2008 Atlantic races to air starting this weekend

The 2008 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda will go down in history as one of the most exciting and entertaining championship battles in the 35-year history of the series, and beginning this weekend, race fans will have the opportunity to relive all of the excitement on SPEED.

As was announced in September, the 2008 Atlantic Championship season-opening Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach will be televised beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 9, kicking off a run of Sunday afternoon Atlantic telecasts that will air through Sunday, December 28. Bill Stephens will provide the play-by-play alongside color commentator Jon Beekhuis. The telecasts were produced by Mullin Production Group, which has been involved with the series since 1994.

“It was, as always, a privilege to chronicle this dynamic series," said John B. Mullin, President and Executive Producer of Mullin Production Group. “For 15 years, we’ve told the stories of the young men and women who, in large measure because of their experience in the Atlantic series, have gone onto stardom throughout the world of racing. The 2008 season, as the 35th Anniversary of the series, certainly deserved a legitimate network exposure, and we were delighted to be able to facilitate these presentations on SPEED."

The Long Beach season-opener will lead off SPEED’s Atlantic coverage this weekend, with coverage from Round 2 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the first race of July’s doubleheader at Edmonton slated to air on Sunday, November 16. The second half of the Edmonton doubleheader and the first race of an August doubleheader at Road America will be televised on Sunday, December 14, followed by the second race of the Road America doubleheader and the triumphant return of Atlantic to Trois-Rivières, which is slated to air on Sunday, December 21. The inaugural Atlantic race at Miller Motorsports Park and the thrilling season finale at Road Atlanta complete the SPEED coverage on Sunday, December 28. All of the telecasts will begin at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Television coverage plans for the 2009 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, for which the schedule was announced yesterday, will be announced shortly. The full 2008 television schedule follows below:

ALL TELECASTS WILL BEGIN AT 5 P.M. ET