IRL, Champ Car talks heat up again
INDIANAPOLIS -- Merger talks are growing more serious between the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series.
David Higdon, Champ Car's executive vice president of strategic development, said discussions are "heating up," but no announcement was expected Tuesday. IRL spokesman John Griffin confirmed the talks.
"As long as everyone is still talking, there's hope," Higdon said.
A deal between the rival open-wheel series reportedly was near this month but fell apart after the information leaked.
Among the obstacles cited were the head-to-head scheduling of Champ Car's season opener April 20 in Long Beach and the IRL's April 19 event in Japan.
The IRL was founded in 1995 and began racing in 1996. Champ Car, then known as CART, continued as a separate series. Both sides have struggled to find sponsorship and an audience and have drawn small fields and low television ratings.
Most recently, each series lost its top stars -- four-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais to Formula One and 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti and three-time IndyCar champion Sam Hornish Jr. to NASCAR.
Numerous attempts to unite the groups over the years have failed, mostly over who would have control.