2007 Atlantic Championship

All about the IRL Indy Pro Series and the Atlantic Championship

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2007 Atlantic Championship

Post by mlittle » Wed Oct 11, 2006 3:19 am

Almost on the heels of an exciting, go-for-broke 33rd season of the Atlantic Championship(now officially known as the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship presented by Mazda), series officials have released the 2007 schedule..................

28-29 Jan. 2007--Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Fla(preseason testing)
9-10 Feb. 2007--MSR Houston, Angleton, Tx.(preseason testing)
7-8 March, 2007--Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Ca.(preseason testing)

Rd. 1--8 April 2007, Las Vegas
Rd. 2--15 April 2007, Long Beach
Rd. 3--22 April 2007, Houston
Rd. 4--9 June 2007, Portland race 1
Rd. 5--10 June 2007, Portland race 2
Rd. 6--24 June 2007, Cleveland
Rd. 7--1 July 2007, Mt. Tremblant
Rd. 8--8 July 2007, Toronto
Rd. 9--22 July 2007, Edmonton
Rd. 10--29 July 2007, San Jose
Rd. 11--12 August 2007, Road America
Rd. 12--19 August 2007, Denver

Here are some quotes from the principals involved.........

Vicki O'Connor, Managing Director, Atlantic Championship:
We're still enjoying the exciting conclusion to the 2006 season, but we're already looking forward to the 34th year of Atlantic racing in 2007. After welcoming Mazda to the series this past season, we're excited to open up new doors with Cooper Tire coming on board as presenting sponsor of the Atlantic Championship. With some of the best venues in all of racing on the series schedule in 2007, it's bound to be one of the most thrilling seasons in Atlantic history. My sincere thanks to all of the event promoters and everyone at Champ Car for helping put together an awesome schedule for next season. With our first series-sanctioned test scheduled in late January, the Atlantics will be back on track before you know it.
Jim Keller, VP-Marketing, Cooper Tires:
We are excited to join forces with Champ Car Atlantic and are looking forward to a great first season. The Champ Car Atlantic Championship is a proven series and their championship speaks for itself. Cooper is confident that this partnership will boast one of the best championship combinations in racing today.
Robert Davis, Director of Motorsports, Mazda North American Operations:
The first season of Mazda's involvement in the reborn Champ Car Atlantic Championship resulted in some of the best open-wheel racing seen in years. With the help of our partners at Cosworth, the 300hp Mazda MZR race engine was a huge success, and going into the 2007 season, the Atlantic series remains the top rung on Mazda's motorsports ladder.
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Pacific F2000 champion to test for PR1 Mtrspts

Post by mlittle » Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:10 pm

After concluding a very successful Pacific F2000 series season, 2006 series champion Robert Podlesni has received a big reward.....a fully-paid, one-day test with PR1 Mtrspts. Podlesni will test at Buttonwillow Raceway in California; PR1 had a pretty decent 2006 Atlantic campaign, w/current driver Jonathan Bomarito getting the team's first Atlantic win in the '06 season finale at Road America.

F2000(offically known as the Formula Ford 2000 series) is one of the first major steps in an open-wheel career in NA motorsports and was the launching pad for ChampCar alums Jimmy Vasser and Paul Tracy, as well as IRL IndyCar Series drivers Buddy Rice, Dan Wheldon and Sam Hornish, Jr.
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Team Australia tests Atlantic hopefuls.......

Post by mlittle » Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:30 am

Coming off a successful 2006 Atlantic Championship season in which Team Oz driver Simon Pagenaud won the series championship in their first year of Atlantic competition, the team has begun looking for talent for the 2007 season, as they recently tested several young hopefuls at Houston's MSR racetrack earlier this week. Those involved in the testing included Formula BMW-USA standout Simona de Silvestra, Star Mazda Series comeptitor Kevin Lacroix, former Formula Palmer Audi champion Joe Tandy and British F3 driver Cristiano Morgado. Here is some background on all four drivers.....

~~Simona de Silvestra, Formula BMW-USA. In 2006 the Swiss-born driver had an interesting campaign, marked by 1 win, six podiums and 11 top-10 finishes leading to a 4th-place overall finish
~~Kevin Lacroix, Star Mazda Series. The 17-year old Canadian finished 2nd in Star Mazda w/5 podiums and 11 top-10 finishes in 12 races. In 2005, Lacroix competed in Formula BMW-USA where he collected 4 wins, 6 podiums and 10 top-10 finishes
~~Joe Tandy, Formula Palmer Audi. Returning from a short hiatus, Tandy was the 2005 FPA champion, scoring 6 wins and 11 podiums
~~Cristiano Morgado. The oldest of the four, the 27 yo. South African is a 2-time Rotax Max World Kart Champion who finished his first season in British Formula 3, winning 4 races during the year.
Last edited by mlittle on Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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USRT names drivers for 2007 season............

Post by mlittle » Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:09 pm

US Racetronics announced their 2007 Atlantic Championship Friday in Mexico City, tapping Formula Renault UK Winter Series driver Carl Skerlong of Mukilteo, Wash. and Formula BMW-USA driver David Garza, a native of Mexico City. The team expects to begin testing at the conclusion of Skerlong's Formula Renault season; sponsorships for the team will be announced at a later date.
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Team Australia signs de Silvestro for '07 Atlantic campaign

Post by mlittle » Sun Nov 19, 2006 5:36 am

Team Australia officials announced that, following a successful test at the Houston MSR facility a few weeks past, they have signed Formula BMW-USA driver Simona de Silvestro to the team's Atlantic squad for 2007; de Silvestro joins a long list of drivers to compete for the team, which includes over the team's history, Scott Goodyear, Gil de Ferran and Sarah Fisher. Here are some quotes from those involved...........

Derrick Walker, Co-Owner, Team Australia:
We are very happy to have Simona on board with us for next season. I was able to watch her compete in the Formula BMW races this past year and was very impressed with her talent and then we tested Simona at MSR in Houston where she did very well. We are looking forward to having her onboard for the 2007 season.
Simona de Silvestra, Team Australia:
I'm very excited about the chance to race in the Atlantic Series and to join Walker Racing for next season. They are a great team to work with and we will be pushing hard to run up front next season and to win rookie of the year.
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Newman-Wachs signs Hildebrand for 2007.......

Post by mlittle » Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:22 pm

At about the same time that Team Australia announced its' driver signing(see previous post), Newman-Wachs Racing announced its' own driver signing, as the team announced back on 16 Nov. that they had signed 2006 U.S. Formula Ford 2000 champion J.R. Hildebrand to drive for them in the 2007 Atlantic Championship. Hildebrand has one Atlantic start to his credit, as he made his Atlantic debut for the team at the 2006 season finale at Road America.
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FCR-Atlantic tests hopefuls for 2007 campaign.....

Post by mlittle » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:05 pm

While their ChampCar personnel have been testing over at MSR-Houston, the team's Atlantic Championship squad recently tested several rising starts at the 1.65-mile Thunderhill Raceway Park facility in Willows, Ca.; those involved include......
~~2006 Star Mazda Series champion Adrian Carrio
~~2006 Italian F3000 champion Giacomo Ricci
~~2006 Formula BMW-USA champion Robert Wickens
~~2006 Formula Renault competitor John Edwards
~~Renault World Series & British Formula Renault competitor Patrick Hogan

All 5 drivers logged at least 250-300 miles over the 2-day tests, w/Ricci logging the most in the 2006-spec MZR-Cosworth/Swift 016 Atlantic car(572 miles total)

In addition, the team recently tested Wickens, Edwards and 2006 Star Mazda competitor Ryan Justice at Moroso Mtrspts. Park in Florida
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Condor signs Dutchman for 2007 campaign......

Post by mlittle » Thu Dec 07, 2006 4:40 pm

Following on the heels of a recent test at Buttonwillow Raceway in California, Condor Motorsports announced Wednesday that they had signed rising Dutch racer Junior Strous for the 2007 season. Strous has spent the past two years competing in the Renault Eurocup Series, and also has stints in both Formula Ford(UK) and Formula BMW-UK.
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FCR-Atlantic signs Wickens and Edwards for 2007....

Post by mlittle » Mon Dec 11, 2006 1:40 pm

Another piece of the 2007 Atlantic Championship puzzle was filled Friday, as Forsythe Championship Racing has entered into a partnership with Red Bull to run two entries w/Red Bull colors; the team has signed Canadian Robert Wickens and American John Edwards to drive for FCR-Atlantic in 2007.
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Post by mlittle » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:27 am

Atlantic Championship Driver Lineup--2007

FCR-Atlantic} Robert Wickens, John Edwards
Newman-Wachs Racing} J.R. Hildebrand, Daniel Herrington*
Team Australia} Simona de Silvestro, Ryan Lewis
Condor Motorsports} Junior Strous
Jensen Motorsports} Frankie Muniz, Tom Sutherland
US RaceTronics} Carl Skerlong, David Garza
Mandeville-Deas Motorsports} Michele Bumgartner*
Mi-Jack Conquest Racing} Matt Lee, Patrick Hogan
Sierra Sierra Enterprises} Raphael Matos, James Hinchcliffe
Genoa Racing} Adrian Carrio
Mathiasen Motorsports} Justin Sofio
Paladin Mtrpsts} Adrian Herberts*
Gelles Racing} Maximillian Gotz*, Alan Scuito*
PR1 Motorsports} Jonathan Bomarito, Mike Forest

note....list subject to additions and changes prior to 2007 season opener.....
*=not confirmed for 2007
Last edited by mlittle on Tue Mar 06, 2007 11:43 am, edited 8 times in total.
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Ride Buyers Beware: Pay Up.....Or..........

Post by mlittle » Fri Dec 15, 2006 4:13 pm

Although it has become de rigeur for major racing series around the world to take in ride-buyers(those who pay teams for the privilege of driving for them), one interesting thought came to mind recently.........

What happens when they don't pay what they're due to the team? :shock: :shock:

I bring this up because of an interesting item of note in the autoracing1.com rumors page......according to the item, former Team Australia driver James Davison and his father, Jon Davison, owner of Sandown Raceway in Australia, received a press release stating that Team Australia intended to take up legal action agst. them for monies outstanding from the 2006 Atlantic Championship season; legal documents have been filed by Derrick Walker, Team Oz co-owner, in Indiana court(it doesn't say whether they filed in U.S. District Court or in Indiana state court....... :shock: :? ).

In response, the Davisons issued their own press release, stating that they were disappointed in the team's lack of effort in helping Davison progress throughout the bulk of the 2006 season, culminating in the team releasing Davison for "contractual difficulties" late in the year. (He was replaced by Michael Patrizi.....). The Davison's also noted in their release that they have discussed their situation w/former ChampCar driver Marcus Marshall, whose release from Team Australia in late 2005 was the subject of lots of internet chatter..

Without knowing more than what is mentioned at the moment, I'd say it is a safe bet that most teams, irrespective of series, are saying to prospective drivers, Bring us enough sponsorship/money before we'll let you drive a racecar for us. (IMPO, it is about d--- time.......Apologies for the language. :oops: :shock: :shock: :shock: )
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Sierra Sierra taps the Hinch for 2007.....

Post by mlittle » Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:06 pm

Early on in the off-season, Sierra Sierra Enterprises announced plans to run a two-car team w/returning driver Raphael Matos and an unnamed second driver..........the team announced earlier today that former FCR-Atlantic competitor James Hinchcliffe(popularly known around the paddock as "Hinch") will partner Matos for 2007.....the driver list for 2007 will be updated accordingly.
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Genoa Racing signs Carrio for 2007......

Post by mlittle » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:46 am

Genoa Racing officials annouced earlier today that they have signed 2006 Star Mazda Series Champion Adrian "Ace" Carrio for their 2007 Atlantic Championship program. In 2006, Carrio, driving for World Speed Mtrspts, took two wins, six poles and eight podiums en route to winning the Star Mazda title for 2006. Here are some quotes from those involved.......

Adrian Carrio, Genoa Racing:
Working with a team that has the depth of knowledge that Genoa Racing has to offer makes me extremely comfortable with my decision. It will allow me to focus on driving the car and performing to the best of my abilities. I feel that Genoa Racing and the outstanding staff that they have assmebled will show greatly in my performance and results alike.
Gary Rodriques, President, Genoa Racing:
We are extremely proud to see Ace Carrio follow in the footsteps of 2005 Star Mazda champion Raphael Matos and other Star Mazda (successes) such as Graham Rahal and James Hinchcliffe, all of whom were successful (last year). We expect to see him demonstrate those same talents in 2007 and beyond; we see Ace's move to Champ Car Atlantic for 2007 as gratifying proof that the Mazda ladder system works.
Note 1......the ladder system Rodriques is referring to is the Mazda Ladder System; drivers start in the SCCA Formula Mazda series, then progress to either the Barber Dodge Series or Star Mazda Series, then up to ChampCar's Atlantic Championship.....
Note 2......the 2007 Atlantic Championship driver lineup will be updated
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Sebring Atlantic Test Results........session #1(top-10).....

Post by mlittle » Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:11 am

1} John Edwards, FCR-Atlantic....................58.769 sec
2} J.R. Hildebrand, Newman-Wachs.............58.813 sec
3} Raphael Matos, Sierra Sierra..................58.870 sec
4} Jonathan Bomarito, PR1 Mtrspts..............58.889 sec
5} Ryan Lewis, Team Australia....................58.899 sec
6} Matt Lee, Conquest Racing.....................58.930 sec
7} Simona de Silvestro, Team Australia.......58.964 sec
8} Patrick Hogan, Conquest Racing..............59.037 sec
9} Junior Strous, Condor Mtrspts..................59.050 sec
10} Alan Scuito, Gelles Racing......................59.082 sec

New teams, new drivers..............two driver announcements were made yesterday......
~~Conquest Racing.................Patrick Hogan
~~Mathiasen Mtrspts................Justin Sofio
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Sebring Atlantic Test Results........session #2(top-10).....

Post by mlittle » Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:29 am

1} Raphael Matos, Sierra Sierra.................58.587 sec
2} Jonathan Bomarito, PR1 Mtrspts.............58.612 sec
3} J.R. Hildebrand, Newman-Wachs............58.618 sec
4} John Edwards, FCR-Atlantic....................58.668 sec
5} Alan Scuito, Gelles Racing......................58.704 sec
6} Ryan Lewis, Team Australia....................58.864 sec
7} Simona de Silvestro, Team Australia.......58.922 sec
8} Adrian Herberts, Paladin Mtrspts.............58.989 sec
9} Robert Wickens, FCR-Atlantic.................58.995 sec
10} Maximillian Gotz, Gelles Racing.............59.002 sec
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