Autosport.com and SpeedTV.com are both reporting that a deal to reunify the two series is imminent. Apparently, all the ChampCar teams are offered free Dallara and Honda combos, plus $1.2 million per car. There's some scheduling difficulties with the races at Motegi, Kansas and Long Beach though, and apparently they are trying to sort things out this weekend.

Bachelart said he wishes the reunification would be in '09 because he just spent a million bucks on a new Panoz chassis and parts. Ouch, that's gotta hurt.

And apparently the ChampCar races at Long Beach, Edmonton and Surfers Paradise would be added to the IRL schedule.

I'm wondering if that means all the other ChampCar dates die or what. If it happens though, it gives me a reason to head to the race here again - I've gone the past three years and the last year, was a bit disappointed.

 

We can only hope... and I'm still hoping for another engine supplier in addition to Honda again someday Competition would be nice for a change. Toyota couldn't handle the pressure of losing 85% of the time.

Bachelart can auction off the Panoz chassis on ebay -- it will be a collector's item - bring in big bucks

More IRL road courses - about freakin' time

Thanks for the update

 

Cosworth would have nothing to do! They could probably build up an engine to any regulations for '09.

 

Exactly! Stick an "American" car logo on the engine and the fan base will increase as well

Just read the speed article - it actaully does sound promising if they can figure out the long beach/japan issue.

Honda had better do WHATEVER IT TAKES to make this happen.

I can't WAIT to see this... "Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti can now race on the same track"!

I have tickets for July's race at the Glen -- it might actually be exciting!

 

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see a unification happen, however, hearing about IRL and Champ getting together is like hearing Honda is coming back with a new CRX; the rumors are there year after year after year, and some 17-years later all it has ever been is talk...

 

I hear ya...but it seems to me that this time, the deal that is being offered is quite a bit more legit than ever before. I have fingers crossed.

 

Dumb move IMO.

Champ Car is going to self destruct anyway. Why throw money into it to have a "merger" when a take over could be had later on.

 

Add AutoWeek to those jumping on the bandwagon to report this. Just got the email.

 

Sadly I don't give a $hit anymore. I used to love Champ and never missed a race on tv plus I looked forward to seeing them at MidOhio. Then came Tony George and his IRL bullshit screwing the #1 open wheeled race at Indy. MIS tried to replace it the next year (I was there) but it couldn't hold a candle to the history and challenge that the Indy track offered. So, here we are years later and we all know how Tony kept backing off his original reasons for screwing things up but time moved on and both series went down the drain when it came to attracting top drivers, fan base, sponsorship, tv coverage, and on. Both series are a sick shaddow of what might have been. As far as I'm concerned King George killed the goose.

What I would like to see is an open wheeled series that looked down the road and came up with alternate power plants to accelerate the quest to take the demand off gasoline.

 

And he did not do anything to save the f'ing US F1 GP...

I say behead him.