Wreck Me Otter

Any confirmation on this? If so, this is another sad day for open wheel racing in the US.

Chris?

Wreck Me Otter

Bummer...

http://www.atlantic-championship.com...-news&Itemid=1

dp35

Major bummer. That sucks!

It didn't help when Mazda sent the Star Mazda champion to GrandAm GT instead of the usual FA ride. They also sent the FA champ to the same place, rather than help him along towards Indycar or up the open wheel ladder (can't blame Mazda since they're not in any of those series).

Seems like there are too many junior open wheel categories. FA was too expensive for the slight difference between it and Star Mazda, from my perspective. Perhaps the FA teams can join Star Mazda and together be stronger.

Meanwhile, in Europe, they're adding new junior open wheel categories left and right.

onefastviking

That wouldn't be too hard of a merger to do and a lot cheaper for some.

ltc

FWIW, Formula BMW Americas was cancelled this year as well, although the FBMW European series is doing quite well.

NA$CAR has totally screwed up the motorsports ladder and funding here in the US. To be a great open wheel/road racer is a dead end I'm afraid.

WHB Porsche

USF2000 looks interesting.

race911

I know they recently came back to their roots with Cosworth, but nothing will replace my earliest memories of the BDA ground effects cars of the early '80's. Always thought I'd be a field filler in a non-ground effects car and maybe luck my way into something more competitive. Then the realities of what even that would cost became really, really, really clear. Oh well, good memories of peripherally helping out with some of the SCCA FA competitors when we were pitted near them.

brendo

^ not sure i agree. open wheel and road racing series' both split and opened up a huge gap for popularity with NASCAR. while CART/Indy Car fought with eachother, and ALMS/ Grand-AM competed for viewers and sponsors, NASCAR stayed focused and expanded, keeping costs under [relative] control.

i view the demise of good road and open racing participation as more of a self-inflicted would rather than just a loss to nascar.

Circuit Motorsports

Sadly it's coming on the scene when there is an already thriving F2000 pro series that was getting 30+ car grids. Now it'll split the fields up a bit and it's actually running a different engine package as well so it won't pull from the club ranks. It has the marketing force of the IRL behind it but it could screw up both series at the same time.

FBMW Americas was a bad setup from the beginning. Star Mazda prices and Skip Barber National or lower quality of driving. Way overpriced for what it was. Cool cars for sure.

The open wheel ladder wasn't screwed up by NASCAR. It was screwed up when IRL won the battle of the top series. Before that there was a great ladder through the Mazda system. Stars of Karting, Skippy, Star Mazda, Atlantic, ChampCar.

chris walrod

Yes, sad day indeed. 36 years of Atlantic competition produces a huge crop of very talented and notable drivers.

We produced Atlantic cars and parts and supported (technically) this great series for a few decades. Very sad to see it go away.

ltc

Stars of Karting...R.I.P.
Died last year.

ltc

I view the situation is forcing young drivers to follow the NA$CAR ladder system.
All the sponsorship money flows into and leads to NA$CAR.
There is no economic reason for a young driver to want to race open wheel road racing in the US.
You have to leave when you're about 12 and then live/race in Europe.

brendo

i agree on the ladder point.

i have a hard time believing alms will survive the next few years as well.

chrisp

ALMS will survive because Patron CEO likes to race cars. They are pouring money into the series....teams, title sponsorship, activation, etc. There are underwritting a big part of what it takes to keep ALMS going.

ltc

Agreed.
However, given a choice, I'd much rather see Rolex/Grand Am disappear.
The DP cars are hideous looking and I don't care for how the France family has instilled NA$CAR values and judgements into the series.

And while I'm at it, Tony George has got to go away ... permanently.

Doesn't matter, in a a week or two, I'll get to watch F1 on my DVR and everything will seem OK, although I'm curious to see how the strategy element of F1 is affected by the ban on in race refueling.