12-YEAR ITCH; The IndyCar/Champ Car war is over.(Fan Guide)(Indy Racing League)(Champ Car World Series)

Byline: CURT CAVIN

Finally, finally, finally. Yes, the owners of the long-warring Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series agreed to make a single entity out of Indy-car racing for the first time since the 1995 season.

"We finally put our egos aside and did what was best for open-wheel racing,'' said Kevin Kalkhoven, who signed the landmark deal with IRL founder Tony George on Feb. 21 in Indianapolis. "Nobody was winning; everyone was losing.''

The deal was announced the next day, after Gerald Forsythe, Champ Car's other majority owner, signed his name to the contract (or agreement in principle, as it was called in the IRL's release).

Officially, leadership will fall to the IRL through the IndyCar Series, but even the first race, which is March 29 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, will include a host of familiar Champ Car teams.

As of AutoWeek's deadline, it was unclear how many participants and events the IRL will pick up from Champ Car, but it could be a significant number of both before the dust settles.

Jimmy Vasser, the 1996 CART champion and PKV Racing co-owner, said PKV will field a two-car team. Eric Bachelart professed the same for his Conquest Racing. The same goes for Carl Haas and Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. Derrick Walker's Team Australia and Keith Wiggins and Paul Stoddart's Minardi Team USA look likely to field one car each. Forsythe/Pettit Racing could field one car and might field two.