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Formula Atlantic is a specification of open-wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSAAtlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club of America Formula Atlantic.
The history of Formula Atlantic begins with the SCCA Formula B class, created in 1965 for single-seat formula cars with engines not exceeding 1600cc in capacity. Prior to Formula Atlantic, professional Formula B races were held in the United States from 1965 to 1972, firstly with the SCCA's poorly supported Formula A, then as part of the SCCA Grand Prix Championship in 1967 and 1968, which Roger Barr won in a Twin-Cam powered Crosslé, and then in their own independent series from 1969 to 1972.
Formula Atlantic as a class evolved in the United Kingdom in 1971 from the US Formula B rules, with 1600cc production-based twin-cam engines (initially Cosworth Mk.XIII based on Lotus-Ford Twin Cam and then Cosworth BDD; however, other engines like Alfa Romeo were also eligible). Conceived by John Webb of Brands Hatch (who would later also develop the Sports 2000 class) as a category for national competitors with the performance near a Formula Two car but running costs at or below that of a contemporary Formula Three car. A single Yellow Pages championship ran in 1971-2, with a rival BP backed series appearing in 1973. 1974 saw the BP series changing sponsor to John Player and the Yellow Pages series becoming backed by John Webb's MCD organisation and Southern Organs; in practice, most top drivers competed in both series, and there were no date clashes. Only one series ran in 1975-6, in the final year taking the title Indylantic and adopting Indianapolis-style single-car qualifying. But the formula was under threat from Formula Three, and no series ran in 1977-78. A BRSCC-organized club racing series returned in 1979 with initial backing from Hitachi and continued to 1983, with diminishing grids and few new cars appearing.
シャシー規定がフォーミュラ2やフォーミュラ3と類似していたため、フォーミュラ・アトランティックでは、通常、これらのマシンとよく似たシャシーが使用され、その性能は両者の中間程度であった。そのため、ほとんどのメーカーはこれらのクラスに精通しており、特に初期のブラバム、ロータス、マーチ、シェブロンなどがその代表例で、後にラルト、そしてレイナードも参入した。アメリカのメーカーであるスウィフトは、イギリスからの輸入車に取って代わり、北米で圧倒的な存在感を示すようになった。また、いくつかの小規模メーカーも登場した。
北米で初めてフォーミュラ・アトランティックのルールに基づいて開催されたプロレースは、1974年にカナダのCASC（現在のASNカナダ）によって行われ、全国的なCTVテレビ放送のおかげで大きな注目を集め、多くのチームが参加した。アメリカのIMSAは、この多数のチームに目をつけ、1976年に独自のシリーズを組織した。
この時期、このシリーズにはフォーミュラ1を含むヨーロッパからのゲストドライバーが集まり、特にカナダのケベック州トロワ・リヴィエール市街地レースでは多くのゲストドライバーが参加した。ゲストドライバーには、ジェームス・ハント、ジャン＝ピエール・ジャリエ、リカルド・パトレーゼ、パトリック・デパイエ、ジャック・ラフィット、ディディエ・ピローニ、ヴィットリオ・ブランビラなどがいた。
1977年にSCCAが米国イベントを承認し、1978年にCASCとSCCAシリーズが合併し、1983年まで共同でシリーズを運営しました。1983年にはフォーミュラ・モンディアル・ノースアメリカンカップとして開催され、マイケル・アンドレッティが優勝しました。このシリーズは以前のシーズンの成功を維持できず、1984年に中止されました。フォーミュラ・モンディアルは、1983年にFIAによって導入された国際カテゴリーで、フォーミュラ・アトランティックとフォーミュラ・パシフィックの両方を置き換えることを目的としていました。後者は、 1970年代後半に太平洋沿岸諸国で導入されたフォーミュラ・アトランティックの派生版です 。
SCCA Formula Atlantic cars are allowed wings and ground effects. They use either the Toyota 4AGE engine or the Cosworth BDD. Cars meeting Super Vee specifications were also allowed but are now rarely seen. Prior to 2006, these rules were also largely used in the professional series, except that all cars had to run a Fuel Injected 4AGE. This meant that competitive amateur teams could also participate in professional races and that old pro series equipment could be raced at the amateur level. However, in 2006 the pro series introduced a spec chassis, the Swift Engineering 016.a, and a new spec engine, the Mazda-Cosworth MZR. The result was that the cars used in the pro series were drastically different from the amateur cars. In 2009, to shore up small race fields, the pro series introduced a "C2 class" for amateur-level cars, primarily the Swift 014.a, the dominant chassis in amateur competition at the time. However, the C2 class saw few entries and was abandoned in the middle of the season.
Since 2011, SCCA Club Racing has allowed the Swift 016.a and Mazda-Cosworth MZR, albeit with an inlet restrictor, to maintain parity with the older Toyota-powered cars. As of 2017, most nationals competitors were running the 016.a-Mazda combination. Also eligible for the class are Mazda rotary powered cars made for the Pro Mazda Championship. In 2018, the professional series will switch to a new car, and all of the rotary cars will be available for club racing use, although they appear to not be competitive with cars built to the FA specification, even older ones. Additionally, in 2019, the SCCA will allow sealed Mazda MZR engines to be used in older chassis, such as the Swift 014.a, as parts availability for the Toyota engines has become an issue.
The minimum weight of a Toyota or BDD powered Atlantic car is 1230 lbs. (558 kg) with driver.[1] The SCCA considers it its fastest club racing class.[2] Prior to gaining its own class, the Formula SCCA car raced in Formula Atlantic, where it was uncompetitive.[3]
In 2012 and 2014, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion historic automobile racing event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, had a tribute to Formula Atlantic as a part of its scheduled groups.[4]