John takes risk: not willing to stay in P6, going to push the issue

“The field packed up pretty hard at the hairpin; there’s a pretty big accordion effect when you’re going from 150mph down to 20! I just barely touched Robby’s gearbox and it knocked my front wing sideways. I only lost a few spots but as I lined up to come into pit lane for a new nose somebody behind me must have not realized I was pitting and they ran into the back of me. That broke my gearbox and my race was done; it’s too bad because we could have gotten back out there pretty quickly and scored some points. But the guys did a great job this weekend and we had a fast car in every session so I’m looking forward to a good result in Elkhart Lake!”

P6 for San Jose

John was consistently quick in all sessions leading up to today’s final qualifying round with both cars now in position to contend for the win at the penultimate round of the 2007 Atlantic Championship.
“The car was much, much better this afternoon but I’m not too happy. Traffic was a problem all day since this track is so short. I was up two tenths about halfway through one of my last laps when I came up on a couple of slower cars and had to give up the time. We’re fighting for hundredths of a second out there and I had a pretty good shot at the front row. But the car is great; we should be right there tomorrow!”

Qualified Fifth on Provisional Grid

“Things went well today for sure. Robby and I both struggled in the morning session with a lack of grip, but we knew the track would improve for the afternoon session so we really didn’t change much of anything. When we came out in the afternoon I could tell after just a few laps that the car was good. We were only two tenths of a second off of pole even though I never did put all the segments together like I need to. This track is all about braking and getting the power to the ground, and the car is good in both those areas. It looks like we’re right on the pace and we should be able to fight for the pole tomorrow!”

Edmonton: P6

EDMONTON, Alberta - Saturday, July 21, 2007 - In the era of legendary head coach Vince Lombardi, the Green Bay Packers NFL football team had a saying: "We didn't lose, we just ran out of time". Today in Edmonton, that mindset proved fruitful for Red Bull Team Forsythe Atlantic drivers Robert Wickens and John Edwards as the dynamic duo charged through the field to record strong finishes today in Race One of the Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton doubleheader. Starting from tenth (Edwards) and eleventh (Wickens) spots in the 23-car field after traffic and an ill-timed red flag in Friday's qualifying round left the Forsythe squad frustrated, the teenage Red Bull Junior Team drivers picked off car after car in today's 45-minute race with Edwards coming under the checkered flag in sixth place while Wickens just missed the podium in fourth.

Robert Wickens

#3 Red Bull / INDECK

Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift

Finished Fourth

Fourth in Point Standings with 201

Second in Rookie of the Year Standings

"We made a few changes to the car and it definitely felt good out there. Thanks to the guys for all the hard work! I got a good start and got past John before Turn One so I just put my head down and started chipping away. It feels good but I was catching James (Hinchcliffe) there at the end and might have been able to reach the podium with a few more laps. But I can't complain! We scored good points today and it looks like we're going to have a good car for Race Two tomorrow."

John Edwards

#7 Red Bull / INDECK

Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift

Finished Sixth

Ninth in Point Standings with 94

Fifth in Rookie of the Year Standings

"I got caught behind another car at the start and Robby got by me. When we had the restart after the caution period (Laps 4-7) I was trying to pass one of the Team Australia cars and both of us went off at Turn Five. By the time I got back on track I'd fallen down to 12th place. I was mad at myself but the car was very good so I just cleaned off the tires and started passing people. I got back past two cars right away and then a couple of cars crashed in front of me and took themselves out. I got all the way to sixth behind (Giacomo) Ricci. I was quite a bit quicker but he had just enough to hold me off. I'm pretty happy with how things went and now we're looking forward to tomorrow."

Race Two of the Edmonton doubleheader weekend gets underway on Sunday at 10:30am and can be enjoyed live on ESPN360.com. For more information about Atlantic including live timing and the espn2

John Edwards Makes History as Youngest Podium Finisher in Atlantic History

TORONTO, Ontario - Sunday, July 08, 2007 - In January of 2004 on the historic road course at Daytona International Speedway, a skinny 12-year old kid from Little Rock, Arkansas became the youngest winner in the history of the Skip Barber formula car racing series. Later that year after turning 13, the same young driver shocked the world as he won the 2004 Red Bull Worldwide Driver Search against a stout field of more experienced racers.

In 2005, the 14-year old teenager became the youngest driver in history to be granted an FIA Grade B racing license as he moved to Europe to participate in Formula Renault, winning his first race in the hyper-competitive series in 2006. Today on the treacherously wet streets of Exhibition Place near downtown Toronto, John Edwards (#7 Red Bull/INDECK Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift) reset the bar once again as the high-school student and star member of the Red Bull Junior Team took second place in the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto Atlantic race and, at 16 years of age, became the youngest driver in the star-studded 34-year history of Champ Car Atlantic to finish on the podium.

After starting sixth in the 23-car field as raindrops began to fall, Edwards quickly moved to third spot in two laps before a Red Flag came out as the rain intensified. After changing to treaded wet-weather Cooper Zeon tires along with the rest of the field, Edwards vaulted into second position while avoiding rain-induced carnage around him and surviving two aggressive pass attempts by his teammate, Robert Wickens (#3 Red Bull/INDECK Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift).

Wickens, who qualified in eighth spot but also showed his wet-weather expertise as the 18-year old Toronto native zipped through the field to third spot by the mid-point of the race, tried an optimistic pass on his younger teammate midway through the race and almost put both cars in the tire wall. Two laps from the end of the event Wickens once again tried a pass and came to grief, spinning and losing valuable positions en route to a seventh-place finish. Wickens retains third place in the season points while Edwards vaults to 13th, just four markers shy of the top ten of the 31-driver standings.

John Edwards

#7 Red Bull / INDECK

Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift

Finished Second from Sixth on the Grid

13th in Point Standings with 75

"When the raindrops started to fall I was happy because my time in Europe gave me quite a bit of wet weather experience and I enjoy driving in those conditions, but we didn't have time to make any adjustments to the car. Luckily no body else did either! I got a good start and moved up a couple of spots and then the rain got heavier and they stopped it so we could switch to wet weather Coopers. When we got restarted there was a big crash in front of me and that bumped me up to second - I couldn't believe it! I tried to catch Franck (Perera) but he was pretty hooked up. Robert (Wickens) was close behind me - I think he was probably a little bit faster - but I had out-qualified him so I had the track position. He totally missed the braking zone for Turn 3 at one point but I saw him zooming up the inside so I gave him room and we managed to avoid contact. Then as we got down to the last couple of laps he closed in again and tried to get inside me at Turn 5 but I never saw him in my mirror. I turned in and my left rear touched his right front and he spun. It was kind of a crazy move but if I'd seen him coming I would have left more room because I would have had the inside line for the next corner anyway. I felt a bump and looked in my mirror and there he was, spinning out. But overall it was a good day for the Red Bull #7 and I'm stoked for Edmonton!"

Robert Wickens

#3 Red Bull / INDECK

Mazda-Cosworth/Cooper/Swift

Finished Seventh from Eighth on the Grid

Third in Point Standings with 178

"First I have to apologize to John and the team. My car was a little faster but both times I tried to pass I really shouldn't have. The first time I was way, way back and kind of misjudged my speed in the spray, and the second time I thought he saw me and was going to let me get alongside. But both times were pretty much screwups on my part and the only good news is that I didn't take him out. The worst thing you can do in this sport is take out your teammate and I almost did it twice in one race! Here I am contending for the Championship and I not only throw away a podium finish but let the points leader (Rafael Matos) get ahead of me in the process. But I'm happy for John and the team for getting another podium."

The series now heads west for the July 22 Rexall Grand Prix Edmonton, Round 9 as Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. For more information about Atlantic including live timing, the TV broadcast schedule and info on live streaming video of all races on espn360.com, please visit the official series website at www.ChampCarAtlantic.com.