2025 Atlantic Championship

2025 Atlantic Championship Series season
Season
Races14
Start dateMarch 20
End dateAugust 17
Awards
016 Class Champion
Open Class Champion
USF Juniors Class Champion
John McAleer
Brandon Schwarz
Justin DiLucia

The 2025 Atlantic Championship Series season was the twelfth season of the revived Atlantic Championship. The series is organized by Formula Race Promotions and sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing.

The season was held over seven weekends from March to August 2025.[1] The Open Class and USF Juniors Class titles were decided with two weekends to spare, with Havoc Motorsport's Brandon Schwarz winning the former and Exclusive Autosport's Justin DiLucia claiming the latter. The 016 Class championship remained open until the final race weekend, where MotoNomaddicts' John McAleer took the title.

Drivers and teams

Drivers competed in three classes: the 016 Class was only open to Swift 016a cars, while the USF Juniors Class was open to Tatuus PM-18 cars and the Open Class served all other eligible entries.

Team No. Driver Car Rounds
016 Class entries
K-Hill Motorsports 24 Matthew Butson 2006 Swift 016 Mazda 5
32 Kirk Kindsfater 2006 Swift 016a 4
74 Dudley Fleck 2006 Swift 016 Mazda 4
777 Tõnis Kasemets 2006 Swift 016a 2
06 Bruce Hamilton 2001 Swift 014 MZR 6
Lights Out Racing 63 Shane Kennett 2006 Swift 016a 1
SMT/Zober Industries Inc. 66 Richard Zober 2006 Swift 016a Mazda 1, 4–6
MotoNomaddicts 68 John McAleer 2006 Swift 016 1, 3–5, 7
Open Class entries
Jensen Global Advisors 1 Athan Sterling 2021 Ligier JS F3 2
Havoc Motorsport 7 Charles Meagher 2004 Mazda Pro Formula 4
12 Derek LaManna 2014 Mazda Pro Formula 4
14 Kamil Kopko 2004 Mazda Pro Formula 4
29 Rob Radman 1999 Swift 008.a Toyota 1, 4
46 Brandon Schwarz 2020 Ligier JS F3 1–5
99 Ken DeNault 1998 Formula Mazda 2–3
Hamilton Motorsports 15 Steve Hamilton 2020 JDR F1000 3–4
Alliance Racing 17 Bob Corliss 2001 Swift 014.a 1–5
DD Autosports 18 Rocco Magni 2021 Ligier JS F3 1
Slahor Racing 19 Jason Slahor 2008 Citation F1000 3, 5, 7
Synergy Motorsport 30 Eddie Beswick 2024 Tatuus USF2000 1
Arrive Drive Motorsports 33 Charles Livingston 2012 JDR F1000 1–5
39 Roman McCurdy 2012 JDR F1000 4
81 Tim Pierce 2018 JDR F1000 1, 3
89 Nathan Byrd 2012 JDR F1000 1–2, 7
199 Paulie Gatto 2012 JDR F1000 1–5, 7
07 Austin Holtgraewe 2012 JDR F1000 1, 3
Forty 48 Competition 71 Jeffrey Antonelli 2006 Star Pro Mazda 4
146 James French 2001 Swift 014/CSR 1, 4
FatBoy Racing! 83 Charles Finelli 2014 Mazda Pro Mazda 1
K-Hill Motorsports 06 Bruce Hamilton 2001 Swift 014 MZR 1, 4, 7
Team Tonis 09 J.R. Smart 2002 Swift 014.a 4
USF Juniors Class entries
Exclusive Autosport 9 Gabriel Cahan Tatuus PM-18 1–2, 4
91 Kaylee Countryman Tatuus PM-18 1–2, 4
92 Ayrton Cahan Tatuus PM-18 2, 4
94 Justin Di Lucia Tatuus PM-18 1–5, 7
Pole Position Motorsports 127 Connor Aspley Tatuus PM-18 4
Sources: [2][3][4][5][6][7][8]


Race calendar

The race schedule was announced on September 30, 2024.[1] The race count increased again, with the series adding a seventh round at Watkins Glen to bring the total to 14 races across seven rounds.

Round Circuit Date Support bill Map of circuit locations
1 R1 Road Atlanta, Braselton March 22 SVRA Sprint Series
Trans-Am Series
R2 March 23
2 R1 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington April 26 FRP race weekend
Formula Ford Challenge Series
R2 April 27
3 R1 Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum May 31 SVRA Sprint Series
Formula Vee Challenge Cup
R2 June 1
4 R1 Road America, Elkhart Lake June 28 Ultimate Street Car Association
Trans-Am Series
R2 June 29
5 R1 Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen July 12 Trans-Am Series
Skip Barber Formula Race Series
R2 July 13
6 R1 New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville August 2 Formula Regional Americas Championship
Formula 4 United States Championship
R2 August 3
7 R1 Summit Point Motorsports Park, Summit Point August 16 SVRA Sprint Series
Formula Vee Challenge Cup
R2 August 17

Race results

Round Circuit Pole position 016 Class Open Class USF Juniors Class
Fastest lap Winning driver Fastest lap Winning driver Fastest lap Winning driver
1 R1 Road Atlanta John McAleer John McAleer John McAleer James French James French Gabriel Cahan Gabriel Cahan
R2 John McAleer John McAleer Brandon Schwarz Brandon Schwarz Gabriel Cahan Gabriel Cahan
2 R1 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Tõnis Kasemets Tõnis Kasemets Tõnis Kasemets Brandon Schwarz Athan Sterling Kaylee Countryman Kaylee Countryman
R2 Tõnis Kasemets Tõnis Kasemets Tõnis Kasemets Brandon Schwarz Athan Sterling Gabriel Cahan Gabriel Cahan
3 R1 Pittsburgh International Race Complex John McAleer John McAleer John McAleer Bob Corliss Brandon Schwarz Justin Di Lucia Justin Di Lucia
R2 John McAleer John McAleer John McAleer Bob Corliss Brandon Schwarz Justin Di Lucia Justin Di Lucia
4 R1 Road America John McAleer Dudley Fleck Dudley Fleck James French Brandon Schwarz Gabriel Cahan Kaylee Countryman
R2 Dudley Fleck Dudley Fleck Dudley Fleck J.R. Smart J.R. Smart Justin Di Lucia Justin Di Lucia
5 R1 Watkins Glen International Matthew Butson Matthew Butson Matthew Butson Brandon Schwarz Brandon Schwarz Justin Di Lucia Justin Di Lucia
R2 Matthew Butson John McAleer John McAleer Brandon Schwarz Brandon Schwarz Justin Di Lucia Justin Di Lucia
6 R1 New Jersey Motorsports Park Richard Zober Richard Zober Richard Zober no entries
R2 Richard Zober Richard Zober
7 R1 Summit Point Motorsports Park John McAleer John McAleer John McAleer Bruce Hamilton Bruce Hamilton Justin Di Lucia Justin Di Lucia
R2 John McAleer John McAleer Bruce Hamilton Bruce Hamilton Justin Di Lucia Justin Di Lucia

Season report

The 2025 Atlantic Championship started at Road Atlanta, and 16 drivers entered the event. Competition in the 016 Class was clear-cut: MotoNomaddicts' John McAleer set pole position in qualifying and dominated both races. Arrive Drive Motorsport’s 2024 class champion Nathan Byrd took pole position in the Open Class, but could only manage third and second in the races, with Forty 48 Competition’s James French winning race one and Havoc Motorsport’s Brandon Schwarz victorious in race two. Previously a two-class series, the 2025 season saw the introduction of a separate class for entries from the USF Juniors Championship. Exclusive Autosport’s Gabriel Cahan won both races in that class.[9]

Twelve entrants traveled to Mid-Ohio for round two. K-Hill Motorsports’ Tõnis Kasemets was the only 016 Class entrant and thereby swept the weekend. The Open Class saw Jensen’s Athan Sterling closely battle Schwarz for both race wins, with the former coming out on top both times and Arrive Drive Motorsports’ Paulie Gatto and Havoc Motorsport’s Ken DeNault completing the class podiums. After the weekend concluded, Sterling was disqualified from all sessions for using non-declared tires, so Schwarz inherited both race wins. Four cars entered the USF Juniors Class, and the two races were won by the Exclusive Autosport pair of Kaylee Countryman and Justin Di Lucia.[10]

Round three was held at Pittsburgh, and this time the sole 016 Class competitor was McAleer, who was therefore able to extend his championship lead. Eight cars entered the Open Class, where Alliance Racing’s Bob Corliss claimed two pole positions but was unable to convert both. Instead, points leader Schwarz notched up two more victories, rising from sixth on the grid in race one and beating Corliss off the front row in the second race. Arrive Drive Motorsports’ Tim Pierce took two second places, with Corliss coming third in race one before dropping to seventh in race two. Di Lucia was the only USF Juniors Class entrant and took two wins and with it the points lead in the class.[11]

23 drivers entered the event at Road America, a high point not seen in years. In the 016 Class, K-Hill’s Dudley Fleck entered his only weekend of the season and swept the weekend, while points leader McAleer took two second places, further cementing his championship advantage. Fourteen drivers entered the Open Class, but Schwartz was once again the class of the field in the first race. Series debutant J.R. Smart won the second race driving for Team Tonis, with Gatto and K-Hill’s Bruce Hamilton also featuring on the podium across the weekend. In the USF Juniors Class, Countryman and Di Lucia each notched up another win, with Countryman now third in class behind Gabriel Cahan.[12]

Entry numbers were back down to single digits upon the series’ return to Watkins Glen. 2024 016 Class champion Matthew Butson returned to competition for K-Hill and was back in front right away, taking two pole positions and winning the first race. He suffered a mechanical failure in race two, leaving McAleer to take his fifth win and further cement his championship advantage. Schwartz took two further victories in the Open Class, both times leading Arrive Drive Motorsports’ Charles Livingston and Gatto and thereby claiming the class title with four races to spare. With Di Lucia once again the only USF Juniors Class competitor, that title was also sealed early in Watkins Glen.[13]

The entry record from Road America was followed by a low point two rounds later, as only two cars entered the weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and both were in the 016 Class. SMT/Zober Industries’ Richard Zober was joined by Bruce Hamilton, who had spent the year so far competing in the Open Class and had switched cars for this round. With Hamilton not used to the Swift 016 car, Zober was able to set pole position in the weekend’s only qualifying session, before winning both races comfortably and taking two fastest laps. This saw him close up to points leader McAleer and secure his runner-up spot in the class with two races yet to run.[14]

The 016 Class entry list for the finale at Summit Point again featured only McAleer, who swept the weekend and clinched the class title with a lead of over 100 points. He was unable to finish the second race, but as he had covered more than half of the race distance, he was still awarded points. With the Open Class title already sealed and champion Schwarz absent, Livingston and Gatto continued fighting for the runner-up spot. Bruce Hamilton won both races, but with Livingston second twice, he beat Gatto to second in the standings by a single point. USF Juniors class champion Di Lucia was once again the only entrant in his class, so he claimed both races to bring his season total to eight wins.[15]

Standings

Scoring system

Three points were awarded for pole position in each class, as well as two more points for the fastest lap per race per class.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   10th   11th   12th   13th   14th   15th   16th   17th   18th   19th   20th   21st   22nd   23rd   24th   25th+ 
Points 50 42 37 34 31 29 27 25 23 21 19 17 15 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Each driver's two worst results were dropped. Rounds with no entries in class did not count towards these two results.

Drivers' standings

Pos Driver ATL MOH PIT ROA WGL NJM SUM Pen. Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
016 Class standings
1 John McAleer 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 505
2 Richard Zober 2 3 Ret 4 3 2 1 1 300
3 Tõnis Kasemets 1 1 110
4 Dudley Fleck 1 1 107
5 Bruce Hamilton 2 2 84
6 Shane Kennett 3 2 79
7 Kirk Kindsfater 3 3 74
8 Matthew Butson 1 Ret 59
Open Class standings
1 Brandon Schwarz 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 503
2 Charles Livingston 5 7 3 4 (Ret) 4 (DNS) 5 2 2 2 2 362
3 Paulie Gatto (7) 6 2 3 5 3 (Ret) 3 3 3 3 3 361
6 Bruce Hamilton 4 4 3 12 1 1 229
4 Bob Corliss 10 Ret Ret DNS 3 7 4 7 4 4 226
5 Tim Pierce 6 5 2 2 144
7 James French 1 3 11 DNS 113
8 Austin Holtgraewe 9 8 7 6 104
9 Ken DeNault 4 2 8 DNS 101
10 Steve Hamilton 6 5 7* 6 15 101
11 J.R. Smart 2 1 97
12 Nathan Byrd 3 2 Ret Ret DNS DNS 87
13 Roman McCurdy 6 4 63
14 Jeffrey Antonelli 5 8 56
15 Kamil Kopko 8 9 48
16 Rob Radman 8 11 DNS DNS 44
17 Derek LaManna 9 10 44
=18 Eddie Beswick 11 10 40
=18 Charles Meagher 10 11 40
20 Jason Slahor 4 DNS WD WD DNS DNS 34
21 Rocco Magni Ret 9 24
Athan Sterling DSQ DSQ 0
Charles Finelli DNS DNS 0
USF Juniors Class standings
1 Justin Di Lucia 2 2 (3) 1 1 1 (4) 1 1 1 1 1 519
2 Gabriel Cahan 1 1 2 2 5 2 274
3 Kaylee Countryman 3 3 1 3 1 3 250
4 Ayrton Cahan 4 4 2 5 141
5 Connor Aspley 3 4 71
Pos Driver R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 Pts
ATL MOH PIT ROA WGL NJM SUM Pen.
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points classification
Blue Non-points classification
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired, not classified (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole

Italics – Fastest Lap

* – Penalty

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Formula Race Promotions Announces 2025 Schedule". www.racefrp.com. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  2. ^ "2024 FRP Mission Foods Rd Atl SpeedTour - FRP Atlantic/F2000 Qualifying" (PDF). Formula Race Promotions. March 22, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  3. ^ "Formula Race Promotions Mid-Ohio 2025 - Atlantic Practice 1,2 Qualifying 1" (PDF). Formula Race Promotions. April 26, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  4. ^ "2025 FRP Pitt Race SpeedTour - FRP Atlantic/F2000 Qualifying 1" (PDF). Formula Race Promotions. May 31, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  5. ^ "2025 FRP Road America June SpeedTour - FRP Atlantic/F2000 - Split FRP Atlantic/F2000 Grid Race 1" (PDF). Formula Race Promotions. June 28, 2025. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  6. ^ "2025 FRP Watkins Glen SpeedTour - FRP Atlantic/F2000 Qualifying 1" (PDF). Formula Race Promotions. July 12, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  7. ^ "2025 FRP NJ Lottery SpeedTour - FRP Atlantic/F2000 Qualifying 1" (PDF). Formula Race Promotions. August 2, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  8. ^ "2025 FRP Summit Point SpeedTour - FRP Atlantic/F2000 Qualifying 1" (PDF). Formula Race Promotions. August 16, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  9. ^ "Formula Race Promotions Season Opener Concludes with First Time Winners". Formula Race Promotions. March 27, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  10. ^ "FRP's Mid-Ohio Formula Speedfest a Huge Success". Formula Race Promotions. May 1, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  11. ^ "Formula Race Promotions Crowns Multiple First-Time Podium Finishers in Exciting Pitt Race Weekend". Formula Race Promotions. June 4, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  12. ^ "FRP Features Multiple Close Finishes and First-Time Podium Finishers at Road America". Formula Race Promotions. July 2, 2025. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  13. ^ "FRP Weekend at Watkins Glen Filled with Last-Lap Passes and Close Racing". Formula Race Promotions. July 17, 2025. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  14. ^ "FRP Championship Battles Continue to Forge at New Jersey Motorsports Park". Formula Race Promotions. August 7, 2025. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  15. ^ "FRP Crowns Champions in Season Finale at Summit Point". Formula Race Promotions. August 19, 2025. Retrieved September 3, 2025.