Forsythe to Indy Lights may spell doom for Atlantic Series

The bumpy ride for the Atlantic Championship may get a bit rougher as series co-owner Jerry Forsythe is expected to announce today that he's setting up shop in the arch-rival Indy Lights Series.

While positioned by the team as a way to bolster its stable of race programs in the open-wheel ladder system, Forsythe's move to Indy Lights only increases speculation that Atlantic co-owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Forsythe want to sell the series by the end of the 2008 season.

But Neil Micklewright, Forsythe vice-president of operations, said the team is not abandoning Atlantic and will run cars in both series.

"This is an extremely exciting time for Forsythe Racing as we're once again in the thick of a title battle in the Atlantic Championship, while we're also looking to further bolster our race programs, starting with our Indy Lights announcement," he said.

"We believe the Firestone Indy Lights Series offers Forsythe Racing an additional platform to showcase our commitment to on-track excellence and our desire to win."

It is thought that series director Vicki O'Connor is trying to find an investor to guarantee the future of the 35-year-old Atlantic series.

Indy Lights is the primary feeder series for the Indy Racing League (IRL) and Forsythe's move has many thinking that it's a precursor to the team's entry into that series in 2009.

Until this year, the Atlantic Series was the final development stage for drivers heading to the defunct Champ Car World Series. But when Champ Car — also co-owned by Kalkhoven and Forsythe — folded in February, Atlantic became a ladder without a top rung. More at Globe and Mail