The void left by Katherine Legge as the only female participant of the Champ Car Atlantic Series when she graduated to the World Series for 2006 is to be filled in 2007 by Simona de Silvestro, after she was snapped up by champion Walker Racing/Team Australia.
Having proved the star of the Formula
BMW USA Championship, where she captured a victory at Lime Rock, as well as six podiums and eleven top ten finishes in fourteen races, 18-year old de Silvestro ended the season in fourth place overall for Eurointernational.
Having seen the team take Simon Pagenaud to the drivers' title in this year's campaign, the Italian is thrilled to be joining the championship, duly setting herself some lofty targets for the coming season.
"I'm very excited about the chance to race in the Atlantic Series and to join Walker Racing for next season," she said, "They are a great team to work with and we will be pushing hard to run up front next season and to win rookie of the year."
Derrick Walker, owner of the Team Australia-sponsored Walker Racing squad, was also delighted to be helping the Italian graduate to the increasingly competitive Champ Car Atlantic Series, where she will become the second woman to race for the team, which helped Sarah Fisher on her way to the Indy Racing League.
"We are very happy to have Simona on board with us for next season," Walker commented, "I was able to watch her compete in the Formula BMW races this year and was very impressed with her talent when we tested her at MSR in Houston where she did very well. We are looking forward to having her on board for the 2007 season."
![Simon Pagenaud - Team Australia [pic credit: BAM Media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/260010.jpg)
