The 2008 Atlantic Championship season was the thirty-fifth Atlantic Championship season. It began on April 20, 2008 and ended on October 4, 2008. Despite the merger of Champ Car's premier series with the Indy Racing League, the Champ Car owners continued to own and operate the Atlantic Championship under a new legal entity, Atlantic Racing Series, LLC. Champ Car continued to sanction the first two events of the season at Long Beach and Laguna Seca with the remainder of the season running under IMSA sanction. The Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda Drivers' Champion was Markus Niemelä driving for Brooks Associates Racing.

Events

The original 12-race 2008 Atlantic Championship calendar, which featured many supporting runs during Champ Car World Series events, had to be scrapped as a result of the 2008 open-wheel reunification announcement. The Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Edmonton, Mont-Tremblant and Road America races, which had been part of the Champ Car schedule before reunification, remained in the calendar. The Road America races were changed, as the American Le Mans Series' Generac 500 weekend meet was changed from one to two races (a Saturday and Sunday race). The Edmonton race, now part of the IndyCar Series, also switched to a two-race format. The original races at Trois-Rivieres and Miller were not affected, since the Quebec race was part of the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres (which also features the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series), and the Utah race was conducted as part of the Rolex Sports Car Series Sunchaser 1000 weekend. On April 3 a revised post-reunification schedule was released featuring 11 races including the seven weekends that were kept (with two races at Edmonton and Road America), and two new races, one at New Jersey and a second Road Atlanta (as a support race to the Petit Le Mans).

Television

The 2008 series was televised at 5 PM ET on Sundays starting on November 9, 2008 on Speed TV.

Drivers and Teams

The following teams and drivers competed in the 2008 Atlantic Championship season. All teams used the Swift 016.a chassis powered by a Mazda-Cosworth MZR 2.3 liter inline-4 engine and Cooper tires.

Full series results

Race summaries

Round 1: Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach

Round 2: Monterey Festival of Speed Atlantic Championship

Round 3: Sommet des Legends

Round 4: Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 1

Round 5: Rexall Edmonton Indy Twin Races - Race 2

Round 6: Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 1

Round 7: Road Race Showcase/Road America - Race 2

Round 8: Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières

Round 9: Mazda Formula Zoom Zoom

Round 10: SunRichGourmet.com 1000

Round 11: Atlanta Atlantic Challenge

Final driver results

Points system

Bonus Points

Driver results and standings