George scraps offer to help merge series

The window of opportunity has closed for Champ Car World Series teams to receive Tony George's financial assistance to join the Indy Racing League for 2008, George said Sunday.

[yuck]

Go-Karts and Motorcycles here we come.

[Bemo]

TG is being consistent. There is no need for him to make any concessions at this point, although it looks as if he reached out just a little bit in August. Really, I'm surprised that many people still care about a merge. The biggest positive would be the elimination of the steady doom and gloom we get from people like poster number 1. But I'm sure Blah Blah Blah and his ilk won't go away even then, so what would the benefit be? Maybe 4 or 5 more cars driven by mostly foreign drivers with little name recognition in the general public, a couple of sponsors, regular doses of Paul Tracy's opinions and crash explanations, and a few minutes of Sportscenter coverage. Meh. Champ Car owners appear to have always demanded a stake in the merged league and I think it has always been clear that it will never happen.

[Sealionindy]

The only way for the open wheel series to thrive is with one league. To bad the CART boys refuse to understand that.

[joejack]

Even though both sides are guilty of ruining open-wheel racing the USA, I can't blame Champ Car for not wanting to work under George.

If you have done business with Tony George or one of his companies, you would realize how strange and weird they are to work with.

Normal and intelligent businessmen would have merged the series a long time ago. We have two sides that mistake money and egos for intelligence and common sense.

[tbsb]

How Cart ever thought it could survive Tony's money is beyond me. Why, even do-doing in Tony's front yard did not help. Go IRL.

[Jack]

This is sad

[Don]

Guess what George? Other than the people in Indianapolis, nobody else cares about open wheel racing. You had an opportunity to put some respect and significance back into your sport and due to your stupid pride and ignorance you blew it. And if it wasn't for HONDA providing you the best engines you've ever had in a race car, you would be using Tonka engines in your out dated machines. Good Luck!

Don Musilli

[Bull Russell]

I don't know what Indy 500's rage has been to. But to me they all have been great.Buddy Lazier's win was awesome.It's still a great event.Just don't listen to the haters.

[Tim]

Does anyone remember when the Indianapolis 500 was the greatest spectacle in racing, and perhaps in all of sports? Before the split, good tickets were commonly scalped for 5 times face value, or more! It was a must see event. Thanks to the idiot grandson of the great Tony Hulman, the 500 has been reduced to irrelevent. Very sad for Indianapolis and racing.

[Old timer]

I believe TG. As far as running tin tops, give them a few years and their time in the sun will be over. Too many "NASCAR yellow flags" will make even the most diehard fan begin to wonder. I like all form of motor sport, so what ever series is racing, I am watching.

[barkley]

So the Bone head's are up early. There are still many open wheel fans, and more coming as NASCAR overmarkets and overhypes boring races. The 500 has still been a great race with more excitment than the NASCAR races. Weird management?@ Look at the decisions at NASCAR, especially during races! TG has put a great facility here in Indy for all types of racing, and one my taxes didn't have to pay for, one that won't pack up and threaten to move to LA. Give him credit for sucking it up and offering Chump Car an out from their death spiral.

[toney tells tall tales]

hypocrite tOneY gOrgE speaks out of both sides of his mouth with his devil forked tongue.
there was NO offer.....he had another brainfart.

Question: tOneY....Did you or didn't you put it in writing????

The answer is NO and so therefore this whole article/press release from the irl is another in yet a very long line of fabrications, deceptions and LIES.

[FreeSaltWalther]

The first step would be for Kevin Kalkhoven to stop his persecution of the traditions of the Indy 500. If he makes the first step and releases political prisioner Salt Walther, I'm sure Tony George will respond with a fair offer to merge the two series.

[smoke and mirrors]

Bull Russell wrote:

I don't know what Indy 500's rage has been to. But to me they all have been great.Buddy Lazier's win was awesome.It's still a great event.Just don't listen to the haters.

lazier....bwhahahahahahah..

Q. where did his made in america open wheel career go after the mighty irl500* victory?

A. c r a p p e r with all the other post 1995 winners

funny stuff there cowboy...you just made the exact point every other poster here has made. the thing su k c s today thanks to the snortin moron inheritor from terre haute.

[smart guy]

If Tony waits a few months there will be no need to merge. Champ Car is on life support and may not survive this season.

[Image that]

He is totally destroying open wheel racing, greety s.o.b.

[tbsb]

tony is the god of open wheel racing dudes, don't forget that.

[RaceFan]

The sad part is that a merger or the death of one series will do nothing to save open wheel racing in the U.S. It's too little too late and no one cares anymore except the few who bother to post to articles like this.

[animalcontrol]

yuck wrote:

Go-Karts and Motorcycles here we come.

Both of those options have GREAT racing!!

[Ha Ha]

Rage wrote:

The Indy 500 has become the greatest debacle in racing. This will be Tony George's legacy.

What is something a bitter high school dropout working in the food service industry would say?