The most recent meeting between CART CEO Andrew Craig
and IRL President Tony George came last week in
Indianapolis, and the sides "discussed the parameters of a
reunification which could happen by the end of this year,"
according to Tarik El-Bashir of the N.Y. TIMES, who adds
that NASCAR President Bill France "may try to broker a deal"
between the two groups. A NASCAR official: "Promoting open-
wheel racing is not going to hurt Nascar. In Bill France's
eyes, strengthening motorsports in America helps everyone,
including Nascar." But El-Bashir notes that the biggest
"potential snag" concerns the engine manufacturers, as CART
engine suppliers lease the engines to teams, while IRL
engine builders sell them. One sign of continued
negotiations is that CART "has not released" its plans for
an engine formula for next season (N.Y. TIMES, 5/26).
DID ABC KNOW SOMETHING? In Phoenix, Mark Armijo calls
for a reconciliation and wonders if ABC sensed a merger as
it extended its IRL deal last week, while also holding TV
rights to CART. Armijo: "Does ABC Sports President Howard
Katz know something most of the rest of us don't?" (ARIZONA
REPUBLIC, 5/26). In Indianapolis, Bill Koenig offers his
racing "winners" and "losers" for the month of May and calls
ABC a "winner" for its new five-year IRL deal: "ABC and ESPN
would benefit if there is some kind of open-wheel
reunification" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS, 5/26).
