Although the deal isn't official as yet, word is that Tony George's Indy Racing League has outlasted Champ Car (nee CART) and will be the only US-based open wheel series. After well over a decade of a battle for control that pretty well killed open wheel racing in the US and turned the premier American open wheel race, the Indy 500, into a pale shadow of itself, the former Champ Car teams will be going to the IRL. The Champ Car series will fold its tents.
The deal isn't done yet, but if it does happen it will hopefully bring some of the luster — and competition — back to open wheeled racing.
I watched last year's 500 and literally had tears in my eyes when I saw how poor it looked in comparison to the 500s of Ward; Foyt; Jones; Clark; MacDonald; Sachs; Gurney; Stewart (no offense, but Jackie, not Tony); Hill; the Mears, Unsers and Andrettis and on and on. The roar of the Offies, and driver's elbows sawing away at the wheel, the first rear engined cars, the Grantelli/STP four wheel drives ... man, that was racing.
Hopefully this move will bring that kind of spirit back.
It would be very cool if it did.
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