Open-wheel excitement mounts as the 2002 Cart Toyota Atlantic series descends onto Fundidora Park, at Monterrey, Mexico. The first leg of the season and a first at this road course, the race is part of the CART FedEx Championship’s Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey. Atlantic teams will be put to the test on this track, one of three new venues that have been added to the Atlantic series. New entrant teams and the new Swift 014a car, which most teams will be running, will make for a highly competitive season.
Gormley Ontario’s Jonathan Macri returns to the Atlantic series for a second season with Bill Fickling’s P-1Racing. Having completed a successful rookie season for P-1Racing, capturing 5th place in the 2001 Atlantic Championship and runner-up for Rookie of the Year, Macri’s performance was duly recognized with BBS Rising Star Award. In preparation for the 2002 season, Jonathan has put in five test sessions at Buttonwillow and Willow Springs, California in the past month. Testing in the Swift 008a proved successful.
It was good to reunite with the team, Bill Fickling, Willy Opplinger, the engineer, and the mechanics, Alex, Troy, and Jacques, Jonathan said. Testing in California went well. We tested the Swift 008a and made some changes. I also had the chance to test my teammate’s, Dave Cutler’s, new Swift 014a. The new car handles really well in high-speed corners but it seemed that the lap times were pretty similar between the two cars so I’m hoping to be competitive for the first few races. We only did 5 days of testing. We’re allotted a maximum of 14 days of testing for the season so we wanted to save test days for the new car, which should be delivered in late April.
It will be my first race in Mexico, but it will also be every other driver’s first time there so no one will be at an advantage. I’m extremely anxious to see how we stand with the old Swift against the new Swift that most racers will be driving. Hopefully, we’ll be competitive. It’s the first race so putting in a clean, solid performance will be important.
I’m really happy to be back with P-1Racing. We have a full season of successful team-building to fall back on so we should be really competitive this season. I’m also really grateful that NTN Bearings Corporation of Canada, Miller Genuine Draft,Battlefield Equipment Rentals, Mopal Construction Ltd, Baldhead Systems Inc, Con Lawn Constuction-Landscaping, and Cobra power Inc. are behind me and my racing efforts with their generous sponsorship.
No doubt, Jonathan Macri will be looking forward to this weekend’s race with great anticipation, if for no other reason than to, like most other drivers, shake off the racing cob webs that have formed over the 5 month racing hiatus. Getting back into a highly competitive gear will make Monterrey a perfect primer for a challenging season.In his rookie season, Jonathan impressed Atlantic aficionados and experts alike. This year, however, Macri will be motoring for no less than the Championship.
This weekend's Atlantic schedule begins with a test session on Thursday, March 7, beginning at 3:15 pm, followed by the first official practice session at 11:45 am on Friday, March 8. Qualifying begins at 9:00 am on Saturday, March 9, followed by the race at 3:00 pm. The race will be televised on a same day tape-delay basis on the SPEED CHANNEL at 9:30 pm Eastern. |
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