyline between the Cheever and Andretti two families.

Of course, since both families are Italian-American we can also expect someone like Jack Arute to use a "Godfather" or "Sopranos" reference at some point this season.

The good news for Tomas Scheckter is it looks like he scored a very good ride. The bad news is it's for only three races.

The Indianapolis 500 is on the verge of receiving another winning combination when Penske-powered Luczo Dragon Racing announces its multi-race program for this Indy Racing League season.

Luczo Dragon, co-owned by Roger Penske's son, Jay, and Steve Luczo, fielded a car for Ryan Briscoe in last year's 500. Jay Penske said Thursday that details should be finalized next week, but he endorsed driver Tomas Scheckter, who is unemployed after two seasons at Vision Racing.

Jay Penske said his team plans to run one race prior to Indy -- likely the April 27 event at Kansas Speedway -- and one other in the market of the primary sponsor.

(MORE from IndyStar.com)

It's an interesting point of conversation. Would you rather be a driver with a full-season backmarker team, or one with a three-race deal that gives you a very real shot at winning the Indy 500?

Speaking of that conundrum, does the affirmation of Scheckter's departure mean AJ Foyt IV will be back with a two-car Vision Racing team?


UPDATE: Kudos to reader John who discovered that the Vision Racing site now lists just Ed Carpenter and Foyt as drivers. Foyt's entry reads "A.J. Foyt IV, is entering his second season with Vision Racing..."

Hey, who needs an official announcement, right?

Earlier this month he was saying good-bye as the Champ Car Bringer of Law, and today Robin reports Tony Cotman will soon be reporting for duty as the IRL's new Iron Hand of Justice, Jr.

“I’m just going where I think the future of open-wheel racing is going to be,” said Cotman, who quit as Champ Car’s executive vice president earlier this month. ”It’s a good job. I’m going to oversee anything that has to do with competition, technical issues, tracks and assist Brian (Barnhart) in race control.”

“It should be a little easier in the IRL, because in Champ Car a third of the field was the series owner’s cars.”

“I think this new job will suit me and I’m looking forward to contributing to the future of open-wheel racing.”

(MORE from SpeedTV)

Cotman will be officiating Indy Pro races as well as assisting Barnhart at certin IndyCar series events, so let's hope he brought a spare black flag for the IHJ as well. THE GUILTY WILL BE PUNISHED!

The Braintrust at TSO has even more encouraging words.

With the defection of Cotman to the IRL, the question quickly becomes "what about CCWS teams?" TSO is hearing of various ChampCar teams "sniffing around" the IRL and IMS. While we don't have any concrete information of a team about to jump, several CCWS teams are certainly considering that option and may still move prior to the 2008 season.

We have also confirmed that some CCWS teams are looking at Indy 500 packages even if they don't make the full-time move just yet (and the word YET is entirely intentional).

(MORE from TracksideOnline)