This feud needs to end, and not with one series just folding. They have to come together and solve their problems
As much as I hate the IRL, if both sides could come together, and have road, street and oval races only in North America...they might be able to save open wheel racing.Penske sees an end to CART-IRL feud
TSN.ca Staff
5/7/2003
Roger Penske says the CART-IRL split should be resolved within the next year or two.
Penske, one of the more influential owners in motorsports, believes when the smoke clears, the Indy Racing League will be the one left standing.
"Within the next 12 to 24 months, we'll see this thing shake out," said Penske, who is preparing his team for the upcoming Indianapolis 500. "Economics will play a part in that. CART has made a decision to support a lot of their teams and track promoters. People eventually will say, ‘Hey, do we have enough money to continue doing that?’ If that isn't there, what happens?"
Adding fuel to Penske's comments, CART released first quarter results which indicate the rival series still faces a number of challenges.
While revenues are up to $6.2-million from $5.6-million a year ago, expenses shot up from $7.6-million last year to $20.6-million this year. This is primarily due to the fact that CART is financial supporting its the teams, to the tune of $42,500 per car per event. That accounted for $11-million in the first quarter. CART estimates it will spend $33-million over the course of the year. CART officials say they have more than $70-million in the bank
There have been attempts over the last few years to try and bridge the gap between CART and the IRL, but each time those talks have ended in failure.
Penske, one of the original founders of the CART series, decided to join the IRL after the 2001 season, following a decision by primary sponsor Marlboro. Since then, Chip Ganassi, Mo Nunn, Michael Andretti and Bobby Rahal have fielded full or partial teams in the oval-based series. Engine makers Toyota and Honda also jumped into the fray this year.
"CART has done some positive things," said Penske. "But at the end of the day, we've got (the Indianapolis 500)."
Since the split, however, attendance at the Speedway has waned. Once considered the hardest ticket to obtain for a sporting event, race officials have been advertising the availability of tickets the past few years. It is now quite easy to find a ticket on race day.
"You've got 400,000 seats. If you've got 390,000 show up, you can't really call the event a disaster," said Penske.
Outside of the 500, television ratings and attendance at many other IRL races have been dismal. The cost of fielding a team in the IRL has jumped considerably the last few years, coinciding with the arrival of the former CART teams and the new engine manufacturers. Even the Indianapolis 500 is struggling to field the traditional 33-car field for the race.
There has been increased debate that the IRL will abandon its oval-only format in favour of road and street courses, putting it in direct competition with CART. Earlier this year, the series - which billed itself as American-based - staged its first international race in Japan.
Even Penske concedes that the IRL may have to move away from its founding goals if it intends to add new circuits in the future.
"The IRL is going to have to make the decision as to whether they'll reduce the number of races to accommodate road racing."
Penske, whose team has won the Indianapolis 500 a record 12 times, will be looking for an unprecedented third straight victory on May 25