Barrett to test Atlantic car

Patrick Barrett

As part of his prize for winning the 2007 Pacific F2000 championship, American rising star Patrick Barrett will test one of PR1 Motorsports’ Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda race cars at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in California on Wednesday.

The test comes from a team with which Barrett is well familiar, as the 18-year-old from Los Osos, Calif. won his 2007 Pacific F2000 title driving for PR1 Motorsports. The test was made possible by series partners that are common to both Champ Car Atlantic and Pacific F2000, namely Cooper Tires and Cosworth. PR1 Motorsports announced last March that it would provide the test to the 2007 Pacific F2000 titlist. Champ Car Atlantic veteran Mike Forest—who has driven for PR1 Motorsports in Atlantic for the past two years—will also be present at the test and will assist with driver coaching.

“It is a pleasant coincidence that Patrick won the Pacific F2000 championship driving for our team and now has the opportunity to test our Atlantic car," said PR1 Motorsports owner Bobby Oergel. “We already have an outstanding relationship with Patrick, and I have no doubt that he will perform extremely well in the Atlantic car. I need to thank Cooper Tires and Cosworth for helping us with this test."

Barrett set a Pacific F2000 series record in 2007 with eight victories and a total of 11 top-two results from 10 starts en route to the championship. He also won the 2006 SCCA Formula Russell championship with 12 victories, six poles and podium results in all 17 races. Last fall, Barrett earned one of two Team USA Scholarships and participated in the Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy series in England alongside fellow scholarship winner Joel Miller. Barrett earned a best result of sixth at Snetterton in the six-race series that took place over two weekends. Also as part of winning the Team USA scholarship, Barrett got the opportunity to test a U.S. RaceTronics Atlantic car.

"I'm really looking forward to testing the Champ Car Atlantic with PR1 Motorsports this week," Barrett said. “The team and I worked hard to win the Pacific F2000 Championship last year so I know I'm in good hands for this test, especially with a team that has done extremely well in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship. I tested an Atlantic car last summer as part of winning the Team USA Scholarship so I'm really excited about getting back into one. I want to thank Champ Car, Champ Car Atlantic, Cosworth, Cooper Tire, Buttonwillow Raceway and especially Bobby and Lisa Oergel at PR1 Motorsports for this opportunity."

Next up for the Champ Car Atlantic Championship is the first of three open test sessions to be held prior to the start of the 35th Anniversary season of Atlantic at Long Beach on April 20. The first open test of 2008 will be held at the famed Sebring International Raceway circuit in central Florida. Atlantic cars will take to the 1.669-mile “short course" on February 5-6.