Panther to continue, signs Meira.

Panther Racing's uncertain future looks certain to include a single-car Indy Racing League campaign, following reports that the team had inked a deal with former Rahal Letterman driver Vitor Meira.

Without the finances to guarantee the continuation of its two-car assault on the series, which it won twice in a row with Sam Hornish Jr, Panther appeared to be teetering between a scaled-back effort and complete closure, but the Indianapolis Star claims that a deal has been struck to field Meira with backing from long-term partner Pennzoil.

Although the amount of money coming from the fuel giant won't be anything like as much as in the team's glory days, when Hornish took his titles in the characteristic yellow machine, perennial runner-up Meira should be able to push the #4 Dallara-Honda towards the front of the pack after the team sold off a lot of its surplus equipment at auction to raise funds for the season.

With the Meira deal a possibility, Panther apparently held back - or even bought back - many of the items needed to run a car this year and still owns five competition cars. A second entry for the Indianapolis 500 - the one race to continue to draw drivers and sponsors out of the woodwork - remains a possibility.