Formula Atlantics Seeing Red?

[macdaddy]

Red Bull officials met with Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven last weekend in Denver and the word on the street is that Red Bull will become the title sponsor of Formula Atlantic series in 2006.

Red Bull has hosted large hospitality tents at the past two Champ Car races with Allmendinger's RuSport team...

"We are looking at the landscape of American motorsports and we've seen some things that interest us," said Dr. Helmut Marko, the ex-F1 driver who serves as Red Bull's major talent scout. "We will be making some decisions in the near future."

I enjoy rumours, and this one published on SpeedTV would be pretty awesome if it comes to fruition!

[Kicking-back]

Very good news if it happens.

Red Bull certainly put the money where their mouth is.

[mountainstar]

I think it's fair to say RB is moving out of Cheever, that's been rumored for a while.

It would make far more sense for RB to be in Champcar, as it's more their demographic.

[Kicking-back]

The RB plan is apparently to sponsor AJA @ RuSport, Buddy Rice at Rahal IndyCar and the title sponsorship of Formula Atlantic

[Snrub]

Actually that makes a lot of sense. If you want to help develop drivers over hear you need to look at the top level of development. Atlantics drivers are throughout CC, IRL, ALMS and Grand Am.

KB, your info tends to be pretty good, is that firm info?

[macdaddy]

Hopefully RedBull will expand from AJ's helmet, and onto his sidepods.

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by Snrub

KB, your info tends to be pretty good, is that firm info?

As far as I know that's the plan at the moment, but nothing's confirmed.

I've seen this mentioned in a few places - I'll try to pull some information together a bit later today.

[brightline]

Did anyone else see this tidbit and go huh!?!?!

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...007326,00.html

"One of the highlights of the Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver is the annual owner/driver race on the Mini Grand Prix Go-Kart track, a smaller replica of the real deal"

...

"Other generous owners, sponsors and drivers included Helmut Marco (Red Bull) and driver Michel Jourdain Jr.; Dan Peditt (PKV Racing) and driver Cristiano da Matta; Kevin Kalkhoven (PKV Racing) and driver Jimmy Vasser; and Newman/Haas driver Oriol Servia, who was paired with Centrix Financial Chairman and CEO Bob Sutton, chairman of the Denver Grand Prix Foundation board."

[gttouring]

well as rumored the loss of toyota sponsor ship is leading to a Ford Duratec (Focus) based motor for an Atlantic type replacement.
built by Cosworth of course, with more power than the current 4age based 1600cc units.
also the Toyota Motorsports (TRD) warehouse has just dumped ALL of its atlantic parts inventory out to a private customer, and has Zero castings left....

[nsxr]

sucks that toyota left I've only known the series as toyota atlantics. It had a good ring to it. So its now Red Bull Atlantics series or something. Wait anyone know the price of an atlantic 4ag. those motors are amazing there is a huge market for them

[Mosport67]

Atlantics used to run Cosworth BDA's so this is just fine with me.

[Flatspot]

My question is: Did Toyota leave or was Cosworth installed?

[Kicking-back]

A bit of both, I think

[macdaddy]

Toyota left, but OWRS was obviously prepared for the consequence. Losing the money and sponsorship hurts, though. Hopefully they can badge the engines again.

[StickShift]

IIRC, Toyota pulled their sponsorship, but they offered to keep on supplying and maintaining the current engines.

[Snrub]

Originally Posted by nsxr

Wait anyone know the price of an atlantic 4ag. those motors are amazing there is a huge market for them

That was part of the problem with Atantics, those engines were expensive by formula car standards! It wouldn't make much sense for a street application.

[macdaddy]

I read today that Pacific Coast Motorsports has pulled out of the ALMS, effective immediately. "As a privateer team we just don’t have the resources to continue to compete in the ALMS and hope to win races against the factory-backed entries."

This is the team that won the Atlantics last year with Fogarty. (This year they campaigned Dalziel and Figge in GT1). And so I must wonder... Do you suppose that they may return to the newly-revamped Atlantics program for 2006?

[SALEEN S7R]

Ah yes, this is on the teams official site. A sad day for the ALMS. Still, we have a 2nd MC12 arriving in the ALMS soon fortunatly and the DBR9's. As for PCM statement though it does seem like the team have sour grapes somewhat, they have chasis 006, a 2001 spec machine I beleive when GPLK got a 2004 car and are running it in the FIA GT championship which didnt please PCM one bit, its nothing to do with privateers not being able to compete with Corvette, its all to do with them having a old car and trying to do so, ACEMCO are showing that you can compete with Corvette sometimes if you are a well run privateer team.

Sorry if I went too off topic...

[Mosport67]

Sorry to see the Pacific team go. I was hoping they would be at Mopsport tomorrow.

I'm not sure they will come back to Atlantic unless they find new funding. Wasn't their ALMS funding in some way related to Figge.

[macdaddy]

TRANSNET RACING RETURNS TO ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2006

That's the headline of this story.

Great stuff! The series is looking better and better.

[macdaddy]

HEARN ANNOUNCES TWO-CAR ATLANTIC PROGRAM

Even more fantastic news!

[macdaddy]

What follows is a tentative list of teams for the 2006 Atlantic Championship, as presented on the series' website:

Arms Up Motorsports
Atkins Racing
Bite Racing
Brooks Associates Racing
Condor Motorsports
Conquest Racing
Dan Cobb Racing
Dyson Racing
Forsythe Championship Racing
Gelles Racing
Hearn Motorsports Inc.
Ishikawa Racing
Jensen Motorsport, Inc.
McAtee Motorsports
MJ Motorsports
Olsson Engineering
Polestar Racing Group
PR1 Motorsports
The Room Store
Sierra Sierra Motorsports
Transnet Racing
U.S Racetronics
Walker Racing



And hopefully this list will soon include Rahal/Letterman Racing.

Rahal:
We have placed a deposit on a new car in anticipation of entering the series with (my son) Graham. However, that participation is dependent on raising the necessary sponsorship.

[Snrub]

Hearn is apparently expanding to TWO Atlantics and THREE Formula BMW. They're currently in Star Mazda. Actually I drove by their truck a couple of weeks back on the 402 (both of us headed west).

[Uesque]

Originally Posted by macdaddy

Hopefully RedBull will expand from AJ's helmet, and onto his sidepods.

They're on Robby Gordon's helmet also, could that change?

[macdaddy]

2006 Schedule

April 9 - Long Beach, California
May 13 - Houston, Texas
May 21 - Monterrey, Mexico
June 18 - Portland, Oregon
June 24 - Cleveland, Ohio
June 25 - Cleveland, Ohio
July 9 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
July 23 - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
July 30 - San Jose, California
Aug. 13 - Denver, Colorado
Aug. 27 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
12th Race Date TBA