Atlantics TV Schedule

June 9 Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland Monday, June 18 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Portland, Oregon

June 10 Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland Monday, June 18 – 5:30 p.m. EDT
Portland, Oregon

June 24 Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland Wednesday, July 4 – 6:00 p.m. EDT Cleveland, Ohio

July 1 Grand Prix of Mont-Tremblant Friday, July 6 – 6:00 p.m. EDT
St. Jovite, Quebec, Canada

July 8 Champ Car Grand Prix of Toronto Wednesday, July 11 – 5:00 p.m. EDT Toronto, Ontario, Canada

July 21 Champ Car Grand Prix of Edmonton Monday, July 23 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

July 22 Champ Car Grand Prix of Edmonton Monday, July 23 – 5:30 p.m. EDT
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

July 29 San Jose Grand Prix Thursday, Aug. 2 – 6:00 p.m. EDT
San Jose, California

Aug. 12 Generac Grand Prix of Road America Wednesday, Aug. 22 – 5:30 p.m. EDT
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

All 2007 events will be broadcast on ESPN2.
For more information on the Atlantic Championship visit www.champcaratlantic.com.
(Dates and times subject to change. Check local listings for details.)

John Gets Drivers License

Finally! Checkout the local TV broadcast here: Becoming Legal!

Red Bull Team Forsythe Rebounds in Houston Atlantic Race

Houston, Texas—Sunday, April 22, 2007—A challenging race weekend can be a harsh test for a young team as frustration on track can lead to disruption and conflict back in the paddock. But at this weekend’s Fast Trac 100 at the Grand Prix of Houston, Round Three as Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, Red Bull Team Forsythe came together despite adversity on Friday and Saturday and posted positive results in Sunday’s race.

After experiencing balance and grip problems earlier in the weekend that relegated him to a seventh-row starting spot, 18 year-old Robert Wickens of Toronto was able to move past several cars and scored solid points by finishing in 10th position. Wickens sits fourth in the season point standings and leads the Rookie of the Year category.

16 year-old John Edwards of Little Rock, Arkansas, experienced an electrical problem early in Qualifying on Saturday that relegated the youngest driver in Atlantic history to 21st starting spot in the 27-car field.

Edwards, who along with Wickens is a member of the world-wide Red Bull Junior Team (www.redbull-juniorteam.com), made a stellar recovery in the race on Sunday as he jetted from back in the pack to pass nine cars and crossed the finish line in an amazing 12th place, scoring an extra championship point for moving up more spots than anyone else in the race. Edwards now claims ninth in the overall point standings and fifth in the Rookie of the Year battle among 21 contenders.

Robert Wickens
#3 Red Bull / INDECK
Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift
Finished 10th
Fourth in Series Point Standings
Leads Rookie of the Year Points
“I’m proud of the guys for sticking together and at the end of the day I saw a few smiles out there. We just had one of those weekends and I’m glad we were able to recover and get a few points. But it’s early in the season and we had really good results in Vegas and Long Beach so I’m confident we’ll be in contention all season.”

John Edwards
#7 Red Bull / INDECK
Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift
Finished 12th
Ninth in Series Point Standings
Fifth in Rookie of the Year Points
“It would have been easy for us to panic and start pointing fingers, but if anything we came together even tighter. We’re going to win or lose as a team and that’s the way it should be. I had a good start and got past a few cars right away, and then was just able to chip away and keep moving up. The car was better than it’s been all weekend and that’s a good way to end up.”

The Fast Trac 100 at the Grand Prix of Houston will be broadcast on ESPN2 Thursday, April 26 at 5:30pm ET (check local listings). The next stop for the Champ Car Atlantic Championship is the natural terrain road course at Portland International Raceway. June 8-10. Portland will be a two-race weekend, presenting ample opportunity to score significant points. For more information about Atlantic, including live streaming video of all events, visit the official series website at www.ChampCarAtlantic.com.

Click here to return to www.johnmichaeledwards.com

Challenges for Red Bull Team Forsythe: A Most Frustrating Weekend

Houston, Texas—Saturday, April 21, 2007—After a difficult Friday that saw the Red Bull Team Forsythe cars of John Edwards and Robert Wickens struggle to find the right setup, the challenges continued on Saturday as Edwards’ bid for a good starting spot disappeared with a blown engine while Wickens continued to suffer from balance and grip issues. John fell down the standings today as he watched helplessly from the side of his disabled car and will take the green flag tomorrow from 21st spot.

Robert Wickens
“We’re getting quicker, but we’re suffering from the fact that we were so far off the first day. We’re still playing catch-up, and with a field this talented and teams this good it’s pretty difficult. I had a gear selection problem early in the session that made it really hard to downshift so I had to concentrate on the shifting, and we’ve been having trouble putting the power to the ground all weekend. Any time I try to get back on the power as early as I’d like the rear steps out. It’s frustrating, but we’ll keep looking at the data and I’m confident we’ll be better for the race.”

John Edwards
“The car felt much, much more stable this afternoon but unfortunately we experienced an engine failure. We’re just having one of those weekends. Sometime you just have to make the best of what you've got and move on.”

Round Three as Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, the Fast Track 100 at the Grand Prix of Houston gets underway at 11:30am CT (12:30pm ET, 16:30 UTC). For more information about Atlantic, including live streaming video of all events, visit the official series website at www.ChampCarAtlantic.com.

John Finishes Fourth at Long Beach

Edwards Quote:
“I got a pretty good start but Robby just zoomed by past everyone! It was nice to be on his gearbox for the whole race; I knew if I got an opportunity to pass he wouldn’t do anything crazy but he was consistent and all I could do was stay close. (Franck) Perera was giving me trouble early in the race but as time went on the Red Bull car just seemed to keep working better and better. The Cooper tires were really good and I did my fastest laps near the end. After having kind of a bad weekend in Las Vegas I’m happy to get a good finish and start heading in the right direction. Now it’s on to Houston and another street circuit; by the time we get done there I may have this street racing thing figured out!”

The series now moves to the temporary JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park in Houston, Texas, April 20-22 on the massive parking lot surrounding the legendary Astrodome and Reliant Park, home to the Houston Texans NFL team. The Fast Trac 100 at the Houston Grand Prix gets underway at 12:30pm ET on Sunday, Round Three as Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. Today’s race from Long Beach can be seen on ESPN2 on Thursday, April 19th at 5:30pm ET while the Houston event will be broadcast on Thursday, April 26th at 5:30pm ET.

1 Raphael Matos Sierra Sierra
2 Jonathan Bomarito PR1 Motors 1.517
3 Robert Wickens Forsythe 4.904
4 John Edwards Forsythe 6.022
5 Franck Perera Condors 8.346
6 Giacomo Ricci Conquest 12.415
7 James Hinchcliffe Sierra Sierra 14.724
8 Ronnie Bremer Polestar 15.264
9 Carl Skerlong US RaceTronics 15.797
10 Justin Sofio Mathiasens 19.292
11 Matt Lee Conquest 19.865
12 Adrian Carrio Genoa Racing 20.637
13 Junior Strous Condor Motors 25.446
14 Tom Sutherland Jensen Motors 26.502
15 Adrien Herberts Paladin Motors 27.237
16 Joe D'Agostino Brooks Associates Racing 28.002
17 Brian Thienes Condor Motors 37.384
18 Mike Forest PR1 Motorsports 37.631
19 Frankie Muniz Jensen 43.601
20 Luis Mussi Gelles Racing 46.722
21 Bret MacDonald Polestar 01:04.8
22 Domik Muermans Jensen 2 Laps
23 Tengyi Jiang Brooks Racing 3 Laps
24 David Garza US RaceTronics 4 Laps
25 Ryan Lewis Walker Racing 5 Laps
26 Richard Heistand Genoa Racing 4 Laps
27 Dan Selznick The Room Store 1 Lap
28 Simona De Silvestro Walker Racing 01:01.5
29 J.R. Hildebrand Newman Wachs Racing 0

John Qualifies P5 at Long Beach

1 Raphael Matos 01:15.7
2 Franck Perera 01:15.7
3 J Bomarito 01:16.0
4 Alan Sciuto 01:16.0
5 John Edwards 01:16.2
6 Giacomo Ricci 01:16.2
7 Robert Wickens 01:16.4
8 Ronnie Bremer 01:16.5
9 Junior Strous 01:16.6
10 J Hinchcliffe 01:16.6
11 J.R. Hildebrd 01:16.6
12 Matt Lee 01:16.7
13 Carl Skerlong 01:16.7
14 Adrian Carrio 01:16.8
15 Justin Sofio 01:17.1
16 Tom Sutherland 01:17.1
17 Ryan Lewis 01:17.2
18 David Garza 01:17.2
19 Simona De stro 01:17.3
20 Adrien Hererts 01:17.4
21 Joe D'Agostino 01:17.8
22 Mike Forest 01:17.9
23 Luis Mussi 01:17.9
24 Brian Thienes 01:17.9
25 Frankie Muniz 01:18.2
26 Domck Muermans 01:18.5
27 Tengyi Jiang 01:18.6
28 R Heistand 01:18.7
29 Dan Selznick 01:18.7
30 Bret MacDonald 01:20.5

Red Bull Team Forsythe on Pace in Long Beach Provisional Qualifying

LONG BEACH, California - Friday 13 April 2007 - Following a stellar debut last weekend in Las Vegas that saw 18 year-old Robert Wickens finish a close second and 16 year-old teammate John Edwards fall out of the race while running a strong seventh, the Red Bull Team Forsythe transporter rolled into Long Beach this week primed for the 33rd edition of the granddaddy of North American street races. A huge crowd turned out on a perfect Friday in Southern California as Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, Round Two.

Following a problematic morning session that saw Wickens tag the unforgiving concrete and Edwards gradually come up to speed in his first visit to the iconic event, this afternoon's first round of Qualifying proved to be more fruitful as Wickens posted the fourth quickest time with Edwards just behind in sixth. With final qualifying coming up on Saturday, the Red Bull cars are poised for another strong result.

Robert Wickens

#3 Red Bull / INDECK

Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift

Qualified Fourth

1m17/131s / 91.854mph / 147.821kph

"The car is very quick here and even though our result was pretty good, I don't think it really reflects our potential. I was quickest midway through the session on old tires but when we went to new tires we immediately had a red flag that lasted a long time. When it finally went back to green with just a few minutes left we didn't really have time to get the tires up to full temperature so we definitely left quite a few tenths out there. It's not totally surprising on a street circuit; you should expect lots of reds, but up to that point we'd had like twenty minutes of green! We may have waited a bit too late to go to fresh Coopers but if it had stayed green it probably would have been about perfect."

John Edwards

#7 Red Bull / INDECK

Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift

Qualified Sixth

1m 17.438s / 91.490mph / 147.235kph

"I pretty much had the same issue as Robert. The car was good and I was getting more and more comfortable as I learned the track, but that last red flag was timed just about as badly as it could be. We both had just gone to fresh sets of Cooper slicks and I thought the timing was going to be just right but... not! But our team debrief was pretty upbeat. We know we have the speed and now all we need is just a bit of luck to move up. Tomorrow is another day and our outlook is very positive so I'll sleep well tonight!"

Final Qualifying gets underway Saturday at 12:40pm local/PT (3:40 ET, 19:40 UTC). Get more information and follow live timing at the official website of Atlantic - www.ChampCarAtlantic.com.

Opening-round Atlantic Qualifying Results

Friday’s opening-round Atlantic qualifying results from Long Beach with car number in parentheses, driver, car, top time and speed.
1. (6) Raphael Matos, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:16.765, 92.292 mph.
2. (23) Jonathon Bomarito, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:16.989, 92.024 mph.
3. (20) Alan Sciuto, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.020, 91.986 mph.
4. (3) Robert Wickens, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.131, 91.854 mph.
5. (9) James Hinchcliffe, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.238, 91.727 mph.
6. (7) John Edwards, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.438, 91.490 mph.
7. (11) Franck Perera, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.445, 91.482 mph.
8. (26) Justin Sofio, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.703, 91.178 mph.
9. (18) Giacomo Ricci, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.751, 91.122 mph.
10. (36) J.R. Hildebrand, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.754, 91.118 mph.
11. (16) Junior Strous, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.757, 91.115 mph.
12. (12) Ronnie Bremer, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.818, 91.043 mph.
13. (24) Carl Skerlong, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.821, 91.040 mph.
14. (5) Simona De Silvestro, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.825, 91.035 mph.
15. (2) Tom Sutherland, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:17.849, 91.007 mph.
16. (17) Adrian Carrio, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.026, 90.801 mph.
17. (15) Ryan Lewis, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.240, 90.552 mph.
18. (44) Matt Lee, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.270, 90.517 mph.
19. (45) Adrien Herberts, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.468, 90.289 mph.
20. (10) Joe D’Agostino, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.598, 90.140 mph.
21. (37) Richard Heistand, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.668, 90.059 mph.
22. (30) Luis Mussi, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.725, 89.994 mph.
23. (22) Dominick Muermans, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.755, 89.960 mph.
24. (32) Mike Forest, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.807, 89.901 mph.
25. (19) Brian Thienes, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:18.835, 89.869 mph.
26. (13) Frankie Muniz, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:19.050, 89.624 mph.
27. (8) Tengyi Jiang, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper 1:19.750, 88.838 mph.
28. (4) David Garza, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper 1:19.906, 88.664 mph.
29. (21) Bret MacDonald, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper 1:22.373, 86.009 mph.

Long Beach Schedule

Friday
Champ Car Atlantic practice 8 a.m.
American Le Mans Series practice 9 a.m.
Champ Car practice 10 a.m.
Toyota Pro/Celebrity practice 11:30 a.m.
Champ Car Atlantic qualifying (Session 1) 12:15 p.m.
Champ Car World Series qualifying (Session 1) 2 p.m.
Toyota Pro/Celebrity qualifying 3:15 p.m.
American Le Mans Series qualifying 3:55 p.m.
Champ Car autograph session 4:15 p.m.
Team Drift Challenge 5:05 p.m.
SCCA Speed GT practice 5:35 p.m.
Enanitos Verdes concert 6 p.m.

Saturday
American Le Mans Series warm-up 8 a.m.
Champ Car Atlantic practice 8:35 a.m.
SCCA Speed GT practice 9:35 a.m.
Champ Car World Series practice 10:15 a.m.
31st Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race 11:45 a.m.
Champ Car Atlantic qualifying (Session 2) 12:40 p.m.
Champ Car World Series qualifying (Session 2) 2 p.m.
Team Drift Challenge 3:10 p.m.
American Le Mans Series Race 4 p.m.
Taking Back Sunday concert6 p.m.
Miss Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Pageant 7:30 p.m.

Sunday
Champ Car Atlantic warm-up 8 a.m.
SCCA Speed GT qualifying 8:30 a.m.
Champ Car World Series warm-up 9:05 a.m.
Imperial Capital Bank Champ Car Atlantic Race 10:35 a.m.
Champ Car pre-race ceremonies 12:15 p.m.
33rd Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach 1 p.m.
Team Drift Challenge Finals 3:20 p.m.
SCCA Speed GT Race 4 p.m.


Website: www.longbeachgp.com

Television Coverage: ESPN2
Apr 19, 05:00 PM

Directions to track:
From LAX, exit airport and enter onto Century Blvd. east. Take San Diego Freeway (I-405) south, following Long Beach road signs. Exit on to Long Beach Freeway (I-710) south, exit at Broadway. The race course is located downtown near the Long Beach Entertainment and Convention Center (encompassing Pine Ave., Seaside Way, Aquarium Way and Shoreline Dr.).

John "Squeezed" into the Tire Wall - Forsythe Strong - Wickens P2

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Sunday 8 April 2007 - Red Bull Team Forsythe made a powerful statement today on the downtown streets of Las Vegas as 18 year-old Robert Wickens took advantage of Saturday's pole-winning qualifying effort to bring the #3 Red Bull / INDECK Forsythe entry home in second spot in an incident-filled event. The podium finish capped off a strong debut weekend for the Toronto native as the 34th edition of Champ Car Atlantic kicked off the 2007 season. Wickens' 16-year old teammate John Edwards of Little Rock, Arkansas, in the first street circuit race of his brief career, moved up several spots to run seventh in the early stages of the event only to find frustration as a competitor squeezed him into the unforgiving concrete wall, ending his day.

Wickens led into Turn One from his pole position but saw the first of several caution periods before the end of the first lap. On the restart, James Hinchcliffe drafted Wickens down the long front straight and moved to the lead only to see a second full-course caution. On the second restart, Wickens repaid his good friend and fellow Toronto native "Hinch" with a brave pass and reclaimed the lead. Finally with just four laps remaining another restart saw Rafael Matos, who had moved past Hinch for second, manage to squeeze past the Canadian teenager and hold onto the lead to the finish despite a furious charge by Wickens. On the final lap, the Red Bull Junior Team driver posted the fastest race lap but came up just 16/100th of a second short at the checkered flag. Wickens stands second in the point standings leading into next week's event at legendary Long Beach.

Robert Wickens

#3 Red Bull / INDECK
Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift

Finished Second
Second in Point Standings with 30

"There are only so many tricks you can pull on a restart. Luckily I got one restart where I didn't get passed but then three corners later the yellow came out. The whole race was kind of a tease. I led in my first race then the yellow would come out and we would have to restart again. It was hard. I also lost my left mirror on the car so heading into corner one I couldn't see who was there and that's when Raphael (Matos) passed me and hats off to him. He ran a strong race and was really fast. Once he had got by me I was hoping it would stay green. I put my head down but there was a local yellow flag so I slowed down and so did Raphael who was a little more cautious than I was so I gained on him a little bit but I just ran out of time. The Red Bull Forsythe team did an incredible job."

John Edwards

#7 Red Bull / Indeck
Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift

Did Not Finish, Classified 18th
18th in Point Standings with 3

"I got hit in the back early in the race and it seemed to mess up the handling, but I was still able to move up a few spots. Then late in the race I was close behind two cars and the car in front of me went inside to try and pass the car in front of him, so I came up the outside and tried to get around. Unfortunately he changed his mind and came back outside. I had no place to go and brushed the wall, so that was it. It's frustrating because the Forsythe team has done a great job and the Red Bull car was capable of being up front, but it just didn't come together. It was my first street race and definitely a learning experience, so I'm eager to get to Long Beach and produce the result we're capable of."

Wickens wins Atlantic pole - John is P9

Teammate Robert Wickens posted a flying lap midway through final-round qualifying for Sunday’s Vegas Grand Prix Atlantic race (tape-delayed on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, April 13), the opening round of the 2007 Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. After clocking the impressive time of 1:30.934 (96.598 mph) on a fresh set of Cooper tires with 14 minutes left in the session, Wickens held on to claim the pole in his first series race.

There were a few anxious moments for the Toronto racer, as several drivers in the talent-laden 27-car Atlantic field tried valiantly to knock him from the pole as the qualifying clock ticked down, but when the dust settled it was Wickens left waving the pole flag.

Wickens will line up on the front row Sunday next to his good friend and fellow Toronto native James Hinchcliffe (#9 NOCO/ProWorks), who locked up a second-place starting position on Friday when he led the opening round of qualifying. Hinchcliffe, who drives for the Minden, Nevada-based Sierra Sierra Enterprises team, had a disappointing session on Saturday afternoon. After exhibiting consistent speed all weekend, “Hinch” made contact with the wall in the Turn 11 tunnel at the pristine 2.44-mile street circuit in downtown Las Vegas early in qualifying. He was uninjured in the accident but he was forced to miss the rest of the session and also lost his fast lap for causing a stoppage in qualifying. Hinchcliffe still managed to post the ninth-fastest lap of the day at 1:31.896 (95.586 mph) while maintaining his front-row starting spot for Sunday’s race.

After Adrien Herberts (#45 Paladin Motorsports) forced a red flag late in qualifying when he hit the Turn 6 wall, the Atlantic young guns were left with only three minutes of track time to try and better the quick lap established by Wickens. American Jonathan Bomarito (#23 Miracle Sealants/Daltile/Konica Minolta/Dynacor) of PR1 Motorsports gave Wickens the biggest scare as he made a big jump in time on his final lap but he fell just short of pole with a mark of 1:31.126 (96.394 mph). For his effort, however, Bomarito locked up a third-place starting position for the season opener.

Brazilian Raphael Matos (#6 ProWorks) made it two Sierra Sierra drivers among the top four overall qualifiers as he checked in with a top time of 1:31.147 (96.372 mph). J.R. Hildebrand (#36 Newman Wachs Racing) was impressive on Saturday as well as he produced his top qualifying effort of his young Atlantic career. The rising American star will start fifth on Sunday after producing a lap of 1:31.191 (96.325 mph).

Franck Perera (#11 CJ Motorsport) of France and Condor Motorsports will line up sixth on the starting grid after he clocked a lap of 1:31.202 (96.314 mph). US RaceTronics racer Carl Skerlong (#24 King Taco/USRT) of Washington was just a tick behind Perera as he logged a lap of 1:31.203 (96.313 mph).

After a top-10 effort in the first round of qualifying, Simona De Silvestro (#5 Deans Knight/Wasteco) of Switzerland backed up her performance with another strong session Saturday. The Walker Racing rookie was eighth overall with a fast lap of 1:31.327 (96.182 mph).

Wickens’ Red Bull Team Forsythe teammate John Edwards (#7 Red Bull/INDECK) owned a quick time of 1:31.732 (95.757 mph) while Conquest Racing rookie Giacomo Ricci (#18 Banca Italease/Lotto/Global) of Italy closed out the top 10 rundown from qualifying at 1:31.975 (95.504 mph).

Sunday’s schedule at the Vegas Grand Prix calls for the Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper Atlantic cars to return to the track at 9:45 a.m. PT for a 15-minute warm-up session. Round 1 of the Champ Car Atlantic Championship will begin from a standing start at 4 p.m. and the race is scheduled for 50 minutes.

For more information on North America’s premier open-wheel development series and to follow all of Sunday’s race action from Vegas through the Live Timing link, please visit www.champcaratlantic.com.

ATLANTIC QUALIFYING NOTES
• Rookies occupied seven of the top-10 starting positions in final qualifying
• Wickens became the first winner of the $1,000 Cooper Tire Pole Award. Cooper has also agreed to donate a matching $1,000 at each race to the Hole-in-the-Wall Camps, an official charity of Champ Car
• The top 17 drivers in qualifying were separated by less than two seconds on the timing clock

Quotes from the top three drivers from the final round of qualifying follow:

Robert Wickens (#3 Red Bull/INDECK) of Red Bull Team Forsythe
“My session went pretty good. I was able to put a strong lap in under green and I guess luck was on my side because no one was able to match it. The Red Bull Forsythe Team did a great job improving the car from yesterday. (About getting his first pole in his first race) The team was kind of messing with me at the end. They came on the radio to tell me that there was one minute left and right then I botched the chicane. I kept on asking on the radio if someone had beaten my time but no one was saying anything, it was complete silence. I got to my pit box they weren’t doing anything but then they started jumping up and down, the cameras came and it was great. Hopefully I can keep it going tomorrow.”

James Hinchcliffe (#9 NOCO/ProWorks) of Sierra Sierra Enterprises
“(About his spin) My teammate Raphael and I had different techniques going into that chicane and I thought I would give it a whirl but it didn’t work out well for me. It’s really unfortunate. The Sierra Sierra guys gave me a fantastic car. I made my time on old tires so if it wasn’t for my incident I could have given “young Wickey” a run for his money but that’s how it goes. It’s going to be a hell of a race. There are good passing opportunities in corner one. If you’re bold and brave you can make a move but it doesn’t take much to make a mistake here. It was important to get the pole yesterday to ensure a front row start for tomorrow but this is kind of a dream come true because I have known “young Wickey” for quite a while so to be one-two on the grid is cool but it would have been better if I were first and him second!”

Jonathan Bomarito (#23 Miracle Sealants/Daltile/Konica Minolta/Dynacor) of PR1 Motorsports
“The car was definitely better today. We just kept chipping at it. The track is very interesting, very exciting. For a first year track they did a good job and to have no major issues. It’s very technical and fun. We chipped away at it and continued making progress. The red flag threw a wrench into it because we had just went out on new tires. We were able to scuff the tires on that lap and then when we went back out we only had one lap to bring the heat into the tires, fortunately it is a long lap before we get to the final chicane. At that point, it is difficult driving the car with only one and a half laps of heat into the tires. You just go out and see what happens.”

Combined qualifying times for Sunday's race follow, with car number in parentheses, driver, car, top time and speed.

1. (3) Robert Wickens, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, *1:30.934, 96.598 mph.
2. (9) James Hinchcliffe, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, **1:31.896, 95.586 mph.
3. (23) Jonathan Bomarito, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:31.126, 96.394 mph.
4. (6) Raphael Matos, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:31.147, 96.372 mph.
5. (36) J.R. Hildebrand, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:31.191, 96.325 mph.
6. (11) Frank Perera, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:31.202, 96.314 mph.
7. (24) Carl Skerlong, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:31.203, 96.313 mph.
8. (5) Simona De Silvestro, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:31.327, 96.182 mph.
9. (7) John Edwards, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:31.732, 95.757 mph.
10. (18) Giacomo Ricci, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:31.975, 95.504 mph.
11. (20) Alan Sciuto, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:31.992, 95.487 mph.
12. (44) Matt Lee, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:32.061, 95.415 mph.
13. (2) Tom Sutherland, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:32.209, 95.262 mph.
14. (12) Ronnie Bremmer, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:32.269, 95.200 mph.
15. (16) Junior Strous, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:32.615, 94.844 mph.
16. (45) Adrien Herberts, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:32.679, 94.779 mph.
17. (32) Mike Forest, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:32.863, 94.591 mph.
18. (4) David Garza, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:32.951, 94.501 mph.
19. (26) Justin Sofio, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:33.185, 94.264 mph.
20. (17) Adrian Carrio, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:33.583, 93.863 mph.
21. (13) Frankie Muniz, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:34.290, 93.159 mph.
22. (37) Richard Heistand, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:34.431, 93.020 mph.
23. (19) Brian Thienes, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:34.578, 92.876 mph.
24. (22) Dominick Muermans, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:34.835, 92.624 mph.
25. (49 Dan Selznik, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:35.133, 92.334 mph.
26. (8) Tengyi Jiang, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper, 1:35.250, 92.220 mph.
27. (21) Bret MacDonald, Mazda-Cosworth/Swift/Cooper 1:36.662, 90.873 mph.

Red Bull Team Forsythe Press Release for Las Vegas Opening

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - On the north end of downtown Las Vegas sits historic Fremont Street, a dazzling four-block display of overhead video screens and neon-studded casinos. But this weekend, the visual spectacle will move to the surrounding streets as the Atlantic Championship opens its 34th season around a winding 2.44-mile road circuit that bookends Fremont Street with two crossings. Red Bull Team Forsythe comes to Sin City like many visitors hoping for a Vegas jackpot, but outstanding pre-season testing results suggest the odds are better than what might be found sitting at the long rows of one-armed bandits that make "Lost Wages" a global tourist favorite.

Armed with two of the best young drivers in the world, 17-year old Robert Wickens of Toronto, Ontario and 16-year old John Edwards of Little Rock, Arkansas, the Forsythe squad will be aiming to recapture the magic that led to three wins during the 2006 season. Las Vegas, the opening round of the 2007 season as Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, will see a huge grid of hungry young guns vying for glory knowing that the best of the best will take home an astounding $2 million dollar prize as the series champion and move up to the pinnacle of North American open-wheeled racing, the Champ Car World Series, in 2008.

Wickens and Edwards, both members of the global Red Bull Junior Team (www.redbull-juniorteam.com), have hundreds of miles of testing in the ultra-fast Swift 016.a chassis. With 300 horsepower provided by a Mazda-Cosworth MZR 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and massive grip from Cooper Atlantic racing slicks, the Forsythe drivers and crew used the extensive test program to adapt to the cars and each other with the team running consistently in the top five in almost every test session of the year.

Robert Wickens
Toronto, Ontario
#3 Red Bull / INDECK
Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift
2006 Formula BMW USA Champion

"I'm pretty excited for the first race of my Atlantic career, but I feel a kind of calmness and confidence also. We've done our homework, both on and off the track, getting the car dialed in, getting used to working with the guys and training harder than I thought I was capable of. These cars are so physical to drive with all the downforce and grip, it's pretty hard to describe to people. But I'm fitter than I've ever been and I've established great communication with the crew and my engineer, Lou (D'Agostino). This weekend will tell us where we are and where we need to improve, but I'm confident we'll be up near the front."

John Edwards
Little Rock, Arkansas
#7 Red Bull / Indeck
Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift

2006 Race Winner in European Formula Renault

Youngest Driver in Atlantic History at Age 16

"It's going to be nice to put the testing behind us and actually get to do some racing. Testing is something I really enjoy, but it just doesn't compare to the adrenaline you get when that red light goes out for a standing start! We've got to focus on good practice sessions, finding out what this track is all about and what kind of grip it's going to give us, and then try to put together a golden lap during qualifying. With this field of world-class drivers, qualifying consistently well is going to be the difference in the championship this year. And of course staying out of trouble! That last part might be easier said than done in a series this competitive, but I've been driving in some really intense cut-throat conditions in Europe for the past two years so there's not much that can surprise me. I'm still getting to know my engineer Glenn (Knabenshue) but we seemed to have a good rapport and I think we're on top of the car, so now we just need to see if we can come to grips with this new circuit!"

John Brunner
Indianapolis, Indiana
Team Manager

"I'm pleased with the way things have gone for us at the test sessions. Last year we had a four car team, but now we've streamlined down to two cars and I'm getting a sense that maybe a smaller team will produce more focus and synergy. John and Robert are amazing young men and I'm proud to have them driving for us. I think about what most kids their age are doing and sometimes I'm kind of awestruck at how mature and focused they are. They still let their teenager side slip out every now and then; otherwise I'd forget how young they are! But we're as prepared as we can be. The Red Bull Atlantic cars are fast and bulletproof so far, and the guys have been busting their tails to get everything polished and sharpened as much as possible. We're at a new event where the veteran drivers don't know anything more about the circuit than our guys, so hopefully we'll come off the transporters quick and be right in the thick of things. Let's go racing!"

The Vegas Grand Prix Champ Car Atlantic Race gets underway Sunday, April 8 at 4pm PT, and will be broadcast on ESPN2 Friday, April 13 at 5pm ET (check local listings). For more information, please visit the official series website at www.ChampCarAtlantic.com.

Champ Car Atlantic '07 ESPN2 TV Schedule

04/02/07

The Champ Car Atlantic Championship will see all 12 of its 2007 races broadcast this season. The 30-minute Atlantic race telecasts will be broadcast on weekday evenings and will be featured as part of ESPN2 Garage – the network’s block of automotive and motorsports programming.

“The Atlantic series has a long history of producing exciting competition as well as drivers who go on to be stars of open-wheel racing,” said Frantz Cayo, Director of Motor Sports Programming for ESPN.

The 2007Champ Car Atlantic Championship Television Schedule

Round Date Event Title & Location ESPN2 Date & Time
1 April 8 Vegas Grand Prix Friday, April 13 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Las Vegas, Nevada

2 April 15 Imperial Capital Bank Challenge Thursday, April 19 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach, California

3 April 22 Fast Trac 100 at the Grand Prix of Houston Thursday, April 26 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Houston, Texas

4 June 9 G.I. Joe’s Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland Monday, June 18 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Portland, Oregon

5 June 10 G.I. Joe’s Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland Monday, June 18 – 5:30 p.m. EDT
Portland, Oregon

6 June 24 Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland Wednesday, July 4 – 6:00 p.m. EDT
Cleveland, Ohio

7 July 1 Grand Prix of Mont-Tremblant Friday, July 6 – 6:00 p.m. EDT
St. Jovite, Quebec, Canada

8 July 8 Champ Car Grand Prix of Toronto Wednesday, July 11 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

9 July 21 Champ Car Grand Prix of Edmonton Monday, July 23 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

10 July 22 Champ Car Grand Prix of Edmonton Monday, July 23 – 5:30 p.m. EDT
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

11 July 29 San Jose Grand Prix Thursday, Aug. 2 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
San Jose, California

12 Aug. 12 Generac Grand Prix of Road America Wednesday, Aug. 22 – 5:30 p.m. EDT
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin