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2008 Atlantic Championship

January 01, 1970

The 2008 Atlantic Championship season was the thirty-fifth Atlantic Championship season. It began on April 20, 2008 and ended on October 4, 2008. Despite the merger of Champ Car's premier series with the Indy Racing League, the Champ Car owners continued to own and operate the Atlantic Championship under a new legal entity, Atlantic Racing Series, LLC.[1] Champ Car continued to sanction the first two events of the season at Long Beach and Laguna Seca with the remainder of the season running under IMSA sanction.[2] The Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda Drivers' Champion was Markus Niemelä driving for Brooks Associates Racing.

2008 Atlantic Championship season
Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda
Season
Races11
Start dateApril 20
End dateOctober 3
Awards
Drivers' champion Markus Niemelä
← 2007
2009 →

Events edit

The original 12-race 2008 Atlantic Championship calendar, which featured many supporting runs during Champ Car World Series events, had to be scrapped as a result of the 2008 open-wheel reunification announcement. The Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Edmonton, Mont-Tremblant and Road America races, which had been part of the Champ Car schedule before reunification, remained in the calendar. The Road America races were changed, as the American Le Mans Series' Generac 500 weekend meet was changed from one to two races (a Saturday and Sunday race). The Edmonton race, now part of the IndyCar Series, also switched to a two-race format. The original races at Trois-Rivieres and Miller were not affected, since the Quebec race was part of the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres (which also features the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series), and the Utah race was conducted as part of the Rolex Sports Car Series Sunchaser 1000 weekend.[3] On April 3 a revised post-reunification schedule was released featuring 11 races including the seven weekends that were kept (with two races at Edmonton and Road America), and two new races, one at New Jersey and a second Road Atlanta (as a support race to the Petit Le Mans).

Rd Race Name Circuit City/Location Race Date
1   Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach[4] Long Beach Grand Prix Long Beach, California April 20
2   Monterey Festival of Speed Atlantic Championship[5] Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, California May 18
3   Sommet des Legends Circuit Mont-Tremblant Mont-Tremblant, Quebec June 29
4   Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 1 Edmonton Indy Edmonton, Alberta July 25
5   Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 2 Edmonton Indy Edmonton, Alberta July 26
6   Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 1[6] Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin August 9
7   Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 2[6] Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin August 10
8   Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières[4] Circuit Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières, Quebec August 17
9   Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom[4] New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, New Jersey September 14
10   SunRichGourmet.com 1000[4] Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, Utah September 21
11   Atlanta Atlantic Challenge Road Atlanta Braselton, Georgia October 3

Television edit

The 2008 series was televised at 5 PM ET on Sundays starting on November 9, 2008 on Speed TV.[7]

  • November 9 – Grand Prix of Long Beach
  • November 16 – Laguna Seca and Race 1 of Edmonton
  • December 14 – Race 2 of Edmonton and Race 1 of Road America
  • December 21 – Race 2 of Road America and Trois Rivières
  • December 28 – Miller Motorsports Park and Road Atlanta

Drivers and Teams edit

The following teams and drivers competed in the 2008 Atlantic Championship season. All teams used the Swift 016.a chassis powered by a Mazda-Cosworth MZR 2.3 liter inline-4 engine and Cooper tires.[8]

Team No Drivers Rounds Sponsor
  Jensen MotorSport 2   Henri Karjalainen 1–10
22   Eric Jensen 8–9
  Forsythe Championship Racing 3   James Hinchcliffe All Indeck
7   David Garza 1–5, 11 Axtel/Madisa Cat/Tecate
  David Martínez 6–10
  Walker Racing 5   Greg Mansell All Sunseeker
15   Leo Mansell All
25   Kevin Lacroix All Uni-Select/Deans Knight/Wasteco
  Condor Motorsports 6   Junior Strous All Shell/HTP/Muermans Group/Red White & Bluezz
9   Dominick Muermans All Hugenholtz Property Group/Jumbo Supermarkten/Muermans Group
11   Douglas Soares All Banco BMG
77   Brian Thienes 1 Bare Elegance/Valley Ball Cabaret
  Brooks Associates Racing 8   Markus Niemelä All Mr. Jones Bar & Kitchen
88   Andreas Wirth 1–3 Wirsol/Sueba USA
  Tom Sutherland 4–11 ClickAway Computers & Networking
  Pacific Coast Motorsports 14   Carl Skerlong 1–10 King Taco
41   Frankie Muniz All Hard Rock Cafe
  Genoa Racing 17   Alan Sciuto 1 Deans Ultra Plug
  Tõnis Kasemets 6–7
  J. R. Hildebrand 11
19   Dane Cameron All MAZDASPEED/Finlay Motorsports/Lynx Racing
  Mathiasen Motorsports 26   Jonathan Bomarito All RLM Investments/Discount Tire Centers/Stone Brewing
  PR1 Motorsports 32   Mike Forest 1 Konica Minolta/Earthwater/Dynacor Media
  Newman Wachs Racing 34   Simona de Silvestro All Nuclear Clean Air Energy
36   Jonathan Summerton All
  Paladin Motorsports 45   Greg Minium 1
  Christopher Zöchling 2, 4–5 X8ment4u.com
  EuroInternational 46   Luis Schiavo 1–8, 11 Constructora Iriaca
70   Daniel Morad 1–8 Metro Directories of Georgia
  Polestar Motor Racing 66   Rich Zober 9 Zober Industries

Full series results edit

Rd Race Pole Position Fastest Lap Winning driver Winning team Report
1   Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach   Jonathan Bomarito   Carl Skerlong   Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing Report
2   Monterey Festival of Speed   James Hinchcliffe   Douglas Soares   James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Pettit Racing Report
3   Sommet des Legends   Junior Strous   Junior Strous   Junior Strous Condor Motorsports Report
4   Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton - Race 1   James Hinchcliffe   David Garza Pérez   Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports Report
5   Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton - Race 2   Carl Skerlong   Carl Skerlong   Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing Report
6   Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 1   Dane Cameron   Tõnis Kasemets   Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports Report
7   Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 2   Jonathan Bomarito   Dane Cameron   Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing Report
8   Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières   Jonathan Bomarito   Jonathan Summerton   Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports Report
9   Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom   Carl Skerlong   Carl Skerlong   Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports Report
10   SunRichGourmet.com 1000   Markus Niemelä   Carl Skerlong   Markus Niemelä Brooks Associates Racing Report
11   Atlanta Atlantic Challenge   Jonathan Summerton   J. R. Hildebrand   Markus Niemelä Brooks Associates Racing Report

Race summaries edit

Round 1: Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach edit

  • Sunday April 20, 2008 - 1:30 p.m. EDT
  • Streets of Long Beach - Long Beach, California (1.968 mile street circuit)
  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Distance: 38 laps / 74.784 miles
  • Race weather: 60 °F, Sunny skies
  • Television: Speed (November 9, 2008 - 5:00 p.m. EST)
  • Pole position winner: #26 Jonathan Bomarito, 93.286 mph (150.125 km/h)
  • Race Summary
The 2008 Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach was won by the young Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro making her only the second female driver to ever win an Atlantic Championship race after Katherine Legge.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 2 34   Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 38 50:51.261 15
2 4 17   Alan Sciuto Genoa Racing 38 +1.285 0
3 5 25   Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 38 +2.256 0
4 6 36   Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 38 +2.983 0
5 1 26   Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 38 +4.605 23
Race average speed:
Lead changes: 1 between 2 drivers
Cautions: 1 for 2 Laps

Round 2: Monterey Festival of Speed Atlantic Championship edit

Canadian James Hinchciffe took the pole at Laguna Seca with a 1:16.189 which was a track record qualifying run on by an Atlantic car on Saturday after taking the provisional pole on Friday. He then went on to dominate Sunday's race.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led
1 1 3   James Hinchcliffe Forsythe/Pettit Racing 34 50:50.352 28
2 2 14   Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 34 +2.391 6
3 4 6   Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 34 +6.671 0
4 5 8   Markus Niemelä Brooks Associates Racing 34 +13.027 0
5 11 9   Dominick Muermans Condor Motorsports 34 +18.404 0
Race average speed: 89.803 mph
Lead changes: 2
Cautions: 2 for 9 laps

Round 3: Sommet des Legends edit

  • Sunday June 29, 2008 - 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Circuit Mont-Tremblant - Mont-Tremblant, Quebec (2.621 mile road circuit)
  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Distance: 30 laps / 78.630 miles
  • Race weather: 75 °F, Partly cloudy skies
  • Television: TBA
  • Pole position winner: #6 Junior Strous, 1:28.805 (106.251 mph)
  • Race Summary
Dutch driver Junior Strous dominated the weekend by taking pole and leading every lap in the race. The win was his first ever in the Atlantic Championship, as was his pole position. He leads the season championship with 74 points over James Hinchcliffe and Markus Niemelä who are tied at 67.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 1 6   Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 30 53:50.600 30
2 3 8   Markus Niemelä Brooks Associates Racing 30 +0.487* 0
3 4 14   Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 30 +0.966 0
4 5 3   James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 30 +1.514 0
5 8 19   Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 30 +2.057 0
  * Race finished under caution
Race average speed: 87.621 mph
Lead changes: 0
Cautions: 3 for 10 Laps

Round 4: Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 1 edit

  • Friday July 25, 2008 - 5:15 p.m. MDT
  • Rexall Speedway - Edmonton, Alberta (1.973 mile temporary airport circuit)
  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Distance: 38 laps / 74.974 miles
  • Race weather: 80 °F, Partly cloudy skies
  • Television: Speed (November 16, 2008 - 5:30 p.m. EST)
  • Pole position winner: #3 James Hinchcliffe, 1:05.910 (107.765 mph)
  • Race Summary
Polesitter James Hinchcliffe led from the green flag but was closely stalked by Jonathan Bomarito, who finally made the pass in Turn 1 on lap 31. A late race caution set up a one lap sprint to the finish with Bomarito holding off Markus Niemelä to become the fourth race winner in as many races this season. The win was Bomarito's third Atlantic victory and the first victory for his team, Mathiasen Motorsports, in 36 starts. In the points chase, Niemelä leads Hinchcliffe 94-93.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 2 26   Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 38 45:18.942 8
2 5 8   Markus Niemelä Brooks Associates Racing 38 +0.691 0
3 1 3   James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 38 +1.151 30
4 4 19   Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 38 +1.757 0
5 6 7   David Garza Forsythe Championship Racing 38 +2.170 0
Race average speed: 99.269 mph
Lead changes: 1
Cautions: 1 for 3 Laps

Round 5: Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 2 edit

  • Saturday July 25, 2008 - 12:45 p.m. MDT
  • Rexall Speedway - Edmonton, Alberta (1.973 mile temporary airport circuit)
  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Distance: 36 laps / 71.028 miles
  • Race weather: 80 °F, Mostly cloudy skies
  • Television: Speed (December 14, 2008 - 5:00 p.m. EST)
  • Pole position winner: #14 Carl Skerlong, 1:05.455 (108.514 mph)
  • Race Summary
A1 Grand Prix veteran (but Atlantic rookie) Jonathan Summerton jumped into the lead from third on the starting grid and dominated the race, leading every lap on the way to his first Atlantic series win. He became the fifth different winner in five races and the first rookie to top a podium this year. James Hinchcliffe finished third and jumped to the top of the points table. He has 118 points, five more than Markus Niemelä.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 3 36   Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 18 45:08.751 36
2 1 14   Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 18 +2.222 0
3 4 3   James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 18 +6.039 0
4 5 26   Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 18 +6.719 0
5 2 19   Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 18 +7.195 0
Race average speed: 94.398 mph
Lead changes: 0
Cautions: 1 for 5 Laps

Round 6: Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 1 edit

  • Saturday August 8, 2008 - 1:00 p.m. CDT
  • Road America - Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (4.048 mile permanent road circuit)
  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Distance: 18 laps / 72.864 miles
  • Race weather: 76 °F, Partly cloudy skies
  • Television: Speed (December 14, 2008 - 5:30 p.m. EST)
  • Pole position winner: #19 Dane Cameron, 1:59.190 (122.265 mph)
  • Race Summary
Jonathan Bomarito became the first multiple time winner in the 2008 Atlantic series. He took the lead from pole sitter Dane Cameron at the standing start. On lap 10, Cameron passed Bomarito in Canada Corner but Bomarito was able to pass him back on the following lap, taking the lead which he would hold for the remainder of the race. James Hinchcliffe finished fifth, high enough to keep the points lead with 139 points. Markus Niemelä trails Hinchcliffe by 7 and Bomarito is only 9 points back. Atlantic and Champ Car veteran Tõnis Kasemets made his first appearance since last year's Atlantic round at Road America and finished on the podium in third.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 2 26   Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 18 45:02.334 17
2 1 19   Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 18 +0.411 1
3 8 17   Tõnis Kasemets Genoa Racing 18 +0.978 0
4 9 14   Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 18 +6.384 0
5 3 3   James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 18 +7.230 0
Race average speed: 97.068 mph
Lead changes: 1
Cautions: 2 for 6 Laps

Round 7: Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 2 edit

  • Sunday August 9, 2008 - 1:30 p.m. CDT
  • Road America - Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (4.048 mile permanent road circuit)
  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Distance: 20 laps / 80.960 miles
  • Race weather: 75 °F, Partly cloudy skies
  • Television: Speed (December 21, 2008 - 5:00 p.m. EST)
  • Pole position winner: #26 Jonathan Bomarito, 1:59.564 (121.883 mph)
  • Race Summary
Race 1's winner Jonathan Bomarito led away from the pole, while behind him Jonathan Summerton was charging up through the field from ninth place on the grid. On lap 18, Summerton passed Bomarito in Turn 1, leading only the final two laps home to the checkered flag. Even with the second place finish Bomarito jumped to the top of the points chase. He leads with 157, three in front of the previous leader James Hinchcliffe and six in front of Markus Niemelä.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 9 36   Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 20 46:39.544 2
2 1 26   Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 20 +1.084 18
3 2 17   Tõnis Kasemets Genoa Racing 20 +6.202 0
4 10 25   Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 20 +6.832 0
5 4 14   Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 20 +8.993 0
Race average speed: 104.108 mph
Lead changes: 1
Cautions: 2 for 5 Laps

Round 8: Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières edit

Jonathan Bomarito led away from the standing start and was never seriously challenged on his way to his third Atlantic victory of the year. Bad days for James Hinchcliffe and Markus Niemelä allowed him to open a sizable lead in the season championship going into the final three races of the year. Bomarito leads the championship with 191, 28 points ahead of Jonathan Summerton who has 163. Hinchcliffe is still in third, but is 36 points back with 155.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 1 26   Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 44 50:17.453 44
2 2 36   Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 44 +1.590 0
3 8 6   Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 44 +5.682 0
4 11 34   Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 44 +7.878 0
5 4 19   Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 44 +10.015 0
Race average speed: 79.844 mph
Lead changes: 0
Cautions: 2 for 9 Laps

Round 9: Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom edit

Carl Skerlong dominated the weekend, leading every session and leading every lap in the race to claim his first Atlantic victory. He even set the fastest lap, giving him a perfect score of 34 points for the weekend. Points leader Jonathan Bomarito finished ninth, which reduced his margin to 16 points over Jonathan Summerton and 22 over Markus Niemelä with two races left in the season.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 1 14   Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 42 50:49.282 42
2 2 8   Markus Niemelä Brooks Associates Racing 42 +2.464 0
3 4 36   Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 42 +10.441 0
4 3 25   Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 42 +22.772 0
5 6 6   Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 42 +23.914 0
Race average speed: 107.948 mph
Lead changes: 0
Cautions: None

Round 10: SunRichGourmet.com 1000 edit

  • Sunday September 21, 2008 - 2:30 p.m. MDT
  • Miller Motorsports Park - Tooele, Utah (4.486 mile permanent road circuit)
  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Distance: 20 laps / 89.720 miles
  • Race weather: 71 °F, Mostly Cloudy
  • Television: Speed (December 28, 2008 - 5:00 p.m. EST)
  • Pole position winner: #8 Markus Niemelä, 2:28.915 (108.448 mph)
  • Race Summary
Markus Niemelä followed up his first Atlantic series pole position with his first series victory, leading every lap in the race. Three drivers are still alive for the series championship going into the final round of the season. Jonathan Bomarito, who finished sixth, now leads with 224 points. He has an eight point advantage over Jonathan Summerton and a 10 point lead over Niemelä.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 1 8   Markus Niemelä Brooks Associates Racing 20 50:40.529 20
2 2 36   Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 20 +0.446 0
3 3 19   Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 20 +2.296 0
4 6 14   Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 20 +2.828 0
5 4 34   Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 20 +22.363 0
Race average speed: 106.229 mph
Lead changes: 0
Cautions: None

Round 11: Atlanta Atlantic Challenge edit

  • Friday October 3, 2008 - 2:10 p.m. EDT
  • Road Atlanta - Braselton, Georgia (2.540 mile permanent road circuit)
  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Distance: 35 laps / 88.900 miles
  • Race weather: 72 °F, Clear
  • Television: Speed (December 28, 2008 - 5:30 p.m. EST)
  • Pole position winner: #36 Jonathan Summerton, 1:14.137 (123.339 mph)
  • Race Summary
Markus Niemelä won the race and clinched the series championship on an eventful day at Road Atlanta. At the start Dane Cameron took the race lead from the standing start while Niemelä got around the pole sitter Jonathan Summerton for second place. Jonathan Bomarito, the points leader going into the race, dropped out of the race with mechanical troubles after only 10 laps. Going into a restart on lap 33, Niemelä was in second and Summerton was in third, but Summerton was in line to clinch the championship. On the restart, Niemelä got around Cameron to take the lead on the track and Kevin Lacroix passed Summerton for third, which put Niemelä in position to take the championship. Summerton attempted to pass Cameron to put himself back into the championship position but they made contact and both cars were knocked out of the race. Niemelä cruised the final laps under yellow. Niemelä finished the season with 245 points followed by Bomarito at 228 and Summerton with 224.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps led
1 3 8   Markus Niemelä Brooks Associates Racing 35 50:19.931 3
2 4 25   Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 35 +0.730* 0
3 7 3   James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 35 +1.311 0
4 11 34   Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 35 +1.807 0
5 8 5   Greg Mansell Walker Racing 35 +4.174 0
  * Race finished under caution
Race average speed: 105.976 mph
Lead changes: 1
Cautions: 2 for 7 Laps

Final driver results edit

Points system edit

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Points 31 27 25 23 21 19 17 15 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Bonus Points

  • 1 point to fastest driver in a qualification session.
  • 1 point to driver who leads the most laps in the race.
  • 1 point to driver who improves the most positions in the race.

Driver results and standings edit

Pos Driver LGB   LAG   MTT   EDM1   EDM2   ROA1   ROA2   TRR   NJS   UTH   ATL   Points
1   Markus Niemelä (R) 7 4 2 2 6 6 6 Ret 2 1* 1 245
2   Jonathan Bomarito 5* Ret 6 1 4 1* 2* 1* 9 6 Ret 228
3   Jonathan Summerton (R) 4 6 12 6 1* Ret 1 2 3 2 Ret 224
4   James Hinchcliffe 10 1* 4 3* 3 5 8 Ret 16 10 3 196
5   Junior Strous 8 3 1* 13 9 8 11 3 5 8 8 196
6   Carl Skerlong 23 2 3 19 2 4 5 Ret 1* 4 Inj 189
7   Dane Cameron (R) 11 17 5 4 5 2 17 5 Ret 3 Ret* 169
8   Simona de Silvestro 1 10 9 8 Ret 9 18 4 11 5 4 167
9   Kevin Lacroix 3 15 13 7 7 14 4 Ret 4 11 2 161
10   Greg Mansell (R) 13 Ret DNS 9 Ret 12 13 9 7 9 5 105
11   Frankie Muniz 15 13 11 12 13 11 10 12 10 14 9 102
12   Daniel Morad (R) 6 9 Ret 11 8 Ret 9 6 95
13   David Garza 12 7 8 5 10 Inj Inj Inj Inj Inj 6 94
14   Dominick Muermans (R) 17 5 10 Ret 15 16 16 14 14 17 12 80
15   Tom Sutherland 10 Ret Ret Ret 8 6 7 10 78
16   David Martínez 7 7 7 8 13 74
17   Henri Karjalainen (R) 14 16 Ret 14 11 Ret 14 10 15 12 70
18   Douglas Soares (R) 16 14 Ret 15 12 15 15 11 13 15 Ret 70
19   Leo Mansell (R) 19 11 Ret 17 Ret 13 Ret 13 12 16 11 68
20   Luis Schiavo (R) 18 Ret DNS 16 14 10 12 16 7 60
21   Tõnis Kasemets 3 3 51
22   Andreas Wirth 9 8 7 45
23   Alan Sciuto 2 27
24   Christopher Zöchling (R) 12 18 16 18
25   Eric Jensen 15 Ret 9
26   J. R. Hildebrand Ret 7
27   Rich Zober (R) 17 4
28   Brian Thienes 20 1
29   Mike Forest 21 0
30   Greg Minium (R) 22 0
Pos Driver LGB   LAG   MTT   EDM1   EDM2   ROA1   ROA2   TRR   NJS   UTH   ATL   Points
Color Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green 4th & 5th place
(Top 5)
Light Blue 6th-10th place
(Top 10)
Dark Blue Finished
(Outside Top 10)
Purple Did not finish
(Ret)
Red Did not qualify
(DNQ)
Brown Withdrawn
(Wth)
Black Disqualified
(DSQ)
White Did not start
(DNS)
Blank Did not
participate
(DNP)
Driver
replacement
(Rpl)
Injured
(Inj)
No race held
(NH)

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Champ Car Atlantic News
  2. ^ Champ Car Atlantic News
  3. ^ "Set For 35th Anniversary Season". champcaratlantic.com. 2007-02-27. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  4. ^ a b c d "Champ Car Announces 2008 Schedules". champcaratlantic.com. 2007-11-05. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
  5. ^ . Mazda Raceway. 2008-03-05. Archived from the original on 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  6. ^ a b "Road America Adds Speed World Challenge to August Line-Up" (PDF). Road America. 2008-03-10. Retrieved 2008-03-12.[dead link]
  7. ^ 2008 ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS TO AIR ON SPEED THIS FALL AND WINTER September 29, 2008 November 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Champ Car Atlantic News[permanent dead link]

External links edit

  • ChampCarStats.com

January 01, 1970
2008, atlantic, championship, season, thirty, fifth, atlantic, championship, season, began, april, 2008, ended, october, 2008, despite, merger, champ, premier, series, with, indy, racing, league, champ, owners, continued, operate, atlantic, championship, under. The 2008 Atlantic Championship season was the thirty fifth Atlantic Championship season It began on April 20 2008 and ended on October 4 2008 Despite the merger of Champ Car s premier series with the Indy Racing League the Champ Car owners continued to own and operate the Atlantic Championship under a new legal entity Atlantic Racing Series LLC 1 Champ Car continued to sanction the first two events of the season at Long Beach and Laguna Seca with the remainder of the season running under IMSA sanction 2 The Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda Drivers Champion was Markus Niemela driving for Brooks Associates Racing 2008 Atlantic Championship seasonCooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by MazdaSeasonRaces11Start dateApril 20End dateOctober 3AwardsDrivers championMarkus Niemela 20072009 Contents 1 Events 1 1 Television 2 Drivers and Teams 3 Full series results 4 Race summaries 4 1 Round 1 Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach 4 2 Round 2 Monterey Festival of Speed Atlantic Championship 4 3 Round 3 Sommet des Legends 4 4 Round 4 Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races Race 1 4 5 Round 5 Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races Race 2 4 6 Round 6 Road Race Showcase Road America Race 1 4 7 Round 7 Road Race Showcase Road America Race 2 4 8 Round 8 Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres 4 9 Round 9 Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom 4 10 Round 10 SunRichGourmet com 1000 4 11 Round 11 Atlanta Atlantic Challenge 5 Final driver results 5 1 Points system 5 2 Driver results and standings 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksEvents editThe original 12 race 2008 Atlantic Championship calendar which featured many supporting runs during Champ Car World Series events had to be scrapped as a result of the 2008 open wheel reunification announcement The Long Beach Laguna Seca Edmonton Mont Tremblant and Road America races which had been part of the Champ Car schedule before reunification remained in the calendar The Road America races were changed as the American Le Mans Series Generac 500 weekend meet was changed from one to two races a Saturday and Sunday race The Edmonton race now part of the IndyCar Series also switched to a two race format The original races at Trois Rivieres and Miller were not affected since the Quebec race was part of the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres which also features the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and the Utah race was conducted as part of the Rolex Sports Car Series Sunchaser 1000 weekend 3 On April 3 a revised post reunification schedule was released featuring 11 races including the seven weekends that were kept with two races at Edmonton and Road America and two new races one at New Jersey and a second Road Atlanta as a support race to the Petit Le Mans Rd Race Name Circuit City Location Race Date 1 nbsp Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach 4 Long Beach Grand Prix Long Beach California April 20 2 nbsp Monterey Festival of Speed Atlantic Championship 5 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey California May 18 3 nbsp Sommet des Legends Circuit Mont Tremblant Mont Tremblant Quebec June 29 4 nbsp Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races Race 1 Edmonton Indy Edmonton Alberta July 25 5 nbsp Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races Race 2 Edmonton Indy Edmonton Alberta July 26 6 nbsp Road Race Showcase Road America Race 1 6 Road America Elkhart Lake Wisconsin August 9 7 nbsp Road Race Showcase Road America Race 2 6 Road America Elkhart Lake Wisconsin August 10 8 nbsp Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres 4 Circuit Trois Rivieres Trois Rivieres Quebec August 17 9 nbsp Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom 4 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville New Jersey September 14 10 nbsp SunRichGourmet com 1000 4 Miller Motorsports Park Tooele Utah September 21 11 nbsp Atlanta Atlantic Challenge Road Atlanta Braselton Georgia October 3 Television edit The 2008 series was televised at 5 PM ET on Sundays starting on November 9 2008 on Speed TV 7 November 9 Grand Prix of Long Beach November 16 Laguna Seca and Race 1 of Edmonton December 14 Race 2 of Edmonton and Race 1 of Road America December 21 Race 2 of Road America and Trois Rivieres December 28 Miller Motorsports Park and Road AtlantaDrivers and Teams editThe following teams and drivers competed in the 2008 Atlantic Championship season All teams used the Swift 016 a chassis powered by a Mazda Cosworth MZR 2 3 liter inline 4 engine and Cooper tires 8 Team No Drivers Rounds Sponsor nbsp Jensen MotorSport 2 nbsp Henri Karjalainen 1 10 22 nbsp Eric Jensen 8 9 nbsp Forsythe Championship Racing 3 nbsp James Hinchcliffe All Indeck 7 nbsp David Garza 1 5 11 Axtel Madisa Cat Tecate nbsp David Martinez 6 10 nbsp Walker Racing 5 nbsp Greg Mansell All Sunseeker 15 nbsp Leo Mansell All 25 nbsp Kevin Lacroix All Uni Select Deans Knight Wasteco nbsp Condor Motorsports 6 nbsp Junior Strous All Shell HTP Muermans Group Red White amp Bluezz 9 nbsp Dominick Muermans All Hugenholtz Property Group Jumbo Supermarkten Muermans Group 11 nbsp Douglas Soares All Banco BMG 77 nbsp Brian Thienes 1 Bare Elegance Valley Ball Cabaret nbsp Brooks Associates Racing 8 nbsp Markus Niemela All Mr Jones Bar amp Kitchen 88 nbsp Andreas Wirth 1 3 Wirsol Sueba USA nbsp Tom Sutherland 4 11 ClickAway Computers amp Networking nbsp Pacific Coast Motorsports 14 nbsp Carl Skerlong 1 10 King Taco 41 nbsp Frankie Muniz All Hard Rock Cafe nbsp Genoa Racing 17 nbsp Alan Sciuto 1 Deans Ultra Plug nbsp Tonis Kasemets 6 7 nbsp J R Hildebrand 11 19 nbsp Dane Cameron All MAZDASPEED Finlay Motorsports Lynx Racing nbsp Mathiasen Motorsports 26 nbsp Jonathan Bomarito All RLM Investments Discount Tire Centers Stone Brewing nbsp PR1 Motorsports 32 nbsp Mike Forest 1 Konica Minolta Earthwater Dynacor Media nbsp Newman Wachs Racing 34 nbsp Simona de Silvestro All Nuclear Clean Air Energy 36 nbsp Jonathan Summerton All nbsp Paladin Motorsports 45 nbsp Greg Minium 1 nbsp Christopher Zochling 2 4 5 X8ment4u com nbsp EuroInternational 46 nbsp Luis Schiavo 1 8 11 Constructora Iriaca 70 nbsp Daniel Morad 1 8 Metro Directories of Georgia nbsp Polestar Motor Racing 66 nbsp Rich Zober 9 Zober IndustriesFull series results editRd Race Pole Position Fastest Lap Winning driver Winning team Report 1 nbsp Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach nbsp Jonathan Bomarito nbsp Carl Skerlong nbsp Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing Report 2 nbsp Monterey Festival of Speed nbsp James Hinchcliffe nbsp Douglas Soares nbsp James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Pettit Racing Report 3 nbsp Sommet des Legends nbsp Junior Strous nbsp Junior Strous nbsp Junior Strous Condor Motorsports Report 4 nbsp Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton Race 1 nbsp James Hinchcliffe nbsp David Garza Perez nbsp Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports Report 5 nbsp Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton Race 2 nbsp Carl Skerlong nbsp Carl Skerlong nbsp Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing Report 6 nbsp Road Race Showcase Road America Race 1 nbsp Dane Cameron nbsp Tonis Kasemets nbsp Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports Report 7 nbsp Road Race Showcase Road America Race 2 nbsp Jonathan Bomarito nbsp Dane Cameron nbsp Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing Report 8 nbsp Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres nbsp Jonathan Bomarito nbsp Jonathan Summerton nbsp Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports Report 9 nbsp Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom nbsp Carl Skerlong nbsp Carl Skerlong nbsp Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports Report 10 nbsp SunRichGourmet com 1000 nbsp Markus Niemela nbsp Carl Skerlong nbsp Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing Report 11 nbsp Atlanta Atlantic Challenge nbsp Jonathan Summerton nbsp J R Hildebrand nbsp Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing ReportRace summaries editRound 1 Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach edit Sunday April 20 2008 1 30 p m EDT Streets of Long Beach Long Beach California 1 968 mile street circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 38 laps 74 784 miles Race weather 60 F Sunny skies Television Speed November 9 2008 5 00 p m EST Pole position winner 26 Jonathan Bomarito 93 286 mph 150 125 km h Race Summary The 2008 Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach was won by the young Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro making her only the second female driver to ever win an Atlantic Championship race after Katherine Legge Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 2 34 nbsp Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 38 50 51 261 15 2 4 17 nbsp Alan Sciuto Genoa Racing 38 1 285 0 3 5 25 nbsp Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 38 2 256 0 4 6 36 nbsp Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 38 2 983 0 5 1 26 nbsp Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 38 4 605 23 Race average speed Lead changes 1 between 2 drivers Cautions 1 for 2 Laps Round 2 Monterey Festival of Speed Atlantic Championship edit Sunday May 18 2008 4 00 p m EDT Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey California Time 50 minutes Distance 34 laps 76 092 miles Race weather 89 F sunny skies Television Speed November 16 2008 5 00 p m EST Pole position winner 3 James Hinchcliffe 1 16 189 105 748 mph Race Summary Canadian James Hinchciffe took the pole at Laguna Seca with a 1 16 189 which was a track record qualifying run on by an Atlantic car on Saturday after taking the provisional pole on Friday He then went on to dominate Sunday s race Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time LapsLed 1 1 3 nbsp James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Pettit Racing 34 50 50 352 28 2 2 14 nbsp Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 34 2 391 6 3 4 6 nbsp Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 34 6 671 0 4 5 8 nbsp Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing 34 13 027 0 5 11 9 nbsp Dominick Muermans Condor Motorsports 34 18 404 0 Race average speed 89 803 mph Lead changes 2 Cautions 2 for 9 laps Round 3 Sommet des Legends edit Sunday June 29 2008 1 00 p m EDT Circuit Mont Tremblant Mont Tremblant Quebec 2 621 mile road circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 30 laps 78 630 miles Race weather 75 F Partly cloudy skies Television TBA Pole position winner 6 Junior Strous 1 28 805 106 251 mph Race Summary Dutch driver Junior Strous dominated the weekend by taking pole and leading every lap in the race The win was his first ever in the Atlantic Championship as was his pole position He leads the season championship with 74 points over James Hinchcliffe and Markus Niemela who are tied at 67 Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 1 6 nbsp Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 30 53 50 600 30 2 3 8 nbsp Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing 30 0 487 0 3 4 14 nbsp Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 30 0 966 0 4 5 3 nbsp James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 30 1 514 0 5 8 19 nbsp Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 30 2 057 0 Race finished under caution Race average speed 87 621 mph Lead changes 0 Cautions 3 for 10 Laps Round 4 Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races Race 1 edit Friday July 25 2008 5 15 p m MDT Rexall Speedway Edmonton Alberta 1 973 mile temporary airport circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 38 laps 74 974 miles Race weather 80 F Partly cloudy skies Television Speed November 16 2008 5 30 p m EST Pole position winner 3 James Hinchcliffe 1 05 910 107 765 mph Race Summary Polesitter James Hinchcliffe led from the green flag but was closely stalked by Jonathan Bomarito who finally made the pass in Turn 1 on lap 31 A late race caution set up a one lap sprint to the finish with Bomarito holding off Markus Niemela to become the fourth race winner in as many races this season The win was Bomarito s third Atlantic victory and the first victory for his team Mathiasen Motorsports in 36 starts In the points chase Niemela leads Hinchcliffe 94 93 Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 2 26 nbsp Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 38 45 18 942 8 2 5 8 nbsp Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing 38 0 691 0 3 1 3 nbsp James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 38 1 151 30 4 4 19 nbsp Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 38 1 757 0 5 6 7 nbsp David Garza Forsythe Championship Racing 38 2 170 0 Race average speed 99 269 mph Lead changes 1 Cautions 1 for 3 Laps Round 5 Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races Race 2 edit Saturday July 25 2008 12 45 p m MDT Rexall Speedway Edmonton Alberta 1 973 mile temporary airport circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 36 laps 71 028 miles Race weather 80 F Mostly cloudy skies Television Speed December 14 2008 5 00 p m EST Pole position winner 14 Carl Skerlong 1 05 455 108 514 mph Race Summary A1 Grand Prix veteran but Atlantic rookie Jonathan Summerton jumped into the lead from third on the starting grid and dominated the race leading every lap on the way to his first Atlantic series win He became the fifth different winner in five races and the first rookie to top a podium this year James Hinchcliffe finished third and jumped to the top of the points table He has 118 points five more than Markus Niemela Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 3 36 nbsp Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 18 45 08 751 36 2 1 14 nbsp Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 18 2 222 0 3 4 3 nbsp James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 18 6 039 0 4 5 26 nbsp Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 18 6 719 0 5 2 19 nbsp Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 18 7 195 0 Race average speed 94 398 mph Lead changes 0 Cautions 1 for 5 Laps Round 6 Road Race Showcase Road America Race 1 edit Saturday August 8 2008 1 00 p m CDT Road America Elkhart Lake Wisconsin 4 048 mile permanent road circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 18 laps 72 864 miles Race weather 76 F Partly cloudy skies Television Speed December 14 2008 5 30 p m EST Pole position winner 19 Dane Cameron 1 59 190 122 265 mph Race Summary Jonathan Bomarito became the first multiple time winner in the 2008 Atlantic series He took the lead from pole sitter Dane Cameron at the standing start On lap 10 Cameron passed Bomarito in Canada Corner but Bomarito was able to pass him back on the following lap taking the lead which he would hold for the remainder of the race James Hinchcliffe finished fifth high enough to keep the points lead with 139 points Markus Niemela trails Hinchcliffe by 7 and Bomarito is only 9 points back Atlantic and Champ Car veteran Tonis Kasemets made his first appearance since last year s Atlantic round at Road America and finished on the podium in third Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 2 26 nbsp Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 18 45 02 334 17 2 1 19 nbsp Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 18 0 411 1 3 8 17 nbsp Tonis Kasemets Genoa Racing 18 0 978 0 4 9 14 nbsp Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 18 6 384 0 5 3 3 nbsp James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 18 7 230 0 Race average speed 97 068 mph Lead changes 1 Cautions 2 for 6 Laps Round 7 Road Race Showcase Road America Race 2 edit Sunday August 9 2008 1 30 p m CDT Road America Elkhart Lake Wisconsin 4 048 mile permanent road circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 20 laps 80 960 miles Race weather 75 F Partly cloudy skies Television Speed December 21 2008 5 00 p m EST Pole position winner 26 Jonathan Bomarito 1 59 564 121 883 mph Race Summary Race 1 s winner Jonathan Bomarito led away from the pole while behind him Jonathan Summerton was charging up through the field from ninth place on the grid On lap 18 Summerton passed Bomarito in Turn 1 leading only the final two laps home to the checkered flag Even with the second place finish Bomarito jumped to the top of the points chase He leads with 157 three in front of the previous leader James Hinchcliffe and six in front of Markus Niemela Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 9 36 nbsp Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 20 46 39 544 2 2 1 26 nbsp Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 20 1 084 18 3 2 17 nbsp Tonis Kasemets Genoa Racing 20 6 202 0 4 10 25 nbsp Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 20 6 832 0 5 4 14 nbsp Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 20 8 993 0 Race average speed 104 108 mph Lead changes 1 Cautions 2 for 5 Laps Round 8 Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres edit Sunday August 17 2008 1 30 p m EDT Circuit Trois Rivieres Trois Rivieres Quebec 1 521 mile temporary street circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 44 laps 66 924 miles Race weather 70 F Clear Television Speed December 21 2008 5 30 p m EST Pole position winner 26 Jonathan Bomarito 58 989 92 824 mph Race Summary Jonathan Bomarito led away from the standing start and was never seriously challenged on his way to his third Atlantic victory of the year Bad days for James Hinchcliffe and Markus Niemela allowed him to open a sizable lead in the season championship going into the final three races of the year Bomarito leads the championship with 191 28 points ahead of Jonathan Summerton who has 163 Hinchcliffe is still in third but is 36 points back with 155 Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 1 26 nbsp Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 44 50 17 453 44 2 2 36 nbsp Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 44 1 590 0 3 8 6 nbsp Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 44 5 682 0 4 11 34 nbsp Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 44 7 878 0 5 4 19 nbsp Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 44 10 015 0 Race average speed 79 844 mph Lead changes 0 Cautions 2 for 9 Laps Round 9 Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom edit Sunday September 14 2008 1 00 p m EDT New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville New Jersey 2 177 mile permanent road circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 42 laps 91 434 miles Race weather 86 F Clear Television TBA Pole position winner 14 Carl Skerlong 1 10 211 111 624 mph Race Summary Carl Skerlong dominated the weekend leading every session and leading every lap in the race to claim his first Atlantic victory He even set the fastest lap giving him a perfect score of 34 points for the weekend Points leader Jonathan Bomarito finished ninth which reduced his margin to 16 points over Jonathan Summerton and 22 over Markus Niemela with two races left in the season Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 1 14 nbsp Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 42 50 49 282 42 2 2 8 nbsp Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing 42 2 464 0 3 4 36 nbsp Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 42 10 441 0 4 3 25 nbsp Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 42 22 772 0 5 6 6 nbsp Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 42 23 914 0 Race average speed 107 948 mph Lead changes 0 Cautions None Round 10 SunRichGourmet com 1000 edit Sunday September 21 2008 2 30 p m MDT Miller Motorsports Park Tooele Utah 4 486 mile permanent road circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 20 laps 89 720 miles Race weather 71 F Mostly Cloudy Television Speed December 28 2008 5 00 p m EST Pole position winner 8 Markus Niemela 2 28 915 108 448 mph Race Summary Markus Niemela followed up his first Atlantic series pole position with his first series victory leading every lap in the race Three drivers are still alive for the series championship going into the final round of the season Jonathan Bomarito who finished sixth now leads with 224 points He has an eight point advantage over Jonathan Summerton and a 10 point lead over Niemela Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 1 8 nbsp Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing 20 50 40 529 20 2 2 36 nbsp Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 20 0 446 0 3 3 19 nbsp Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 20 2 296 0 4 6 14 nbsp Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 20 2 828 0 5 4 34 nbsp Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 20 22 363 0 Race average speed 106 229 mph Lead changes 0 Cautions None Round 11 Atlanta Atlantic Challenge edit Friday October 3 2008 2 10 p m EDT Road Atlanta Braselton Georgia 2 540 mile permanent road circuit Time 50 minutes Distance 35 laps 88 900 miles Race weather 72 F Clear Television Speed December 28 2008 5 30 p m EST Pole position winner 36 Jonathan Summerton 1 14 137 123 339 mph Race Summary Markus Niemela won the race and clinched the series championship on an eventful day at Road Atlanta At the start Dane Cameron took the race lead from the standing start while Niemela got around the pole sitter Jonathan Summerton for second place Jonathan Bomarito the points leader going into the race dropped out of the race with mechanical troubles after only 10 laps Going into a restart on lap 33 Niemela was in second and Summerton was in third but Summerton was in line to clinch the championship On the restart Niemela got around Cameron to take the lead on the track and Kevin Lacroix passed Summerton for third which put Niemela in position to take the championship Summerton attempted to pass Cameron to put himself back into the championship position but they made contact and both cars were knocked out of the race Niemela cruised the final laps under yellow Niemela finished the season with 245 points followed by Bomarito at 228 and Summerton with 224 Top Five Finishers Fin Pos St Pos CarNo Driver Team Laps Time Laps led 1 3 8 nbsp Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing 35 50 19 931 3 2 4 25 nbsp Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 35 0 730 0 3 7 3 nbsp James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Championship Racing 35 1 311 0 4 11 34 nbsp Simona de Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 35 1 807 0 5 8 5 nbsp Greg Mansell Walker Racing 35 4 174 0 Race finished under caution Race average speed 105 976 mph Lead changes 1 Cautions 2 for 7 LapsFinal driver results editPoints system edit Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Points 31 27 25 23 21 19 17 15 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bonus Points 1 point to fastest driver in a qualification session 1 point to driver who leads the most laps in the race 1 point to driver who improves the most positions in the race Driver results and standings edit Pos Driver LGB nbsp LAG nbsp MTT nbsp EDM1 nbsp EDM2 nbsp ROA1 nbsp ROA2 nbsp TRR nbsp NJS nbsp UTH nbsp ATL nbsp Points 1 nbsp Markus Niemela R 7 4 2 2 6 6 6 Ret 2 1 1 245 2 nbsp Jonathan Bomarito 5 Ret 6 1 4 1 2 1 9 6 Ret 228 3 nbsp Jonathan Summerton R 4 6 12 6 1 Ret 1 2 3 2 Ret 224 4 nbsp James Hinchcliffe 10 1 4 3 3 5 8 Ret 16 10 3 196 5 nbsp Junior Strous 8 3 1 13 9 8 11 3 5 8 8 196 6 nbsp Carl Skerlong 23 2 3 19 2 4 5 Ret 1 4 Inj 189 7 nbsp Dane Cameron R 11 17 5 4 5 2 17 5 Ret 3 Ret 169 8 nbsp Simona de Silvestro 1 10 9 8 Ret 9 18 4 11 5 4 167 9 nbsp Kevin Lacroix 3 15 13 7 7 14 4 Ret 4 11 2 161 10 nbsp Greg Mansell R 13 Ret DNS 9 Ret 12 13 9 7 9 5 105 11 nbsp Frankie Muniz 15 13 11 12 13 11 10 12 10 14 9 102 12 nbsp Daniel Morad R 6 9 Ret 11 8 Ret 9 6 95 13 nbsp David Garza 12 7 8 5 10 Inj Inj Inj Inj Inj 6 94 14 nbsp Dominick Muermans R 17 5 10 Ret 15 16 16 14 14 17 12 80 15 nbsp Tom Sutherland 10 Ret Ret Ret 8 6 7 10 78 16 nbsp David Martinez 7 7 7 8 13 74 17 nbsp Henri Karjalainen R 14 16 Ret 14 11 Ret 14 10 15 12 70 18 nbsp Douglas Soares R 16 14 Ret 15 12 15 15 11 13 15 Ret 70 19 nbsp Leo Mansell R 19 11 Ret 17 Ret 13 Ret 13 12 16 11 68 20 nbsp Luis Schiavo R 18 Ret DNS 16 14 10 12 16 7 60 21 nbsp Tonis Kasemets 3 3 51 22 nbsp Andreas Wirth 9 8 7 45 23 nbsp Alan Sciuto 2 27 24 nbsp Christopher Zochling R 12 18 16 18 25 nbsp Eric Jensen 15 Ret 9 26 nbsp J R Hildebrand Ret 7 27 nbsp Rich Zober R 17 4 28 nbsp Brian Thienes 20 1 29 nbsp Mike Forest 21 0 30 nbsp Greg Minium R 22 0 Pos Driver LGB nbsp LAG nbsp MTT nbsp EDM1 nbsp EDM2 nbsp ROA1 nbsp ROA2 nbsp TRR nbsp NJS nbsp UTH nbsp ATL nbsp Points Color Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th amp 5th place Top 5 Light Blue 6th 10th place Top 10 Dark Blue Finished Outside Top 10 Purple Did not finish Ret Red Did not qualify DNQ Brown Withdrawn Wth Black Disqualified DSQ White Did not start DNS Blank Did notparticipate DNP Driverreplacement Rpl Injured Inj No race held NH See also edit2008 Champ Car season cancelled 2008 Indianapolis 500 2008 IndyCar Series season 2008 Indy Lights seasonReferences edit Champ Car Atlantic News Champ Car Atlantic News Set For 35th Anniversary Season champcaratlantic com 2007 02 27 Retrieved 2008 02 27 a b c d Champ Car Announces 2008 Schedules champcaratlantic com 2007 11 05 Retrieved 2008 01 30 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Announces Weekend Schedule for Festival of Speed Mazda Raceway 2008 03 05 Archived from the original on 2008 03 11 Retrieved 2008 03 06 a b Road America Adds Speed World Challenge to August Line Up PDF Road America 2008 03 10 Retrieved 2008 03 12 dead link 2008 ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS TO AIR ON SPEED THIS FALL AND WINTER September 29 2008 Archived November 14 2008 at the Wayback Machine Champ Car Atlantic News permanent dead link External links editChampCarStats com Preceded by2007 Champ Car Atlantic season 2008 Atlantic Championship season Succeeded by2009 Atlantic Championship season Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2008 Atlantic Championship amp oldid 1185095223, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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