Racing
Indy vs. Champ Car-the last word
By GREG ZYLA

Mike Hull, team managing director for Chip Ganassi Racing, says Indy Car racing must unite in the near future. (Ganassi Racing photo)

When the recent Firestone Indy 400 was delayed a few hours due to a rainstorm, televising network ABC basically canned the show, moved it to a tape delayed 12:15 a.m. Monday morning showing, and that was that.

Had the event been a NASCAR Nextel Cup race, the race would have aired live in its entirety, mainly because NASCAR attracts huge viewing audiences, while the Indy Racing League does not. So, I guess you can't really fault ABC. Business is, of course, business.

Thanks to the continued IRL/Champ Car (CART) split, things don't look to get any better. And trust me, this is the last time I'm going to write about this situation until a signed, sealed and delivered unification is announced.

Indy Car racing is at a crossroads. Open-wheel fans are a resilient bunch, but even the most ardent are beginning to question the continuing insanity of the present IRL and Champ Car split format. There is no way two watered-down, crippled divisions of Indy Car racing can do any good for anyone. In the process, both are inflicting serious pain on Indy Car racing in general, not to mention the teams, fans and sponsors.

I spoke recently with Mike Hull, team managing director for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. During our talk, Hull noted his personal feelings about the Indy Car fiasco.

"First and foremost, there should be only one form of large, open-wheel (Indy Car) racing," Hull said. "I believe it is equally important for Tony George (IRL) and Kevin Kalkhoven (Champ Car) to mutually decide to go forward together. For this to happen, they almost have to step out of the way instead of being in the middle."

These are wise words. Hull agreed that someone other than George and Kalkhoven must

make the important decisions after deciphering all the ingredients that make both series run. He further explained that the new, unified Indy Car division must not get hung up over what car or engine to use, or where the races will be held. And until that happens, all the decisions, conjecture and rhetoric that has already taken place is irrelevant.

"We can't allow everyone to get caught up in micromanaging the process before the decision is made. Tell us what to race, and we'll do it," Hull concluded.

If a union occurs soon, there will be 36 teams out there that will have to re-do or re-fit just about everything. But Hull says that if 33 of the 36 teams survive, they will have a much better chance of STAYING in business under one organization. He noted that new sponsors, more fans, better TV ratings and a stable, minimum 20-22 race schedule is possible.

Tony George and Kevin Kalkhoven both have passion for the Indy Car style of racing.

Their influence and guidance will either take us forward, or continue to push their respective shows to the point where a four-car crash and some mechanical failures eliminates half the field.

Unquestionably, Tony George holds the stronger hand with his Indy 500 trump card. But what good is "stronger" when opposing series wage war on a highly expensive battlefield, where you find disillusioned drivers, perplexed owners, bewildered sponsors, discouraged fans and poor TV ratings?

Now is the time for leadership, so we end with this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus."

The Indy Car consensus is unification. Here's hoping Mr. George and Mr. Kalkhoven can take that step aside to move forward, mold the consensus and strive to renew the sport of Indy Car racing.

Write to Greg Zyla in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475, or send an e-mail to letters.kfws@hearstsc.com.

(c) 2006 King Features Synd., Inc.