It s certainly fitting that what s expected to be one of the most thrilling seasons in the storied history of the Atlantic Championship will begin this weekend in the entertainment capital of the world.
The downtown streets of Las Vegas, Nevada will host Round 1 of the 12-race 2007 Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, April 6-8 at the Vegas Grand Prix (tape-delayed broadcast on ESPN2 at 5 p. m. ET on Friday, April 13). And while it will be tough to match the glitter and the neon lights that is Vegas, the star-studded field of the Atlantic Championship will certainly do its best to add to the wattage in an action-packed weekend of racing and entertainment.
Equaling its largest field from last season with some of the top developing racers and series champions from across the globe, the 34th season of Atlantic racing will kick off the season in style. A total of 28 entries are expected to take the first green flag of the year from a standing start on Sunday afternoon at the new 2.440-mile street circuit, making it the largest Atlantic field since last year s season opener at Long Beach when 28 cars roared to the starting line. The international appeal of the Atlantic series will also be evident as 11 countries will be represented this weekend, yet the domestic talent is definitely on solid footing as half of the racers in action at Vegas call the United States home.
In addition to the fitting theme of entertainment on and off the racetrack at the 07 Atlantic lid-lifter, it s also appropriate to host the first round of competition in Vegas because it s extremely difficult to handicap the favorites in this year s field. If someone were to place a wager on which driver would emerge from the pack to seize the Atlantic title and the $2 million champion s bonus to compete in the Champ Car World Series in 2008, they d certainly be taking a gamble.
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