Sam Schmidt to enter Atlantics

Rumor has it that IRL stalwart Sam Schmidt and his Sam Schmidt Motorsports organization, who fielded at times what seemed like half of the IPS field in 2005, has put a deposit on a new Champ Car Atlantic chassis. One of the drivers that Schmidt manages is Jay Howard, who you have read a lot about on these pages. We asked whether he was the next Ayrton Senna. Might Schmidt see that $2 million carrot to the Atlantic champion hanging out there, and knowing Howard's apparent talent, think they can win that the $2 million prize in a walk and take Howard to Champ Car with it in 2007?