# 2008 IndyCar Racing (IRL & Champ Car Merged)



## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Indy Racing League founder and CEO Tony George and owners of the Champ Car World Series have completed an agreement in principle that will unify the sport for 2008.

Gerald Forsythe, co-owner of Champ Car, signed an agreement in principle Feb. 22 in Chicago, joining his partner, Kevin Kalkhoven. George signed the agreement Feb. 21.

Details of a news conference about unification will be forthcoming. When scheduled, the news conference will be shown live on indycar.com.

"I'm happy for open-wheel racing, its fans, sponsors and teams," George said.

The Indy Racing League, sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series, is poised to absorb teams and potentially '08 race events from the CCWS. The IndyCar Series will conduct its first Open Test of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Feb. 27-28. The test (4-10 p.m. ET both days) is open to the public free of charge, with viewing from the fourth level of the main grandstand. Timing and Scoring will be available on indycar.com. An Open Test on the Sebring International Raceway road course for the IndyCar Series is scheduled for March 3-6.

"Now the work begins," said Terry Angstadt, president of the Indy Racing League's coommercial division, in a meeting with league personnel.

http://www.indycar.com/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

There have been two open-wheel racing series in North America since 1996, when the Indy Racing League conducted its first event at Walt Disney World Speedway. On March 11, 1994, George announced plans for an open-wheel racing series -- with the Indianapolis 500 as its cornerstone -- as an alternative to Championship Auto Racing Teams. That series went bankrupt in 2003 and emerged as the Champ Car World Series in 2004.

"This is a huge day for the IndyCar Series and for our sport as a whole, for sure," said Andretti Green Racing co-owner Michael Andretti, a former CART season champion. "Over the years, whether I was in the role of driver, team owner or promoter, I have always wanted a unified sport. That has been my only goal throughout this entire process and I applaud everyone who played a role in making this happen. So many people have worked tirelessly, both publicly and behind the scenes, to get this done. Everyone can now focus on taking the IndyCar Series to new heights for the good of our sport and everyone involved in it."

Andretti's sentiments were shared by competitors, promoters and suppliers to the IndyCar Series.

Said four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, who team, A.J. Foyt Racing, has competed in the IndyCar Series since its inception: "I'm glad that they were able to get it done. It'll eliminate the confusion for the race fans and the sponsors because there'll be just one type of car and one type of motor and everyone will be running together. May the best team win."

Said Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage, whose facility hosts the Bombardier Learjet 550k under the lights June 7: "The fans have won and we have to give Tony George and the Indy Racing League credit for making a generous offer to resolve this issue."

Said Sarah Fisher: "As a driver I am extremely excited about the unification of open-wheel racing from an opportunity standpoint," Sarah Fisher said. "This gives us the opportunity to compete against the very best in open-wheel racing. It will combine two great fanbases and grow a different fanbase that has not previously watched us on either side. In addition, there will be less confusion for casual fans and potential sponsors in the future. We have a clear vision with a clear goal and objective as a series moving forward."

Honda, which began Championship Auto Racing Team competition in 1994, entered the IndyCar Series in 2003. Its Honda Indy V-8 engines, fueled by 100 fuel-grade ethanol, will power all the cars this season.

"We are elated that the sanctioning bodies have elected to combine into a single, cohesive and powerful IndyCar Series," said Erik Berkman, president of Honda Performance Development, the wholly-owned motorsports subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We welcome the opportunity to provide our Honda Indy V-8 racing engines to all participants in what we believe will instantly be a larger, stronger and even much more competitive field; and we eagerly look forward to what surely will be a very exciting 2008 racing season. Not only is this unification good for all the teams and sanctioning bodies; most importantly, it is great for fans of open-wheel racing, whose loyalties have been divided by two competing racing series."


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Today is a historic day in American Open Wheel Racing. 

United we stand.


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## Patrick (Dec 23, 2001)

I agree. This is a very good thing. :thumbup:


.


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## Test_Engineer (Sep 11, 2004)

Patrick said:


> I agree. This is a very good thing. :thumbup:
> 
> .


: puke: I wanna kick Tony George in the Balls!

Yes, I agree it is great to see the open wheel series unite again to get back to "INDYCAR" racing again, but the way it was done is BS. Tony George has done more to destroy Open wheel racing in the US more than any other individual. I am not comfortable with him "winning" the fight. Seriously...the season starts in 35 DAYS!!!!!! WTF! The Champ Car teams are screwed for this year. Make this deal in September, and I would feel a little better about this.

I would also like to know who is gonna show up in Long Beach?


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

It sucks but it had to happen. The problem I have is now Tony will start working on Bernie to merge F1 and IRL....Formula IRL anyone? (It's just what Eccelstone has been wanting...identical cars and engines at a budget price)


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

The merger also creates an opportunity for viable CCWS teams to make the leap to an entirely different racing platform with substantial financial aid from the Indy Racing League, not only with chassis and engine deals, but with the newly-announced TEAM payout structure that puts over a million dollars into the bank for each full-season participant in the series.


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Speed TV Program on Open Wheel Unification

Feb 24 (Sunday) - 9pm ET

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/wind-tunnel-sunday-to-focus-on-open-wheel-unification/


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## Patrick (Dec 23, 2001)

woody underwood said:


> Formula IRL anyone? (It's just what Eccelstone has been wanting...identical cars and engines at a budget price)


What are you talking about? :dunno:

The Turd and the FIA want cheaper/safer racing (at least this month), but I have never read anything about Ecclestone supporting anything having to do with Formula One merging with IRL or any other series.

And there is not even a 0.001% chance that this could ever happen.

.


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## Dave 330i (Jan 4, 2002)

Because of the merger, Houston will not have the Grand Prix of Houston hit a major speed bump Friday — the loss of its marquee series. The Grand Prix's headline race involving the Champ Car World Series was lost when Champ Car and the Indy Racing League agreed to merge for the upcoming season.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

Patrick said:


> What are you talking about? :dunno:
> 
> The Turd and the FIA want cheaper/safer racing (at least this month), but I have never read anything about Ecclestone supporting anything having to do with Formula One merging with IRL or any other series.
> 
> ...


That was just my humble opinion my friend...never say never! 10 years ago nobody expected CART to cave in. But I'll bet in 5 years IRL is hooked up officially with Formula 1 in one way or another.


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## armaq (Apr 18, 2003)

Dave 330i said:


> Because of the merger, Houston will not have the Grand Prix of Houston hit a major speed bump Friday - the loss of its marquee series. The Grand Prix's headline race involving the Champ Car World Series was lost when Champ Car and the Indy Racing League agreed to merge for the upcoming season.


ALMS will be here, that's all that matters to me. I didn't even bother to watch the sunday Champ Car race last year.


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

woody underwood said:


> That was just my humble opinion my friend...never say never! 10 years ago nobody expected CART to cave in. But I'll bet in 5 years IRL is hooked up officially with Formula 1 in one way or another.


I seriously doubt it. The cultures and the audiences and the vendors are too far apart, not related, not enough cross over.


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## Patrick (Dec 23, 2001)

woody underwood said:


> That was just my humble opinion my friend...never say never! 10 years ago nobody expected CART to cave in. But I'll bet in 5 years IRL is hooked up officially with Formula 1 in one way or another.


Completely impossible.

Concorde Agreement? Venue agreements with FOM, FOA and tracks that go past 2012? Manufacturers that produce the engines and cars in Formula One?

Formula One is the top of motorsport and has nothing to do with open wheel racing in the United States. The best thing for the IRL/Champ Car series is that there won't be a Formula One race at Indy in 2008 (or probably ever again). And my guess after 2008, is that there won't be a race in Montreal either - Turn Left racing in North America is king. Heehaw!

There is no chance that Formula One and CART/Indy/IRL (whatever you want to call it) will be in any way "hooked up" in the next 50 years. Planet Earth will run out of fuel to power combustion engines first.

.


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## jsoltan (Jan 3, 2008)

All former CART teams came to the "introduction meeting" yesterday in Indianapolis with IRL. Possible fields of 33+ cars. I believe that CART was on the financial ropes more than is being told.


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

jsoltan said:


> I believe that CART was on the financial ropes more than is being told.


CART has been on the ropes for years now, ever since the IRL split off.

The Speedway owner was more concerned about his ego and $$$$ than about the sport and the American fans.


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## Test_Engineer (Sep 11, 2004)

franka said:


> CART has been on the ropes for years now, ever since the IRL split off.
> 
> The Speedway owner was more concerned about his ego and $$$$ than about the sport and the American fans.


George is a turd.


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

Test_Engineer said:


> George is a turd.


Yes the turd. When his father died and he inherited the speedway his first move was to demand a ransom from CART for the indy 500.

Georgy said stick it to CART and here we are, many years past, and everyone is suffering CART, IRL, the Speedway, the vendors and the many many loyal fans.


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## Patrick (Dec 23, 2001)

Test_Engineer said:


> George is a turd.


There is only one TURD!

:rofl:

.


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## jsoltan (Jan 3, 2008)

T. George's father was Elmer George, not Anton Tony Hulman. Elmer was shot to death, I believe, under some questionable circumstances some years ago. Can't remember the details but horrible none the less!


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

I recall something like that.

Reminds me of Mickey Thompson who held the wheel driven, land speed record for a while at 405 mph, if I have it correct. He was gunned down in his driveway.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

franka said:


> I seriously doubt it. The cultures and the audiences and the vendors are too far apart, not related, not enough cross over.


What about all the Champ Car drivers who've moved over to F1...and after failing come back to run in IRL? Isn't that a bit of cross over?


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

My reply was in response to the IRL and Formula 1 getting together. Not CART and IRL.

You can go back and check.


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## jsoltan (Jan 3, 2008)

I believe Elmer George was shot by his wife's horse trainer in Terre Haute either same day as the 500 or day after.


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

*IRL loves F1 .....not*

To name just a few of the differences of IRL VS F1

Circle tracks almost exclusively VS no circle tracks at all

Alcohol fuel VS highly specialized gasoline based race fuel

Common chassis and engines, almost spec series VS individual team built chassis and engines, the complete and total opposite

Predominantly NA continent VS the world ...also drastically affects vendors and advertising

Tony George will never give in to Bernie, nor Berni to Tony.

Please feel free to add to this list of glaring differences.


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

woody underwood said:


> What about all the Champ Car drivers who've moved over to F1...and after failing come back to run in IRL? Isn't that a bit of cross over?


Woody, no offense meant to you or to drivers, but the truth is that in comparison to the differences I mentioned above, drivers are a drop in the bucket. Drivers come and go while the structure of the teams, rules, participants, circuits, etc stay essencially constant.

Unfortunetly drivers are a dime a dozen, there are always lines of truely talented and young guys just waiting for a chance to show how good they really are. Some even pay for the opportunity to drive.

Drivers have no affect on either series regardless of how many have crossed and came back and even did it again. As they say in the military; they are expendable.


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## Test_Engineer (Sep 11, 2004)

Patrick said:


> There is only one TURD!
> 
> :rofl:
> 
> .


You have to agree that Tony is a VERY close second to "THE Turd"


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

He got his way after screwing fans for 10 years


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

franka said:


> Woody, no offense meant to you or to drivers, but the truth is that in comparison to the differences I mentioned above, drivers are a drop in the bucket. Drivers come and go while the structure of the teams, rules, participants, circuits, etc stay essencially constant.
> 
> Unfortunetly drivers are a dime a dozen, there are always lines of truely talented and young guys just waiting for a chance to show how good they really are. Some even pay for the opportunity to drive.
> 
> Drivers have no affect on either series regardless of how many have crossed and came back and even did it again. As they say in the military; they are expendable.


Huh? The drivers are about the only constant in racing. The rules change CONSTANTLY (Like minute by minute nowadays), circuits come and go on a regular basis (Where will F1 race next month/year...got it figured out yet?) and racing teams are dropping like flies and or changing names on a regular basis. But the good old racers just soldier on...I could name some names but not enough space here.


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

We'll have to disagree then. 

The tracks and cars and teams and the series and its officials remain despite what drivers come and go.

Drivers have no investment other than their driving skills for which they are paid. They have no ownnership or investment in anything. 

On the otherhand the tracks owners do, the team owners do, the series organizers do.

If you still disagree then we just see it differently. No problem there.


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Unification details

Champ Car teams committing to the IndyCar Series and demonstrating the ability to fund operating budgets will be provided a one-year Honda basic engine lease, two Dallara chassis from a pool of new and used cars to the extent of the pool available for up to two seasons, and $1.2 million per car from the IndyCar TEAM program.

At least two race venues from the Champ Car World Series schedule will be added to the IndyCar Series schedule in 2008 if the parties reach agreement. Discussions are proceeding to add events in Edmonton, Canada, and Surfers Paradise, Australia, to this year's current 16-race schedule. The IndyCar Series has scheduled meetings with both of these venues to discuss the 2008 schedule.

The Grand Prix of Long Beach Champ Car race finale will be run the same weekend as the already scheduled IndyCar Series race at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan. The 2008 Grand Prix of Long Beach will be Champ Car***8217;s final race. Champ Car will promote the race as its finale. Champ Car will conduct the race and the IndyCar Series will require any teams taking advantage of the incentives offered by the IndyCar Series to compete at Long Beach. Since these teams will be missing the Motegi race, they will be awarded points and prize money as if they were competing at Motegi. Beginning in 2009, the Grand Prix of Long Beach will be part of the IndyCar Series schedule.

IndyCar officials met with Champ Car teams at an orientation held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Feb. 25. All nine Champ Car teams that participated in the 2007 season attended.

IndyCar Series officials developed an assistance program that assigned an IndyCar Series team to work directly with a Champ Car World Series team (i.e. Rahal Letterman Racing will work with Newman-Haas-Lanigan.)

IndyCar officials began preliminary discussions with ESPN/ABC regarding the expanded 2008 IndyCar Series schedule.

In the agreement in principle, the IndyCar Series will purchase various non-tangible assets such as intellectual property and historical records from Champ Car. In addition, the IndyCar Series will purchase the Champ Car Medical transporter.

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/se..._open_test/Unification_news_conference&Y=2008


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Homestead Oval Test

Fastest Lap

Dan Wheldon, Ganassi Racing _ 213.312 mph

http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=10593


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Tony George has spent a lot of money to make unification happen. At least $10 million in cash-for-assets trade to Champ Car, about $20 million to Champ Car teams at $1.8 million per car, $10 million for high definition equipment and the $1.2 million guarantee to each car that participates in the IRL this season.

http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpert/


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## jsoltan (Jan 3, 2008)

Forsythe out and P. Tracy looking for a ride. P.T.'s "attitude" might come back to haunt him unless races added north of the border.


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## jsoltan (Jan 3, 2008)

Danny Weldon got some new teeth! Looks better than the "british" teeth he had before.:rofl:


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Sebring Road Course (1.67-mile) Test

Fastest Lap

Ryan Briscoe, Penske Racing _ 52.420

http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=10647

http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=10636

http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=10621

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/select.asp?S=INDYCAR&E=Sebring_open_test/Day_3&Y=2008&O=0

http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2008/reports/indycarseries/sebring/indycar-results-p4.pdf


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

A closer look at IndyCar - under the body.

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/select.asp?S=INDYCAR&Y=2008&D=&I=&N=&E=Sebring_open_test/Day_5


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Sebring Test


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Homestead Race


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Homestead Race

http://www.indycar.com/stats/full_race_results.php?event_date=2008-03-29&year=2008


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Chicagoland Race

Winner

Helio Castroneves, Penske Racing

http://www.indycar.com/stats/full_race_results.php?event_date=2008-09-07&year=2008

http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=12494

Scott Dixon is the 2008 IndyCar champion.

Chicagoland pics

http://www.indycar.com/multimedia/p...event_id=845&track_id=14&eventDate=2008-09-07


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Australia is a non-championship race.

TV: Oct 25 (Sat) 10:30 pm ET [ESPN Classic]

http://www.indycar.com/


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## MCSL (Jan 30, 2005)

Australia Race

Winner

Ryan Briscoe, Penske Racing

http://www.indycar.com/stats/full_race_results.php?event_date=2008-10-26&year=2008

http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=12752

Australia pics

http://www.indycar.com/multimedia/p...event_id=863&track_id=31&eventDate=2008-10-26


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