The Atlantic Championship--A Racing Legacy

[Costa Mesa]

Looking forward to seeing what Wilson can do also - does it show too much that I'm a U.S. karter too?

From what I've heard, Legge is a fine young lady with a lot of talent and good financial backing. She's definitely got what it takes to go far.

Let's hold good thoughts for Wirth. That's a potentially career ending injury, although it doesn't sound that way. Whew.

[mlittle]

Your right, Costa Mesa....from what the news reports are saying, it's a minor compression fracture of the T-6 and T-8 vertebrae, so its' not clear whether Wirth will race in Montreal next week. If the injury's close to what Tomas Enge suffered in the IndyCar race at Nashville last month, I doubt Wirth'll race next week.

This much is clear, though...if they awarded a "Diamond in the Rough" award this year, Katherine Legge would win running away, because nobody expected her to have the year she's had this year. I know I've said this in another posting on another thread, but it bears repeating; just like Danica Patrick in the IndyCar Series, mark Katherine Legge's name down on the ChampCar side, because we'll be hearing more of her in the future. Count on it.

[mlittle]

Well, it's official. Atlantic Championship competitor Andreas Wirth, who suffered what is being termed by ChampCar medical staff as "minor, end-plate fractures" of the T-6 and T-8 thoracic vertebrae from a pre-race crash at Road America, will indeed sit out the Toyota Atlantic season finale at Montreal in order to begin intensive rehabilitation in his native Germany. Let's wish Wirth a speedy recovery from his injuries and hopefully, we shall see him back in the Atlantic Championship in 2006.

[mlittle]

Here's some interesting facts and figures about this weekend's Toyota Atlantic season finale in Montreal.

1}For the 4th-consecutive year, the series concludes its' season in a different venue. Exs. 2002-Denver, 2003-Miami, 2004-Laguna Seca, and 2005-Montreal.

2}This weekend's race marks the 25th year that the series has competed in Montreal. Here's a brief list of past winners in Montreal:1980-Jacques Villeneuve(the elder), 1981-Kevin Cogan, 1991-Jimmy Vasser, 1993-Jacques Villeneuve(the younger), 1996-Patrick Carpentier, 1999-Alex Tagliani, and 2003-A.J. Allmendinger.

3}And in this corner....well, it's down to one race, one shot, for competitors Charles Zwolsman and Tonis Kasemets, 'cause one of them is walkin' away with the series title after Montreal. Good luck to both of them!

4}What's with the media? With three wins this year, series rookie Katherine Legge has begun to garner a lot of media attention. Back in July, she was part of a ChampCar tele-conference alongside 2003 CCWS titleist Paul Tracy and San Jose promoter Bob Singleton. This past week, there's been an article in Autoweek amgazine, and an "above-the-fold" article in the 24 August 2005 sports section of USA Today. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...just like with Danica Patrick in the IndyCar Series, mark Katherine Legge's name down, because we will definitely be hearing more about her in the future.

5}Polestar Racing Sweep in Canada? Montreal marks the third Atlantics race in Canada this year, and the two previous have had Polestar Racing's stamp on them. Polestar's Antoine Bessette won in Toronto and his teammate, Katherine Legge, won the next week in Edmonton.

[Julian Mayo]

My money is on Katherine

[mlittle]

Just remember, julian, that for Katherine's success this year, Danica faced a far tougher group of competitors(Allmendinger, Fogarty, Bremer, Dalziel, Valiente, Ranger, and Kasemets) than Katherine's facing this year. Kasemets' the only one of that bunch around this year.

[Julian Mayo]

Just remember, julian, that for Katherine's success this year, Danica faced a far tougher group of competitors(Allmendinger, Fogarty, Bremer, Dalziel, Valiente, Ranger, and Kasemets) than Katherine's facing this year. Kasemets' the only one of that bunch around this year.

For sure, I just like the way that her grid positions don't faze her. She races tough, and I am not saying that Danica does not either.

[mlittle]

True, true.

[mlittle]

All season long, it seemed as though the Roshfrans/US Racetronics team and Atlantic racer David Martinez have struggled at times on the road courses. Well, today, they figured out the oft-times tricks Gilles Villeneuve coircuit, as he sits on the provisional pole for Sunday's Atlantics race with a time od 1:35.084 secs.(102.566 mph). As a result, Martinez is guaranteed a front-row starting spot under Toyota Atlantic rules. In the second provisional spot is one of the two competitiors left fighting for the 2005 Atlantic Championship, Tonis Kasemets, who currently sits P2 w/a time of 1:35.277 secs.(102.368 mph), while the two drivers for Polestar Racing, Antoine Bessette and Katherine Legge, are P3 and P4. Rounding out the top 5 is current pts. leader Charles Zwolsman in 5th.

[Julian Mayo]

My money is on Katherine

[mlittle]

Since Katherine is, unfortunately, out of the championship fight(and, in theory, has nothing to lose come race time), my money's on her, as well.

[mlittle]

Backing up his Friday qualifying efforts, David Martinez secured his first career Atlantics pole position, securing P1 with a time of 1:35.084 secs.(102.566 mph) on the Circuit Gilles Villenueve. It was a free-for-all, as several drivers, from Martinez to second-place qual. Tonis Kaesmets, to three-time race winner Katherine Legge, tried to knock Martinez off the top spot, but couldn't quite do it. Starting in row 2 are the two drivers for Polestar Racing, Antoine Bessette and Katherine Legge, while series pts. leader Charles Zwolsman could muster no better than 5th on the grid. With 11 rounds down, the championship has become a mano-a-mano duel between the Estonian Kasemets and the Flying Dutchman, Zwolsman. This race should be exciting.

Round 12, from Montreal, is scheduled for 11:15 AM EDT on August 28th, with tape-delay broadcast on Speed Channel Sept. 3rd, 9:00 PM EDT(01:00 UTC 4 Sept.).

[mlittle]

For St. Bruno, PQ, native Antoine Bessette, it was a great way to end the season as the Quebecois native won a nail-biting victory at the Toyota Atlantic race in Montreal, while the Flying Dutchman, Charles Zwolsman, clinched the series title and will be in the ChampCar season finale in Mexico City(team to be selected later).

As the race began, polesitter David Martinez led the field through the first turn, which still had patches of water present from a downpour earlier in the morning. As they passed turn 2 on the first lap, Martinez slid, allowing both Bessette and Tonis Kasemets to pass him. Bessette later would pass Kasemets on lap 4 and then began to pull away from the Estonian. It wasn't easy for Bessette, though, as Kasemets began applying pressure to Bessette. With a malfunctioning radio, Bessette, unable to communicate with his team, pretty much hung on for dear life, holding off two late charges by Kasemets to win his second race of 2005. In addition, Bessette will go down as the final winner of a Toyota Atlantic race, as Toyota begins its' long departure from North American open-wheel racing. He is the fifth Quebecois native to win in Atlantics at Montreal, joining Jacques Villeneuve(the elder), Jacques Villeneuve(the younger), Patrick Carpentier and Alex Tagliani.

Here, then, are the final top-10 standings for the 2005 Toyota Atlantic Championship...

1--Charles Zwolsman 306 pts.
2--Tonis Kasemets 289 pts.
3--(tie)Katherine Legge 267 pts.
Antoine Bessette 267 pts.
5--David Martinez 238 pts.
6--Andreas Wirth 234 pts.
7--Al Unser, III 198 pts.
8--Kyle Kelley 122 pts.
9--Chris Souliotis 115 pts.
10--Dan Selznick 106 pts.

[Julian Mayo]

Where did legge finish?

[mlittle]

4th, Julian. Legge finished 4th.