No merger for 2007
Asked how negotiations stand between Champ Car's Kevin Kalkhoven and the IRL's Tony George, Gentilozzi said, "I don't think it stands anywhere right now. There are a lot of points to agree on. Tony and Kevin are trying, but it's a tough deal."
Kalkhoven said Saturday there was nothing new to report. If there is no merger, it may help Portland's chances of staying on the schedule.
Gentilozzi once took a lead role in talks with the IRL, but no longer. "We didn't need too many talking heads. We've got enough of those," said Gentilozzi, who owns the Rocketsports team.
"There was a time when I was talking to Tony but we're reloading, and Kevin's gone after it. He's probably less emotional than the rest of us, and he's got a lot of experience with mergers."
Steve Johnson, Champ Car's new president, seemed equally pessimistic about unification coming in time for 2007. "I don't anticipate it happening," said Johnson. "There's just a lot of issues that have to be worked out."
However, said Johnson, "I do think that the two series will merge. It has to happen." Portland Oregonian
06/18/06 While talks with the Indy Racing League continue, Champ Car World Series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven doesn't expect the two leagues to merge in time for next season.
"It's like pressing two people to get married, it's not a wise thing to do," said Kalkhoven, the Australia-born venture capitalist whose PKV Racing includes drivers Oriol Servia and Katherine Legge.
Kalkhoven is still optimistic about plans to merge with Tony George's IRL, but the large task of combining two organizations with a contentious history takes time.
"Coming forward there are a number of issues," Kalkhoven said. "We both have a large number of partners to satisfy." More from AP article.
[Editor's Note: Rumors suggest the biggest hang-up is control. With a 50/50 split who would make the call in the case of a stalemate on an issue? An arbitrator has been suggested, but if both George and Kalkhoven cannot agree on a neutral individual, then perhaps a 3-person arbitration panel should be formed.]