The 2008 IndyCar Series was the 13th season of the IndyCar Series. It was the 97th recognized season of top-level American open wheel racing. On February 26, 2008, the managements of Indy Racing League and Champ Car came to an agreement to become a single entity, ending a twelve-year split and resulting in the cancellation of the 2008 Champ Car World Series.
The first race was held on March 29 at the Homestead–Miami Speedway. The premier event was the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on May 25. All races were televised on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPN Classic. All IndyCar Series broadcasts continued to use the Side-By-Side format in their first year of HD broadcasts. Races were also broadcast on the IMS Radio Network and XM for the radios.
Scott Dixon driving for Chip Ganassi Racing won the first unified title for 13 years after completing the IndyCar–Indy 500 double. Dixon took six victories over the course of the season but had to fend off a consistent championship challenge from Hélio Castroneves until the final round at Chicagoland Speedway.
Series news
Unification with Champ Car
On January 23, 2008, Robin Miller reported that Tony George had offered to Champ Car management a proposal that included free cars and engine leases to Champ Car teams willing to run the entire 2008 IndyCar Series schedule in exchange for adding Champ Car's dates at Long Beach, Toronto, Edmonton, Mexico City, and Australia to the IndyCar Series schedule, effectively reuniting American open wheel racing. The offer was initially made in November 2007. On February 10, 2008, Tony George, along with IRL representatives Terry Angstadt and Brian Barnhart, plus former Honda executive Robert Clarke, traveled to Japan to discuss moving the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi. Moving that race, or postponing it, would be required in order to accommodate the Long Beach Grand Prix, which is scheduled for the same weekend. Optimism following the meeting was high.
On February 19, 2008, Robin Miller reported on SPEED and Curt Cavin blogged on IndyStar.com that the managements of Indy Racing League and Champ Car have come to an agreement to become one entity. The move would effectively end a 12-year split and reunite American Open Wheel racing. Meanwhile, Brian Barnhart announced that Tony George is negotiating the unification, and an inventory of available IndyCar chassis and equipment for the Champ Car teams is underway. On February 22, Cavin initially reported that no deal had been reached between the IRL and CCWS in a lengthy dinner meeting between George and CCWS president Kevin Kalkhoven the previous evening. Later in the day, however, it was reported that the merger deal had been completed, confirmed by George, and that it would be formally announced at a press conference the following week.
Rule changes
Semi-automatic paddle shifters became mandatory for full time series entrants, while remaining optional for Indianapolis 500-only entries. Cars were fitted with a "Zylon" synthetic-fiber intrusion barrier. For the oval track events, qualifying changed from single-lap to two-lap average speed, similar to that used at Indianapolis in most years since 1920. Fuel mixture adjustment control was reinstated. Due to the added cars brought by unification, the road and street course qualifying procedure was altered to a knockout qualifying format (similar to Formula One), beginning with a pair of preliminary sessions, each composed of half of the field, the six fastest drivers from each preliminary session going to a third session and the six fastest drivers from that session competing for the pole in the Firestone Fast Six.
Revenue sharing
In an effort to enhance full-time participation, the IndyCar Series announced a revenue sharing plan entitled IndyCar TEAM (Team Enhancement and Allocation Matrix) for 2008. Teams would receive a minimum of US$1.2 million for each car competing in the full schedule. Race purses were eliminated for all events except for the Indianapolis 500. The top five finishers in each race were eligible for special cash bonuses. The total purse for the 2008 Indianapolis 500 increased with the winner receiving US$2.5 million, 33rd place paying no less than $270,000. Indy-only entries were eligible for the $270,000 minimum along with the full-season entries. The entire race purse totalled at least US$13.4 million, not including contingency awards. In 2007, race winner Dario Franchitti received $1,645,233, and last place Roberto Moreno won $224,805. The season champion won $1 million, as they had in earlier seasons. Second through fifth in the season championship were eligible for cash bonuses.