Niemela wins Atlantic Championship race in Utah

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TOOELE, Utah (AP) -- Finnish driver Markus Niemela raced to his first career Atlantic Championship victory Sunday at Miller Motorsports Park, pushing the championship battle to the season finale at Road Atlanta on Oct. 2.

Niemela started from the pole position and led every lap of the 50-minute race in the No. 8 Brooks Associates Racing machine, finishing 0.446 seconds ahead of American Jonathan Summerton. It was Niemela's fourth top-three result of the season.

"It's my first win this year," Niemela said. "I'm so happy. I know everybody says this every time, but the team did a fantastic job and, seriously, this victory goes as much to them as to me. I'm just so happy and it's such an important victory. It is extremely important for me and my career. I just can't be happier."

Just 10 points separate the top three drivers in the championship, with Jonathan Bomarito, sixth in Utah, leading Summerton by eight points, 224-216. Niemela is third with 214 points. Bomarito came into the race at Miller Motorsports Park with a 16-point lead over Summerton and 22 over Niemela.

American Dane Cameron was third. The top-three finishers are series rookies.