Champ Car co-owner says IRL merger not imminent

[Schwartz Fan]

'It's impossible to say'
Champ Car co-owner says IRL merger not imminent
Posted: Saturday October 21, 2006 12:12AM; Updated: Saturday October 21, 2006 12:12AM

SURFERS PARADISE, Australia (AP) -- Champ Car series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven dismissed the notion that the circuit and Indy Racing League are even remotely close to a merger.

In June, following a meeting between Kalkhoven and IRL founder Tony George, there were optimistic reports from Indianapolis that the two American-based open-wheel circuits might finally end their decade-long differences.

"That whole thing [meeting] got blown out of proportion," Kalkhoven said Saturday at the Indy 300. "Tony and I talked, but there was nothing specific."

The IRL, which began in 1996 in competition with the CART series, split driver, team and fan loyalties, sinking television ratings and affecting sponsorships.

CART went bankrupt in 2004 but the revamped Champ Car series is doing well and has announced a 15-race series for 2007 that includes an inaugural event in China.

Four months ago, there were suggestions that the two groups might have a joint schedule in place for next year.

"We have gone a long way to resolving all sorts of issues, but our concentration is on Champ Car, which is going really well now," Kalkhoven said. "I'm kind of happy, and not in any hurry."

The IRL primarily runs on ovals, while 13 of Champ's 14 races this year were on road courses.

"It would be nice to do a merger in some respects, but culturally the two organizations are very far apart," Kalkhoven said. "Paul Stoddart is more our kind of guy than a Roger Penske."

Stoddart, a British-based Australian industrialist and former Formula One team owner, is currently in "fact-finding" talks with Champ Car about possibly entering a team, a Champ official said Saturday.

Penske was a founder of the CART series and is now an IRL team owner. His racing teams have won the Indianapolis 500 14 times.

"There are no sticking points because we haven't got to that point," Kalkhoven added. "Tony and I just spent time getting to know each other. Everyone thought merger."

In June, there also was a suggestion that Champ Car might leave a hole in the 2007 schedule in May to allow their drivers to enter cars in the Indianapolis 500, the IRL's flagship race. But when the schedule was released, the China race in Zhuhai was set for May 20, making it impossible for any Champ cars to go to Indianapolis.

So will there ever be a merger?

"It's impossible to say," Kalkhoven said. "We're not really at that level of discussion."

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