Watkins Glen staff await outcome of merger

Paul Tracy and Helio Castroneves side-by-side heading into the Ninety. Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti jockeying for position down the backstretch and into the chicane. Justin Wilson against Dan Wheldon diving into the boot in a battle of the Brits.

These are some of the possible scenarios at Watkins Glen International in July if reports of an end to the 12-year-old civil war in open-wheel racing are accurate. Craig Rust, president at The Glen since 2002, was cautiously optimistic Tuesday after reading intelligence gathered by Speed Channel and ESPN. In his 13 years in the auto racing industry, Rust, like so many other enthusiasts, has heard this all before.

“We’re very excited about this if it … we’ll take a deep breath and raise a glass when it’s formally announced. I’ve seen too many close calls," said Rust, fresh off a trip to Sunday’s Daytona 500. “We’re still being cautious here, nothing has been formally announced, I haven’t heard from the (Indy Racing League), I have not heard from (International Speedway Corp.) saying, ‘Hey, this is a done deal.’ That’s what seven or eight years of merger talk does to you." More at The-Leader.com