The Atlantic Championship--A Racing Legacy

All about the IRL Indy Pro Series and the Atlantic Championship

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The Atlantic Championship--A Racing Legacy

Post by mlittle » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:04 pm

Of the various news items that came from the ChampCar weekend in San Jose , two involved its' top-level support series, the Toyota Atlantic Championship. The first was Katherine Legge's third victory of the season on the tight, bumpy San Jose street course. The second was the future plans of what has become, quite possibly, the greatest driver-development series in open-wheel racing to date. But how is this so?

Well, for starters, a who's-who of past, present and future greats have passed through the demanding Atlantics series. That list includes:Gilles Villeneuve, Jacques Villeneuve(both), Keke Rosberg, Danny Sullivan, Bobby Rahal, Michael Andretti, Al Unser, Jr., Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy, Mark Dismore, Patrick Carpentier, Buddy Rice, A.J. Allmendinger, Jon Fogarty, Danica Patrick and Andrew Ranger. In fact, at this year's Indianapolis 500, nine of the 33 drivers could claim Atlantics experience on their racing resumes. Who were these nine? 1-Dan Wheldon(1st), 2-Bryan Herta(3rd), 3-Danica Patrick(4th), 4-Alex Barron(13th), 5-Felipe Giaffone(15th), 6-Roger Yasukawa(18th), 7-Patrick Carpentier(21st), 8-Sam Hornish, Jr.(23rd), and 9-Richie Hearn(25th). In Formula 1, Atlantics alums' Keke Rosberg and Jacuqes Villeneuve went on to become WDC's(Rosberg in 1982, Villeneuve in 1997). Also, going into 2005, Atlantics alums have a combined total of 174 CCWS wins plus 20+ IRL wins(13 by Hornish alone).

The history of the series has also affected motorsports as well. Begun in the early-1970's under the auspices of both the Canadian Automobile Sports Club(CASC) and the Sports Car Club of America(SCCA), the series saw action in Vancouver on a street-circuit course near Westwood, B.C. Drivers from Canadian Bill Brack to Swede Bertil Roos and the legendary Gilles Villeneuve competed at that time, and it was Villeneuve who cemented the series' place, winning in the face of such competitors as Price Cobb, Bobby Rahal, Elliot Forbes-Robinson, James Hunt, Alan Jones, Patrick Depailler, among others. Soon others joined the fight, as racers Danny Sullivan and Kevin Cogan entered the fray. Out of this period came the first of those legends listed above, as Villeneuve would go on to win several F1 races and becoming a favorite of F1 fans until his death during qualifying for an F1 race at Zolder in 1982. Keke Rosberg parlayed his Atlantics' time into a springboard for an F1 title in 1982. Back here in the States', Bobby Rahal would go on to win 3 CART titles('86-87'-92'), along w/the 1986 Indy 500, while Danny Sullivan went on to win the 1985 Indy 500 and 1988 CART title.

During the 1980's the series saw more of the same excitement that marked its' early years. It also endured a split between its' eastern and western divisions from 1985-1990, but the racing continued unabated. After Gilles left, his brother Jacques Villeneuve(the elder of the two), won in 1981, besting drivers such as Geoff Brabham, Chirs Kniefel and Josele Garza. 2 yrs. later, Michael Andretti won, setting a record for youngest series champion(which lasts to this day), beating out fellow drivers Roberto Moreno and Al Unser, Jr. During the rest of the 1980's as the series went through the split, the list of greats continued to grow, as drivers like Scott Goodyear, Paul Tracy, Mark Dismore and others made their mark on the series.

The 1990's saw the reunification of the series' and a new crop of champions, as racers David Empringham and Jacques Villeneuve(the younger) fought a tooth-and-nail fight in 1993, Empringham barely edging out Villeneuve for the title. After a repeat in 1994, Richie Hearn bested him in 1995, while Quebecois Patrick Carpentier won in 1996(ironically, in the first year of the CART/IRL split). At the end of the 1990's, the 1999 series saw some of the most competitve races to date, as some of AOWR's top stars, from Alex Barron, Anthony Lazzaro(currently racing in ALMS), Alex Tagliani and Sam Hornish, Jr. battled for top honors, w/Lazzaro edging out Barron. As in the 1980's, the 1990's saw its' second alum win a WDC, as Jacques Villeneuve won in 1997 driving for Williams.

In 2000, the series continued its' winning ways, as 1999 rookie winner Buddy Rice won the title that year, besting a talented field that would include another future Indy 500 winner, and Englishman named Dan Wheldon. 2 yrs. later, current ALMS racer Jon Fogarty won the first of his two titles, but the 2 most recent series saw the rise of several racers w/the potential to become legends in the sport. 2003 saw a complete dominance of the series by American A.J. Allmendinger, who tied Gilles Villeneuve's record for poles in a year(9) while setting a rookie record for wins, with 7. 2004 saw another hard-fought season as Fogarty, along w/drivers Ryan Dalziel, Danica Patrick and then-Atl. rookie Andrew Ranger all contend for the series title during the year, w/Fogarty besting the others to win his second title. If 2005 continues as it has, it should be just as interesting to watch.

Indeed, those who have competed in the Atlantic series in he past few yrs. have already established their credentials for the future. 2(Rice and Wheldon) have won the Indy 500, while Fogarty and Dalziel are currently racing in the American LeMans Series, and Patrick currently leads in the IRL IndyCar Series rookie standings w/one pole to her credit. A.J. Allmendinger was ChampCar's rookie of the year in 2004, while Atl. grad Ryan Hunter-Reay has 2 wins to his credit(2003-Surfers Paradise and 2004-Milwaukee). If this year's class of Atlantic racers is like their predecessors, expect great things from them in the future.

NOTE; If anyone wants to comment about the Atlantic Championship, feel free to do so; just keep the comments clean.
Last edited by mlittle on Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Julian Mayo » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:06 pm

Who's in the top ten, what is the points spread over the top ten? Does money count,or all the teams on an even footing? how many starters in the field?. What length are the races?. Are they all road circuits ? What is the qualifying format.? How many practice sessions before each race.? What is the prize money? Do they run same day as the Champ cars? Does anyone who counts in senior forms of racing watch them? What is the relaibility of the cars like? eg, how many finish a race? :lol:
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Post by mlittle » Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:50 pm

Questions. questions, questions.....where to start.....

1}Top 10 in pts. currently..1]Charles Zwolsman-243 pts., 2]Tonis Kasemets-210 pts, 3]Katherine Legge-208 pts., 4]Andreas Wirth-202 pts., 5]Antoine Bessette-201 pts, 6]David Martinez-164 pts., 7]Al Unser, III-137 pts., 8}Chris Dyson-95 pts, 9]Chris Souliotis-80 pts., 10]David Selznick-76 pts.

2}Most Atlantic teams are on an equal footing, w/Dyson using money from his ALMS team, and both Legge and Bessette are under PKV Racing's wing for this year.

3}Depends. Most of the races have been between 15-20 racers this year(low, but like ChampCar, it's been a bit of a rebuilding year for the Atlantics).

4}This year, they're all road courses. In past yrs., there's been at least one oval(Milwaukee) and sometimes more(usually Mil. and Chicago Motor Speedway).

5}Qual. is the same as the ChampCars....QS-1 on Fridays, QS-2 on Saturdays. If they're running 2 races at a venue, then just one qual. session earlier in the day, and then they race that afternoon(did that at Portland and Cleveland).

6}Same as the qual. sessions, one per day before the qual. sessions, plus a warm-up session prior to the race(if 1 race that weekend).

7}I'm not sure, but I do believe its' on a 10-1 scale(i.e. if the ChampCar race winner gets $100,000 then the Atlantic race winner gets $10,000, and so on down the line.

8}Yes, they run the same day, usually just before the ChampCar race(if one race that weekend). If there's two, then the first race is usually after the CCWs qual. session on Friday and the second is usually after CC QS-2.

9}Oh, yes. Generally, all the ChampCar teams/drivers watch, since some of the Atlantics racers will be their competitors next year. There's also ALMS teams as well(mainly due to Dyson being an ALMS team owner), as well as a few of the IndyCar teams as well.

10}As with their ChampCar brethern, they're very reliable. Usually, about the only way they don't finish the race is when they either smack the wall, or each other(hasn't been an engine failure to date the past 2+ yrs).
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Post by Julian Mayo » Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:11 am

Thank you Mfer, that gives me a clear picture. I assume you are on leave and not MIA ?
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Post by mlittle » Fri Aug 05, 2005 9:57 am

No, I'm not on leave nor am I an MIA, unlike some of my co-workers who may be physically present at work but mentally...they're a couple of gallons short of a full tank.
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Teams Scrambling to Prepare for 2006 Atlantic Season

Post by mlittle » Fri Aug 12, 2005 3:01 pm

Back on 30 July 2005 ChampCar and Atlantic Championship officials announced their plans for a new and revamped ChampCar Atlantic Championship beginning in 2006. If the reaction of several CCWS, IRL and Atlantic teams is an indication, then their plans may already be bearing fruit. How excited were they? W/in the first week, over 20 of the new Swift 016.a/Cosworth cars had been ordered with an additional ten the past few days.

Vicki O'Connor, managing director for the Atlantic series, said that, "We're delighted and overwhelmed by the response of the teams for next season's ChampCar Atlantic Championship. We started taking orders immediately for new cars following the (San Jose) announcement, and the calls haven't (yet) stopped. We're excited about the teams that will be returning to Atlantics next season, and we welcome the new teams that will be joining us in 2006. With the competitors that will be in the series next year, we're going to have tremendous racing in Atlantics for 2006 and beyond."

As to which teams have committed to the CCAC next year, it is a varied list. Several established Atlantics teams such as Condor Motorsports, Polestar Racing, PR-1 Motorsports, Brooks Associates Racing, Jensen Motorsports, and Gelles Racing have already committed for 2006. In addition, several ChampCar teams will have Atlantics squads in place. Currently, PKV Racing supports both of Polestar's racers, Katherine Legge and Antoine Bessette. Joining PKV next year will be Walker Racing/Team Australia and MiJack-Conquest Racing. In addition, one of the more successful Atlantics teams of the past 5 yrs., Sierra-Sierra(S2) Motorsports, which fielded cars for 2004 Atlantic runner-up Ryan Dalziel and current ChampCar driver Andrew Ranger, will return for the 2006 season.

Surprisingly, two IndyCar series teams, Rahal-Letterman Racing and Panther Racing, have announced either the intent to compete in Atlantics in 2006 or, in Panther's case, are considering fielding an Atlantics team. For Rahal-Letterman Racing, this marks a return to the Atlantic series, where they fielded a two-car team in 2004, and will compete next year w/a one-car team, to be driven by Graham Rahal, who currently races in the Star Mazda Series, if the necessary sponsorship can be raised.

Several of the teams expressed the view that the new incentive package offered by the Atlantic series, including a $2 million USD prize to the '06 series champion that would be for helping secure a ChampCar ride in 2007. "The incentive that ChampCar is offering is the best deal any young driver could ask for," said Carlos Bobeda, owner of Condor Motorsports, whose driver, Charles Zwolsman, currently leads the series pts. table. "We've already begun talking to (several) drivers about next season." Eric Bachelart, owner of the MiJack-Conquest team, agreed w/Bobeda, noting that the incentive program "will (serve) as a motivating force for any driver. Conquest Racing competed for 5 yrs. in the Indy Lights series, so we have a good background in developmental categories. We're pleased about the year-end incentive that they are offering for the champion, and I know that it will attract a lot of drivers and teams to Atlantic competition." If things continue to develop as they have, it should be one very, very interesting (and exciting!) 2006 campaign.
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Fast Facts---Atlantic Championship Rd.10, Denver

Post by mlittle » Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:16 pm

Meanwhile, the Toyota Atlantic Championship began its' weekend in Denver as those racing this weekend got their first qual. session out of the way, and, as been the norm this year, a rookie won the provisional pole for the race. 17-yr. old Alan Sciuto posted the fast lap of the session, setting prov. P1 w/a time of 1:08.692 secs.(86.840 mph) in only his second Atlantic start. Clsoe behind him in second was Brooks Associates Racing's Andreas Wirth, w/a time of 1:08.809 secs.(86.892 mph). Following in the top 5 were the "Flying Dutchman", Charles Zwolsman in 3rd, Tonis Kasemets in 4th and Katherine Legge in 5th.

Here's some fast facts concerning the Atlantic race in Denver on Sunday....

Race Winners:(2002)Jon Fogarty, (2003)A.J. Allmendinger, (2004)Ronnie Bremer

Pole Winners:(2002)Ryan Dalziel, (2003)A.J. Allmendinger, (2004)Jon Fogarty

Fastest Race Lap:(2004)Danica Patrick 1:07.804 secs.(87.977 mph)
Fastest Race Time:(2003)A.J. Allmendinger 44:43.705 (81.745 mph)

Current top 5 in the points table...
1--Charles Zwolsman 243 pts
2--Tonis Kasemets 210 pts
3--Katherine Legge 208 pts
4--Andreas Wirth 202 pts
5--Antoine Bessette 201 pts
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Re: Fast Facts---Atlantic Championship Rd.10, Denver

Post by sgd » Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:30 pm

mlittle wrote:Meanwhile, the Toyota Atlantic Championship began its' weekend in Denver...
...

Current top 5 in the points table...
1--Charles Zwolsman 243 pts
2--Tonis Kasemets 210 pts
3--Katherine Legge 208 pts
4--Andreas Wirth 202 pts
5--Antoine Bessette 201 pts
:wtf: :wtf: :sucks: :sucks: :sucks: :offtopic: :wha: :nospam: :nospam: :nospam: :nospam: :nospam: :nospam: :nospam: :nospam:

who are those????????? they don't even mach for minardi!!!

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Post by mlittle » Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:38 pm

Sgd, for the second time, the reason that there is a North American Motorsports category is due to the extensive coverage of NA racing over on the Patrick-F1 thread in the Formula 1 category. If you have a problem w/the way the categories are organized, take it up w/the site admin. Or, go to the Formula 1 category and scroll down to the thread entitled "The IRL Forum", and read what it says very carefully.
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Re: The Atlantic Championship--A Racing Legacy

Post by sgd » Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:55 pm

mlittle wrote:Of the various news items that came from the ChampCar weekend in San Jose , two involved its' top-level support series, the Toyota Atlantic Championship. The first was Katherine Legge's third victory of the season on the tight, bumpy San Jose street course. The second was the future plans of what has become, quite possibly, the greatest driver-development series in open-wheel racing to date. But how is this so?

Well, for starters, a who's-who of past, present and future greats have passed through the demanding Atlantics series. That list includes:Gilles Villeneuve, Jacques Villeneuve(both), Keke Rosberg, Danny Sullivan, Bobby Rahal, Michael Andretti, Al Unser, Jr., Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy, Mark Dismore, Patrick Carpentier, Buddy Rice, A.J. Allmendinger, Jon Fogarty, Danica Patrick and Andrew Ranger. In fact, at this year's Indianapolis 500, nine of the 33 drivers could claim Atlantics experience on their racing resumes. Who were these nine? 1-Dan Wheldon(1st), 2-Bryan Herta(3rd), 3-Danica Patrick(4th), 4-Alex Barron(13th), 5-Felipe Giaffone(15th), 6-Roger Yasukawa(18th), 7-Patrick Carpentier(21st), 8-Sam Hornish, Jr.(23rd), and 9-Richie Hearn(25th). In Formula 1, Atlantics alums' Keke Rosberg and Jacuqes Villeneuve went on to become WDC's(Rosberg in 1982, Villeneuve in 1997). Also, going into 2005, Atlantics alums have a combined total of 174 CCWS wins plus 20+ IRL wins(13 by Hornish alone).

The history of the series has also affected motorsports as well. Begun in the early-1970's under the auspices of both the Canadian Automobile Sports Club(CASC) and the Sports Car Club of America(SCCA), the series saw action in Vancouver on a street-circuit course near Westwood, B.C. Drivers from Canadian Bill Brack to Swede Bertil Roos and the legendary Gilles Villeneuve competed at that time, and it was Villeneuve who cemented the series' place, winning in the face of such competitors as Price Cobb, Bobby Rahal, Elliot Forbes-Robinson, James Hunt, Alan Jones, Patrick Depailler, among others. Soon others joined the fight, as racers Danny Sullivan and Kevin Cogan entered the fray. Out of this period came the first of those legends listed above, as Villeneuve would go on to win several F1 races and becoming a favorite of F1 fans until his death during qualifying for an F1 race at Zolder in 1982. Keke Rosberg parlayed his Atlantics' time into a springboard for an F1 title in 1982. Back here in the States', Bobby Rahal would go on to win 3 CART titles('86-87'-92'), along w/the 1986 Indy 500, while Danny Sullivan went on to win the 1985 Indy 500 and 1988 CART title.

During the 1980's the series saw more of the same excitement that marked its' early years. It also endured a split between its' eastern and western divisions from 1985-1990, but the racing continued unabated. After Gilles left, his brother Jacques Villeneuve(the elder of the two), won in 1981, besting drivers such as Geoff Brabham, Chirs Kniefel and Josele Garza. 2 yrs. later, Michael Andretti won, setting a record for youngest series champion(which lasts to this day), beating out fellow drivers Roberto Moreno and Al Unser, Jr. During the rest of the 1980's as the series went through the split, the list of greats continued to grow, as drivers like Scott Goodyear, Paul Tracy, Mark Dismore and others made their mark on the series.

The 1990's saw the reunification of the series' and a new crop of champions, as racers David Empringham and Jacques Villeneuve(the younger) fought a tooth-and-nail fight in 1993, Empringham barely edging out Villeneuve for the title. After a repeat in 1994, Richie Hearn bested him in 1995, while Quebecois Patrick Carpentier won in 1996(ironically, in the first year of the CART/IRL split). At the end of the 1990's, the 1999 series saw some of the most competitve races to date, as some of AOWR's top stars, from Alex Barron, Anthony Lazzaro(currently racing in ALMS), Alex Tagliani and Sam Hornish, Jr. battled for top honors, w/Lazzaro edging out Barron. As in the 1980's, the 1990's saw its' second alum win a WDC, as Jacques Villeneuve won in 1997 driving for Williams.

In 2000, the series continued its' winning ways, as 1999 rookie winner Buddy Rice won the title that year, besting a talented field that would include another future Indy 500 winner, and Englishman named Dan Wheldon. 2 yrs. later, current ALMS racer Jon Fogarty won the first of his two titles, but the 2 most recent series saw the rise of several racers w/the potential to become legends in the sport. 2003 saw a complete dominance of the series by American A.J. Allmendinger, who tied Gilles Villeneuve's record for poles in a year(9) while setting a rookie record for wins, with 7. 2004 saw another hard-fought season as Fogarty, along w/drivers Ryan Dalziel, Danica Patrick and then-Atl. rookie Andrew Ranger all contend for the series title during the year, w/Fogarty besting the others to win his second title. If 2005 continues as it has, it should be just as interesting to watch.

Indeed, those who have competed in the Atlantic series in he past few yrs. have already established their credentials for the future. 2(Rice and Wheldon) have won the Indy 500, while Fogarty and Dalziel are currently racing in the American LeMans Series, and Patrick currently leads in the IRL IndyCar Series rookie standings w/one pole to her credit. A.J. Allmendinger was ChampCar's rookie of the year in 2004, while Atl. grad Ryan Hunter-Reay has 2 wins to his credit(2003-Surfers Paradise and 2004-Milwaukee). If this year's class of Atlantic racers is like their predecessors, expect great things from them in the future.

NOTE; If anyone wants to comment about the Atlantic Championship, feel free to do so; just keep the comments clean.
I just opened http://newsonf1.net/ and 5 of the 10 topics on the frame "Latest posts on NewsOnF1 Forums" were something like this one I've quoted here... what could I said??? i just was a bit off and wnated to come back to disscus about F1 in my favorite forum and.... i found:
mlittle wrote:Of the various news items that came from the ChampCar weekend in San Jose , two involved its' top-level support series, the Toyota Atlantic Championship. The first was Katherine Legge's third victory of the season on the tight, bumpy San Jose street course. The second was the future plans of what has become, quite possibly, the greatest driver-development series in open-wheel racing to date. But how is this so?

Well, for starters, a who's-who of past, present and future greats have passed through the demanding Atlantics series. That list includes:Gilles Villeneuve, Jacques Villeneuve(both), Keke Rosberg, Danny Sullivan, Bobby Rahal, Michael Andretti, Al Unser, Jr., Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy, Mark Dismore, Patrick Carpentier, Buddy Rice, A.J. Allmendinger, Jon Fogarty, Danica Patrick and Andrew Ranger. In fact, at this year's Indianapolis 500, nine of the 33 drivers could claim Atlantics experience on their racing resumes. Who were these nine? 1-Dan Wheldon(1st), 2-Bryan Herta(3rd), 3-Danica Patrick(4th), 4-Alex Barron(13th), 5-Felipe Giaffone(15th), 6-Roger Yasukawa(18th), 7-Patrick Carpentier(21st), 8-Sam Hornish, Jr.(23rd), and 9-Richie Hearn(25th). In Formula 1, Atlantics alums' Keke Rosberg and Jacuqes Villeneuve went on to become WDC's(Rosberg in 1982, Villeneuve in 1997). Also, going into 2005, Atlantics alums have a combined total of 174 CCWS wins plus 20+ IRL wins(13 by Hornish alone).

The history of the series has also affected motorsports as well. Begun in the early-1970's under the auspices of both the Canadian Automobile Sports Club(CASC) and the Sports Car Club of America(SCCA), the series saw action in Vancouver on a street-circuit course near Westwood, B.C. Drivers from Canadian Bill Brack to Swede Bertil Roos and the legendary Gilles Villeneuve competed at that time, and it was Villeneuve who cemented the series' place, winning in the face of such competitors as Price Cobb, Bobby Rahal, Elliot Forbes-Robinson, James Hunt, Alan Jones, Patrick Depailler, among others. Soon others joined the fight, as racers Danny Sullivan and Kevin Cogan entered the fray. Out of this period came the first of those legends listed above, as Villeneuve would go on to win several F1 races and becoming a favorite of F1 fans until his death during qualifying for an F1 race at Zolder in 1982. Keke Rosberg parlayed his Atlantics' time into a springboard for an F1 title in 1982. Back here in the States', Bobby Rahal would go on to win 3 CART titles('86-87'-92'), along w/the 1986 Indy 500, while Danny Sullivan went on to win the 1985 Indy 500 and 1988 CART title.

During the 1980's the series saw more of the same excitement that marked its' early years. It also endured a split between its' eastern and western divisions from 1985-1990, but the racing continued unabated. After Gilles left, his brother Jacques Villeneuve(the elder of the two), won in 1981, besting drivers such as Geoff Brabham, Chirs Kniefel and Josele Garza. 2 yrs. later, Michael Andretti won, setting a record for youngest series champion(which lasts to this day), beating out fellow drivers Roberto Moreno and Al Unser, Jr. During the rest of the 1980's as the series went through the split, the list of greats continued to grow, as drivers like Scott Goodyear, Paul Tracy, Mark Dismore and others made their mark on the series.

The 1990's saw the reunification of the series' and a new crop of champions, as racers David Empringham and Jacques Villeneuve(the younger) fought a tooth-and-nail fight in 1993, Empringham barely edging out Villeneuve for the title. After a repeat in 1994, Richie Hearn bested him in 1995, while Quebecois Patrick Carpentier won in 1996(ironically, in the first year of the CART/IRL split). At the end of the 1990's, the 1999 series saw some of the most competitve races to date, as some of AOWR's top stars, from Alex Barron, Anthony Lazzaro(currently racing in ALMS), Alex Tagliani and Sam Hornish, Jr. battled for top honors, w/Lazzaro edging out Barron. As in the 1980's, the 1990's saw its' second alum win a WDC, as Jacques Villeneuve won in 1997 driving for Williams.

In 2000, the series continued its' winning ways, as 1999 rookie winner Buddy Rice won the title that year, besting a talented field that would include another future Indy 500 winner, and Englishman named Dan Wheldon. 2 yrs. later, current ALMS racer Jon Fogarty won the first of his two titles, but the 2 most recent series saw the rise of several racers w/the potential to become legends in the sport. 2003 saw a complete dominance of the series by American A.J. Allmendinger, who tied Gilles Villeneuve's record for poles in a year(9) while setting a rookie record for wins, with 7. 2004 saw another hard-fought season as Fogarty, along w/drivers Ryan Dalziel, Danica Patrick and then-Atl. rookie Andrew Ranger all contend for the series title during the year, w/Fogarty besting the others to win his second title. If 2005 continues as it has, it should be just as interesting to watch.

Indeed, those who have competed in the Atlantic series in he past few yrs. have already established their credentials for the future. 2(Rice and Wheldon) have won the Indy 500, while Fogarty and Dalziel are currently racing in the American LeMans Series, and Patrick currently leads in the IRL IndyCar Series rookie standings w/one pole to her credit. A.J. Allmendinger was ChampCar's rookie of the year in 2004, while Atl. grad Ryan Hunter-Reay has 2 wins to his credit(2003-Surfers Paradise and 2004-Milwaukee). If this year's class of Atlantic racers is like their predecessors, expect great things from them in the future.

NOTE; If anyone wants to comment about the Atlantic Championship, feel free to do so; just keep the comments clean.
mlittle wrote:With the success of the commentaries thread over on the IRL forum, I thought I'd create a separate thread for CCWS commentaries. First topic--the resounding success of ChampCar's first visit to the heart of Alberta, Edmonton.

With an estimated crowd of over 200,000+ people for the three-day "festival of speed" as some in the paddock call these events(80 thousand+ on race-day), it's a near-certainty this race will be back. Why?

1--The combination of close-up views of the race and broader views as well. If you were sitting along the north grandstands, you got an excellent view of Finning Intl. Raceway's "technical" section btwn. turns 3-6; if you were in the numerous VIP suites at the track, you got a close view of the horseshoe turn(11-12). Also, most of the stands offered broad views of the racing surface, which is rare for any non-oval track.

2--The challenging track itself. Some of the drivers after Friday's qual. session said it was the toughest place they'd been to. Add the tightness of the track, especially in turn 7 and turns 11-12 where just a slight bobble through wither got you a close-up view of the concrete wall. Just ask Allmendinger about that.

3--The track layout itself has something in common with 2 other street courses in North America: Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport and St. Petersburg's Alfred Whitted Field. All three are hybrid tracks with elements of natural-terrain road courses, temp. road courses, tight, street-circuit areas and(for the most part) grandstands situated just so that the bulk of the racing surface can be seen. Cleveland's problem is one of grandstand location--FAA restrictions prohibit ChampCar from placing grandstands along the fast "switchback" corners on the lakeside half of the circuit, while St. Pete's grandstands restrict fans to mainly view of the 11-12 chicane, the turn 13 hairpin, the front/pit-straights and the fast turn 1-2 combo. Maybe they could learn something from Edmonton.

You know, the race Sunday in Edmonton was very nostalgic for race-fans in one unique way. Back in the 1950's, sports car and grand prix enthusists were reviving moribund airfields such as Sebring, Riverside(in the U.S.), Silverstone and Goodwood(in the UK) and elsewhere. Perhaps the next revival of this type has arrived. I surely hope so...cause' Edmonton was one h--- of a race, one I soon won't forget(kinda like Indy this year!).
julian mayo wrote:The next round of the series brings us to one of my all-time favourite tracks.
As a challenge to the drivers, it is (imho) bettered only by Mount Panorama.

The Track
2:7kms anti-clockwise, with 5 left handers and 6 right.
The start is on the downhill main straight, and many a driver has been pinged for creeping before the green.
Fromm flagfall they reach 190kmh in 5th and hold it thru the left hand sweeper leading to turn 2. On the 1st lap there is often a lot of jostling for position into the breaking area for T2 and many a driver has ended his race right here....either in the bunker on the outside of turn 1-2, or staggering into the infield with major damage
T2 is a tightening left hander leading under the bridge, and there have been occasions where drivers have been unloaded off the track towards the pylons. Late in the race, on soggy tires it is a common place for spins, the cars enter under brakes, and still unbalanced from the exit of T1.
There is a short chute to turn3, a right hander laeding to Konica Corner, usually taken in 3rd at about 100kmh. Between T4 & T5 a concrete wall on the outside waits to suck in the unwary. T5 starts the climb onto the bridge, and features a drain cover just short of the apex, and slightly off line. Believe me, if someone is crowding and nudging, that can play a role in a nasty moment. The track sweeps up right thru T6, onto the bridge. Going over the bridge it is imperative to have the car balanced and online for the short run into the off camber LH T7, which if is not taken correctly, leads to major problems at the LH kink at T8. There is a short uphill chute to turn 9, which is a 4th gear 190kmh turn, then it is up the hill to the dog leg, and the blind crest. They ennter the dogleg at 190 in 4th, braking hard to 110kmh in 3rd before dropping down the hill into the braking area for the turn onto the straight, This braking area starts down hill,and continues uphill into the sweeper onto the straight. For maximun speed onto the straight it is necessary to brush theconcrete wall on the outside as you crest the rise onto the down hill run over the start/finish line. They reach a maximum speed of about 260kmh in 6th. Then it all starts again.

Circuit Stats
Current Qualifying Record.
M Skaife 1.07.4806. Set in 1999
Lap Record
Lowndes 1.08.0631. set in 1999

Past winners
2004 Ambrose
2003 Ambrose
2002 Skaife
2001 Skaife
2000 Skaife
1999 Skaife
1998Lowndes.

WHO WILL WIN ?
Good Luck !
Lowndes won last time out, Ambrose and Rusty were fast. Tander is showing more speed at every outing. Morris usually qualifies well here.
Many a favourite has been punted off before reaching the exit of turn 2.
Skaife has a great record here, and the team fields fast cars. Murphy is fast everywhere, if they get the balance of the car right , he will challenge.
Good Luck with your picks, I have let mine roll since the first round, and that will do for this. The Team that gets their homework right, and is quick from the outset will do well.
mlittle wrote:After two new exciting street circuits, the ChampCars return to the familiar stomping grounds of the Pepsi Center in Denver, site of the Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver, set for the weekend of Aug.12-14. Last year's race saw a thrilling back-to-front charge by series champion Sebastien Bourdais, who got spun out on the very first turn by teammate Bruno Junquiera, fell back to near last, then charged all the way back to retake the point from Paul Tracy w/5 laps to go, passing him at the "mile high corner(turn 9)" and winning the race. With the track over a mile in elevation, there's less grip on the tires, and less downforce on the cars, meaning that anything can happen. Here are the mid-week storylines as the race weekend beckons....

1}Home-sweet-home for RuSport? With the luck that the Loveland, Col.-based RuSport team have faced in the past few races, a win or good showing would be a nice turn-around for the team. Both A.J. Allmendinger and Justin Wilson are still in the thick of the points chase, but will need a good result here to entertain thoughts of hoisting the Vanderbilt Cup in Mexico City.

2}Can SeaBass repeat? Quite possibly; his teammate, Junquiera, won here in 2002-2003 and Bourdais does seem to have the hot shoe right now, w/wins in Edmonton and San Jose. It was at this point last year that he cemented his grip on the series title, and the question this year is...will he do so again?

3}Will history be made in Denver? With three wins to her credit this year, Toyota Atlantic racer Katherine Legge has already rewritten some the Atlantics' history books, and can continue to do so w/a win in Denver Sunday. She would join a short list of past winners, including two current ChampCar racers--A.J. Allmendinger(2003) and Ronnie Bremer(2004). There'll be plenty of company for the win, though, as series pts. leader Charles Zwolsman, along w/Tonis Kasemets and Andreas Wirth will challenge the Brit for the victory.

Here's the schedule for the ChampCar weekend:
Friday Practice Session 1}12:15 PM EDT
Friday Practice Session 2}4:00 PM EDT
Qualifying Session 1}4:30 PM EDT(approximately)
Saturday Practice Session 1}12:30 PM EDT
Saturday Practice Session 2}4:00 PM EDT
Qualifying Session 2}4:30 PM EDT(approx.)
Sunday Warm-Up}11:30 AM EDT
Grand Prix of Denver---3:30 PM EDT(green flag to fall around 3:45 PM EDT)

As always, I'll provide summaries for the weekend events, plus commentaries as needed.
..............

that was just too much!!!!!!!!!

mlittle
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Post by mlittle » Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:57 pm

So, what is your point? :wha:
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

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Post by Julian Mayo » Sat Aug 13, 2005 5:17 pm

mlittle wrote:So, what is your point? :wha:
Mfer, I would hazard a guess that SGD haas been hammering the "Wodka"again. There seems to be not a lot else to do in Russia of a weekend. :D
The Mountain is a savage Mistress.

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Post by mlittle » Sat Aug 13, 2005 5:21 pm

Your right, julian. Maybe I should've deleted his message. I mean, don't we moderators have that power, you know, to delete any messages deemed offensive or insulting?
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

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Post by Julian Mayo » Sat Aug 13, 2005 5:42 pm

Yes we do, however, if a fella is making a fool of himself, I tend to leave it there for a while. 8)
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Post by sgd » Sun Aug 14, 2005 1:14 am

mlittle wrote:So, what is your point? :wha:
I repeat you my point:

I (and probably others as well)come to this site to talk about F1... as the site is f1-related and I found half of the new-posts are on other off-topic (as are not F1-related) threads, so i said that loud.

Think in a person (not me) who is interesten in F1, he founds a site named newsonf1.net with a forum, then he clicks arround and found post like those I posted, (about The Atlantic Championship--A Racing Legacy, for example) isn't it offtopic?? woulnd a person interested in The Atlantic Championship go better to http://www.champcarfanatics.com/newsitem.php?id=84 ... as I said, the Internet is big enough for everybody, let's do not make a mess of it... if you look for F1 you want F1 no things like: viewtopic.php?p=15768#15768 ...
do you understand or should i explain better? (poor english here :oops: )

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