Orphaned Atlantic Series Schedule Announced

[pits4me]

2008 COOPER TIRES PRESENTS THE ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP POWERED BY MAZDA SCHEDULE


Date Location With
April 20 Long Beach,Calif. Champ Car
May 18 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Grand-Am Rolex Series
June 29 Circuit Mont-Tremblant Sommet des Legends
July 25 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada IRL IndyCar Series
July 26 Edmonton, Alberta,Canada IRL IndyCar Series
August 9 Road America American Le Mans Series
August 10 Road America American Le Mans Series
August 17 Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada Featured Event
September 14 New Jersey Motorsports Park MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder
September 21 Miller MotorSports Park Grand-Am Rolex Series
October 4 Road Atlanta American Le Mans Series

[Scheckterfan54]

I wish they would do a back to back indy lights/atlantics race, that would be awesome!

[SpeedyRB]

The best thing that could happen to the Atlantisc is if TG bought the series and made it a stepping-stone to IndyCars, just below the Indy Lights.

Now why does that sound familiar... :)

Are the Atlantics races going to be televised?

[gm99]

The greatest news about the schedule is that Atlantics are going back to the Circuit Trois-Rivières for the first time since 2003, wonderful to have one of the classic tracks back!

[millencolin]

The greatest news is that the atlantics are still running! that series was just starting to gain some real momentum but now for it to continue after this merger is fantastic!

[bblocker68]

Yeah, I hope to see Atlantics and Light running as suppot series' like in the old days.

[Placid]

I was also hoping for Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal as a support race right before the F1 race.

[Placid]

2008 COOPER TIRES PRESENTS THE ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP POWERED BY MAZDA SCHEDULE


Date Location With
April 20 Long Beach,Calif. Champ Car
May 18 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Grand-Am Rolex Series
June 29 Circuit Mont-Tremblant Sommet des Legends
July 25 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada IRL IndyCar Series
July 26 Edmonton, Alberta,Canada IRL IndyCar Series
August 9 Road America American Le Mans Series
August 10 Road America American Le Mans Series
August 17 Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada Featured Event
September 14 New Jersey Motorsports Park MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder
September 21 Miller MotorSports Park Grand-Am Rolex Series
October 4 Road Atlanta American Le Mans Series

For the NJ round - They may race at the Thunderbolt.

[pits4me]

Yeah, I hope to see Atlantics and Light running as suppot series' like in the old days.

Great idea but no longer practical. There's not enough sponsorship to support both tiers in the same series. Especially when you factor in the cost for the small teams to campaign ovals.

I think Mazda may be onto something September 14th with the Development Ladder Weekend. I see they already revised their logo. We need to cut them loose from the Indycar forum.

MODS - PLEASE GIVE THE ATLANTICS OR MAZDA DEVELOPMENT SERIES THEIR OWN FORUM.

THANKS

[nigelred5]

Starter, I agree that could be a problem. Times are different now, but it thrived for years without being the official devlopment series for anyone. Hopefully the Mazda ladder can find a home. If Atlantics are the top rung, then it could slot in just fine as a feeder to the Lights/GP2 level ranks. Again I know things have changed a lot over the years, however something that I haven't actually been terribly fond of is the ever increasing trend towards younger and younger drivers moving straight in at the top level of motorsports. To me it seems like it took drivers much longer to make it to the top, making the ladders very necessary. Now it seems you lock up a driver at 12 years old in Karts and have him trying to make the field with the big boys at 18.

[pits4me]

When they find a home with a sanctioning body we'll look at it. Right now they're not big enough for their own forum.

The other issue, which most here have overlooked, is what does the future hold for Atlantics with the loss of the 2 million in kind prize? And their no longer being an "official" development series toward the big time. Personally, I would be sad to see this historic series fade away.

The question is "Where is the most appropriate forum to discuss Atlantic's?" because its no longer part of ICS/CCWS. It has long been recognized as the premier development series in North America, a reference IndyLights can only wish for. Revisionism won't change this one.

Atlantic grads can be found in many forms of racing. From sports cars to Formula 1. Drivers in IPS/Indylights have but one primary direction to go -- Indycar (or maybe NASCAR). They will still have to compete with GP2 and X-F1 alumni.

[gm99]

Atlantic grads can be found in many forms of racing. From sports cars to Formula 1.

Which current F1 driver is a graduate of Atlantics? AFAIK, the last driver on the F1 grid with Atlantics experience was Jacques Villeneuve, and his time in the series dates back to the early 1990s.

F. Atlantic is definitely a very competitive series, and in my opinion superior in many ways to IndyPro/IndyLights, but I doubt F1 takes much notice in Atlantic graduates. Atlantics was more a stepping stone to CART, which, at the time, was a destination series.

[weeflyonthewall]

Which current F1 driver is a graduate of Atlantics? AFAIK, the last driver on the F1 grid with Atlantics experience was Jacques Villeneuve, and his time in the series dates back to the early 1990s.

F. Atlantic is definitely a very competitive series, and in my opinion superior in many ways to IndyPro/IndyLights, but I doubt F1 takes much notice in Atlantic graduates. Atlantics was more a stepping stone to CART, which, at the time, was a destination series.

You'll find more of them in NASCAR, ALMS, Grand Am, DTM, than Indycar or F1.

[evo5_mat]

shame PORTLAND lost its 2 rounds, which seems puzzling when mazda doing a large event sponsored by them in portland you would think they headline the atlantics that weekend instead of mx5 and mazda star series

[seppefan]

Could Atlantics and Star Mazda have a sub forum under the IRL like we have for GP2 under F1. I shows as " also hosts GP2". Mods ?

[weeflyonthewall]

Could Atlantics and Star Mazda have a sub forum under the IRL like we have for GP2 under F1. I shows as " also hosts GP2". Mods ?

How about a US Open Wheel Development Ladder forum?

[nigelred5]

Sounds reasonable!

Hey Starter. Did the DC region guys make it up to NJMSP yet? It looks like the lightning course is coming along pretty nicely. Any idea when paving is supposed to start on the thunderbolt course?

[nigelred5]

How about just adding them to the NATIONAL MOTORSPORT forum and editing the heading to include Atlantics and the other North American Open wheel series.The forum is already there and basically a ghost land.

[seppefan]

How about just adding them to the NATIONAL MOTORSPORT forum and editing the heading to include Atlantics and the other North American Open wheel series.The forum is already there and basically a ghost land.

Seems like a good idea however I still think their is a need for sub titles. So under the NATIONAL forum their would be, Atlantic, Mazda Star Brit F3 etc

Would still prefer a sub title to Indy for Atlantics and Lights.

[seppefan]

What would you include?
Atlantics? Indy Pro? Formula Mazda? The Cooper F2000 series, assuming it returns? Other F2000s? Skip Barber? Other?

What is your view re a sub forum for Atlantic and Mazda like GP2 has.

[nigelred5]

I'd do it however I don't seem to have the to start the poll when starting a new thread

[pits4me]

Mark suggested we voice our opinions in the forum feedback section. Here's the link.

http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126439

Funny how Atlantics has no problem getting its own forum on sites that supposedly compete with this one.

[nigelred5]

They have always had one. I believe I'm correct that this forum is run from England and AR1 simply contracts to use it, not Indiana ;)

Actually I first started watching these boards from Motorsport.com, not AR1. I actually found AR1 that way.

[grantb4]

And their no longer being an "official" development series toward the big time. Personally, I would be sad to see this historic series fade away.

I don't think you have to worry about that. My first Atlantic race was mid-70's. Both Bobby Rahal and Gilles Villeneuve were racing in Edmonton at the old International Speedway road course. I think there is enough interest in the format to survive on it's own, even if only as a VARA type series.

[pits4me]

Had a good chat with one of the sanctioning bodies at Long Beach today. Atlantics are here to stay. It may be easy for TG to write them off but its nice to have a US based open wheel development series that takes it to the streets. The crowd that showed up for Atlantic qualies was incredible. And its only Friday at Long Beach! The place was as packed as Saturday last year.

[nigelred5]

The whole Mazda ladder should lead right into Indy lights and then Indycars. There might not be room or a need for them at all Indycar events, but it would be foolish to not have some sort of link to Atlantics. Of course who says the current owners of Atlantics WANTS one with indycars?

The Lights should maybe go up another 100- 150 hp or so to clearly slot them in between Atlantics and Indycars. IMO, CCWS was pushing the Atlantics into a higher performance range they didn't belong in. I always read and heard The old Lights cars were a step in the wrong direction chassis wise between Atlantics and Indycars. I believe the The current lights are more like the big cars than different.

Atlantics can be successful without being the last step before Indycars in both performance and cost. Maybe maintain a few roadcourse races with ALMS and maybe at some smaller 3/4 and 1 mile oval track as Stand-alones for good relevant track time and experience with less pressure on the teams. Even Lights can be a pretty high level of performance for first time oval drivers. Give the young guys track time on the small ovals as well as street and road courses

Then get a Mazda logo on those beautiful V8 Cossies and into an Indycar chassis to compete with Hondas ASAP!

[weeflyonthewall]

That would be fine, but a sub forum to what? Also, if Atlantic and/or Mazda become aligned with a sanctioning body, the appropriate place would probably be with it.

Does this mean there should be a forum for IMSA Series? It was just announced IMSA as the official sanctioning body of Atlantic's.