ATS: Series newsletter 2010-02-08

ATS Formula 3 Cup: Nearly all race seats assigned

More than two months before the 20110 ATS Formula 3 Cup season kick-off things look promising for a truly impressive starting grid. When the first two rounds of the 18-race season will be contested on the second weekend in April (09th to 11th April), the grid is expected to comprise more than 25 vehicles. So, the ATS Formula 3 Cup promises to be one of the single-seater series with the biggest starting grids.

This means that the fastest German single-seater series is going to continue its upward trend in 2010. 14 of the 18 rounds of the season will be held as part of the ADAC Masters Weekend events. Two of the races of the Formula 3 series that has been held in Germany for 35 years, now, will be contested within the Scope of the Truck Grand Prix at the Nurburgring and two will represent a highlight of the Rizla Race Day at Assen, Netherlands. In addition, the series succeeded in securing a world-famous and important sponsor - Deutsche Post - and with new teams and hopeful drivers, the series will be even more interesting than it used to be in the past.

21 cockpits have been assigned as early as now. The reigning champions for instance, Van Amersfoort Racing, have signed the likes of Austrian Willi Steindl and German rookie Daniel Abt. Performance Racing, the renowned English team, announced the signing of Alon Day. With the Israeli, the ATS Formula 3 Cup grid once again will feature a new driver nation.

Jo Zeller Racing, the most successful Swiss Formula 3 team, is going to contest the season with Sandro Zeller, the son of the Team Principal. The new team Brandl Motorsport has already signed Markus Pommer who finished third in the 2009 Cup season. Pommer is regarded as one of the true title favourites, this year. At the same time, Oschersleben's Team Motopark Academy makes its ATS Formula Cup debut with a truly competitive line-up as Team Principal Timo Rumpfkeil opted for contesting the season with international drivers: Kevin Magnussen (Denmark), Luis Derani (Brazil), Jimmy Eriksson (Sweden) and Austrian Rene Binder.

While the Formula 3 Association expects more than 20 cars to compete in the Cup ranking, some five drivers will battle it out for the ATS Formula 3 Trophy. And the successful drivers will be rewarded with their share of the impressive prize money. Altogether, €140,000 will be distributed among the drivers and in addition, the champion may look forward to a husky and extremely racy Volkswagen Scirocco.

-source: formel3.de