JUMPING SHIP.(Competitions.)

There was a moment last week when it appeared the Open Wheel Racing Series was on the verge of implosion, and it all started with Adrian Fernandez. The veteran driver who led CART's exploding popularity in Mexico dropped a bomb March 11 when he announced his intentions to move to the Indy Racing League. Champ Car officials were baffled, saying in a hastily prepared press release that Fernandez retired from the series.

The reaction from the IRL office was the opposite. One might term it giddiness, and for good reason: For all the $13.5 million league founder and president Tony George bid in Judge Frank J. Otte's auction court in January, this way of closing the rival's doors seemed ridiculously easy. Yes, it was a switch of only one car, but it reduced Champ Car's confirmed lineup to 12 cars and increased the IRL's to 20. Perception was important, too. More teams and drivers seemed prepared to follow. They still might.

Team owner Bobby Rahal confirmed his Mexican sponsor, Gigante, is still deciding in which open-wheel series Michel Jourdain Jr. will participate this season. A week ago this was a no-brainer, but obviously Champ Car's season preview at Long Beach did not deliver the convincing, we-are-here-to-stay message organizers had hoped it would. Fernandez said he wanted to see a TV package for his country; none came. (Fernandez also wanted financial aid from Champ Car-as he received previously from the series' cash-flowing forebear, CART-but he was turned down.)

Because of AutoWeek's deadline, the landscape might have already changed yet again (go to autoweek.com for updates as they happen). If Gigante insists on being in the same series with Fernandez, Rahal will pull his program from Champ Car and make his IRL effort two cars. Carl Haas' team, already with IRL cars for this year's Indianapolis 500, could easily jump, too.

Champ Car officials keep saying there is nothing to worry about, there will be at least 18 cars at the opener April 18 at Long Beach. We'll see. The series is down to seven confirmed teams: Newman/ Haas, Forsythe, Rocketsports, PKV, Herdez, Rusport and Rahal. Rahal is teetering.

Eric Bachelart's best chance for landing a driver with money was 17-year-old Nelson Phillipe, who became Rocket-sports' second driver. Forsythe took Rodolfo Lavin, who for some time looked like Rahal's second driver in Champ Car.

The mechanics of the switch