A merger between Champ Car and the Indy Racing League is imminent and could be announced as early as Wednesday, various reports out of Indianapolis said.
IRL boss Tony George has been in negotiation for weeks with the four owners of Champ Car toward uniting the rival open wheel racing series.
David Higdon, Champ Car vice-president of strategic development, said Tuesday there was “no agreement in place at this time,” although he expects an announcement to be made soon “one way or the other” on the proposed merger.
Speed TV reported the two sides have agreed to merge and are working out the final details.
Reports last week said Champ Car was considering bankruptcy, which would clear the path for the IRL to absorb some Champ Car teams as well as some races, including Edmonton and possibly Toronto.
“This is definitely the best thing that could happen to open wheel racing,” veteran driver Paul Tracy of Toronto, told Speed TV.
A split occurred 12 years ago when George, who runs the Indianapolis 500, split from the former CART series to form the IRL, which races mainly on oval tracks. CART has since been renamed Champ Car and runs mostly road or street races.
The split hurt both series as each has seen a steep decline in sponsorships and TV coverage.
A stumbling block was getting owners of an April 20 IRL event at Motegi, Japan, to agree to move their date because it conflicted with Champ Car’s Long Beach race.
Long Beach, Surfer’s Paradise and Edmonton are expected to be added to the IRL schedule, with possibly two other events, including Toronto.
A spokesman for the Toronto race said last week they were preparing to hold the event as usual this summer.
Under a merger, the race at Mont-Tremblant, Que., would likely be scrapped.
A spokesman for Mont-Tremblant’s organizers said Tuesday they were waiting for definitive news on the future of the series before making any comment.
