2009 Atlantic Championship.........

All about the IRL Indy Pro Series and the Atlantic Championship

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2009 Atlantic Championship.........

Post by mlittle » Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:06 pm

2009 Atlantic Championship Schedule........................


~~Rd. 1--15 March 2009, Hutchinson Island/Savannah, Ga.(Green Prix USA)*
~~Rd. 2--20 March 2009, Sebring International Raceway(ALMS)
~~Rd. 3--17 May 2009, Miller Motorsports Park(ALMS)
~~Rd. 4--14 June 2009, New Jersey Motorsports Park(Feature)**
~~Rd. 5--18 July 2009, Lime Rock Park(ALMS)
~~Rd. 6--25 July 2009, Autobahn Club of Chicago(Feature)*
~~Rd. 7--8 August 2009, Mid Ohio Sports Car Course(IndyCar Series)
~~Rd. 8--16 August 2009, Trois Rivieres(Feature)
~~Rd. 9--30 August 2009, Mosport International Raceway(ALMS)
~~Rd. 10--27 Sept. 2009, Road Atlanta(ALMS)
~~Rd. 11--11 October 2009, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca(ALMS)
*--subject to IMSA/ACCUS homologation
**--possible doubleheader weekend
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LeFevre to race for Condor in 2009

Post by mlittle » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:37 am

At least one Atlantic seat has been filled for the 2009 Atlantic Championship season as Condor Motorsports recently signed French driver Max Lefevre, 2008 French Renault Challenge champion, for their 2009 campaign after a 3-day test at Buttonwillow Raceway in California.....quotes from the announcement.

~~Max Lefevre, Condor Motorsports,
All the members of Condor Motorsports succeeded in making me feel at home and this helped me build confidence and adapt to the car within the first day. Working on car setups at Condor's level of professionalism was a real treat. The know how, and the way I was looked after during the whole three days of the test confirmed that Carlos Bobeda was the perfect person for me to make my first steps in American racing. I am very excited with the opportunity to compete in this high-level series and look forward to the start of the Atlantic season.
~~Carlos Bobeda, Team Owner--Condor Motorsports,
"He adapted very quickly to the race track and the Atlantic car and was turning competitive times from the onset. The whole team is excited to have Max in our driver lineup for 2009. He is definitely someone to watch in 2009. "It was (a) pleasure to work with Max. I was not only impressed by his driving ability but also his professional approach. He never put a wheel wrong in all the laps he turned. Max has achieved good results in the European lower formulas so there was no doubt in my mind that he would do well in the test. However, his performance in the more powerful Atlantic car was far superior to the expectations I placed on him.
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Atlantic Championship Announces 2009 Prize Purses

Post by mlittle » Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:42 pm

Image

The 2009 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda will feature a $1 million prize to the series champion as part of $3 million in prize money, series officials announced today. The $1 million champion’s prize is the most lucrative championship payout in a North American open-wheel driver development series. The driver who finishes second in the 2009 Atlantic Championship will receive $500,000, with the remaining $1.5 million to be paid out in per-event race purses.

----Ben Johnston, President--Atlantic Championship:
This is a significant prize package that should attract top drivers from all over the world to the Atlantic Championship this season. The $1 million champion’s prize is not a scholarship. This is $1 million in cold hard cash that the champion may use in whatever way he or she sees fit. Likewise, the $500,000 prize for the driver who finishes second in the championship far exceeds what most other driver development series pay out to their champions, while the $1.5 million in per-race purses makes every race an opportunity for the drivers to win big money.
Last year, the Atlantic Championship offered $1.6 million in prize money, with $300,000 going to series champion Markus Niemela. With nearly double the prize money available in 2009, it is expected that the increased prizes will be a major incentive to help Atlantic teams to recruit drivers.

In addition to the $3 million prize package, bonus and contingency prizes will continue to be offered in the 2009 Atlantic Championship, including the $1,000 Cooper Tire Pole Award for the fastest qualifier at each race. The Cooper Tire Pole Award has been a mainstay in the Atlantic Championship since Cooper joined the series as presenting sponsor and official tire in 2007.

The 12-race 2009 Atlantic Championship will get underway on Friday, March 20 at Sebring International Raceway in support of the prestigious Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh From Florida for the American Le Mans Series.

The series will run seven weekends alongside the American Le Mans Series, while “headlining” events at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, New Jersey Motorsports Park and Autobahn Country Club in suburban Chicago. The Atlantic Championship runs alongside both the American Le Mans Series and the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on the weekend of August 8.
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Post by mlittle » Fri Feb 06, 2009 3:27 pm

Quotes from Purse Announcement..................

~~Chris Pantani, Cooper Tire Motorsports Director,
This is an exciting day for the Atlantic Championship. The $1 million dollar prize is an extremely attractive award for the premier open-wheel development series. The reality of it is that a young driver will actually walk away with a check for $1 million dollars as a series champion.
~~Robert Davis, Senior VP--Mazda North American Motorsports,
The Atlantic Championship is the highest rung of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports open wheel ladder. Mazda works hard to help talented drivers move from karts to Skip Barber to Star Mazda to Atlantic. It’s great to see that the Atlantic series is making sure they can move upward as well. Mazda has already committed to offering the 2009 Atlantic champion a test drive with both our ALMS LMP2 and Grand-Am GT Mazda powered teams. Our teams appreciate the deep talent pool such that they can promote from within the family.
~~John Edwards, Driver--Newman/Wachs Racing,
I was one of the few ready to go before the prize money was announced, but to hear that the champion will get a million dollars and second place $500,000 is a huge bonus. It is pretty rare and I think will attract even more drivers. Most series don’t offer anything to anyone outside of the champion, and I think this is just one more reason why the Atlantic Championship is the top series in junior open wheel.
~~Carlos Bobeda, Owner--Condor Motorsports,
There is no doubt that this announcement is the most exciting news that team owners and drivers alike have received in a long time. As team owners, it allows us to offer a driver the best opportunity to enhance their careers, not only by participating in one of the best driver development series in the world, but also by guaranteeing them a future in years to come. It's been known that in the past, awards of this caliber had many strings attached. This time it is clear. If you win the 2009 Atlantic Championship, you can use the money to go anywhere you see fit to continue your racing career. I've seen many drivers become champions one year and sit on the sidelines the next due to lack of sponsorship or funding to continue. The Atlantic Championship is now offering them a chance to make their best racing move of they careers.
~~Brian Halahan, Team Manager--Newman/Wachs Racing,
We are pleased that our questions and concerns about the upcoming season have been addressed and we can finally move forward with this year’s preparations. To compete as a Series in today’s economy, a substantial prize fund is crucial to attract drivers. The system that has been put into place is a good solution and should make for another strong championship. Things have been looking good, and the phone has been ringing to fill our second seat alongside John Edwards, who brings MAZDASPEED sponsorship. We’re now focusing on the month ahead in preparation for Sebring.
~~Bob Gelles, Owner--Gelles Racing,
As a long-standing team owner in the Atlantic Championship, obviously, it’s the most grand prize that they’ve ever offered. The fact that the driver can take the cash and go wherever he wants to advance his career, anywhere in the world, it’s phenomenal.
~~Shane Senevirante, Owner--US RaceTronics,
The Atlantic community has been involved in constructive dialog in the past few weeks, and I am very satisfied to see those conversations and feedback stating to take shape. These are tough times for any industry and I am very encouraged to see the Atlantic series show strength with a $3 million prize fund. I am grateful to (Atlantic Championship President) Ben Johnston for his commitment to the series and its teams. I am very enthusiastic to support him and his wonderful staff in building a strong series. Our team looks forward to the 2009 season and will be making driver announcements shortly.
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New team in the works..........

Post by mlittle » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:30 am

(quoting from multiple sources)..................

~~~~ Tampa real estate tycoon and multimillionaire Jamie Rand today announced that he has purchased the entire inventory from an undisclosed race team with an eye toward competing in the 2009 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda.

Rand’s purchase includes two complete Atlantic racecars and all the spares needed to field a two-car effort in the 12-race 2009 Atlantic Championship, which gets underway on March 20 at Sebring International Raceway.

Rand has partnered with Chris Hall in this new venture. The UK-born Hall has competed as a professional racecar driver for more than 25 years and is currently driving in the American Le Mans Series. He owns five championships in competition in the UK and in the United States, and has finished on the podium more than 200 times in his career.

Rand and Hall determined that the time was right to enter the Atlantic Championship, given the series’ recent announcement that $3 million in purse and prize money. The 2009 Atlantic awards package features a $1 million prize for the series champion and $130,000 in purses for every race weekend.

“(Atlantic Championship President) Ben Johnston’s commitment this year means a lot to me and for that reason there is no better place to run this year than in the Atlantic Championship,” said Rand. “With the largest prize money in North America for open-wheel racing, I have been getting many phone calls. I’ve been in heavy discussions with some of the hottest drivers and several major corporations for sponsorship, including publicly-traded companies.”

Rand and Hall are currently in talks with several other teams and drivers to find the best “win-win-scenario. They hope announce their 2009 driver lineup shortly.

Anyone interested in testing with Rand and Hall is encouraged to contact Rand at [email protected]
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Post by mlittle » Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:51 pm

Current 2009 Atlantic Championship Driver Lineup


~~Condor Motorsports(2): Borja Garcia, Max Lefevre
~~Team Stargate Worlds(2): Simona de Silvestro, Frankie Muniz
~~Conquest Racing(2): Harald Schlegelmilch, James Winslow
~~Genoa Racing(2): Alexander Rossi, Frederic Vervisch, Jonathan Summerton
~~Mathiasen Motorsports(1): Jonathan Bomarito
~~Newman-Wachs Racing(2): John Edwards, Markus Niemala
~~Jensen Motorsports(2): Matt Lee, Michael Nacol
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Winslow to compete in Atlantics w/Conquest in 2009

Post by mlittle » Thu Mar 19, 2009 9:59 am

(quoting from Conquest Racing press release, 17 March 2009)
~~~Conquest Racing to Field Second Car with James Winslow at Atlantic Championship Race in Sebring

INDIANAPOLIS (March 17, 2009) - Conquest Racing today confirmed that British racecar driver James Winslow will be behind the wheel of their #12 Atlantic car at this week's Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda race at Sebring International Raceway. Winslow will be joining teammate Harald Schlegelmilch who drives the team's #21 entry.

Winslow, the reigning Australian Formula 3 champion, will be making his Atlantic debut at the 3.7-mile, 17-turn road course which hosts the famed 12-hours of Sebring race. Although this will be his first time aboard an Atlantic car, Winslow is already familiar with the Conquest Racing team.

"I know the team having tested a Champ Car with them before in 2007 and got on with them really well," said the 25-year-old Winslow. "I'm very confident that Conquest will put out a very strong car at Sebring and I'm looking forward to repaying their faith in selecting me as one of their drivers for this race."

Prior to winning his 2008 Championship on the strength of six wins and 11 podiums, Winslow was crowned the Formula Renault V6 Champion in 2007 after collecting four wins and nine podium finishes. In 2006, he scored eight wins while capturing the Asian Formula 3 title. He took Rookie of the Year honors in that same series in 2005 and won the ARP Formula 3 Championship in 2004. Winslow was also a driver for A1GP Team Great Britain in 2007 and 2008.

"James has proven himself in many other racing series in Europe and Australia and we're glad to be welcoming him to North America for this race in Sebring," told Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart. "We know James from back in 2007 when he tested one of our Champ Cars and from what we know of him we expect him to do well in the Atlantic cars."
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Sebring Startling Grid

Post by mlittle » Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:15 pm

1. 19 Jonathan Summerton Genoa Racing 1:53.571 117.283
2. 36 John Edwards Newman Wachs Racing 1:53.715 117.135
3. 17 Frederic Vervisch* Genoa Racing 1:53.625 117.228
4. 21 Harald Schlegelmilch Conquest Racing 1:53.810 117.037
5. 6 Borja Garcia* Condor Motorsports 1:53.984 116.859
6. 1 Markus Niemela Newman Wachs Racing 1:54.083 116.757
7. 26 Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 1:54.206 116.631
8. 78 Simona De Silvestro Team Stargate Worlds 1:54.525 116.306
9. 77 Frankie Muniz Team Stargate Worlds 1:54.846 115.981
10. 2 Matt Lee Jensen MotorSport 1:54.955 115.871
11. 35 Tonis Kasemets Polestar Motor Racing 1:55.036 115.790
12. 7 Max Lefevre* Condor Motorsports 1:56.130 114.699
13. 12 James Winslow* Conquest Racing 1:56.531 114.304
14. 88 Mirl Swan* Swan Racing 1:58.965 111.966
15. 75 Sadat Yelkin* Swan Racing 1:59.275 111.675
16. 29 Ahsen Yelkin* Swan Motorsports 2:00.304 110.720
17. 68 Chris Lee* Swan Racing 2:01.561 109.575
18. 3 Michael Nacol Jensen MotorSport 2:01.619 109.522
19. 71 Michael Mallinen* Swan Racing 2:04.026 107.397
*--series rookie
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Edwards dominates in Sebring victory

Post by mlittle » Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:19 pm

(quoting from IMSA and Atlantic reports)
SEBRING, Fla. (March 20, 2009) - Two years after becoming the youngest driver in the history of the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, John Edwards scored his first career Atlantic victory and a $50,000 winner's paycheck in Friday's season opener at Sebring International Raceway.

Driving the No. 36 MAZDASPEED
Motorsports Development/Nuclear Clean Air Energy/NEI/Entergy machine for Newman Wachs Racing, Edwards started second and charged into the lead on the race's standing start ahead of polesitter Jonathan Summerton. From there, the Cincinnati, Ohio resident never looked back, cruising to a 4.731-second victory over rookie Frederic Vervisch. Edwards' victory eclipsed a previous best result of second, which he achieved at Toronto in his rookie Atlantic season of 2007. Last year, Edwards competed in Star Mazda and took the series championship.

"It was an incredible feeling just pulling into pit lane and seeing all of the cameras coming to me," said Edwards. "It was a great race. I have to thank my engineer, Nick Harvey, and the team for putting the car together, because it was really easy to drive, almost, in the first few laps and that's where I gained the gap. Luckily, I had the teammates racing behind me, so I got to pull out a little more of a gap. From there, I just kept looking forward and pulling a gap."

Vervisch was the first of two Genoa Racing drivers to finish on the podium, coming home with a second-place trophy from the first Atlantic race of the career. The Belgian, driving the No. 17 Genoa Racing machine, had the best result for a driver making his series debut since Canadian Robert Wickens also finished second in his Atlantic debut in Las Vegas two years ago.

"The start was good, so we could take one position," Vervisch explained. "Then, I was looking a little bit to John Edwards to see how his pace was. I had the feeling we could follow or catch up. There was a full-course yellow and on the restart I really focused on John and not on the ones behind me. There was a white car in my mirrors and it was Jonathan (Summerton) and I knew he would take me in the first corner, so we lost some time, because the rule is I cannot block so he passed. I saw I was faster and John was getting away, so I did the same move in the same spot and he didn't block me either. From then, John already had an advantage and I was just trying to catch up, but it was difficult. My second goal was just to finish the race on the podium."

Summerton rounded out the podium with a third-place performance in the No. 19 Genoa Racing machine. The Kissimmee, Fla. resident admitted to having trouble on the race's standing start and enjoyed a good battle with his teammate before settling for third. It was the sixth podium result of Summerton's 12-race Atlantic career, and his first podium since placing second in the penultimate round of the championship at Miller Motorsports Park last September.

"We started out with a bit of a problem at the start," Summerton explained. "The clutch wasn't grabbing at all for me, so I basically short shifted up the gears and got to third and then it started grabbing. Then, I had to downshift back to second to get the acceleration. In the first corner, we had lost three spots, so I was down to fourth, and was able to get one back by Turn 2. Then, I just started chasing the other two. Of course, we had that full-course yellow, and from there, I tried my best, but I just didn't have a car to follow behind anybody. We had a car for out front."

Latvian rookie Harald Schlegelmilch was solid throughout his first Atlantic weekend and came home fourth in the No. 21 Conquest Racing entry. Schlegelmilch was inside the top five virtually throughout every practice and qualifying session leading up to the race.

Simona De Silvestro rounded out the top five in the No. 78 Stargate Worlds/Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment/FireSky/Cardinal Technologies machine for Team Stargate Worlds. It was De Silvestro's fifth career top-five performance in Atlantic competition, and her third consecutive top-five run dating back to a fourth-place performance at Miller Motorsports Park last season.

Two would-be contenders were involved in a frightening incident on the opening lap of the race, as defending series champion Markus Niemela and 2008 championship runner-up Jonathan Bomarito tangled in Turn 17. Both made hard contact with the tire barrier, and Niemela's No. 1 Mr. Jones/Nuclear Clean Air Energy/Entergy/NWR machine landed upside down on top of the barrier.

Bomarito quickly scrambled from his No. 26 Mathiasen Motorsports car to aid the safety workers in turning Niemela's car back onto its wheels, and Niemela emerged from the car under his own power. The Finnish driver was transported to nearby Highlands Regional Medical Center for observation, but was expected to be released early Friday evening.

The C2 category, which is back for the first time since the 2005 Atlantic Championship season, was won by owner/driver Mirl Swan in the No. 88 Everclear Specialty Lubricants machine for Swan Racing. Swan started from the C2 pole position and led every lap, winning by more than 11 seconds over teammate Sadat Yelkin in the identically sponsored No. 75 machine.

"The guys have worked real hard to get the cars here," Swan said. "It was hard work. We had a rather small crew for the five cars, and to get to come to Florida in March is a great opportunity to get out of the cold weather up north, so all the guys were glad to get here. The battle my teammate, Sadat, was really good. It was really close early on. I think I had an advantage in Turn 1 and slowly started to pull away and had a bit of a gap at the end, but it was a good race."
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Post by mlittle » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:28 am

~~~Primetime Race Group Expands Into Atlantic Championship


As the 2009 racing season begins to unfold, Primetime Race Group has decided to spread its diversity into the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda with the addition of a two-car effort aimed at the $1 million series championship.

American Le Mans Series Team owner Joel Feinberg and team manager Brent O’Neill, in a joint venture with entrepreneur Jamie Rand, have acquired the 2008 championship-winning No. 8 car and the No. 88 car from Brooks Associates Racing. The team intends to campaign both cars for a repeat performance in the 2009 championship.

“These cars are proven to be competitive and for them to not be running at a time when the grids need to be filled made our decision an easy one,” O’Neill said. “The entire Atlantic organization including Mazda, Cooper Tires, and Ben Johnston have provided an unmatched opportunity to race at a competitive level giving drivers the ability to earn big money and big exposure.”

Primetime will provide a full-service, arrive and drive program for interested drivers and will deliver the highest standard of race support available. Programs will include private testing, full data analysis and driver coaching, PR and marketing activation, as well the ability to co-brand potential sponsors with the team’s ALMS effort. While the team’s goal is to win a championship, its focus will be geared towards funded drivers who are seeking a reputable team capable of fielding an ultra competitive program.

“This is a move for Primetime that gives us another opportunity to expand our brand under the IMSA umbrella at a point in time when racing needs us,” said Feinberg. “With the commitment of Ben Johnston, the Atlantics have become the biggest bang for your buck. In the times that we’re in, this opportunity couldn’t be passed up. The move will be beneficial to everyone involved as it will bring more cars to the grid, more drivers to the series, and allow Primetime to continue to grow even bigger.”

The Atlantic Championship features a $1 million prize for the series champion, $500,000 to the runner up, and $200,000 going to third place with all drivers earning points from their best 11 finishes in the 12-race season. Additionally, most 2009 Atlantic events offer a $50,000 winner’s purse, making Atlantic purses among the richest in all of North American open-wheel racing. As if this is not enough reason for Primetime to participate, the series also shares six of its remaining race weekends with the American Le Mans Series at Miller Motorsports Park, Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Mosport International Raceway, Road Atlanta and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

“We are obviously thrilled to welcome Primetime Race Group to the Atlantic Championship,” said Atlantic Championship President Ben Johnston. “Joel and Brent have earned a reputation for fielding a first-class program in the American Le Mans Series, and this is exactly the type of team we need in Atlantic. We’re looking forward to seeing the two Primetime cars on the grid next month at Miller Motorsports Park, throughout the 2009 season and hopefully well into the future.”

“Primetime Race Group could not have acquired two better cars for its initial foray into the Atlantic Championship,” added Atlantic Championship Executive Vice President Vicki O’Connor. “That No. 8 car was clearly a front-runner throughout the 2008 Atlantic season and the No. 88 was also a top contender at many of our events last year. It would come as no surprise if the two Primetime cars were at the front right off the truck in Utah.”

About Primetime Race Group
The Primetime team is known for their rapid growth and ability to build their brand. In just 4 years since its entry to IMSA, it has grown from a single car in IMSA Lites, to a full scale American Le Mans Championship competitor returning for their second full season in the #11 GT2 Viper. With multiple entries in IMSA Lites and SPEED World Challenge over the last 3 seasons, Primetime has hand carved its name into the record books as well as the heart of the fans. Through its development in IMSA Lites and their GT2 program they have become a fixture within the paddock and will continue to build on this success for years to come. www.primetimeracegroup.com
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De Silvestro Sweeps Utah Weekend

Post by mlittle » Mon May 18, 2009 5:47 pm

Image


Things to do on a race weekend..........
---lead all practice sessions.................check!
---qualify on the pole..........................check!
---set fast lap of the race....................check!
---win race in dominating fashion.........check!


Simona De Silvestro had a perfect weekend at Round 2 of the 12-race 2009 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship, the $50,000-to-win Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park.

The 20-year-old Swiss racer led both practice sessions on Friday, took her first career Atlantic pole position on Saturday and dominated Sunday’s race to score the second victory of her Atlantic career. Driving the No. 78 Stargate Worlds/CME/FireSky/Cardinal Technologies/Maakoa machine, De Silvestro sped into the lead as soon as the lights went out on the race’s standing start and quickly checked out on the rest of the field, leading throughout the 50-minute, 31-lap race. The Team Stargate Worlds driver won by 11.7 seconds ahead of John Edwards.

It was De Silvestro’s first Atlantic win since the 2008 season opener at Long Beach, where she became the second woman in series history to win a race behind Katherine Legge, who won three races in 2005. On Saturday, De Silvestro became the second woman in series history to win a pole position behind Danica Patrick, who took a pole position at Portland in 2004. De Silvestro became the first woman in series history to win a race after starting from the pole position.
It feels awesome. We had the perfect weekend. We led every session, we had pole, and I think we had fastest lap during the race. Team Stargate Worlds just did a great job. The car was really good. I just could drive every time the same lap time and we kind of pulled away. It looked easy but it was pretty hard to be consistently fast, especially running after ALMS (practice). It was pretty slippery. I’m just really happy to have won my second race in the Atlantic series.
Edwards, who earned a $50,000 check for his victory in Round 1 of the 2009 championship at Sebring in March, quickly moved up from fourth on the starting grid to second on the opening lap in the No. 36 MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development/Nuclear Clean Air Energy/NEI/Entergy car for Newman Wachs Racing. While De Silvestro set sail, Edwards spent the remainder of the race with Belgian rookie Frederic Vervisch filling his mirrors. He was able to keep Vervisch behind him throughout the race to secure second place and keep the lead in the point standings after two of 12 races. The 18-year-old Edwards leads De Silvestro by five points, 36-31 in the race for the $1 million title.
When we’re talking about the championship before the year, we’re always thinking about top three, top five, so my goal today was to move up from fourth up into the top three. Luckily, (Jonathan) Summerton went off during the first lap and gave me second, but there was just no catching Simona today. We’re definitely focused on the championship. So far, I’ve had a first and a second, so I’m still in the lead, and hopefully we can keep that podium streak going in the next two rounds.
Vervisch came home third to earn his second podium result in as many Atlantic Championship starts in the No. 17 Genoa Racing entry. The Belgian previously finished second in the season opener at Sebring and is just one point behind De Silvestro and six out of the championship lead with two races now in the books. He also leads the Rookie of the Year standings by 17 points over James Winslow.
A podium is, of course, good. We couldn’t win today because Simona was too strong, but we could have had second because, definitely, we were quite a bit faster than John. Just at the last part of the track, we had some problems with the car to have a good exit. That made it really difficult to overtake. I’m happy that I finished the race and have the points, but I’m not happy that I’m not second, because we had a pace, for sure, to be second. He defended it well, he did a good race, and Simona did a great job and her team also. I’m happy with the result.
Scoring a career-best fourth place result and making it two Team Stargate Worlds cars inside the top four was Frankie Muniz in the No. 77 Stargate Worlds/CME/FireSky/Cardinal Technologies/Maakoa entry. Muniz started seventh and spent most of the race battling for fourth with Borja Garcia and defending series champion Markus Niemela. He capitalized on last-lap contact between Garcia and Niemela to take fourth, earning the $2,000 Hard Charger bonus and a bonus championship point for improving the most positions from start to finish. The actor-turned-racer’s previous best result was a ninth-place run at Toronto in 2007.

Atlantic veteran Tonis Kasemets completed the top five in the No. 18 Genoa Racing machine. The Estonian finished seventh at Sebring with Polestar Motor Racing before moving to Genoa Racing for Round 2 in Utah. After dropping to the tail of the field due to an opening-lap off-course excursion, Summerton fought his way back to finish sixth in the No. 19 machine to give Genoa Racing three of the top six finishers.

Michael Mallinen claimed the C2 class victory in the No. 71 Mallinen Properties machine for Swan Racing and finished 10th overall. Following the race, series officials excluded Garcia from the final results when it was determined that he violated IMSA Code 5.5 (blocking) and 5.6 (avoidable contact) in the incident with Niemela.


~~~Race Results, Larry H. Miller Utah Grand Prix
1. (1) Simona De Silvestro, No. 78 Team Stargate Worlds, 31.
2. (4) John Edwards, No. 36 Newman Wachs Racing, 31.
3. (3) Frederic Vervisch (R), No. 17 Genoa Racing, 31.
4. (7) Frankie Muniz, No. 77 Team Stargate Worlds, 31.
5. (6) Tonis Kasemets, No. No. 18 Genoa Racing, 31.
6. (2) Jonathan Summerton, No. 19 Genoa Racing, 31.
7. (10) Max Lefevre (R), No. 7 Condor Motorsports, 31.
8. (9) James Winslow (R), No. 2 Jensen MotorSport, 31.
9. (10) Matt Lee, No. 2 Jensen MotorSport, 19.
10. (12) Michael Mallinen, No. 71 Swan Racing, 29.
11. (11) Michael Nacol (R), No. 3 Jensen MotorSport, 29.
*12. (6) Borja Garcia (R), No. 6 Condor Motorsports, excluded.

Time of Race: 51:25.717
Average Speed: 110.236 mph
Margin of Victory: 11.700 seconds
Lap leaders: De Silvestro, 1-31.
Lead changes: None.
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Atlantic Championship announces new website

Post by mlittle » Tue May 19, 2009 9:29 am

Redesigned Atlantic-Championship.com Now Online

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (May 14, 2009) - The official website of the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda has been completely redesigned and is now online at www.atlantic-championship.com .

The redesigned site features news, results and photos, as well as a wealth of information on drivers, teams, sponsors and the series itself. Over the days, weeks and months to come, new features will be continually added, including items such as a photo gallery, video highlights and interviews.

"We are excited to relaunch Atlantic-Championship.com with a whole new look just in time for this weekend's race at Miller Motorsports Park," said Atlantic Championship Executive Vice President Vicki O'Connor. "The new look of the site enables us to once again establish our own identity. The beauty of websites is that updates and new features can be performed constantly, and this new site will evolve considerably."

The Atlantic Championship returns to action this weekend for the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix after a two-month break. John Edwards leads the race for the $1 million champion's prize into Utah by virtue of his victory in the season-opening race at Sebring International Raceway in March. Edwards earned $50,000 for that victory.

The Atlantic Championship is the longest-running open-wheel driver development series in North America and celebrated its 35th Anniversary season in 2008, with Finnish rookie Markus Niemela taking the series championship in the final race of the season. With a $1 million champion's prize and a total of $3 million in prize money up for grabs, the 2009 Atlantic Championship offers one of the most lucrative prize packages in North American open-wheel racing.

The series is noted for its long history of graduating its drivers into the top levels of motorsport throughout the world, including IndyCar drivers such as Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Danica Patrick, Dan Wheldon, Graham Rahal and Raphael Matos, Formula One world champions such as Jacques Villeneuve and Keke Rosberg, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Sam Hornish Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger and sports car stars like Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney, Michael Valiante, Joey Hand and Simon Pagenaud.

Atlantic Championship graduates have won races and championships at the highest levels of motorsport, including Formula 1, IndyCar and Champ Car, and sports cars. In 2009, Atlantic graduates will again be top competitors in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, the American Le Mans Series, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and even the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series among many others. Learn more about Atlantic at www.atlantic-championship.com.
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Lee rejoins Conquest Racing for Lime Rock round

Post by mlittle » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:39 am

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Conquest Racing is returning to the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda this weekend. Joining the team for the race at Lime Rock Park is former Conquest Atlantic driver Matt Lee along with sponsorship from JOJO Energy Drink.

“It will be nice to return to Atlantic racing for a second time this year,” said Conquest team owner Eric Bachelart. “We’ve worked with Matt in the past and we’re happy to be working with him again for this race.”

Lee previously drove for the Conquest Racing Atlantic team in 2007 alongside Giacomo Ricci. More recently, he competed at the 2009 Atlantic Championship season-opener in Sebring with Jensen Motorsports and took part in a couple of Firestone Indy Lights races at Watkins Glen in 2008. Prior to joining Conquest in 2007, the Syosset, NY-native finished second in the Formula BMW USA championship in 2006. This will be Lee’s third start at Lime Rock Park. In two races at the 10-turn, 1.51-mile permanent road course in the Formula BMW USA series in 2006, he started one race in 23rd and moved up to finish seventh while he started on pole and went on to finish runner-up in the second event.

“I’m really excited to be back with Conquest Racing this weekend,” expressed 19-year-old Lee. “I enjoyed driving for them in 2007 and we had a good test together yesterday at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Things are very encouraging heading into the weekend. It feels good to be back in the car in the Atlantic Series and to be racing at Lime Rock Park. It’s like my home race because it’s so close to where I live. I’m also happy to be partnered with JOJO Energy Drinks and to be part of their motor sports program. They’re a great company to be associated with.”
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:44 am

Updated Atlantic Championship Standings(top-10).......

1st} Simona de Silvestro, 68 pts
2nd} Jonathan Summerton, 60 pts
3rd} John Edwards, 55 pts
4th} Frederick Vervisch, 52 pts
t-5th}[5]Borja Garcia, 32 pts
t-5th}[6]Tonis Kasemets, 32 pts
7th} Markus Niemala, 31 pts
8th} Frankie Muniz, 29 pts
9th} James Winslow, 23 pts
10th} Max Lefevre, 13 pts
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De Silvestro on point in Lime Rock

Post by mlittle » Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:19 pm

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Simona de Silvestro earned her third pole on the 2009 season today on what was a very wet qualifying session on the 1.53-mile road course in Lakeville, Conn. She did it on her final lap in the closing minutes. First appearing to slow down, de Silvestro was only setting up her Team Stargate Worlds Swift powered by Mazda for her flying lap.

"It was crazy, especially with the rain. We started with a new set of rain tires, so it took a long while to get grip," said de Silvestro. "I caught traffic at the end, so I was really nervous, but I could put one lap together on the last lap. It was just a perfect lap."

Laying down a time of 59.624 (90.568 mph), de Silvestro bested the earlier fast time held by Borja Garcia by nearly three-tenths of a second at the Lime Rock Park road course.

"I really have to thank the whole Stargate team, because they were running around just before the session because they didn't know what to do with the cars," de Silvestro added. "I really want to thank (engineer) Burke Harrison, too, for giving me a car like this every weekend. I hope we can keep it like this tomorrow and win tomorrow. I'm really excited."

Rookie driver Borja Garcia, who competes for Condor Motorsports, was sitting pretty on the top of the speedcharts for most of the session but all it took was one competitor to snatch away what would have been his first career pole. "Until the last lap, I was on pole, but on the last lap, Simona was faster by three tenths. We'll see tomorrow, because today in the dry conditions, the car is good, and also in the wet," Garcia said.

Instead Garcia has to settle for his first Atlantic Championship career front row start with his flying lap of 59.916 (90.126 mph). "I'm starting on the front row, I don't have anybody in front, and we'll see what happens on the start and also in the race. It's a long race," added Garcia. "I'm really confident, because I think finally my team and I have a good setup for this race and this car. I hope to continue in this way."

Genoa Racing's rookie Frederic Vervisch slots third on the grid with a 1:00.037 (89.945 mph) for Saturday's race. "It was okay. We were on the front row the whole time. The car was actually quite good, and we improved it in the rain from last time in New Jersey. It suited me well. It's only a shame that on the last lap, I went off at the chicane. Otherwise, I think P1 was for sure possible, but we will see how it will work tomorrow," said Vervisch. "It's again P3, so I'm getting used to it. We will do our best for tomorrow."
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