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Shank Is Looking for Atlantic DriversCOLUMBUS, Ohio, - Michael Shank Racing Services will test Matt Sielsky, Sam Hornish and one other yet-to-be-determined driver in a SCCA KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Ralt RT-41 on Nov. 19-21 at Roebling Road Raceway in Savannah, Ga. The team plans a solid pursuit of the SCCA KOOL/Toyota Atlantic championship in 1998, and will field two brand-new Swifts in the series. "We are updating our Atlantic equipment and we are looking for qualified, funded drivers who want to participate in the Atlantic series next year," said Michael Shank, the team owner and the 1996 C-2 Atlantic national champion. "We have a solid program in place, we are making major investments to have brand-new equipment, and we have the experience behind us to succeed. We are anxious to talk about our program with drivers who have similar goals for the Atlantic series in 1998." For more information, contact Shank by calling (614) 299-3811. The team is located at 1386 Fields Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43211. Sielsky and Hornish both come from the U.S. Formula 2000 series. Sielsky, a 19-year-old driver based in Northbrook, Ill., and a graduate of the Team KOOL Green Academy, finished second to champion Zak Morioka in the 1997 U.S. F2000 series. Hornish, an 18-year-old from Defiance, Ohio, was not able to run the entire F2000 schedule and ended up 22nd overall at the end of the year. His best showings were two eleventh-place finishes. Two of the last three Formula 2000 champions have advanced to the Atlantic series: Jeret Schroeder (1995) and Steve Knapp (1996). The 1997 Atlantic champion, Alex Barron, also came from the Formula 2000 ranks. The KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship celebrates its 25th anniversary season in 1998. The season opener for the 12-race series is scheduled for April 4 at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif. Ten of the 12 races will be run in conjunction with CART PPG World Series events, and one is run as a companion event to the Grand Prix Player's du Canada, North America's only Formula One race. The series has announced that its prize money will exceed $1.38 million in 1998, including $85,000-per-race purses. Last year all of the events were televised on a tape-delayed basis on ESPN2. In addition to Shank, who competed in the recent Las Vegas Indy Racing League event, Atlantic series graduates include 1997 Formula One World Champion Jacques Villeneuve; 1996 CART PPG World Series champion Jimmy Vasser; 1997 CART PPG World Series Rookie-of-the-Year Patrick Carpentier; and 1995 Atlantic champion Richie Hearn.
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