He progressed to the 2000 Toyota Atlantic Championship, driving for PPI Motorsports in its 3 Swift 008.a vehicle, winning the season-opening Homestead–Miami Speedway round to become the first driver in series history to win on his debut. He won the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca race, finishing runner-up in the championship standings with 159 points and a further nine top-ten finishes. Wheldon was named the series' Rookie of the Year. For the 2001 season, Wheldon moved to the PacWest Lights outfit to compete in the higher-tier Indy Lights Championship. In the No. 1 Lola T97/20-Buick 3800 V6, he won two races in the championship's second half (Gateway Motorsports Park and Road Atlanta) and placed in the top-ten in all twelve events to finish runner-up in the drivers' championship with 149 points. Wheldon was named the 2001 Indy Lights Rookie of the Year.