36 ~— Friday, April 3, 1998 - North Shore News

north shore news

# AUTO

rookie Atlantic seas

Andrew McCredie
Editor
andrew@nsnews.com
JACQUES Villeneuve.
' Greg Moore. Patrick
Carpentier.
Fast company too be sure,

and company West Vancouver
race car driver David Rutledge

finds himself in on the eve of

‘the 1998 KOOL/Toyora
Atlantic Champianship Serics.
The 19-year-old Rutledge
is one of two Canadian drivers
to sign with the Player's
Driver Development 2. zram
(DDP) for the Arlanuc series.
Both Rutledge and Ontario's
Rob MacDonald-will be sup-
‘ported by Player's through
-the company’s partially-fund-
ed program... Reigning
Formuia 1 champion Ville-
neuve and CART racers
- dloore and Carpentier have
beén, or still’ arc, in the
Players’ stable.
“1 feel like I just won the
lortery,” Rutledge
“When’ 1 look at Ste track
record of Player’s DDP, which
has helped propel the careers
of Canadian drivers such as
Jacques Villeneuve, Greg
Moore and Patrick
‘ Carpentier, it’s as if I’ve been
handed the blueprint for. suc-
cess.”
. + David's father Don agrees

_ and says the biggest positive
‘for his son is the coaching
he’! get in the Player’s pro-
gram, specifically . Richard

said.

DAVID Rutledge ... West
Van racer begins season
tomorrow in California.

Spenard.

“The big plus for us is the
coach,” Don said, nvo hours
before driving his motorhome
to California on Wednesday,
“In our opinion he’s probably
the best in the world.”

According to Rutledge Sr.,
Villencuve, Moore — and
Carpentier have all benefited
from Spenard’s wisdom.

Earlier in the week David
had two days of testing on a
wack north of Los Angeles,
and Don reports that his times
were among the best.

“The only guy w ho was
faster was Steve “.ameron,” he
said.

David intends to compete
in all 13 Atlantic races this sea-
son for the Binder
Racing/TTF  Mororsports
team. Other sponsors include
Fleming Financial and The
keg Steakhouse & Bar. Three

1998 KOOL/T oyata
‘Championship schedule

Aprit 4: Beach,
California*
April 25:
Pennsyivania*
May 22: Madison, {inois*
May 30: Milwaukee,
Wisconsin*

~ June 6: Montreal, Quebec *
July 11: Cleveland, Ohio*

~ July 18: Toronto, Ontario*

* August 2: Trois-Rivieres,

Quebee

Long

Nazareth,

am All wheel drive
ABS
Air Bags

August 9: Lexington, Ohio*
August 16; Elkharr Lake,
Wisconsin*

September 5: Vancouver”
September }2: Monicrey,
Califurnia*®

October 4: Houston, Texas*

* In conjunction with CART
races.
* In conjunction with Fi
race.

. 4 80 watt AM/FM cassette

Sport Rack
§ Fog Lamps
L165 HP engine

‘Power windows & locks

E Power heated mirrors

weeks ago he movea from his
parent’s West Van home to
San Clemente, Calitornia to
he close to team headquarters.

‘The 1998 season niarks
the 25th anniversary of the
Atlantic series, and is heralded
by big news on the technolo-
gy front.

Switt Enginecring — has
unveiled an all-new chassis for
the 1998 season (see photo
below). The Swift, 08.2 is the
future of Atlantic racing: by
the year 2000 it will be the
only design used by the Opes rs)
wheeled series.

“The new Swift is the per-
fect evolution of the Adantic
car,” said Switt test driver
David Empringham. “The
drivers will love the sequential
gearbox and the style of the
cockpit.”

Forty-six new Swifts have
been sold to Atlantic team
owners. But there are major,
major preblems with the new
design. In addition to bugs in
the new sequential shifter,
engincers are said to be con-
sidering a redesign of the

wings on the new Swift,

Due to these problems, it
is expecred verv few of the
new Swifts will be on the grid
for tomorrow's race in Long
Beach.

“We have a Swift as weil as
a Ralt so we're in pretty good
shape,” Don said af David's
rides. All the testing David has
done this week has been in the
Ralt.

Rutledge competed in
three Arlantic races list sea-
sun, and impressed many
Adantic observers with some
solid performances, — most
notsbly in the rain ar Efkhart
Lake. He qualified in the top
10 twice and finished Lich,
[7th and 13th. Despite last
year’s races, Rutledge still
qualifics for the 1998 Rookie
of the Year - »mpetition.

The best thing going for
Rutledge is thar his team’s
lead engineer (Skip Essma)
and team mechanic (Mark
MacCaull) are highly-expe::-
enced technicians with years
of lady and CART experience
under their belt.

Swift 608.a technical data

Overall length: 167 in.
Wheelbase: 104 in.
Weight: 550 ke
Suspension: Double wish-
bone front and rear; pushrod
actuated

Chassis construction:
Carbor fibre monocoque
with InJy Car-type ground
effects tunnels

Wheels: BBS forged alu-
minum

Tisess Yokohama Racing

Radial

Gearbox: Hewland  five-
speed sequential

Engine: ‘fovora 4AGE
Displacement: 1.6 litre
Max power: 240 HP at
9500 «p.m.

Fuel = injection; =TRD
Electronic

Max torque: 130 ft./lb/.
Top speed: 240+ km-h
Acceleration: 0-100 km-h
— four seconds

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