May 17, 2008
IndyCar-Champ blend nears
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The possible unification of America's two open-wheel racing series was in the hands of lawyers yesterday, working out the details of a deal that could re-energize the struggling sport.
Rather than a merger, the proposed deal, which could be announced as soon as tomorrow, would involve some teams from the Champ Car World Series being blended into the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series, with immediate gains in car counts and races.
"It is still not done, but still moving," IRL spokesman Fred Nation said yesterday.
Champ Car spokesman David Higdon said series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven, a key person in the negotiations, was still in England on family business and would not return to the United States until late today.
Since the IRL began competing with what was then the established CART series in 1996, the two have gone head-to-head for drivers, teams, fans, sponsors and TV ratings, generally losing on all counts.
Before the proposed agreement, Champ Car was set to begin its season April 29 in Long Beach, Calif., with no more than 17 cars, while the IndyCar Series was in danger of starting its season March 29 in Homestead, Fla., with as few as 16.
• NASCAR // Robby Gordon was docked 100 points and his crew chief was suspended for six races and fined $100,000 as NASCAR penalized 10 teams in its three different national series for infractions found at Daytona International Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of seven drivers penalized for Nationwide Series infractions, and six crew chiefs were suspended. The harshest penalty went to Gordon, who had an unapproved front bumper cover on his No. 7 Dodge during opening day inspection for the Daytona 500. The deduction of points drops him from ninth in the standings to 41st.
• Formula One // Fernando Alonso dismissed claims that Formula One fans in Spain are racist after former teammate Lewis Hamilton was subjected to racist taunts. Hamilton, the series' first black driver, was abused by spectators shouting racist slurs and wearing dark makeup, black wigs and T-shirts saying "Hamilton's Family" at the Montmelo circuit Feb. 2. "This is not a racist country," Alonso said yesterday. "This was an isolated thing - and the less it is talked about, the better."
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
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