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With America's two open-wheel series finally unified, the calendar poses the next roadblock: The season-opening race is just five weeks away.
At this point, nobody knows how many teams and cars will move from the now-defunct Champ Car World Series to the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series in time for the March 29 opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive," IRL spokesman Fred Nation said Saturday. "There has been great interest from most of the Champ Car teams. They will be welcomed with open arms as we have teams from CART (the forerunner of Champ Car) over the years. Already there is a wonderful sense of camaraderie and relief that this long family squabble is over."
The IRL is planning a meeting Monday in Indianapolis for most of the Champ Car teams. A news conference to announce the details of the agreement, including additions to the 2008 schedule, is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday at the Homestead track, where the IRL will hold preseason testing Wednesday and Thursday.
None of the Champ Car teams will be there, but the IRL is expected to set up a special test for the newcomers at Homestead before the opener.
Even before Friday's announcement that IRL founder Tony George and Champ Car co-owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe had signed off on the agreement to close down Champ Car and run as a unified series, teams were preparing to make the move.
The open-wheel rivalry lasted 12 years. The peace process began several weeks ago when George, also president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, offered any Champ Car team interested in switching to the IndyCar Series a free Honda engine lease program, free Dallara chassis and $1.2 million in team incentives.
Champ Car team owner Derrick Walker said last week he already put his Champ Car equipment at the back of his Indianapolis garage and was beginning to work on new IRL cars in preparation for the move.
"The path won't be easy in the beginning, but Walker Racing is ready for the challenge," Walker said. "It's going to be a rough old ride because we don't have the familiarity with the Dallaras and it's a more experienced formula. But the bottom line is that it's great news to put this thing together."
It is expected that the two-car Newman/Haas/Lanigan team that has won eight series championships, including the last four, will lead the move to the IRL from Champ Car.
Newman/Haas/Lanigan would bring 19-year-old American Graham Rahal, the son of longtime open-wheel star Bobby Rahal, and a budding open-wheel star, along with Englishman Justin Wilson as their drivers.
Other Champ Car teams expected to take the deal include PKV Racing, Forsythe Championship Racing, Conquest Racing, Dale Coyne Racing and Pacific Coast Motorsports, with veterans Paul Tracy, Oriol Servia, Bruno Junqueira, Alex Tagliani and talented newcomers Robert Doornbos, Will Power and Simon Pagenaud.
The number of cars added to the IRL's current 16-car grid could range from eight to 12.
One of the first teams to announce its intentions was PCM. That was something of a surprise because it was thought the team would switch to sports cars or close down if unification took place. PCM team manager Tyler Tadevic says the goal is to be on the IRL grid in Miami with two IndyCars.
"We are working diligently on this program and welcome all opportunities," he said.
