David Higdon, Champ Car World Series spokesman, said discussions are "heating up.''
Fred Nation, a spokesman for the Indy Racing League, told The Associated Press: "There is no deal yet.'' He said talks "between the principals from both sides'' are continuing and IRL officials remain "optimistic'' an agreement can be reached, possibly as early as Thursday.
Both series have struggled for fans, sponsors and TV ratings of late. The IRL was founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George in 1995, to compete against the established CART series. CART later went into bankruptcy and was bought by its current owners, Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi, all team owners in what is now Champ Car.
