In the mid-1990s, the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and IndyCar were two of the most successful and powerful open-wheel racing series in the world. However, in 1996, the two split up due to disagreements between the two series’ leadership. The main issues were CART’s desire for more international events and IndyCar’s desire for more control over their own events. The split caused a great deal of animosity between the two series for many years, and eventually led to the creation of the Indy Racing League in 1996. In 2008, the two series merged, ending the long-standing rivalry between them.