Just Around the Corner….

2/7/04........ As the season opener at Miami/Homestead on the last day of this leap year month of February is just around the corner, the IRL is once again flexing its media muscle.

After posting the highest bid in bankruptcy court for the beleaguered CART Series and losing out to the Open Wheel Racing Series (OWRS) who bid approximately $10 million less, the IRL is licking its wounds via media posturing. Who'd have thought? When are the IRL and NASCAR going to merge?

The IRL just wanted the equipment of the failed CART Series to use when they expanded the Indy Racing League to more races at more venues. At least that's what they said anyway. The truth be known, they were mostly after the road racing venues that were under contract to the CART Series so they could branch off into road racing on the cheap instead of making their own contracts with each individual track. This would have cost them a considerable amount more than the 13.5 million in their bid offering to bankruptcy court. So now it appears that their expansion into the road racing venues will not be forthcoming anytime soon.

The OWRS was adamant in their bid that they wanted to save the CART Series and keep the track dates and races going on the already proposed 2004 schedule. By bidding less, they'll end up with more. The CART Series will make a tidy addition to their already wealthy Trans AM Sports Car Series.

Racing industry analysts had hoped for the bid from the IRL to go through so there would be just one major open wheel series instead of two. On the IRL side, and also with some of the CART drivers and owners, the unification of both series would have been a better deal for everyone concerned. Most of the drivers think that one major series would of greater benefit to all concerned. From a fans point of view, I have to disagree. I think healthy competition between series is better for open wheel racing.

At any rate, the IRL is claiming to the media that it is "Supported by a Strong Foundation" listing the five areas of founding principals alluding to its strength.

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