Tony George trying to buy IRL
Q: Can you expand the "IRL for sale" facts, rumors and things in the best interest's of OWR fans.
Paul, Kansas City, Missouri.
RM: Jeff Belskus, the man in charge at the IRL and IMS, recently said to me and many other media types that the league nor the Speedway were for sale. I said on WIND TUNNEL the other night that I'd heard that Tony George wanted to put together a couple people and buy the IRL (which makes sense since his sisters would prefer somebody else to pay for it so they just concentrated on IMS) but I saw TG last night and he didn't sound like that was in his plans. I do think the series could be sold if the right people were involved for the reason I stated above but as long as Mari Hulman George is alive, IMS is not for sale. She's said that repeatedly. SPEEDTV.com
11/27/09
Q to Robin Miller: Your WIND TUNNEL report said: Tony George buying IRL? After all of the problems he’s back? Can’t Penske/Rahal get a group of investors (Letterman anyone) please. A fresh owner could at least institute the changes voiced by so many true open wheel fans. Do an IPO, we can all own it, works for Green Bay. Let NASCAR run it as a companion series until economy improves.
RM: That's what I'm hearing, TG is working on taking over ownership and, like I said on WT, that would undoubtedly make his sisters happy since the IRL is a money pit. Penske and Rahal don't have the time or interest so maybe if TG reclaims what he founded, we'd get somebody besides Jack Long, Leo Mehl or Bob Reif. SPEEDTV.com
[Editor's Note: Let me get this right. Tony George could not make IndyCar successful with all the Hulman George money behind him. How is he going to afford to both buy the series from the family and also add millions into the money-losing series annually without going into personal bankruptcy? If the rumors are true that Tony's sisters have set a date of 2013 by which time the series must be profitable or they will sell it, the most likely buyers would be the France family.]