Posted at 1:04 p.m., Sunday, July 22, 2007
Autos: Bourdais regains points lead with Champ Car win
By Mike Harris
Associated Press
The 28-year-old Frenchman, seeking an unprecedented fourth straight series title, had failed to finish two of the last three races and found himself trailing rookie Robert Doornbos and second-year driver Will Power in the points standings heading into the eighth of 16 races this season.
But Bourdais got back on track Sunday, winning on Edmonton's City Centre Airport circuit for the second time in three tries.
"It's a great win, a great team effort," Bourdais said. "It was not automatic, but we got it."
He beat 2006 Edmonton winner Justin Wilson to the finish line by 3.947 seconds _ about half the final straightaway. Rookies Graham Rahal, Bourdais' Newman/Haas/Lanigan teammate, and Simon Pagenaud were third and fourth, with Canadian favorite and 2003 series champion Paul Tracy fifth.
Bourdais, who came into the race two points behind Doornbos and one in back of Power in the closest title fight since 1999, broke it open Sunday. He heads for next week's race in San Jose, Calif., 20 points ahead of Doornbos, 25 in front of Power and 29 ahead of Wilson, last year's series runner-up.
Power started from the pole, but Bourdais got the jump at the start, moving to the lead in the first turn of the race and staying out front until all the leaders pitted on lap 20 under the first full-course caution of the 1-hour, 45-minute timed race.
Bourdais, stuck in a poor pit position because of his ninth-place finish two weeks earlier in Toronto, was blocked by Katherine Legge as he attempted to leave his pit. Power jumped back into the lead and Wilson also got past Bourdais.
But Bourdais remained patient and was able to stretch his fuel three laps further than Power and two laps past Wilson on the second stint. He came out of his second stop, on lap 52 of the 96-lap event, in the lead and firmly in control.
Bourdais, expected to leave Champ Car for Formula One in 2008, led the rest of the way, winning for the fourth time this season and the 27th time in 67 career starts.
The other two championship contenders did not fare well Sunday.
Power, coming off a victory in Toronto, wound up 15th in the 17-car field because of a mechanical problem.
"The steering rack was broken," the Australian driver said. "It's a massive dent in the championship points, a kick in guts for us."
Doornbos, a Dutch rookie who won his first Champ Car event earlier this month at Mont-Tremblant near Montreal, started 11th and never did get into contention before losing a lap in a collision with Alex Tagliani. Doornbos wound up right where he started, 11th.
