Walker Racing team boss Derrick Walker has admitted that teams from the Champ Car World Series electing to take part in the newly-unified American open-wheel series could be in for shock when they see the costs involved in preparing for the new campaign.
Friday's announcement that a merger has been agreed in principle for the warring factions to join together for the 2008 season in one series has left Champ Car teams facing a race against time to be ready for the season opener at Homestead Miami Speedway.
Most of those teams will need to not only secure a Dallara chassis with which to race, but also try and fit in some testing before the season starts and Walker admitted that wasn't going to be a cheap process.
"There is a lot to learn about the new car, which will be a separate learning curve and a separate hurdle," he said. "In the next six weeks the teams have to get cars, kits and all the parts necessary to run the cars, build them and test for at least four to six days, which will be a luxury if they manage it for the first event.
"This process will consume a lot of manpower and money, because the ramp up to that end goal of being at the first race is going to be on a vastly accelerated pace. As a result, we are going to be doing things much quicker in a shorter period of time, which will cost us more money. Plus, acquiring the physical components that are going to be needed, not to mention the spare parts, the wings, the noses, wheels, etc - the car is just the tip of the iceberg.
"Probably the most difficult factor for the teams will be acquainting themselves to an IRL car. There is a lot to be done in a short span of time and, because of the time frame, it will be an expensive six weeks for the teams to endure."
