Walker eyes IRL regardless of merger

Champ Car team Walker Racing could line up on the Indy Racing League grid this year, regardless of whether the proposed merger between the two series goes ahead

By:

Steven English

Feb 11, 2008, 3:26 PM

Team boss Derrick Walker is keen to make the switch and is believed to be negotiating to keep drivers Will Power and Simon Pagenaud and team sponsor Aussie Vineyards on board for the move.

Walker told American newspaper USA Today: "We're just a small company trying to sell our wares, which for us is getting sponsors and going racing. We had to look at the IRL and the Indy 500."

Although he hopes that an agreement is reached between the two series to prevent him from having to choose sides.

If Walker did move to the IRL, Champ Car could be left with little more than a dozen entries for the coming season.

There were no reports of further progress on the merger over the weekend, and IRL spokesman Fred Nation told USA Today: "This is the closest the two organisations have been to finding unity, but time is short."

IRL boss Tony George is currently in Japan trying to get the Motegi race date moved, as the Japanese round is the key to the planned merger.