Swift and Cosworth did a fantastic job building the cars and engines for the new formula. Swift built forty new cars in less than eight months and Cosworth turned-out an even bigger number of Mazda MZR engines. The result is a very nice little car with more power and downforce than its Toyota/Atlantic predecessor for less cost, particularly in the engine department. Engine costs for the old Toyota motors had gone through the roof, costing as much as a Champ Car engine program, but the Mazda/Cosworth engines are cheaper, much more equal in performance, and impressively reliable. The MZR is designed to run 2,000 miles between rebuilds.
All these things resulted in a refreshingly full field at the Long Beach season-opener of twenty-nine cars, all but three or four of them seriously competitive. It was great to see and enjoy a deeply competitive field of talented, ambitious young drivers from around the world.
Twelve nations were represented by the twenty-nine Atlantic drivers at Long Beach and the season-opener was won by 21-year old German Andreas Wirth from Brazilian Raphael Matos, 24, and Canadian James Hinchcliffe, 19. Graham Rahal, 17, was the top American finisher in fifth place behind Frenchman Simon Pagenaud who will celebrate his 22nd birthday on May 18. And too, there was a strong crop of Americans, including Jonathan Bomarito, who was in the top three before running out of fuel, Robbie Pecorari, Leo Maia, Alan Sciuto, Joe D’Agostino and Al Unser III.
Young Rahal’s dad Bobby was there, as he will be at most of Graham’s races this year, and the three-time CART champion and IRL team owner put the best perspective on the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the reborn Atlantic series. “If Atlantic is the future of Champ Car, then Champ Car’s in pretty good shape,” said Rahal to many people during the Long Beach weekend.
![Tim Bridgman in action at Long Beach [Pic credit: LAT USA]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/208102.jpg)
