Bourdais Completes Perfect Weekend With Victory
Sebastien Bourdais completed a perfect weekend, winning both qualifying sessions and capturing the Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix. The Frenchman crossed the finish line 3.852 seconds ahead of Bruno Junqueira. The victory was Bourdais' first of the season and fourth of his Champ Car career. The No.2 Newman Haas Racing driver had to overcome a huge bump in the road to his victory. A pit stop on lap 27 lasted about three to four seconds longer than normal when the team had a problem with the left-rear wheel.
The slow stop left him in 12th place, but the second-year driver never panicked. Just seven laps later Bourdais moved into the top-five and on lap 49 moved to second place behind his Newman Haas teammate Junqueira. When Junqueira came in for his final stop, it was all Bourdais to the checkered flag. His pit crew even had to tell him to slow down, that his laps were too fast, but the Frenchman tried cooling it and almost put his car into a spin.
Bourdais regain his momentum, got back into a rhythm and charged to his fourth victory. Mario Dominguez, Patrick Carpentier and Alex Tagliani completed the top-five. Bourdais' win jumped the Newman Haas driver to the top of the standings with 62 points, five ahead of Junqueira (62-57). Paul Tracy (49), who led the championship after race No.1, fell to third place with a seventh-place result. TO READ MORE... (Indy Star)
Sebastien Bourdais On Monterrey Pole
Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonald’s Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) led Friday Champ Car qualifying for Sunday’s Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey, but due to new qualifying rules run on Friday, the Newman/Haas driver was not automatically locked into a front-row starting spot – as had been the rule previously.
Undaunted, he went out Saturday and made his own rules, leading a group of six drivers that set a new track record around the 2.104-mile Fundidora Park circuit, pacing final qualifying with a time of 1:13.915 (102.474 mph) to score the pole for Round 2 of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford campaign.
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Tracy Leads First Monterey Practice
Defending Monterrey race winner Paul Tracy picked up where he left off in Friday's opening practice for the Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey, pacing the 18-car field with a best lap of 1:17.443 (97.806 mph). 2003 Monterrey polesitter was second with Justin Wilson posting the third-best time. The new Champ Car qualifying format will get its first test Friday afternoon with cars rolling at 2:00 p.m.
The Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix takes place from May 21-23 with qualifying on both Friday and Saturday with the 72-lap race set for Sunday afternoon. The event will be shown live at 4 p.m. Eastern Time and will also air at 4 p.m. in the Pacific Time Zone on Spike TV.
The Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey is Round 2 of the 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. Following is a current round-up of the latest Champ Car news, trends to follow, names to watch and a few statistics to track as Champ Car racing heads to the 2.104-mile Fundidora Park layout in Monterrey, Mexico.
Tracy Takes Off – Looking to become the first driver since Alex Zanardi (1997-98) to repeat as Champ Car World Series champion, 2003 series titlist Paul Tracy started the 2004 campaign off in fine fashion by winning in Long Beach and taking the points lead. Tracy is the defending champion in Monterrey and is one of two drivers (Cristiano da Matta) to earn multiple podium finishes at Fundidora Park.
Hometown Heroes – Michel Jourdain Jr., Mario Dominguez, Rodolfo Lavin and Roberto Gonzalez will have the full attention of the capacity crowd over the weekend as the quartet will look to become the first Mexican driver to win a Champ Car race on his home soil. Jourdain finished second in last year’s Monterrey race while Dominguez earned a podium finish in Mexico City in 2003.
New Qualifying Format – In an effort to maximize the action and drama for the Mexican race fans, Champ Car Operations will introduce a new qualifying format for the Monterrey event. The new format splits Friday qualifiers randomly into two groups, with each group running for 15 minutes. The top five in both sessions then battle for the day’s best time and a championship point. All cars go out at once for a 30-minute session on Saturday, with the top 10 times (or top nine plus Friday’s leader) running seven laps in an effort to win the pole.
One Million Mexicans – The first three years of Champ Car racing in Monterrey, Mexico has seen the series draw 769,771 fans through the turnstiles at Fundidora Park. At that rate, the event will draw its one millionth fan at some point during the May 21-23 event weekend.
Junqueira Joining Elite – Bruno Junqueira is the first driver since Alex Zanardi to win Champ Car races in each of his first three years in the series. A victory in Monterrey would make him the first driver since three-time champion Bobby Rahal (1982-85) to win races in each of his first four years in Champ Car.
Bourdais Returns – Sebastien Bourdais runs in his sophomore season in the Champ Cars and will return to the site of one of his five poles from 2003, as he paced qualifying and set a new track record at Fundidora Park a year ago. Bourdais led 16 laps before falling back in the field due to a radio problem. He then passed 10 cars in climbing back through the field before retiring early due to contact.
Milestone Marker – Many of the drivers in the Champ Car lineup are quickly staking their claim among the series elite as personal milestones loom in their immediate futures. Paul Tracy would move into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time list by winning the pole this weekend. He currently shares fourth place with Danny Sullivan with 19 poles. Jimmy Vasser would move into the all-time top 10 in wins with his next victory, which would be his 11th. Michel Jourdain needs three more starts to tie Arie Luyendyk for 15th on that list while Patrick Carpentier needs two more to tie Gil de Ferran and Tom Sneva for 18th.
Rookie Racers – Justin Wilson of Mi-Jack/Conquest Racing made the best rookie debut in Long Beach, finishing a strong sixth after starting 11th. One of the most anticipated rookie driver classes in recent memory will do battle in Monterrey with A.J. Allmendinger of RuSPORT, Nelson Philippe of Rocketsports Racing, Alex Sperafico of Mi-Jack/Conquest and Roberto Gonzalez of PKV Racing chasing the Rookie-of-the-Year title.
Nations Cup Chase – The fight for the 2004 Nation’s Cup should be one of the tightest in its 10-year history. The defending Cup-holding Canadians have the early advantage thanks to Paul Tracy’s Long Beach win, with the four-time Cup champion Brazilians close behind. Seven nations are represented in the season-long competition, which has been won only by Brazil, Canada and the United States.
FAST FACTS
- WHAT: Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix
- WHERE: Fundidora Park, Monterrey, Mexico
- WHEN: Friday-Sunday, May 21-23
- SUPPORT EVENTS: Toyota Atlantic Series, Dodge Truck Series, Neon SRT 4 Series
CHAMP CAR SCHEDULE (All times local):
FRIDAY, MAY 21 – Atlantic practice, 9:15 – 9:45 a.m.; Champ Car practice, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.; Atlantic qualifying, 1:00 – 1:40 p.m.; Champ Car qualifying, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 22 – Atlantic practice, 9:15 – 9:45 a.m.; Champ Car practice, 10:00 – 11:15 a.m.; Atlantic qualifying, 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.; Champ Car qualifying, 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
SUNDAY, MAY 23 – Atlantic warm-up, 8:30 – 8:45 a.m.; Champ Car warm-up, 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.; Atlantic race, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.; Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix, 3 p.m.
U.S. TELEVISION SCHEDULE: (All times Eastern) SUNDAY, MAY 23, Spike TV, Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix 4:00 p.m. (Live).
2003 CHAMPION: Paul Tracy
2003 POLESITTER: Sebastien Bourdais
TRACK LAYOUT: 2.104-mile temporary road course
RACE LENGTH: 72 laps (151.486 miles)
TRACK RECORDS: Qualifying (one lap) – 2003, Sebastien Bourdais, 101.076 mph (1:14.938). Race – 2002, Cristiano da Matta, 90.544 mph (1:58:30.642) based on 85 laps (178.840 miles).
RACE ROUND: 2 of 16 in the 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford
SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Paul Tracy, 32; 2. Bruno Junqueira, 29; 3. Sebastien Bourdais, 27; 4. Patrick Carpentier, 24; 5. Mario Dominguez, 21.
INSTANT REPLAY: For the second consecutive weekend to start the 2003 campaign, rookie Sebastien Bourdais was the man to beat at the start of the day, taking the pole and leading the first 16 laps of the event. But a race-day crowd of 92,713 would see the Frenchman’s bid end early as a pit communication made him miss a chance to pit during an early caution, giving the lead to Paul Tracy on Lap 17. After winning the season opener in St. Pete, Tracy knew what to do with a lead, and he roared away from the field, building a lead that was as much as 25 seconds at one point in the race. A late yellow bunched the cars back up with five laps to go but Tracy was equal to the task, beating Michel Jourdain Jr. to the line for 2.039 seconds. Alex Tagliani earned the first podium for Rocketsports Racing with a third-place run while Adrian Fernandez and Bruno Junqueira rounded out the top five.
VITAL RACE STATISTICS:
- Time of Race: 2:03:04.677
- Average Speed: 87.184 mph
- Margin of Victory: 2.039 seconds
- Caution Flags: 5 for 15 laps
- Lap Leaders: Paul Tracy, 69; Sebastien Bourdais, 16.
THE TECATE/TELMEX MONTERREY GRAND PRIX RACE HISTORY (3 events, 2001 - Present)
Year Race winner Pole winner
2001 Cristiano da Matta Kenny Brack
2002 Cristiano da Matta Adrian Fernandez
2003 Paul Tracy Sebastien Bourdais
Total Victories Total Pole Positions
Cristiano da Matta 2 Sebastien Bourdais 1
Paul Tracy 1 Kenny Brack 1
Adrian Fernandez 1
TECATE/TELMEX GRAND PRIX OF MONTERREY NOTEBOOK
WHO’S HOT
Defending series champion Paul Tracy (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Forsythe Championship Racing earned his second consecutive win at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season opener. Tracy dominated on the streets of Long Beach leading 78 of the 81 laps as 2003 series championship runner-up and pole sitter Bruno Junqueira (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Newman/Haas Racing finished second by 5.681 seconds.
Rookie-of-the-year Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonald’s Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) started his sophomore season demonstrating improved consistency throughout the weekend. Bourdais, who led the series in qualifying average (3.67) a year ago, posted the fastest time during the final round of qualifying at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and would start second to teammate Junqueira. Bourdais started in the front row in the opener as he did in 2003 but this time avoided trouble and was able to come home with a podium finish.
Making his Champ Car debut in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, former Formula 1 pilot Justin Wilson (#34 Mi-Jack Conquest Racing Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Mi-Jack Conquest Racing illustrated his open wheel talent amongst a diverse Champ Car field filled with talented veterans and rookies. Starting in the 11th position, Wilson maneuvered his way through the field gaining five positions. Wilson’s sixth-place finish was the best of the five rookies in the field and gives him the early lead in the Rookie-of-the-Year standings.
Brazilian Mario Haberfeld (#5 Cummins Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone) who has joined Walker Racing for the 2004 season, brought home a top ten finish for his new team in the season opener at Long Beach starting from 14th and moving his way up five spots to place ninth, finishing at the top Reynard.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Entering round two of the 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford with a victory under his belt, defending 2003 Monterrey race winner Paul Tracy looks to follow last season’s pace where he won each of the first three races of the year. Tracy became the first driver since the formation of CART in 1979 to win the first three races of a season as he kicked off the 2003 campaign with victories in St. Petersburg, Monterrey and Long Beach.
Mexican fan-favorite Michel Jourdain Jr. (#9 Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) made his mark south of the border when he became the first Mexican to make a Champ Car podium appearance on home soil during last year’s run in the Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix. Jourdain moved up to finish second in Monterrey last year after gridding fifth. The number, car, colors, and sponsor may be the same on Jourdain’s Champ Car; however, he has switched team operations and will be running this season with the rookie RuSPORT squad.
The 2002 Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix marked the start of Mexican Mario Dominguez’s (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) Champ Car career. Last season, he finished in the top ten at Fundidora Park and had a breakthrough season leading his Herdez Competition squad to its first 1-2 finish with a victory in Miami. He is looking to score his seventh consecutive top-10 finish, tying the Champ Car record for consecutive top-10 finishes by a Mexican driver.
Second year team Rocketsports had outstanding results during its rookie season in 2003 with veteran pilot Alex Tagliani (#8 Johnson Controls Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone). Earning a career-best three podiums last season, including a third-place finish at Fundidora Park and two poles, Tagliani lead his team to a top-10 finish in the championship. At the 2004 season opener in Long Beach, Tagliani made his 78th start positioned fourth on the grid and was running in the third spot during the first half of the race when problems changing a tire during his second pit stop dropped him out of contention. Tagliani was able to bring his rocket home for a top-ten finish placing him eighth in the standings after one race.
NOTEWORTHY
Mexico will be represented this weekend in the nation’s cup with four of the 18 Champ Car drivers calling Mexico home. Mario Dominguez, Rodolfo Lavin (#3 Corona Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Forsythe Championship Racing, Michel Jourdain Jr., and Roberto Gonzalez (#21 Nextel Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Reynard) of PKV Racing will all be battling to finish on top in front of their countrymen.
Within the 2004 driver field that is mixed with veterans and rookies, there are only five drivers that will be stepping foot onto this course for the first time. Those drivers are veteran Tarso Marques (#19 American Medical Response Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) with Dale Coyne Racing along with rookies Roberto Gonzalez, Justin Wilson, Nelson Philippe (#17 LeasePlan Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Rocketsports, and Mi-Jack Conquest’s Alex Sperafico (#14 Mi-Jack Conquest Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone). Rookie A.J. Allmendinger experienced the 2.104-mile permanent road course at Fundidora Park last year when he competed in his first year running with the Toyota Atlantic Championship Series. This number is a drastic change compared to the number of rookies that were on the 2003 roster (nine rookies).
The 2003 Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey was again a highly successful event for Champ Car. Race organizer GRAND announced a three-day attendance total of 215,771, including a race day crowd of 92,713. The Monterrey race has attracted over 200,000 race enthusiasts in each of the three previous Champ Car visits. It is projected that ticket sales will break previous records during the 2004 event.
BY THE NUMBERS
769,771 – Number of fans that have come through the gates at Fundidora Park in the three seasons of Champ Car racing in Monterrey…7 – Number of current drivers that have run in each of the three previous Monterrey starts…2.039 – Largest-ever margin of victory in seconds at Fundidora Park, set last year by Paul Tracy…0 - Number of times the Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey has been won from the pole position…8 – Number of different drivers that have stood on the podium in Monterrey in the three previous events.
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