2008 Atlantic Championship


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. 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. The Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda Drivers' Champion was Markus Niemelä driving for Brooks Associates Racing.

Teams and drivers

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.
TeamNoDriversRounds

Schedule

The original 13-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. 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, and the Utah race was conducted as part of the Rolex Sports Car Series Sunchaser 1000 weekend. On April 3 a revised post-reunification schedule was released featuring 11 races including the seven weekends that were kept, and two new races, one at New Jersey and a second Road Atlanta.
RdRace DateRace NameCircuitCity/Location
1April 20'''

Television

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

Race summaries

Round 1: Imperial Capital [Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach">Long Beach Grand Prix">Imperial Capital [Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach]

Round 2: Monterey [Festival of Speed Atlantic Championship">Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca">Monterey [Festival of Speed Atlantic Championship]

Round 3: Sommet des Legends">Circuit Mont-Tremblant">Sommet des Legends

Round 4: Rexall [Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 1">Edmonton Indy">Rexall [Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 1]

Round 5: Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 2">Edmonton Indy">Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 2

Round 6: Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 1">Road America">Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 1

Round 7: Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 2">Road America">Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 2

Round 8: Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières">Circuit Trois-Rivières">Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières

Round 9: Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom">New Jersey Motorsports Park">Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom

Round 10: SunRichGourmet.com 1000">Miller Motorsports Park">SunRichGourmet.com 1000

Round 11: Atlanta Atlantic Challenge">Road Atlanta">Atlanta Atlantic Challenge

Final driver results

Points system

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.