The Atlantic Series in trouble?

UPDATE An Atlantic team owner chimes in, Dear AR1.com, I read your comment today about the Atlantic Series. I totally agree with your assessment. It doesn’t make much sense why so many talented young driver prospects have chosen to go to Indy Lights with the vague hope of landing a paid drive in the IndyCar Series. It’s been as or more common for Atlantic grads to get the paid seats over the past decade; and in the meantime the prize money of the Atlantic Series plus the lower financial and injury risks from accidents make the Atlantic Series a far more attractive series financially for young drivers.

There is also a very strong Star Mazda grid in 2009, which bodes well for the 2010 Atlantic grid as many of those drivers are there seeking Mazda’s prize of a funded year in the Atlantic Series.

Lastly, I recall the 12 car Atlantic grid at the Vancouver Indy in 2004. Then, and again in 2005, many naysayers believed the Atlantic Series would disappear. In short order, Vicki O’Connor achieved a 27 car grid at the first race of the hugely successful 2006 Atlantic season, with all the teams purchasing new cars, engines, etc. The current Atlantic cars are fine for several more years, so cost-wise the challenge now is less than it was during that cycle. Eric Jensen, President – Jensen MotorSport, Inc.

04/16/09 A reader writes, Dear AR1.com, I have heard rumors that Atlantic teams are looking to bail out and move to another junior series. With no TV package, sponsorship is hard to come by, which is made worse by the bad economy. I am also told that because the series is no longer linked to Champ Car, and was not picked up by the IRL, the Atlantic Series is now a dead-end street for those drivers who have open wheel aspirations at the highest levels.

This is probably one reason the Indy Lights series is blossoming now – money that would have otherwise ended up in the Atlantic paddock is now in Indy Lights where a driver has IndyCars to move up to. The well funded Junior Strous moved to Indy Lights in 2009 because he wanted to be an IndyCar driver. I suspect you will see more of that in the next two years. Marv Allan

Dear Marv, As long as they are going to run races, pay $50k to win each event and the champ gets a million dollars, then it is a great place to be … There really is no better … without Mathiasen and Bomarito (see announcement of team withdrawal) someone's chances just got a lot better! That is for sure.

The prize money has been promised by the series and the winners of the prizes get the "cash" to take wherever on the planet they want to run, or they can invest it in real estate and never race again … but the idea is to go race at the next level, to perhaps get a discounted GP2 seat or the equivalent in the IRL. But certainly a driver with a million dollars can go almost anywhere and get a ride, so that was the idea to provide a real opportunity for the Atlantic champ to move up the racing food chain … I can't believe racers are not lining up and hocking their wares to get a shot at this title. Can Vicki O'Connor work her magic once again? Mark C.