FA: Another new team surfaces.

Yet another new team has been added to the list of 2006 Champ Car Atlantic Series competitors in the form of California based outfit NCDL Tech.

With the new team also comes a new and highly rated American driver in the form of Ryan Spencer-Smith.

Spencer-Smith raced in two Atlantic events in 2005 and the 19-year-old native of Napa, California will return to the cockpit to drive for his hometown team this season.

After emerging as a talented shifter kart racer in California, Spencer-Smith advanced to the SCCA ranks in 2004, winning several regional and national events in both the Formula Atlantic and Formula Mazda categories. He made his Atlantic debut at the challenging San Jose street circuit last season, earning a 12th-place finish for Jensen Motorsport.

Spencer-Smith also raced at Denver where he qualified 10th, but was forced to retire after becoming involved in an early-race incident. The promising young driver is excited about competing full-time in '06 against some of the top rising stars in racing.

"I love our new team and I'm really looking forward to the start of the Atlantic season," said Spencer-Smith, who tested with NCDL Tech at California's Buttonwillow Raceway last week. The team ran a Swift 014.a Atlantic machine during the test session and was aided by the Optimum G race car engineering consulting firm. "It was a real pleasure working with our guys and with Optimum G as well. The team's set-up of the car made it fast and consistent to drive. We're like a big family who understands the commitment it takes and all of us want to see the entire team doing well."

More testing is planned in the next few weeks as NCDL Tech eyes the March 8th delivery date of its new generation Atlantic car. The first-year team, headed by experienced crew chief Jeff Couture, is continuing to assemble its roster for 2006.