From Nate Siebens
Jonathan Bomarito became the fourth different winner in four races for the 2008 Atlantic Championship in the first race of the Rexall Edmonton Indy doubleheader on Friday evening.
Driving the No. 26 machine, Bomarito stalked polesitter James Hinchcliffe throughout the race before making his move in Turn 1 with eight laps remaining to take the lead.
A late full-course caution set up a one-lap shootout, but Bomarito managed to hold off a charging Markus Niemela to take the victory by 0.691 seconds.
It was Bomarito's first victory of the season and his third career Atlantic race victory and moved him from seventh to fourth in the championship standings.
It was also the first Atlantic victory for Mathiasen Motorsports, coming in the team's 36th series start.
Niemela charged from fifth on the grid in the No. 8 entry to claim his second consecutive second-place result and took over the points lead.
Heading into Saturday's second race of the doubleheader, Niemela holds a one-point lead over Hinchcliffe, 94-93. The Finn also continues to lead the Rookie of the Year point standings by 24 points, 94-70, over Jonathan Summerton.
After leading a race-high 30 laps of the 38-lap event, Hinchcliffe settled for third place and his second podium result of the season in the No. 3 entry from Forsythe/Pettit Racing.
Simona De Silvestro earned the bonus point for the most positions improved from start to finish. She drove the No. 34 machine from 13th on the starting grid to an eighth-place result.
Pos StartPos Driver Team Laps Time
1 2 Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 38 45:18.942
2 6 Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing 38 45:19.633
3 1 James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Racing Inc. 38 45:20.093
4 4 Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 38 45:20.699
5 7 David Garza Forsythe Racing Inc. 38 45:21.112
6 9 Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 38 45:21.512
7 12 Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 38 45:22.109
8 14 Simona De Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 38 45:22.766
9 13 Greg Mansell Walker Racing 38 45:23.882
10 11 Tom Sutherland Brooks Associates Racing 38 45:24.237
11 8 Daniel Morad Eurointernational 38 45:25.720
12 15 Frankie Muniz Pacific Coast Motorsports 38 45:26.341
13 10 Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 38 45:26.869
14 5 Henri Karjalainen Jensen Motorsport, Inc. 38 45:27.183
15 19 Douglas Soares Condor Motorsports 38 46:46.148
16 20 Christopher Zoechling Paladin Motorsports LLC 37 45:29.669
17 18 Luis Schiavo Eurointernational 37 45:29.799
18 17 Leo Mansell Walker Racing 37 45:31.541
19 3 Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 35 45:37.734
20 16 Dominick Muermans Condor Motorsports 31 36:38.338
Jonathan Bomarito became the fourth different winner in four races for the 2008 Atlantic Championship in the first race of the Rexall Edmonton Indy doubleheader on Friday evening.
Driving the No. 26 machine, Bomarito stalked polesitter James Hinchcliffe throughout the race before making his move in Turn 1 with eight laps remaining to take the lead.
A late full-course caution set up a one-lap shootout, but Bomarito managed to hold off a charging Markus Niemela to take the victory by 0.691 seconds.
It was Bomarito's first victory of the season and his third career Atlantic race victory and moved him from seventh to fourth in the championship standings.
It was also the first Atlantic victory for Mathiasen Motorsports, coming in the team's 36th series start.
Niemela charged from fifth on the grid in the No. 8 entry to claim his second consecutive second-place result and took over the points lead.
Heading into Saturday's second race of the doubleheader, Niemela holds a one-point lead over Hinchcliffe, 94-93. The Finn also continues to lead the Rookie of the Year point standings by 24 points, 94-70, over Jonathan Summerton.
After leading a race-high 30 laps of the 38-lap event, Hinchcliffe settled for third place and his second podium result of the season in the No. 3 entry from Forsythe/Pettit Racing.
Simona De Silvestro earned the bonus point for the most positions improved from start to finish. She drove the No. 34 machine from 13th on the starting grid to an eighth-place result.
Pos StartPos Driver Team Laps Time
1 2 Jonathan Bomarito Mathiasen Motorsports 38 45:18.942
2 6 Markus Niemela Brooks Associates Racing 38 45:19.633
3 1 James Hinchcliffe Forsythe Racing Inc. 38 45:20.093
4 4 Dane Cameron Genoa Racing 38 45:20.699
5 7 David Garza Forsythe Racing Inc. 38 45:21.112
6 9 Jonathan Summerton Newman Wachs Racing 38 45:21.512
7 12 Kevin Lacroix Walker Racing 38 45:22.109
8 14 Simona De Silvestro Newman Wachs Racing 38 45:22.766
9 13 Greg Mansell Walker Racing 38 45:23.882
10 11 Tom Sutherland Brooks Associates Racing 38 45:24.237
11 8 Daniel Morad Eurointernational 38 45:25.720
12 15 Frankie Muniz Pacific Coast Motorsports 38 45:26.341
13 10 Junior Strous Condor Motorsports 38 45:26.869
14 5 Henri Karjalainen Jensen Motorsport, Inc. 38 45:27.183
15 19 Douglas Soares Condor Motorsports 38 46:46.148
16 20 Christopher Zoechling Paladin Motorsports LLC 37 45:29.669
17 18 Luis Schiavo Eurointernational 37 45:29.799
18 17 Leo Mansell Walker Racing 37 45:31.541
19 3 Carl Skerlong Pacific Coast Motorsports 35 45:37.734
20 16 Dominick Muermans Condor Motorsports 31 36:38.338