Photo: Jon Fogarty (right, sitting on car) celebrates with the Pacific Coast Motorsports team after winning the 2004 Atlantic title

After rallying with a strong second-half charge that culminated with a win in the season finale to earn the Atlantic crown in 2002, Fogarty once again had to sweat it out until the final race of the season before capturing the title last year.

It took him a while to find his groove after joining the Pacific Coast Motorsports team as Fogarty struggled in the first two races of the season. But in Round 3, he provided a glimpse of just how dominant he could be as he set a new Atlantic qualifying record while winning the pole position at the Milwaukee Mile. He cruised to his third career series victory, and first on an oval, while leading every lap of the race.

That win touched off a dynamic midseason run for Fogarty as he went on to sweep a doubleheader in Portland in Rounds 4 and 5 while seizing control of the series points lead with three straight victories.

Perhaps Fogarty’s most impressive win of the season came at Toronto in Round 7 when he again raised his game after Scotsman Ryan Dalziel had drawn to within three points of Fogarty in the championship standings. After winning the pole, Fogarty fought off mechanical problems and Dalziel’s hard-charging Canadian teammate, Andrew Ranger, in the race for his fourth win of the year.

Dalziel continued his relentless pursuit of his American rival, actually drawing even with Fogarty in the race for the title after leading the opening-round of qualifying at Montreal in the second-to-last race of the season.

From there, Fogarty simply imposed his championship will. He claimed the pole in Montreal and went on to a wire-to-wire victory in the race. The following week, he earned his sixth pole of the season at the 12th and final round of competition at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. After Dalziel was penalized in an attempt to pass Fogarty at the start of the race, the challenger fell back in the field and the determined Fogarty brought home his sixth win of the year and his second Atlantic crown.

Fogarty scored 327 points and edged Dalziel by 18 for the title, becoming the first two-time series champion since David Empringham won back-to-back crowns in 1993 and ’94.