8 days  18h : 47m : 27s

Last season, the Champ Car Atlantic Championship experienced both a renaissance and a return to glory. With fields of 25-plus cars, a brand-new competition package and impressive level of talent throughout the series field, Atlantic re-asserted itself as the top open-wheel development category in North America.

It will be hard to improve on last season’s success, but the 2007 Atlantic class looks prepared to do just that.

Buoyed by the addition of Cooper Tire – new series sponsor and exclusive tire supplier – while welcoming nearly all of the champions from other development series across the globe, the Atlantic Championship is the place to be this season for an aspiring racer eyeing the top levels of motorsports.

The Atlantic grid will be rich this season with 2006 title-winners from the Star Mazda Championship, Formula BMW USA, Formula Ford 2000, Formula TR 2000 and the Formula 3000 European Championships. Additional standout competitors from all of these series as well as the prestigious GP2 Championship, European Formula Renault, A1GP and the Skip Barber National Championship will fight for the Atlantic title and the $2 million champion’s Champ Car bonus this season.

Youthful speed will be the prevailing theme in Atlantic this season. With nearly half of the expected 25-30 car field lining up on the starting grid as teenagers, the series veterans will be pushed by the young guns eager to prove their mettle.

Despite the trend towards youth, one of the most experienced and winning teams in series history should set the pace for the talent-laden field in ’07. Sierra Sierra Enterprises enters its fifth year in the series as one of the top championship favorites. Brazilian Raphael Matos, the 2005 Star Mazda champion, returns for his second year on the team. After scoring a win and a series-high four poles while finishing fourth in the title chase in ’06, Matos returns with a vengeance this season. He’ll team up with another promising young star on the rise, Canada’s James Hinchcliffe. Last season, Hinchcliffe won at Portland and finished 10th in the series standings. He moves over to join the Sierra Sierra team this year with his eyes clearly focused on the series crown.

The 2006 Atlantic championship-winning squad also returns with a strong lineup for ’07. Walker Racing claimed last season’s title with Simon Pagenaud under the banner of Team Australia. A skilled returning racer and a brash rookie highlight the team’s focus this season, now competing as Walker Racing. Ryan Lewis of the UK showed great promise last year posting three podiums in nine races as a rookie. He joins the Walker squad this year along with teenage female racing sensation Simona De Silvestro of Switzerland who won in Formula BMW USA in 2006.

Forsythe Racing is one of the winningest teams in the 33-year history of Atlantics and the squad is back with a dynamic rookie combo this season. Partnering with active racing sponsor Red Bull to form Red Bull Team Forsythe, the squad will compete with exciting teenagers Robert Wickens and John Edwards. Wickens of Toronto, Canada, captured the 2006 Formula BMW USA title while the American Edwards, just 16 and the youngest driver ever licensed to compete in U.S. open-wheel history at age 12, won last season in Formula Renault European competition.

In ’06 Graham Rahal led Conquest Racing to a runner-up finish in the Atlantic Championship. This year the team wants another shot at the title with a pair of promising rookies. Italy’s Giacomo Ricci won the Italian and Euro Formula 3000 titles in ’06 and he looks to bring that success to America. Ricci will join American Matt Lee in the Conquest stable this season. Lee won twice and finished second in Formula BMW USA last season.

In its third season in the series, the US RaceTronics team also looks prepared to throw its hat in the Atlantic championship fight in ’07. The team welcomes American Carl Skerlong, champion of the 2006 Formula TR 2000 Pro Series, to the fold this season along with David Garza of Mexico, who raced in Formula BMW USA last season. Both drivers tested extremely well in the pre-season as the team looks to elevate its game this year.

PR1 Motorsports returns with an experienced program in ’07. The team scored its first-ever Atlantic victory with driver Jonathan Bomarito in the 2006 season finale at Road America. Bomarito, a native of Monterey, California, is back with the team and ready to fight for race wins and poles. Edmonton, Canada’s Mike Forest also returns to the team after spending much of last season recovering from a back injury suffered at the first race of the year.

The veteran Condor Motorsports team won the 2005 Atlantic title and the squad feels good about its chances of competing for another crown this season. French phenom Franck Perera will race for the California-based team and after dominating the final series pre-season test at Mazda Raceway, the former GP2 racer and Formula One test driver will surely be a contender for the championship. Another talented European racer, Junior Strous of the Netherlands, joins seasoned driver Brian Thienes in the Condor stable this season.

In its 11th year in the Atlantic Championship, Jensen MotorSport has undergone a complete facelift with a new look and feel and new driver lineup. Former “Malcolm in the Middle” TV star Frankie Muniz moves up from Formula BMW USA to join the Jensen Atlantic team in ’07. California teen Tom Sutherland and Dominick Muermans of Holand will team up with the actor-turned-racer to create an all-rookie roster for the squad.

A talented Chinese racer and a returning Atlantic pro make up the Brooks Associates Racing driver lineup for ’07. American Joe D’Agostino joins the veteran BAR squad this season and he’ll help rookie teammate Jiang Tengyi of Shanghai adapt to life in Atlantics.

Polestar Racing Group returns for its fifth season in the series. After giving the squad its first Atlantic win in 2004 and racing in Champ Car in ’05, Ronnie Bremer of Denmark returns to the Polestar lineup. Veteran racer Bret MacDonald, who’s excelled in Formula TR 2000 competition over the last few years, will make his Atlantic debut competing alongside Bremer for the Polestar team in ’07.

One of the top young American racing talents will lead the charge this season for Newman Wachs Racing. The second-year team co-owned by legendary actor Paul Newman and former racer Eddie Wachs will compete with rookie J.R. Hildebrand, who brought home the U.S. FF2000 title in ’06 with 12 wins in 14 races.

Mathiasen Motorsports returns for its third season in the series and once again it will be former series mechanic Justin Sofio of California driving for the evolving team.

After completing his first full season in Atlantics in ’06, Alan Sciuto returns to action this season with his own team – Alan Sciuto Racing. The California racer, who became the youngest polewinner in series history in 2005 at age 17, looks to continue to polish his skills with the fledgling squad.

Genoa Racing was a top Atlantic team in the early 90s with Jimmy Vasser behind the wheel. The squad returns to series competition this year with another talented young American looking to make his mark. Adrian “Ace” Carrio won the Star Mazda championship in 2006 and he hopes to continue his rise up the open-wheel ladder in ’07. Another developing American racer, Richard Heistand, will also race for the Genoa squad this season.

Owner/driver Dan Selznick of Phoenix, Arizona and The Room Store team returns for his fifth year in the championship.

The newest team to enter the Atlantic circle is Paladin Motorsports. Following successful stints in other racing series, the Paladin team expands to Atlantics this season with another young Canadian rising star, Adrien Herberts.

The Atlantic calendar for ‘07 features 12 races, with eight events held in the U.S. and four in Canada. The downtown street race in Las Vegas, which opens the season on Easter weekend, is the only new event on the series schedule. The Atlantic cars also return to compete at the famed Mont-Tremblant circuit in St. Jovite, Canada for the first time since the 1976 season. Portland and Edmonton will host doubleheader rounds (two races on one weekend) this year and all events will be held in conjunction with the cars of the Champ Car World Series. All races will be televised on a tape-delayed basis on ESPN2. Check local listings or log on to www.champcaratlantic.com for broadcast details.

More Atlantic 101:  Overview  |  Fast Facts  |  History  |  2007 Season Preview

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