The 2009 IMSA Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship season was the thirty-sixth Atlantic Championship season. It was the first full season of the Championship under the sanctioning of the International Motor Sports Association. After a three-way title battle into the final round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, John Edwards became the series' youngest champion, beating Jonathan Summerton on a tie-breaker, after both drivers finished on 182 points. They also finished tied on four victories, but Edwards broke the tie with four second-place finishes compared to Summerton's three.
The following teams and drivers competed in the 2009 Atlantic Championship. All teams are using the Swift 016.a chassis powered by a Mazda-Cosworth MZR 2.3-litre inline-4 engine and Cooper tires. C2 Class teams use the Swift 014.a chassis.
| Team | No | Drivers | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Markus Niemelä | 1–4 | |
| 34 |  Jonathan Summerton | 5–12 | |
| 36 | John Edwards | All | |
 Jensen MotorSport | 1 | Markus Niemela | 6–12 |
| 2 | Matt Lee | 1 | |
| James Winslow | 2 | ||
 David Garza | 3–4 | ||
| Barrett Mertins | 12 | ||
| 3 | Michael Nacol | 1–7 | |
| Eric Jensen | 9–10 | ||
| 13 | 7 | ||
| Condor Motorsports | 6 |  Borja García | 1–10 |
 Frédéric Vervisch | 12 | ||
| 7 |  Max Lefèvre | All | |
| Conquest Racing | 12 | James Winslow | 1 |
| Matt Lee | 5 | ||
| 21 |  Harald Schlegelmilch | 1 | |
| 17 | Frédéric Vervisch | All | |
| 18 |  Tõnis Kasemets | 2 | |
| Robert Wickens | 10 | ||
 Greg Mansell | 11 | ||
| James Winslow | 3–4, 9–10 | ||
| 19 | 5–7, 11 | ||
| Jonathan Summerton | 1–4 | ||
| Mathiasen Motorsports | 26 | Jonathan Bomarito | 1 |
| Polestar Motor Racing | 35 | Tõnis Kasemets | 1, 3–12 |
| 66 | Richard Zober | 3–5 | |
| Paladin Motorsports | 45 | James Winslow | 12 |
| Team Stargate Worlds | 77 | Frankie Muniz | 1-9 |
| Jonathan Bomarito | 11–12 | ||
| 78 |  Simona de Silvestro | All | |
| C2 Class | |||
| Swan Racing | 29 |  Ahsen Yelkin | 1 |
| 68 | Chris Lee | 1 | |
| 71 | Michael Mällinen | 1–4, 8 | |
| 75 | Sadat Yelkin | 1 | |
| 80 | Hans Peter | 8 | |
| 88 | Mirl Swan | 1, 8 | |
| Round | Race date | Race name | Circuit | City/Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 20 | Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring[1] | Sebring International Raceway | Sebring, Florida | |
| 2 | May 17 | Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix[2] | Miller Motorsports Park | Tooele, Utah | |
| 3 | June 13 | Mazda Formula X | New Jersey Motorsports Park | Millville, New Jersey | |
| 4 | June 14 | ||||
| 5 | July 18 | Northeast Grand Prix | Lime Rock Park | Lakeville, Connecticut | |
| 6 | July 25 | Autobahn Grand Prix | Autobahn Country Club | Joliet, Illinois | |
| 7 | July 26 | ||||
| 8 | August 8 | Acura Sports Car Challenge of Mid-Ohio | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, Ohio | |
| 9 | August 16 | Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières[3] | Circuit Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières, Quebec | |
| 10 | August 30 | Grand Prix of Mosport | Mosport International Raceway | Bowmanville, Ontario | |
| 11 | September 26 | Petit Le Mans | Road Atlanta | Braselton, Georgia | |
| 12 | October 11 | Monterey Sports Car Championships[4] | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | Monterey, California |
Seven rounds are held jointly with the American Le Mans Series: Sebring, Miller, Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, Mosport, Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca.
The series planned to open its season on a road course on Hutchinson Island in Savannah, Georgia, on March 15. The race was postponed until 2010, as further work on the track was required before it could be homologated for professional open wheel racing. A second race at New Jersey Motorsports Park and Autobahn Country Club were added instead.[5]
The point system was modified from previous years for the 2009 season.[6] Points are awarded as follows:
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For the 2009 season, a new Atlantic Championship high-definition television package was announced on HDNet, which features live coverage of certain events, and replays of others.[8]
Web video of events has also historically been available on the series website, and the series also has its own official YouTube channel under the username "AtlanticRacingSeries."
