MAY 12, 2005

Champ Car to buy Long Beach Grand Prix?

The word in the United States is that Champ Car boss Kevin Kalkhoven is going to secure the series's biggest event in the most efficient possible way: he is going to buy the business and run it himself. The Long Beach Press-Telegram newspaper is reporting that Kalkhoven has made a proposal to buy the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach (GPALB) from its owner, Dover Motorsports.

This will get rid of the possibility that another series - such as the Indy Racing League or Formula 1 - might come along and do a deal with GPALB.

"We are going to do whatever is best for the future of the race," said Long Beach Grand Prix boss Jim Michaelian. "Dover is a public company and it has to review all the alternatives it has in front of it and make the right decision."

The IRL has said it will not be bidding to buy the race and it is unlikely that the Formula One company would make such a move, given that it is busy paying of its bond at the moment.

Such a move would, however, make a lot of sense as F1 tries to expand in the United States.