SurfaceUnits
07-03-06, 01:12 PM
Questions abound as IRL, Champ Car circuits look to end rift
By Mark Emmons
San Jose Mercury News
(MCT)
<snippets>
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Like most divorces, the split of American open-wheel racing - the sport of Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and the Unsers - was ugly and bitter. More than a decade later, the scars still show.
But now, the possibility of a reconciliation looms as the Indy Racing League and Champ Car finally have made long-awaited progress in ending their un-civil war.
Open-wheel reunification could have big ramifications in the Bay Area, where each series now has a race: Champ Car's San Jose Grand Prix street race July 30 and the IRL's August road-course event at Sonoma's Infineon Raceway.
Everyone agrees that one series would mean only one race locally.
"Do you think the Sharks would want a hockey team playing in Woodside?" said Bob Singleton, general manager of the San Jose event. "Probably not. It's the same thing with two races because it would be hard to get sponsorship in the same market."
Singleton and Infineon President Steve Page both say they have no idea which event would be kept. Singleton cautions that there's no guarantee the merger will happen. It's a common sentiment because fruitless talks have been occurring, on and off, for years.
At first, CART was the dominant series with stronger teams and better-known drivers. But slowly they gravitated toward the IRL. In 2002, when engine-maker Honda made the jump, George was asked if that was the last nail in the CART coffin.
"I bring my hammer to work every day," he said.
But not so fast. When CART filed for bankruptcy, George was outbid for the assets. Kalkhoven, the former CEO of San Jose high-tech company JDS Uniphase, and two partners acquired CART and re-christened it Champ Car in 2004. They breathed new life into the series by emphasizing downtown street races that double as festivals and appeal to the casual fan as well as the serious motorhead.
An example is the San Jose Grand Prix, which had a strong debut last summer, drawing what organizers said was almost 154,000 spectators for the weekend.
Casey Mears, 28, a Bakersfield, Calif., native who is the nephew of four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears, is a member of the younger generation that turned its back on open-wheel racing for stock cars.
"When open wheel split, NASCAR got so much stronger," Mears said. "That's a little sad because open-wheel racing always has and always will be great racing. But they have to get their act together and form one series."
nfineon's Page believes it might be too late to stage a merged series in 2007. But he also said a merger is coming. Just don't expect an immediate rebirth of open-wheel racing when it does.
"The sport is in a tough way these days," he said. "This needs to happen, but it's not going to make a difference overnight. Maybe it will at least stop the bleeding."
By Mark Emmons
San Jose Mercury News
(MCT)
<snippets>
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Like most divorces, the split of American open-wheel racing - the sport of Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and the Unsers - was ugly and bitter. More than a decade later, the scars still show.
But now, the possibility of a reconciliation looms as the Indy Racing League and Champ Car finally have made long-awaited progress in ending their un-civil war.
Open-wheel reunification could have big ramifications in the Bay Area, where each series now has a race: Champ Car's San Jose Grand Prix street race July 30 and the IRL's August road-course event at Sonoma's Infineon Raceway.
Everyone agrees that one series would mean only one race locally.
"Do you think the Sharks would want a hockey team playing in Woodside?" said Bob Singleton, general manager of the San Jose event. "Probably not. It's the same thing with two races because it would be hard to get sponsorship in the same market."
Singleton and Infineon President Steve Page both say they have no idea which event would be kept. Singleton cautions that there's no guarantee the merger will happen. It's a common sentiment because fruitless talks have been occurring, on and off, for years.
At first, CART was the dominant series with stronger teams and better-known drivers. But slowly they gravitated toward the IRL. In 2002, when engine-maker Honda made the jump, George was asked if that was the last nail in the CART coffin.
"I bring my hammer to work every day," he said.
But not so fast. When CART filed for bankruptcy, George was outbid for the assets. Kalkhoven, the former CEO of San Jose high-tech company JDS Uniphase, and two partners acquired CART and re-christened it Champ Car in 2004. They breathed new life into the series by emphasizing downtown street races that double as festivals and appeal to the casual fan as well as the serious motorhead.
An example is the San Jose Grand Prix, which had a strong debut last summer, drawing what organizers said was almost 154,000 spectators for the weekend.
Casey Mears, 28, a Bakersfield, Calif., native who is the nephew of four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears, is a member of the younger generation that turned its back on open-wheel racing for stock cars.
"When open wheel split, NASCAR got so much stronger," Mears said. "That's a little sad because open-wheel racing always has and always will be great racing. But they have to get their act together and form one series."
nfineon's Page believes it might be too late to stage a merged series in 2007. But he also said a merger is coming. Just don't expect an immediate rebirth of open-wheel racing when it does.
"The sport is in a tough way these days," he said. "This needs to happen, but it's not going to make a difference overnight. Maybe it will at least stop the bleeding."