Fernandez explains IRL move

In the letter, Fernandez says that he had hoped to stick with Champ Cars, his long-term racing home, for 2004. But, having attended the championship launch at Long Beach last week, he said several important questions about the series were left unanswered.

The letter reads: "I was deeply concerned that only two of the three owners of OWRS were at Long Beach. How could something else be more important than the launch of this new series and all the battles fought to get to this point? The message it sent did not sit comfortably.

"Not once throughout the entire time I was there did any one of the new ownership group or the new Champ Car president speak to me and answer the many questions regarding the series."

Fernandez adds that it also became apparent at the launch that there were several "deals in the background", as well as other problems such as the lack of a fully confirmed calendar of events, no details of a television coverage package, only 12 confirmed drivers and no "rational business plan".

"All these issues created serious doubts over the viability of the OWRS Champ Car series in 2004 and beyond," he explains. "All the promises and nothing was happening. We have too much invested in this team, our long-term sponsors, our fans, Mexico, on and on. Everybody would lose.

"We needed and expected to get solid facts in Long Beach and we were totally disappointed."

The 40-year old veteran racer says he was forced to make the decision to move to the IRL because he believed the threat of the Champ Car series folding because of a lack of cars on the grid at the first race at Long Beach next month was too great.

His letter says that he could not justify the risk of staying in Champ Cars and facing a terrible struggle to convince sponsors and team members to stick by Fernandez Racing.

"I can't save Champ Cars on my own," Fernandez says. "I had to look at the facts presented by OWRS and decide if we wanted to take the risk and move forward based on empty promises.

"To be quite honest, I hope there turns out to be 25 cars at Long Beach. I hope the races in Mexico will be as strong as ever. If all this would have happened at the end of last year, yes, I would have waited to see more answers. But it is March 15 and at some point, despite how hard it is personally, you have to face reality."