Lets get the ball rolling with the grid!

[Stefvh]

Conquest is in, with 2 cars, one for Perrera, and the second to be announced.

[stradlin21]

there is a rumour floating round that Milka Duno will drive for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing and share the car with Townsend Bell

Rice would be full time in the other

Cavin also hinted at this

[enemy-ace]

I certainly hope the Milka thing just stays a rumour.
There are plenty of good drivers available, they need not water it down with sub-par talent.

[stradlin21]

same here

Bell and Rice would make a good team for DRR though

[Peter Ford]

I hada a look at both series last night,cart got 10 teams and irl got about 20,so that will be about 30 odd cars in the series,but come sufer's,some could be gone by then.Think i pick the right year to return to surfer's paradise for the lexmark indy 300,cant bloody wait.

[rush1]

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=280697

Bachelart's team will compete in the IRL this year.

[climb]

Good news are summing up, first good effect of the unified series!

[Down F0rce]

IndyCar.com says that only 15 cars (IRL teams) will take to the track at the Homestead test today. Surley thats not all the teams from the IRL side? There has to be one or two more full season cars...

http://www.indycar.com/news/2008/hom...d_opentest.pdf

Well I guess it dosen't really matter now since a bunch more teams will be on the grid this season anyway.

[Mr Pink]

There were a couple of (fairly desperate)speculations at a swedish forum of Alx Danielson joining Conquest, what do you guys think of that?

As a swedish motorsport fan and as a Champ Car fan i'd love it if it was true.

[mac]

There is a quote from Blumberg (Conquest co-owner) in Australia's Motorsport News that says something along the lines of them having a contract offer on the table to a driver - and that if it is accepted their second car will have an Australian flavour.

No names are mentioned. Would Pagenaud fit into that category after a season at Team Australia?

[stradlin21]

just a note that AJ Foyt IV has been officially confirmed at Vision Racing alongside Ed Carpenter

a third Vision entry is not out of the question

Indycar.com also has Milka Duno as a Dreyer and Reinbold driver

guess that is no longer just a rumour! http://www.indycar.com/drivers/

[madman16]

Party like it's 1995!!!!!!

I don't think you will see 30 cars at any stage this year except Indy of course.

It will be interesting to see how many full timers there are. Maybe some of the pressure will be lifted from the doubtfuls and not run at all.

IMO once it's all ironed out in a year or two, maybe a 16 to 18 race calender would be best. Looking at a 50/50 split between circuit configs. I think some people forget that road and street courses are essentially the same thing. Both turn left and right. So maybe 8 or 9 of each.

I think 2 superspeedways is enough with a mix of smaller ones. I'm not a huge fan of ovals but i always used to like Milwaukee.

Surfers (of course), RA, toronto, Cleveland and St. Pete, Laguna Seca, Portland and Watkins would be a good mix.

[climb]

Originally Posted by stradlin21

just a note that AJ Foyt IV has been officially confirmed at Vision Racing alongside Ed Carpenter

a third Vision entry is not out of the question

Indycar.com also has Milka Duno as a Dreyer and Reinbold driver

guess that is no longer just a rumour! http://www.indycar.com/drivers/

Yay! Already 21 entries before most of ex CC ones!

Apparently the merger has convinced someone to take the final decision to stay in the series

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by madman16

Party like it's 1995!!!!!!
I think some people forget that road and street courses are essentially the same thing. Both turn left and right. So maybe 8 or 9 of each.

Sorry but that statement is a load of ********, although in this day of FIA inspired go-kart tracks, that saddly may be asininely true one day.

[Down F0rce]

Vitor Meria is in at Pather, sponsored by National Guard and Delphi.

http://www.fastmachines.com//irl/004783.php

Sarah Fisher, Lyn St James and Janet Guthrie look set to form a new team, possibly running in just the oval events but maybe for a full season (I'm assuming Fisher will be the driver).

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...her-team_N.htm (also mentioned in the above link) This link also states that Duno will be doing a partial season with D&R.

[Down F0rce]

Correct first link: http://www.fastmachines.com/archives/irl/004783.php

[madman16]

Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

Sorry but that statement is a load of ********, although in this day of FIA inspired go-kart tracks, that saddly may be asininely true one day.

I agree with what you are saying, but just looking at peoples opinions of what the calender should look like for an oval-dominated series. "8 ovals, 7 road coarses and 5 street coarses". To me, that is 8 ovals and 15 left-right tracks and i don't think that is the kind of balance they are looking for.

Thinking that all three should take pride of place is a mistake. I know there are different kinds of ovals but i still put them in one group too.

[Pro Racer]

well it is looking good a merged series has always been needed.

[stradlin21]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

Vitor Meria is in at Pather, sponsored by National Guard and Delphi.

http://www.fastmachines.com//irl/004783.php

Sarah Fisher, Lyn St James and Janet Guthrie look set to form a new team, possibly running in just the oval events but maybe for a full season (I'm assuming Fisher will be the driver).

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...her-team_N.htm (also mentioned in the above link) This link also states that Duno will be doing a partial season with D&R.

yeah, Duno will run some ovals and according to the latest talk Townsend Bell will run the rest of the ovals and the road courses

[BootsOntheSide]

At least Duno isn't wasting a car for an entire season.

7+5 may be 15 to some people, but to me it's 12. I take the overall point though; road courses usually produce more challenging circuits and more exciting races, but street courses are almost-guaranteed a good attendance (albeit mostly people with little or no actual interest in racing). A truly strong series wouldn't need street courses, but we don't have one these days.

[stradlin21]

Duno is on the official test list now

[madman16]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

At least Duno isn't wasting a car for an entire season.

7+5 may be 15 to some people, but to me it's 12. I take the overall point though; road courses usually produce more challenging circuits and more exciting races, but street courses are almost-guaranteed a good attendance (albeit mostly people with little or no actual interest in racing). A truly strong series wouldn't need street courses, but we don't have one these days.

Yeah sorry about that. The maths was a bit off

I do think there is room for street circuits no matter how successful your series is. The potential of reaching the non-motorsport public and maybe converting a few is always a lure of such an event. With big attendance figures the drivers get to perform in front of a massive crowd and the sponsors are happy and lets face it with out them we got nothing

[Dutton]

I think street races should be limited. There are rare very good ones, with Monaco being an obvious example, but those in North America are often not great due to the nature of the road systems. Toronto is a respectable attempt, though.

I think two street courses would be enough: one European , one North American.

Beyond that focus on going for the most challenging tracks available, but with the proviso that huge safety makeovers are not enacted to accomodate the series. Providing an alternative bit of track for a slowed corner, or something, is ok (provided it leaves the old in tact). If the series cannot accept the safety standard of the track, then it doesn't race there.

I would love to have Mosport on the calendar, but not at the expense of changing what it is.

[Hazza]

What is the european rubbish?

This is meant to be an american series, lets stick to the basics. All American + Canada and maybe Surfers.

[madman16]

I think when it comes to any kind of expansion you have to start with the base and build from there. You should not be forcing your series on other countries but rather wait until they approach you (like Surfers). Make something people want first.

Forced expansion isn't going to help anyone