Atlantics on par with IndyCars

UPDATE The spreadsheet below shows the qualifying lap times for IndyCars, Indy Lights and Atlantic cars ranked by speed at Mid-Ohio. It is pretty sad to see that 10 out of the 13 Atlantics are faster than Milka Duno and she barely squeezes ahead of the Indy Lights polesitter. Jeff Biggs [Editor's Note: Recall in testing the 2007 Panoz Champ Car was in the low 1 minute range at Mid-Ohio and typically the Panoz Champ Car was 10 seconds per lap faster than an Atlantic Car.]

08/07/09 In Atlantic Series qualifying today Jonathan Summerton clocked the fastest lap at 1m12.970s. John Edwards was 2nd at 1m13.150s. The IndyCars were generally faster, 1m08.2s for Scott Dixon being the fastest, but Summerton and Edwards were both faster than Milka Duno’s IndyCar time of 1m15.8764s, and nearly as fast as Richard Antinucci's 1m12.5210s.

And you wonder why Tony George didn't want to pick up the Atlantic Series when he bought Champ Car? They would have embarrassed the Indy Lights cars and on occasion embarrassed some IndyCar drivers.

The next generation IndyCar is going to have to be faster on the road courses.