Toyota Atlantic races to air on the Speed Channel.

With all the things new and changing for the 2002 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship, it was only natural that the series television package got an overhaul as well.

President and CEO of the series, Vicki O'Connor, announced today that beginning with the March 9th running of the Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey, five CART Toyota Atlantic Championship races will be shown live on Speed Channel with the remaining seven races to be shown as same day tape-delay telecasts.

"This is by far the best television package that the Atlantic series has had in its 29-year history," commented O'Connor. "We are looking forward to working with our new television partners at the growing Speed Channel network and I am certain we will bring a very exciting and competitive form of racing to our viewers."

Along with the new television deal, the Atlantic Championship will debut the new Swift 014.a car that will become the 'spec' chassis for the 2002 season. The Atlantic series will also be visiting three new venues as well as featuring several new high caliber teams. Capping it all off is substantially increased prize money that includes 12, $100,000 race purses and the $1,000,000 end of season points fund.

Bob Varsha, who will also anchor the booth for Speed Channel's CART FedEx Championship Series telecast, will lead the Atlantic broadcast along with 1990 Atlantic Champion, Brian Till. The remainder of the broadcast team will be announced shortly.

Peggy Haas, who co-owns Lynx Racing with Jackie Doty and who have been long time entrants in the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship are pleased with the increased exposure coming this season. "The Atlantic series has been the top training series in open wheel racing for years," said Haas. "It had the best racing and produced the best drivers, but its Achilles heel was always the TV package that aired races a week after they took place. The new format of five races live and seven broadcast same day tape delay is the marketing equivalent of adding two more cylinders to your engine."

The CART Toyota Atlantic Championship is one of the world's premier open-wheel development series and the top rung on CART's "ladder system". It is also noted for its long history of graduating its stars into CART competition.

Among the drivers who have graduated from the Atlantic Series are CART Champ Car stars Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Patrick Carpentier, Alex Tagliani as well as former series champions Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan and Jacques Villeneuve.