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Last updated on Thursday, February 21, 2008
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) - Indy Racing League founder Tony George and Champ Car World Series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven are scheduled to meet today to discuss the unification of the two series.
While a final deal is not in place, today's meeting reportedly is to work out the final details of the IRL absorbing Champ Car. The IndyCar Series is expected to take on three champ car races - Long Beach, Edmonton and Surfers Paradise, Australia.
The Long Beach race, which is scheduled for the weekend of April 20th, conflicts with the IndyCar series race in Motegi, Japan, which has been a sticking point in negotiations. Champ Car has eleven other venues on its 2008 schedule.
Another item that needs to be worked out is the fate of the approximately 50 employees who work for Champ Car at the series' Northwest Indianapolis headquarters.
If all goes well at today's meeting, an announcement regarding the re-unification of North America's two major open-wheel series could take place on Friday.
The two series have struggled since George formed the Indy Racing League in 1996. The Cart Series went bankrupt in 2004 and its assets were bought by Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi who renamed the series the Champ Car World Series.
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