IRL, Champ Car Merger - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

worth · 03-05-2008, 07:30 AM

This happened back in Feb, but no one has posted about it that I can see. IRL and Champ car have merged back into one group after 12 years of being apart.

http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=10557

Nice to see them back together, but I found an article from Sebastian Bourdais, and I happen to agree with him. Seems Champ car kind of got the shaft. The season starts at the end of the month! If they had done this at the end of last season it would have at least given some of the Champ car teams to get their cars straight and all that. Right now it just seems like IRL is allowing Champ car to tag along if they can keep up. How many guys from Champ will be ready to race at the end of the month in a different league?

Also sucks for all the Champ car tracks that won't see any action this year. Looks like they are going to include Edmonton in the new IndyCar Series though.

http://www.autoracingdaily.com/artic...tein-bourdais/

And also, does anyone care about open-wheel racing in North America anymore? Indy 500 was the greatest auto race in history. I will probably never be the same again unfortunately.

March is a great time for sports fans. You have NBA/NHL playoff races, NCAA March Madness tourney on the 20th, MLB starts at the end of the month, NASCAR is racing every weekend and IRL starts at the end of the month also!

Bobblehead · 03-05-2008, 09:31 AM

Open wheel got bickering and Nascar grabbed the spotlight. I'm not sure Nascar is going to let go. It is going to take a few years of IndyCar to run a circuit with full, competitive fields before people are even going to give them a chance. Even then, I expect the main interest will be from cities where the race is held and the Indy 500.

I think they have crippled open wheel racing in North America for the foreseeable future.

worth · 03-05-2008, 10:14 AM

Yeah, I agree with that. Nascar has taken full advantage of what has happened to open wheel racing and they've benefited greatly. Whether or not open wheel racing has bit the dust or not i'm not so sure yet. There's a lot of history there, but the IRL will definetely have to get their act together to get their fans back. I guess on Sundays people are going to watch one or the other. Either Nascar or IRL, and Nascar would win hands down right now. But I think Indy runs some Saturday races also.

Anyway, I like both. I really enjoyed open wheel when I was younger. I've been enjoying Nascar more and more, but in my mind there's room for both to do well. but not sure if everyone shares that opinion.

worth · 03-05-2008, 02:35 PM

Toronto is out:

http://tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story...31288&hubname=

Not surprising.

Table 5 · 03-05-2008, 03:20 PM

While I welcome the unification (why it took these guys over a decade to figure out neither of them was going nowhere is beyond me), I still think Champ/IRL or whatever you want to call it is still going to be pretty second rate. Much like the CFL, the circuit will not be be best in the world, and the really good drivers will use it as a springboard to Formula 1. Or you might get the occasional Nigel Mansel situation.

Nonetheless, I wish them well. Nascar bores the crap out of me, and well, sometimes I'm too lazy to get up early for those F1 races.

I-Hate-Hulse · 03-06-2008, 12:44 PM

There's no way I can be a fan of a series that has Tony George at it's helm. I was as big an IndyCar fan as they come in the late 90's when TG came along and did his power grab. Make no mistake, he originally said it was about returning open wheel to it's roots - cheaper cars, ovals, and more Americans. All of which is laughable as the new IRL will resemble the old CART series with furriners' and road courses. Costs might be down, as the series has essentially become a spec series, with one tire and engine manufacturer. Isn't one chassis good and the rest crap anyways?

Given all this, IRL has all the air of a 2nd tier, minor league feeder series. Talented drivers seemingly perfect for open wheen are bypassing them for Nascar - see Scott Speed's story of exodus from F1, or even Tony Stewart. Can't see why Edmonton was clamouring to get involved with this sickly series.

The Hulmans should be turning in their graves - Tony might have won the war of control, but there's no denying the damage he's done to the Indy 500. Daytona and even the Brickyards carry way more stature.

Enjoy the hole you dug Tony....

jam26 · 03-06-2008, 07:38 PM

I was also a huge Champcar fan, but I won't watch another race now that Tony George is at the helm. He destroyed open wheel racing in this country. I'll watch F1 and that'll be it for me.