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Champ Car Celebrates Milestone At Road America |
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Friday, 10 August 2007 |
One of the most fabled motor racing tracks in the United States, Road America will this weekend set the scene for drivers in the Champ Car World Series as they celebrate the 25th edition of the Generac Champ Car Grand Prix of Road America.
Looking to create some fond memories of Elkhart Lake and regain the lead in the Championship standings will be Dutchman Robert Doornbos (#14 Minardi Team USA), who scored his second victory this season in San Jose two weeks ago to provide another major milestone for Australian team owner Paul Stoddart.
Sitting only 10 points behind Sebastien Bourdais (#1
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing), Doornbos has finished on the podium in six
out of nine races.
Team Australia’s Will Power will also be looking to make his trip to
Wisconsin a memorable one. In his rookie season last year, the
Australian only managed a 13th place finish, one lap down, but this
time around promises to be different as the driver who sits third in
the points standings topped the first day of testing at Road America in
June.
Sitting atop the charts on the second day of that two-day test was
championship leader Bourdais, who has yet to win in Road America.
Last year in Elkhart Lake, Bourdais was on the verge of clinching his
third consecutive championship. This year, the Frenchman is caught in a
three-way battle for the title. The top-three drivers are within 24
points of each other and each has won multiple times this year,
splitting all but one victory amongst them.
The only other driver to win this season is Canadian Paul Tracy (#3
Forsythe Championship Racing) who is amongst only three active Champ
Car drivers who have won at Road America. The other drivers are Alex
Tagliani (#8 RSPORTS Racing) and Bruno Junqueira (#19 Dale Coyne
Racing) who both earned their first Champ Car win at the fabled track.
A total of seven Champ Car drivers have scored their maiden victory in
Elkhart Lake, including drivers such as Jacques Villeneuve and
Christian Fittipaldi.
This season, rookies Graham Rahal of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and
Neel Jani of PKV Racing, who have each climbed onto the podium more
than once this year, will be gunning to add their name to the
illustrious list of first-time winners.
Also looking to put his name on that last is the driver who probably has the best memory of Elkhart Lake.
Simon Pagenaud of Team Australia clinched the Champ Car Atlantic
Championship and the $2 million bonus there last season, in what was
the season finale for the Atlantic Series.
This year, the Frenchman is still looking to etch in his memory, not only his first win, but his first Champ Car podium.
Having collected four top five finishes in the last five races the
rookie is only one step away, especially after being quick in testing
at the historic track back in June.
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