INDYCAR: KV Racing weighs its options

The direction for KV Racing should be known by the end of the month.

RACER has learned team owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Jimmy Vasser, who completed the most recent Verizon IndyCar Series season with Sebastien Bourdais, are considering three paths for the Chevy-powered program.

The first, which has been in motion for quite some time, involves finding a new partner to fund the continuation of the KV program. In that scenario, Kalkhoven would be absolved from years of financial support to keep the team afloat. The second, where Kalkhoven would continue running and funding the team on his own, has also been suggested.

The third, which has gained momentum this month, would see the liquidation of the team's assets by auction in Indianapolis if a new partner cannot be found, or if Kalkhoven opts to discontinue sponsoring his own team. A final decision on one of the three paths is said to be forthcoming by (or shortly after) the Christmas break, although neither Vasser nor Kalkhoven were available for comment.

Formed in 2003, the Indy 500-winning program has undergone significant changes since the season concluded in September. Former partner and co-owner James "Sulli" Sullivan, Bourdais, and Bourdais' race engineer Olivier Boisson have left, and it's unclear whether Vasser would continue his affiliation with the team. If KV Racing emerges for the 2017 season, acquiring a new driver, engineers and mechanics would need to happen on a very short timeline.

On a related front, Kalkhoven, who owns KV's assets, had planned a move from the team's base in Indy to Carlin Racing's shop in Florida, but that process has been halted. It's believed all of KV's equipment is packed and waiting in its shop and could be relocated to a smaller base in the area if Kalkhoven goes forward on his own.

Some form of transaction between Kalkhoven and championship-winning Indy Lights team owner Trevor Carlin, with a sale of KV's Dallara DW12 Indy cars and associated components, was on the cards in recent months, but those talks appear to have stalled.