March 2 newsstand: Donoso in? & Unification commentary

Sunday is the day for the columnists to show up, so we have a few commentaries on the unification.

But first, does A.J. have a new driver?
It appears Pablo Donoso has signed a $100,000 deal with A.J. Foyt Racing, according to the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio. A lot of this story is about the purses awarded in the IRL.
The Babelfish translation of the lead paragraph says: "The Chilean will receive 100 thousand dollars annual to run for A. J. Foyt."

Now, the commentaries
Toronto Star: Open-wheel facing bumpy road to recovery
Patrick Carpentier does a lot of whining: "They used their egos and destroyed the sport. Now they have a whole lot of nothing to try to put together ... When you look at those series, you see how little coverage they get and because of that it gets even harder to get sponsors. The kids from around the world who are filthy rich get the seats. The guy who brings the most money is the one who's going to drive."

Scott Goodyear: It's the beginning of a revival
No word on how "in lockstep" the teams are as they look ahead.
Says Scott: "The IndyCar Series of the future will bring all the best open-wheel drivers together in the same series, on the same tracks, driving the same cars, making it easy for fans to understand what they are watching. ... For the casual fan, now there is no confusion about what series they are watching. I believe this will make it easier to build their interest level. The next segment we need to continue to cultivate is the once-a-year fan, the Indy 500-only fan."

St. Pete Times: St. Pete mayor says merger is exciting
Says St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker: "The success of St. Pete's race is tied to the success of IndyCar Racing. This is a move we have been hoping for since IndyCar came to St. Petersburg."

Lorain County (OH) Chronicle-Telegram: Don't call it a merger
Writer Dan Coughlin waxes poetic about the Cleveland race and states his love for road racing: "Cleveland doesn’t fit the IRL format, which is going in circles and bouncing off walls. After all, the Indy Racing League’s name is derived from Indianapolis 500. ... Champ Car specialized in twisting road races, such as the Cleveland Grand Prix at Burke Lakefront Airport. Other races were held on city streets, much like Formula I, and ultimately the concept failed in this country."

From Richmond: Merger could affect series events at RIR
Says the IRL's John Griffin: "From that standpoint, Richmond is in a good position with us."
Says RIR's Aimee Turner: "We do not have a contract (for 2009). We go year-to-year with all of our contracts. By our race this year, we should know about next year."

Seabass' view from Europe
4-time CC champ Sebastien Bourdais complains about how CC waved the white flag.
Says Bourdais: "It is not a merger, it is the death of Champ Car and the IRL taking over, the schedules, cars, everything. ... It is a disaster for Champ Car teams."
Also, from Seabass: "Formula One was the right thing for me to do. I would not have been a contender in any way this year (in the IRL)." Of course, he probably won't be a contender in F1, either.
Stories: Melbourne Herald-Sun, Reuters, Speed TV

Kevin Harvick's view
Would he ever drive an IndyCar? Maybe if the Infineon date changes
Says Harvick: "I'd like to try."

And finally
This is semi-IRL related, but "Voice of the IRL" Mike King and driver Davey Hamilton are trying to revive the Terre Haute Action Track, one of the great dirt half-miles in America.