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MILLER: Unification Frustrations
Written by: Robin Miller   
02/14/2008
Indianapolis, Ind.
 
These IRL drivers could soon be joined by Champ Car drivers, but the merger is yet to be determined.(Photo by Gavin Lawrence/Getty Images) n ยป More Photos
It's just past midnight on Valentine's Day and my phone has not rang for almost 30 minutes. Since last Friday, when my story broke on the latest and most serious attempt to put open wheel racing under one roof, it's almost been like a non-stop, information hot line.

Me seeking it and others wanting to know the latest.

For a while it was fun, getting tips, checking them out, tracking people down and generally being more and more optimistic this time it was actually going to happen. It's always kinda fun when you're working on a scoop, especially when it's a topic directly connected to your passion and your life.

It's also fun to see fans, racing people and other reporters react and, as always when we talk unification, the wave of euphoria is tempered by skepticism.

But, a week into what we'd all hoped was going to be the best story of the decade, it's not so much fun anymore.

The phone calls haven't stopped, they've just taken on a different tone. Somewhere between confused and frustrated and angry.

Champ Car drivers, mechanics, engineers, staffers and, yes, even owners want to know what in the hell is going on?

In the past 24 hours
I've heard:
• Gerry Forsythe has decided to keep Champ Car going without Kevin Kalkhoven.
• Forsythe is buying all of Derrick Walker's equipment because he's going to have to field at least six cars to make sure there's a dozen on the grid.
• Kalkhoven and Craig Gore, the co-owner of Team Australia who still owes Derrick Walker a fortune from 2007, are going to run a team in the Indy Racing League.
• Kalkhoven owns the majority rights to Long Beach so he'll still cut a deal with George to have the IRL there in April and Motegi will be postponed until 2009.
• Champ Car will show up at Long Beach for the season opener, then disband and join Tony George's series at Indianapolis.
• The four Champ Car owners will have a conference call on Friday to decide their fate.
• They've already decided to file for bankruptcy but, for some reason, they're dragging their feet.

Now, mind you, this stuff didn't come from my imagination or one of those chat rooms, these different scenarios came directly from various CC owners, workers and drivers.

And that's why this thing is becoming kinda pathetic, if not sad.
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