FA: Preview - Portland.

The hot summer season has arrived in the United States as the contenders in the Champ Car Atlantic Series look to begin a busy summer stretch this weekend at the Portland International Raceway.

The opening three rounds of the new-look series as delivered all the close racing expected of it and more but this weekend's stop at the scenic 1.964-mile Portland road course is where things should start to get really interesting.

The Atlantic Series is about to enter a stretch of six races over the next eight weekends for a period that could well determine which one the series' rising stars will walk away with the title and the $2 million champion's Champ Car bonus at the end of the season.

Sunday's Trinity Carpet 100k will be the 13th time that the Atlantic championship has raced at PIR and while the last couple of visits have seen the series race twice on the same weekend, this time they are reverting to the traditional single race format, which could still see the tight championship battle get even tighter between the two leading protagonists.

After winning the first two races of the season in Long Beach and Houston, current series point leader Andreas Wirth of Forsythe Racing came back down to earth with a sixth-place finish in Monterrey. With several productive days of testing between races under his belt, Wirth is recharged and ready to resume his spot up front this weekend. Wirth has fond memories of Portland as he earned his first series pole position and the first two Atlantic podium finishes of his impressive career last season at the venue. The 21-year-old German racer fully intends to keep the PIR hot streak going on Sunday.

If anyone carries more momentum in the series into Portland it would have to be 17-year-old Mi-Jack Conquest Racing rookie Graham Rahal. Last season, Rahal recorded his first pro victory at Portland in the Star Mazda series. He also won there in karting and he's coming off a historic performance at Monterrey where he became the youngest ever race-winner in the 33-year history of the Atlantic Championship. Currently third in the series standings - 23 points behind Wirth - Rahal is anxious to try and make up some ground at a place that's been kind to him in the past.

Frenchman Simon Pagenaud has never raced at PIR, but that may not matter this weekend. The unflappable Team Australia rookie has proven to be quick every time he's strapped into an Atlantic car this season, regardless of the venue. With top-four results in each of his first three series races - including runner-up finishes in the last two events - Pagenaud appears primed for his first win and it could come this weekend at a track that certainly has some European flare. Sitting second in the standings, a mere five points behind Wirth, the native of Montmorillon, France is also in a unique position to put some pressure on the series leader.

Another driver who's happy to be back racing in Portland is Canada's James Hinchcliffe. Wirth's Forsythe teammate, who's currently fourth in points, finished second in the 2005 Star Mazda race, just .317 of a second behind Rahal. Coming off a disappointing 16th-place result at Monterrey, "Hinch" is also anxious to put the memories of Mexico in his rear-view mirror and focus on securing his first Atlantic victory.

In 2004, American Jonathan Bomarito scored his first Atlantic podium with a third-place finish at Portland. He returns this weekend searching for similar results as he hopes to improve on his fifth-place championship standing for PR1 Motorsports.

David Martinez enters Portland tied with Bomarito for fifth in the championship. After a strong third-place result at his hometown race in Monterrey, Martinez looks to build on that momentum this weekend. He earned a fourth- and a sixth-place finish in '05 at PIR so he hopes to rely on his experience as well.

One of the most pleasant early-season surprises has been the performance of first-year series racer Danilo Dirani. The Brazilian is ranked seventh in the championship for the defending Atlantic champion Condor Motorsports team. After stumbling a bit in Mexico, the polished racer will look to get back on track in his first experience racing in Portland. Polestar Racing Group's Alan Sciuto has recorded three top-10 results to start the season and the 18-year-old American is anxious to try and produce his first top-five effort of the year in his first Atlantic Portland start on Sunday.

Perhaps no driver has more to prove this weekend than Sierra Sierra Enterprises pilot Raphael Matos. A pre-season championship favourite who earned a podium and a pole in the first two races of the season, Matos has seen his results suffer over the last two rounds due to on-track contact. Entering Portland ranked ninth in the standings, the talented Brazilian and 2005 Star Mazda champion will be looking for a clean race and some valuable points at PIR.

Alex Barron, the 1997 Atlantic champion, is also searching for a strong result at Portland, where he finished 14th in his rookie Champ Car season of 1998. He's aiming for his first top five of '06 for the Polestar team. American Leonardo Maia captured the 2003 Barber Dodge Pro Series race at PIR during his championship-winning season in the series. Maia hopes to convert that experience into a podium result this weekend. Fellow Forsythe Racing rookie Richard Philippe is also looking for a solid finish as the 16-year-old native of France has struggled with his early-season results.

Last season, Robbie Pecorari finished on the podium in the Star Mazda event at Portland with a third-place effort. The Pennsylvania product would be happy with a similar ending on Sunday for Gelles Racing. Another promising young American, Steve Ott, turned in an impressive seventh-place result at Houston in his first Atlantic start. He returns to action this weekend for the MSR Houston Team Jensen squad at the Portland track where he's raced several times in SCCA competition. Kyle Kelley also returns to the Atlantic grid - this time with the US RaceTronics team - at Portland, where earned his top series result of fourth in 2005.

Both Tim Bridgman of Epson Team Jensen and James Davison of Team Australia will see their first Atlantic action at Portland this weekend, while the Newman Wachs Racing tandem of Joe D'Agostino and Daniel Gaunt will also compete at PIR for the first time in their young Atlantic careers.

Transnet Racing's Barton Mawer of Australia is looking forward to his first PIR start on Sunday as well, while American Duncan Ende returns to action for Bite Racing after a strong series debut at Long Beach. After a pair of productive results last season in the Portland Atlantic doubleheader, 2005 Atlantic C2 Class champion Justin Sofio is looking forward to a repeat performance this weekend.

There will be several new faces and at least one familiar one in action at the Trinity Carpet 100k. Canadian Antoine Bessette will make his first start of '06, joining Gelles Racing at Portland. Bessette finished fourth in last season's final Atlantic standings and he posted a pair of top-five results at PIR in '05. The Brooks Associates Racing team welcomes two new drivers to its stable this weekend. Veteran racer Alex Sperafico, who finished 16th in the 2004 Portland Champ Car race, joins the squad along with promising Mexican racer Carlos Mastretta. Mi-Jack Conquest Racing also opens its arms to British driver Ryan Lewis, who joins the team for the remainder of the season, beginning this weekend.