Unification Conference

IRL founder Tony George and former CCWS co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven sat down for a press conference today to officially kick off the new era of unification for the "American" open-wheel scene. While some of the details of the 2008 season are now more clear, others are still being hashed out.

Overall, the main point of both men's opening statements was that the deal was an amicable one and that it will prove to be a good thing going forward. "This is all about the fans," Tony said. "It's all about looking forward."

While Kevin agreed, he sounded the perhaps obigitory cautionary note; "It's been a long and hard road to get here, but here we are." But, he cautioned; "Unification will not be some sort of 'magic bullet'".

The details of the arraingments to supply any CCWS squads crossing over to the IndyCar Series were more clearly spelled out: each will get two Dallara/Honda chassis - eventually: They may have to settle for just one at first as the IRL scrambles to get spare sets up to snuff so that they will be in top operating condition. In addition, each new team will be "paired up" with a veteran IndyCar team for basic engineering/set-up/maintenance help.

In regards to which former CCWS races will be folded into the new schedule, Tony and Kevin said that discussions with the Edmonton (Canada) and Surfer's Paradise (Australia) track management were still ongoing, but that they hope to hold races at each yet this year.

The biggest news on the venue front surrounded the Long Beach Gp, a former F1 event that has been a staple on the CART/CCWS schedule for over 30 years. The former CCWS squads will run that event on it's regularly scheduled date in their CCWS Panoz DP01/Cosworths while the other IndyCar squads will be racing in Motegi, Japan on the same weekend. Both events will pay prize money AND CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS towrds the IndyCar season championship. The Long Beach event will be the official "finale" for the CCWS as a series, and will formally become a part of the IndyCar schedule come 2009.

No formal annoucements were made in regards to which CCWS squads have opted to join the IndyCar Series, but Kalkhoven did mention specifially that PKV racing, the squad that he is co-owner of, will make the move, minus co-owner Ron Pettit. Also, there were several former CCWS drivers in attentance, in cluding Robert Doornbos, Bruno Junquera and Orial Servia. It has previously been announced that Conquest Racing will make the move, and both Walker Racing and Newman-Haas-Lanigan have all but made an official statement of their intent to do likewise.

A few other notes of interest. The IRL has aquired the intellectual property and historical records of the CCWS, which includes those of CART and other "predicessor" sanctioning bodies going back nearly to the dawn of open-wheel racing in the US. They have also purchased the CCWS's emergency medical equipment, considered to be among the best in all of motorsports.