Given the news, I had to.

Paul Tracy can’t wait to bring his special brand of douchebaggery to the IRL. Watch out Danica, Paul will punch you in the face if you look at him wrong.

Well well well, will you look at this:

Most Champ Car teams were told to quit working on their Panoz chassis Monday and expect delivery of their new cars in a few days. Paul Tracy is coming to Indianapolis later this week for a seat fitting. And one of Champ Car’s co-owners admitted to a fellow owner there would only be one series in 2008.

After 12 years of warring that cost open-wheel racing much of its sponsorship, audience and momentum, common sense has finally prevailed.

SPEEDtv.com has learned that the Indy Racing League and Champ Car have officially, and mercifully, agreed to become one entity. A press conference could come as early as Wednesday if Kevin Kalkhoven is back from England in time.

12 years that have killed open wheel  racing in the United States.  As someone who grew up idolizing drivers like Rick Mears and Bobby Rahal, going to pole day every year with my family and listening to the Indy 500 on the radio the decline of open wheel here has been hard to stomach. It’s to the point that the IRL was really on the verge of losing me to NASCAR, with the move of Sam Hornish Jr. to the ’stock’ cars just about being the final nail in the coffin.

Tony George wishes to inform you that the 12 year split is all part of his grand masterplan.  Next step: A laser death ray on the moon. (picture courtesy espn.com)

We’ll see if this helps open wheel or if it is too late. I’m hoping that the combined series will at least have the effect of more drivers per race driving a little more interest and this being in the news enough to draw some people back to give it a try again. Now to try and market the personalities of the drivers (which is what has sold NASCAR so well).

Open wheel is still the way to go for North American racing fans who like speed. Those boats on wheels in NASCAR (which stopped being ’stock’ YEARS ago) don’t hold a candle to the speed and danger of an Indy Car.

HT to Masson for finding this story.

P.S. Yes, I plan on writing here more again. 

Some of our remaining four readers will be disappointed by the fact that I am not, I repeat not, going to write about the Giants’ 17-14 win in Super Bowl XLII. I can’t think of anything that hasn’t been said already, by writers who are more eloquent and memorable than I am. I have nothing new to add to the growing legend of Eli Manning, David Tyree and “The Helmet Catch.” I have nothing new to add to the domination of New England’s offensive line by Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and the rest of the Giants’ front four. I have nothing new to add about Tom Coughlin’s ultimate vindication.

Other than talking about it still makes the roots of every hair on my head tingle, even ten days later. If I live to be a hundred, there may never be a Super Bowl quite like that one.

CWAMB thinks Big Mickey has something left in the tank, but understands if he follows The Bus. (image courtesy of NFL.com)