The 2009 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda will feature a $1 million prize to the series champion as part of $3 million in prize money, series officials announced today.
The $1 million champion’s prize is the most lucrative championship payout in a North American open-wheel driver development series. The driver who finishes second in the 2009 Atlantic Championship will receive $500,000, with the remaining $1.5 million to be paid out in per-event race purses.
“This is a significant prize package that should attract top drivers from all over the world to the Atlantic Championship this season,” said Atlantic Championship President Ben Johnston. “The $1 million champion’s prize…Â More infoÂ
Due to costs and the status of the economy NASCAR suspended testing this season, so the IndyCar Series is also cutting back.
Announcing a new testing policy, IndyCar Series teams will be allowed six private test days for 2009 with limitations on the numbers of miles and sets of tires based on the team’s number of full-time cars.
“Our 2009 testing policy strikes a fair balance between controlling costs and maintaining a level playing field…Â More info
John Force, driver of the Castrol Edge Ford Mustang Funny Car, heads into this weekend’s 2009 Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., with four career victories in the season-opening event. Force, who has a record 126 career victories and 14 championships, reflects on his team’s 2008 accomplishments and looks ahead to this year.
CAN YOU CONTRAST WHERE THE TEAM IS RIGHT NOW TO WHERE IT WAS A YEAR AGO THIS TIME? “Well, we’re in the middle of change right now…Â More info
…was cruising around the Web, trying to find an interesting article to share and I found a very juicy morsel over on Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal dealing with NASCAR and its advertisers. While stock-car racing has been around for quite some time, it has enjoyed a surge of popularity of late, including its own demographic from political experts (NASCAR Dads). This popularity has translated into big bucks from advertisers, but what impact will the current market crunch have?
According to Fox…Â More info