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The 2003 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship is one of the rungs in the Championship Auto Racing Teams
(CART) ladder system. The series is sanctioned by CART and administered by Pro-Motion Agency Limited.
The list of alumni competing in this category is impressive.
It includes many open-wheel stars such as Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Bobby Rahal,
Keke Rosberg, Danny Sullivan and the Villeneuve’s.
The primary sponsor of the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship is Toyota Motor Sales, USA. Support is also provided by the Yokohama Tire Corporation, BBS Wheels, Bosch, PPG Industries and MCI WorldCom. The series offers more than $1 million U.S. total prize, plus bonus money. $85,000 purse is up for grabs at each event, with the winner receiving $20,000 – the series pays down to the twentieth place. In 1989 Toyota became the title sponsor for the Formula Atlantic series. All cars use the Toyota 4A-GE engine, a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine tuned to produce approximately 240-horsepower at 9,500 rpm. The Swift 014.a, introduced in 2002, is the exclusive chassis supplier and all cars are equipped with Yokohama tires. The Swift 008.a is also eligible to compete in the series. The 2003 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship begins in March at Monterrey, Mexico and concludes in Miami on September 28.
Round eight of the twelve-race 2003 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship was a forty-five-lap event held on the ten-turn 1.521-mile temporary street course at Trois-Rivieres.
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Fifteen CART Toyota Atlantic competitors line up for the start of round eight at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. On the pole for the third consecutive time this season is the No. 4 RuSPORT Swift 014.a of A.J. Allmendinger. Starting on the outside of Allmendinger is the winner of last year`s event, Michael Valiante driving the No. 19 Lynx Racing Swift 014.a. Row two is occupied by Ryan Dalziel and Danica Patrick. |
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Rookie A.J. Allmendinger led the point standings based on four poles and four victories. Last year`s Barber Dodge Pro Series champion collected his third consecutive pole at Trois-Rivieres driving the No. 4 RuSPORT prepared Swift 014.a. Despite pressure from Ryan Dalziel, Allmendinger led the contest flag-to-flag and became the first driver since Hoover Orsi won three consecutive races and five in a season. |
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Ryan Dalziel was in his second year of the championship. Last season, he finished eighth in the final standings. Entering round eight, Dalziel was second in the points chase on the strength of two victories. At Trois-Rivieres, he was the third-fastest qualifier in the No. 28 Swift 014.a. A poor start by Michael Valiante allowed Dalziel to move into second. He held the position and finished 0.465-seconds behind Allmendinger. |
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The defending race winner, Michael Valiante, returned Lynx Racing for another season in the No. No. 19 Swift 014.a. Valliante won the opening round of the year in Mexico, but he only had one other podium result since that event. He qualified on the outside of the front row at Trois-Rivieres. However, an error in turn one on the opening lap caused him to fall to fifth. Valiante battled back to secure the final spot on the podium. |
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Third-year competitor Joey Hand piloted the No. 27 DSTP Motorsports Swift 014.a. Hand’s season got off to a slow start with a mechanical retirement in round one, but he bounced back with a runner-up result at Portland. At Trois-Rivieres, his best time during the qualifying sessions earned him the seventh starting position. Hand moved up the order, and on lap-29, he passed Danica Patrick for a fourth-place finish. |
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Rookie Danica Patrick was the only woman competing in the 2003 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship. She drove the No. 24 Argent Mortgage Company-sponsored Swift 014.a. Patrick finished third in the opening round of the series to become the first woman to earn a Toyota Atlantic podium result. She was fourth fastest in qualifying for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres and finished in the fifth position. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | A.J. Allmendinger | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 45 | - |
| 2 | 3 | Ryan Dalziel | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 45 | - |
| 3 | 2 | Michael Valiante | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 45 | - |
| 4 | 7 | Joey Hand | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 45 | - |
| 5 | 4 | Danica Patrick | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 45 | - |
| 6 | 6 | Luis Diaz | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 45 | - |
| 7 | 8 | Jonathan Macri | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 45 | - |
| 8 | 9 | Stephan C. Roy | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 45 | - |
| 9 | 12 | Louis-Phillipe Dumoulin | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 45 | - |
| 10 | 15 | Philip Fayer | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 43 | - |
| 11 | 14 | Eric Jensen | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 43 | - |
| 12 | 13 | Alex García | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 41 | - |
| 13 | 11 | Kyle Krisiloff | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 41 | - |
| 14 | 5 | Aaron Justus | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 38 | - |
| 15 | 10 | Alex Figge | Swift 014.a - Toyota | 12 | - |
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