Atlantics could lose teams to IndyPro

UPDATE To clarify this rumor, it's about existing Formula BMW teams and where they might move next year, not about existing Atlantic teams moving to IPS. On that same note, we hear that Kevin Kalkhoven is planning to continue the $2 million prize to the Atlantic championship. Some were speculating that it was just for 2006, which is not true. Separately, whether there is any change to the Atlantic purse payout for 2nd through 30th remains to be seen.

08/14/06 Spoke to several teams in Denver this weekend about plans for next year. The folks from the FBMW paddock are circling around IPS for next year based simply on the way the IPS pays out its prize fund. For most teams, simply showing up at the event pays them approx $13,000 and for most team owners this makes more sense than going Atlantic. The Atlantic paddock is very competitive and based on this most new teams have little chance to make any prize money to attempt to offset the costs of running. Atlantics needs to really look at this situation seriously and soon if they want to ensure that new potential Atlantic teams stay in the CC circle and do not run to TG. There needs to be a better payout further down the finishing order. We can tell you from firsthand discussions that more than one team is looking at IPS as opposed to Atlantic. Champ Car needs to make a very quick decision (less than 30 days in our opinion) if they wish to get these potential new teams in their camp. The best way forward may be to change the prize pool to $1M for the championship winner and take another $1M to $2M and increase the purse further down the finishing order.

That's assuming a 'young' driver wants to drive in a 100% throttle training series running at high speeds on tracks lined with concrete walls, or one where you really learn to drive like the Atlantic Series.