IRL, Champ Car in merger talks
Indy Racing League founder Tony George has admitted in public for the first time that he is in talks with Champ Car co-owner Kelvin Kalkhoven about a possible merger of the two series
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."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments