More merger moves

In what could be a sign of things to come, a highly regarded Champ Car official has joined an Indy Racing League team.
Andretti Green Racing, which has a four-car team in the IRL IndyCar Series, hired Paul "Ziggy" Harcus on Tuesday as its team manger. Harcus was the director of operations for the Champ Car World Series.
"Paul is a great addition to our team," said Andretti Green's chief executive officer Kim Green, who co-owns Andretti Green with partners Michael Andretti and Kevin Savoree. "He has a wealth of experience and great knowledge that allows him to join Andretti Green and make an immediate contribution to our organization."
The IRL and Champ Car World Series have been in merger negotiations for the past two weeks. One IRL official said this is the closest the two sides have been to unifying since open-wheel racing in the United States split into two separate factions, the IRL and CART, the predecessor of Champ Car, in 1996.
Wire, newspaper and online reports indicate that a merger announcement could come as early as Friday, with the IRL absorbing a handful of Champ Car races and teams.