Merger announcement possible for Thursday (Friday)
"We're (down to) just grinding out the details," he said by telephone from London. "You know what happens when you get attorneys involved." IndyStar
02/20/08 The Indy Racing League continued to make progress Tuesday on unification talks with Champ Car, moving closer to a deal that would end open-wheel racing's divide, but the day passed without an agreement.
"We are still trading drafts of a (possible) agreement," said Fred Nation, spokesman for IRL founder Tony George. "We are whittling away at the issues, but they have not been eliminated. We're optimistic these things can be resolved, but . . . it's always possible that (someone) will decide they don't want to (unify)."
Nation said George, who is in Orlando, Fla., at a motor sports safety conference, is negotiating with Champ Car World Series owner Kevin Kalkhoven. Kalkhoven is working on behalf of fellow Champ Car owners Gerald Forsythe, Paul Gentilozzi and Dan Pettit.
Kalkhoven is in London attending to family business. Gentilozzi said late Tuesday that the group "is still tinkering" with documents sent by George.
David Higdon, Champ Car's executive vice president of strategic development, said the series is "in the same position (it) was last week. Discussions are being held, but nothing is done."
Nation said the emphasis in negotiations has shifted from the April 19-20 weekend, where both series have a race scheduled, to finances. He would not elaborate. "That could be anything from cash (exchanged) to what pieces and parts are on a chassis," he said.
George has agreed to supply IRL cars to Champ Car teams that can show viability to participate in his league.
Nation said his staff is making preliminary plans for a news conference, but one could not be held before Thursday, when Kalkhoven is scheduled to return to the U.S. The IRL has options regarding the April 19-20 weekend, including the possibility that two races are held — one in Japan, and the other in Long Beach, Calif.
If a deal between the series is reached, the IRL would absorb Champ Car, taking a collection of its teams and up to three of its events for this season.
Besides Long Beach, races in Edmonton and Australia are of interest to the IRL for 2008. Other events have conflicts, Nation said. Nation said the IRL would take "a clean sheet" of paper regarding the 2009 schedule. More at Indy Star