by Lynne Huntting
The 2008 Champ Car calendar remains unconfirmed after two of its planned 14 rounds were denied
FIA clearance.
Series organisers have confirmed that the European rounds scheduled for Zolder and
Jerez in early June had not been approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council when it met last week. The championship had been due to retutn to Belgium on the weekend of 1 June, before making its first foray to Spain a week later.
Executive VP of strategic development and communications
David Higdon revealed that he had been only been informed that FIA approval had not been granted this week, despite CCWS officials insisting that all was in order immediately after the WMSC meeting.
Apparently, both the Belgian and Spanish national motorsport bodies require more information before the World Motor Sport Council will approve the dates, and Higdon confirmed that enough information had been requested that the matter would take some time to resolve. However, he remained adamant that the season would not be subject to cancellations.
"There will be 14 Champ Car races in 2008," Higdon insisted, aware that the 2007 campaign had been blighted by cancellations - one of which was forced by the FIA witholding approval for an event in China.
