“Michael Shank is one of the most loyal guys I’ve met,” Bernard told SPEED.com “I want to make sure we help him out for next year. He’s been very patient and loyal during our first season with the new cars and engine formula, and I want to make sure he’s able to race with us in 2013.”

Looking at the bigger picture, the easier IndyCar makes it for interested sports car teams to add open-wheel programs during the ALMS/GRAND-AM merger, the better it is for the series.

Shank would welcome the chance to become the poster boy for the IndyCar Series among sports car entrants, but if the road to that reality is filled with more engine-related obstacles, the sale of MSR Indy’s DW12 could be on the horizon.

“Agreed,” said Shank. “Hundred percent agreed. And I'll tell you, how does this announcement relate to IndyCar? Well, I've got to be honest with you, [GRAND-AM founder] Jim France has never let me down and now I’m on his side of this buyout. I could make a living [in GRAND-AM] for the rest of my life with no problem. So why would my courtship continue with IndyCar just because I have a little dream I always wanted to do? Why would I torture me and my family over this, literally? So it's getting down to that.

“That's it or, to be honest, before I just lose my desire to do this. Because if I could run two DP's, two or three DP's I could make a nice living. And this just isn't worth it to me at some point. I have a huge love for IndyCar racing, and I love what I do here too, but I've got to be smart about it. I’ve got to make good financial decisions, not emotional decisions.”

Shank also says that after what he’s dealt with, it would be in IndyCar’s best interest to streamline the engine lease process for any sports car teams that come calling.

“Without question,” he remarked. “And I'll give you a great example. When I came to the Daytona Prototype from Toyota Atlantic, I brought three or four teams with me. What they thought was: if Shank can do it, we know we can do it. That was the attitude. So there is no question that that is possible. There's no question that we could help lead the way in that. And I don't mean to sound arrogant when I say that but I'm just basing it off of history.”

Shank has been talking with at least one current IndyCar team about possibly joining forces. Just as Dreyer & Reinbold Racing found when it left Lotus, Chevy was willing to help but only if the single-car DRR program combined with Panther Racing, another single-car entry.

Such a merger could be the gateway for Shank to receive an engine lease, but it isn’t a guarantee to deliver a powerplant.

“If I can run my DP program and have that as a stable and healthy business, and I can do something like that in IndyCar, that’s great,” Shank explained. “I’m not looking to leave one to go to the other, and I wouldn’t want to see that happen with any sports car teams, whatever the series. We don’t need teams leaving during the merger.

“But for God’s sakes, if I’m going to run my IndyCar deal, I've got to say with confidence to a driver or sponsor that I have an engine contract. I've got to be able to bring that to the table. Without it, it ends the conversation before it started.”

Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, and covers the IndyCar Series. Before joining SPEED, Pruett worked in open-wheel racing for 20 years as a mechanic and engineer. He also contributes to RACER, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett.