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Bourdais Wins At Road America |
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Tuesday, 14 August 2007 |
Sebastien Bourdais (#1Newman/Haas/Lanigian Racing) has notched his first Champ Car World Series victory at Elkhart Lake’s Road America course to make it four successive podium finishes at the famed 4.048 mile (6.515 kilometre) circuit.
Unfortunately for Team Australia it was a day to forget for both Will Power and Simon Pagenaud as they experienced early race problems.
Power started alongside Bourdais on the front row of the grid but lost two positions at the start of the race when his car failed to engage first gear off the starting line.
To make matters worse, further gearbox dramas sidelined the #5 Aussie
Vineyards entry after only 25 laps, ending his race and classifying him
in 16th position.
Pagenaud was caught up in an accident on the first lap of the race entering Turn 5, causing him to make contact with Paul Tracy.
The Frenchman pitted on lap four to replace a broken front wing as a
result of the contact, and further time was lost when last year’s
Atlantic champion stalled twice in pit lane.
He recovered to finish 11th and now sits eighth in the championship
standings, while Power remains third in the series points, 53 points
behind Bourdais, who won today’s race ahead of Dan Clarke and Graham
Rahal.
On his way to the chequered flag, Bourdais led 51 of 53 laps, set the
fastest race lap and won by nearly ten seconds which provides an
ominous sign for other drivers as they get set for the Lexmark Indy 300
on Queensland’s Gold Coast from October 18-21.
Much like his previous runs at Road America, Bourdais was dominant
throughout the weekend, pacing both qualifying sessions by more than
one second.
Early on in the race it was a little closer as Robert Doornbos (#14
Minardi Team USA) driving for Australian team owner Paul Stoddart,
stayed close on the Frenchman’s tail through the first fuel stint and
continued to run behind Bourdais until lap 24 when he ran wide in Turn
3.
Bourdais’ Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team mate Graham Rahal moved by
for second and on the very next lap, Doornbos was overtaken at the
entry of Turn 5 by his Minardi Team USA teammate Dan Clarke.
Those two made contact which left Doornbos suffering front wing damage which required a lengthy spell in pit lane.
Clarke had worked his way into the top four by pitting during the only
full course caution of the event and his second placed effort overall
provided further joy for his Australian team owner.
“Speedy” Dan, came in for service on lap 2 and returned to the track
12th. During the next 13 laps the young Englishman worked his way to
the lead before having to come back to pit road for routine service.
Clarke rejoined the race in third place and then on his final stop he
was able to get by Rahal for second, earning his best career finish,
with the runner-up spot.
The 18-year-old, Rahal held on for third place, his third podium finish
of the season. Finishing just behind the American was Oriol Servia (#7
Forsythe Championship Racing) who drove up from his 14th spot on the
grid. By gaining ten positions, Servia also earned the bonus point for
most positions gained during the race.
Coming home fifth was Alex Tagliani (#8 RSports Racing), who earned his
only career win at Road America in 2004. Tagliani started sixth and
moved up to fourth early in the race, but Servia was able to extend his
fuel stint to get by the Canadian.
Next up in the Champ Car World Series is a European excursion as the
series heads to Zolder, Belgium and Assen, Holland for its next two
events before the trek Down under for the 17th running of the Lexmark
Indy 300.
The Champ Car Grand Prix of Belgium will run from August 24-26 while
the Bavaria Champ Car Grand Prix of Holland Presented by Audi, Gant,
Hertz, Hof van Saksen, Pioneer and Jumbo runs from August 31-September
2.
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