World of Outlaw Founder Dies
World of Outlaws sprint car series founder Ted Johnson has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 72. Johnson, who developed a passion for racing while watching his father race motorcycles and briefly drove sprint cars, gave up a career as a china salesman in 1978 to start the traveling series that raced close to 100 times a season. He died Friday night. He continued to operate the series until selling it in 2004 to DIRT MotorSports. But Johnson stayed involved as an adviser and confidant to the new owners.
"Ted Johnson gave all he had to make the World of Outlaws the premier dirt racing series in the world," said Tom Deery, DIRT MotorSports CEO and president. "It's up to us as fans and competitors to continue to carry on his legacy."
Johnson, who was born in Beloit, Wis., is survived by his wife, Stacy, as well as son Rick, daughters Lori and Lesa, and three grandsons.
(CBS Sports)
Sebastien Bourdais Becomes Three-Time Champ
Newman/Haas Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais became the first driver since Ted Horn (1946-48) to win three consecutive Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford championships on Sunday in the Lexmark Indy 300 at Surfers Paradise. Bourdais locked up the championship on Lap 20 of today’s event when A.J. Allmendinger had race-ending contact with the Turn Three fence, ending his title chase, and giving the championship to Bourdais. The Frenchman, who won the 2004 and 2005 championships to lead into the 2006 season, currently leads the series in wins, poles, money won and laps led.
Nelson Philippe ~ Youngest Champ Car Winner
CTE Racing HVM driver Nelson Philippe scored the first victory of his Champ Car career today at the Lexmark Indy 300 in Surfers Paradise, Australia. At 20 years, two months and 29 days, Philippe became the youngest driver ever to win a Champ Car race. Fellow HVM teammate, rookie, Dan Clarke’s day ended prematurely with contact on lap 15. 36 races ago, at Long Beach in 2004, Philippe became the youngest driver ever to start a Champ Car race at 17 years, eight months and 25 days. In 2005, Philippe scored four top-ten finishes and was voted the series most improved driver by his peers.
Philippe joined CTE Racing HVM prior to the start of the 2006 season and has enjoyed a breakout year, establishing career-bests, week in and week out. This season has featured a host of new records for Philippe including two podium finishes (Milwaukee and Montreal) and seven top-ten finishes. He achieved his #1 goal this weekend with his victory; he also earned the best start of his Champ Car career. Philippe is ranked fourth in the series championship, with just one race to go.
Surfers Paradise has been good to the CTE Racing HVM organization. The team earned their first victory at the same track three years ago with driver Mario Dominguez. Today’s victory was the fourth win for the Indianapolis based team and the first since Ryan Hunter-Reay won from the pole position at the Milwaukee Mile in 2004. 2006 has been one HVM Racing’s most successful season’s, with three podiums, one victory and a pole position.
Dominguez held on for second place followed by Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy and Andrew Ranger to round out the top five.
For full results...
(Speed News Now)
Wilson Breaks Wrist In Practice
Justin Wilson suffered a broken right wrist as the result of a strange accident during the pre-qualifying practice session today at Surfers Paradise. Wilson clipped a tire stack – encased in a rubber sleeve – at the apex of one of the track’s chicane. The rubber sleeve apparently “grabbed” the right-front tire, wrenching Wilson’s steering wheel around and injuring his wrist in the process. Wilson, who currently stands third in the Champ Car points race, has been ruled out of for the remainder of the Lexmark 300 weekend and his status for the season finale at Mexico City on November 10-12.
Justin Wilson suffered a fracture of the scaphoid bone in his right wrist,” said Champ Car Medical Director Chris Pinderski. “The fracture will preclude him from participating this weekend and he will be re-evaluated upon his return to the United States.”
Wilson’s injury capped a miserable day for RuSPORT, for moments after his incident, new teammate Ryan Briscoe crashed in the second chicane, damaging the left front of the No. 10 Ford-Cosworth-powered Lola beyond immediate repair. Thus Briscoe did not record a time in the qualifying session, hardly the Champ Car debut he might have hoped for in his home country.
A crash by Briscoe capped off RuSPORT's unlucky Friday in Australia. (LAT Photo)
“Obviously it is a big disappointment not to be able to turn a lap in qualifying.” said Briscoe. “During pre-qualifying I had a small mistake, clipped the wall and on this track a small mistake can be very costly. We plan to repair the car and go have another crack at it tomorrow.”(Speed)
Will Power On Lexmark Indy 300 Pole
Will Power rolled out and led Champ Car qualifying for the second consecutive day, winning his first Bridgestone Pole Award and scoring the top starting spot for Sunday’s penultimate round of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. Power hung up a time of 1:31.839 (109.561 mph/176.321 kph) on his last lap around the 2.795-mile Surfers Paradise street course today to lead Saturday qualifying, besting Paul Tracy by 0.12 seconds to clinch not only his first pole, but the first for his Team Australia. Two-time defending series champion Sebastien Bourdais showed his strength, vaulting to the head of the field with a lap of 1:31.536, but that time was erased on the very next pass when he suffered hard impact with the frontstretch wall. The crash ended Bourdais’ chance for pole and also cost him his fastest lap time of the day, meaning that he would have to rely on his Friday time to earn his spot in the starting grid.
A.J. Allmendinger flashed to the top of the speed sheets with a 1:31.405, just a microscopic 0.002 seconds behind Power’s Friday time. But Allmendinger’s name vanished from the timing monitor as quickly as it had gotten there, owing to a red flag brought out by a Katherine Legge spin in Turn Four. The red flag came out just seconds before Allmendinger finished his flying lap, negating that time and dropping him from second to seventh in the starting order. The scarlet banner also put paid to everyone else’s chance to run down the Aussie Power, giving him his first pole. The 13th round of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford will take place Sunday afternoon, with the green flag flying at 1:10 p.m. local time. Fans can follow all of the action live via the Race Director feature on (www.champcar.ws), or can watch the race in its entirety on SPEED beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
For Starting Lineup...
(Speed News Now)
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