IRL, Champ Car in merger talks

Although the pair have made no secret of the fact that they have held informal discussions in the past, George revealed in an interview with the LA Times that he was actually looking at a deal.

"It's fair to say we would both like to see [a merger]," he said. "I'm one of many people who believe that open-wheel racing would be better served by a unified IRL and Champ Car."

George admitted that nothing was likely to happen in the short-term, however.

"There is a lot of hair on this cat - it's not easy," he added. "Nothing is imminent."

Kalkhoven also confirmed the discussions, which could result in the creation of an all-new category.

"We're trying to develop a plan," the newspaper quoted him as saying. "It has to be a fresh start. In other words, we can't have one side using the other side's equipment or anything like that, because it would give one side an advantage."