I was rather pleased last night reading Robin’s Earth Shattering News.
Also was enjoying the fact that Autosport posted the story with the “respected American journalist Robin Miller” getting the credit for the it.

Now, will it happen?

Guess we will be waiting for another installment of Miller Time.

God luck on them

Jp

I will believe it when i see one series racing on the track.

penskeracing - 08 February 2008 10:18 AM

I will believe it when i see one series racing on the track.

I agree. Hope they really are working things out.

It looks like we are soon to be down to one racing series in the states that isn’t tainted by the influence of the France family/Mike Helton or Tony George [DELETED].  I have always enjoyed IMSA and the ALMS and it looks like that’s where my allegiance will lie in the future.  NASCAR was dumbed down with its infamous ‘debris’ yellows so the field would bunch up and give the bubbas another opportunity to see a big wreck and the IRL was created so that A.J. Foyt could be competitive again.  CART was as real as racing could get in this country.  Tony George ruined it because A.J., being Tony’s godfather, thought he could still run a racing team.  Then the doddering old fool found out that cars don’t have carburetors anymore.  Since technology had passed him by it was his logical next choice to get a new series started where his team might be able to win a race or two. You missed again A.J.

Of course Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe aren’t just innocent bystanders in all of this.  The should be applauded for their efforts to bring Champ Car back to its former glory but should now be vilified for letting it dwindle to nothing.  If their running of the CCWS is an indicator of their business accumen then it is a miracle that their respective businesses still exist.

And what about the owners of smaller teams like Eric Bachelart and Dale Coyne?  These guys raced for the ‘love of the game’.  Are they just going to be cast aside?  Bachelart had just spent a ton on a new car that could very shortly become obsolete.  If this all goes through as outlined in Miller’s article Kalkhoven and George should pony up some cash to buy the smaller teams out so that they can afford to go on to the next series.  The ALMS would welcome them with open arms and I would be there cheering them on. 

I have not watched the Indy 500 in several years now and I will continue with that tradition.  Open wheel racing (formula type, not sprint cars) in this country is just about [DELETED]. Sebring is in a few weeks.  Let the real racing begin.
.
Clean up your act. Do not post the types of phrases and sentences I deleted. That type of language is not welcome here.

FM

Well, seeing how Toronto’s race was on the same weekend as the Watkins Glen event, it looks like we’ll be watching something else here this summer. My bet is either the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Formula Atlantics or Lawnmower racing.

::goes to garage to attach carbon-fibre spoiler to his Craftsman riding mower::

What a bummer the end of Toronto’s Race, and I just got my ticket application yesterday.  :-(

If there are no Champcars in Toronto, it will be the Altantics (2 races?), the Canadian Tire series, and some others.

I wouldn’t go though.

In any event, I do not think there will be a merger until there is one.  Speculation is futile, as it has happened before.  That said, I don’t believe it has ever been this close (with respect to quotes made from the big boys)

They should move the Watkins Glen date, a lot easier to move that date.  With a merger it will be a lot easier to get sponsor.

Please please please let this happen.  Who has Motegi connections?

The race in Toronto has always been a blast and it is one of the few( if not the only one) to have photo passes
It will be a sad summer .
 
Man am I pissed!!!!!!!!!

I think they should have worked out a deal for 2009, then they can better plan the schedule plus I think that’s suppose to be the year that the IRL will deb ut a new formula.  Personally I think Kalkovien’s catch to the merger is that the DP01 would be used as the “base” for a new Indycar formula for 2009.  As for the left out Champ Car races, I think they may exclude some of the IRL races, specifically the ones on tracks owned by the International Speedway Corporation, and include the Canadian races left out in 08.  That’s what I think KK has in mind when he spoke with Tony George and thus the slight hold-up and denial of merger.

I am really glad that they have finally sorted things out. The whole situation should never have happened. I can never forgive Tony George for destroying perhaps the best open wheel series in the world in CART. It’s really too bad that Toronto is out, at least for this year. It was always the best, or one of the best events of the year.I’m not sure that Long Beach has been the preeminent street race on the calendar, but what’s the point in arguing. It’s still early in the year, you would think that the organizers could tweak things a bit to accommodate LB and Toronto.

I saw Miller’s article at 6am CA time
& I almost cried with joy - FINALLY

Tonight there is an article on Autosport
with comments from Kalkoven throwing water on the whole thing AGAIN
His main point seems to be Motegi is the primary issue BUT now if they resolve that issue
we are going to throw other obstacles in the way.

He also reserves some comments for Miller - basically saying he will be at fault (miller)
if it does not happen because he leaked the story - as he did 2 years ago.

What world do these freaks inhabit?

I hated George for ripping open wheel racing apart - now I’m wondering who is at fault.

I wish there was a forum where the fans could have a say & make these clowns listen.

Sorry - I love racing & its hard not to be upset by these freaks - I dont know how else to describe them

Thank you Tony George!!!!!!!
Finally we can return the month of May and Indy it’s rightful place at the top of the Mountain. 
Now the only other thing we need is a new Rule!!!
I call it RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG!!!!! No engine Lease’s or One chassis that is legal.  Bring back the Guy’s with new ideas and the brains to design the future race cars!!!!  

Hey guys keep the momentum and get on ONE big and STRONG series that may some day challenge Scrapcar. NOW is the right moment for that!!! IRL has 18 cars and ChampCar has 14 cars, so in ONE series that is 32 cars!!! Something sound like 1995 year at Long Beach… 32 cars and 20/21 races that awesome and is the platform that is strong to build the future of open wheel racing that we all love - INDYCAR!!! We here in Bulgaria love that sport and cross fingers that soon we have ONE BIG INDYCAR series!

I will never forgive Tony George for splitting the series and it’s only because of his families deep pockets that he was able to outlive the split. However, if unification is really going to happen I am finally glad to see it. As a CART fan its been tough, to say the least, trying to support the series after all these years and after seeing that pathetic TV package for 2008, I finally realized that the end may actually be near. It would be great if things could happen for 2008 but I think it would be best if they started things off right in 2009 with a complete schedule and the top 5 CART tracks combined with IRL tracks.

I would like to see the Panoz run for one more year too since it’s a great car and it would be such a waste to scrap them after just one year. Waiting a year would give the CART guys a chance to test the IRL chassis so they aren’t turned into back markers for the IRL (chumps) veterans to drive circles around.

It’s good to see unification might really happen and if it does I hope NASCAR will get moved to the back seat of racing where it belongs. I also hope they can develop a new chassis for the series like the Panoz. The current IRL chassis is a joke and needs to be replaced!