It was a season that saw the debut of a new car, a new starting technique, new venues and some impressive new drivers, but in the end, the 2007 Champ Car World Series proved to be the successful completion of a record-setting career for Sebastien Bourdais (#1 McDonald’s Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone).
With the arrival of the new Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone, the playing field was definitely more level than in previous years as evidenced by the opening round on the streets of Las Vegas. When the checkered flag fell, sophomore sensation Will Power (#5 Aussie Vineyards Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) scored what would be the first of two Champ Car victories and put team owner Derrick Walker back into the winner’s circle for the first time in years. It also marked the first time an Australian driver had scored a victory in Champ Car competition.
Power’s win came from pole position and as if to underscore the emergence of Team Australia, rookie teammate Simon Pagenaud (#15 Aussie Vineyards Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) started in fifth position. In the meantime, the expected dominance by Bourdais and the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR) team failed to materialize at Las Vegas. The three-time Series champion struggled, qualifying 16th and winding up 13th after making contact on Lap 38. Rookie teammate Graham Rahal (#2 Medi|Zone Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) didn’t fare any better, qualifying 10th but failing to get past the first corner after contact with Dan Clarke (#4 Minardi Team USA Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone).
Dutch rookie Robert Doornbos (#14 Minardi Team USA Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) took the honors for the newcomers by finishing an impressive second after starting an equally impressive third. Paul Tracy (#3 Indeck Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), the 2003 champion, wound up third and fellow Canadian Alex Tagliani (#8 Rocketsports Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) was fourth.
By Long Beach, things got back to normal as Bourdais piloted the McDonald’s machine to victory from the pole. After a practice accident sidelined Tracy, Oriol Servia was chosen as a replacement by Forsythe Championship Racing and the Spaniard responded with a splendid second-place showing after qualifying 15th. Power showed his Las Vegas prowess was no fluke by coming home third after starting on the front row. In addition to Doornbos, other first-year drivers turned in strong performances. PKV Racing’s Neel Jani (#21 Red Bull/Gulfstream Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) of Switzerland, Rahal and Pacific Coast Motorsports’ Ryan Dalziel (#28 PCM Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) of Scotland were seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively, while Jani’s teammate at PKV, Tristan Gommendy (#22 Pay by Touch / Megaspirea Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), inherited the lead during a caution and stayed in front for 13 laps before being forced to pit. He finished 11th behind Katherine Legge (#11 Dale Coyne Racing Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone).
Dalziel’s fellow rookie from the new Pacific Coast Motorsports team, Alex Figge (#29 PCM Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone), crashed during the race and suffered a back injury that would ultimately force him to miss one race.
Bourdais made it two in a row in the Grand Prix of Houston at JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park while his young teammate made some history en route to a second-place finish and a 1-2 for NHLR. By virtue of his finish, Rahal at age 18 years, 3 months and 18 days, became the youngest driver ever to reach the podium. Doornbos joined his fellow rookie for his second podium finish in three starts with Servia finishing fourth and Pagenaud getting his best result of the early season with a fifth-place finish. For the second time in 2007, Power captured the pole, but wound up 11th overall.
Bourdais continued to dominate with his third straight victory of the season, this one coming at the scenic Portland International Raceway. The Frenchman, who fell as low as fifth in the first quarter of the race, led the last 23 laps to cross the line more than 13 seconds ahead of pole winner Justin Wilson. Doornbos took the remaining podium spot with another impressive third and was followed by Power and Tagliani. Clarke scored his best result of the season with a sixth and Gommendy, Pagenaud, Rahal and Tracy rounded out the top 10.
Portland also provided a historic footnote as a Formula One-style standing start was employed for the first time ever.
The “never say die” attitude that has always accompanied Tracy came to the fore in Cleveland where he recorded his first victory since 2005. This victory was eventful as the Canadian star had to pit no less than three times to change damaged front wings.
While Tracy was busy getting his car repaired, Bourdais (who won the pole), Power and Pagenaud took off and appeared most likely to occupy the podium. When Bourdais’ car expired on Lap 67, the leaders pitted and Tracy found himself in front where he would stay for the final 20 laps. Doornbos finished second by half a second while Jani scored his first Champ Car podium. The demise of Bourdais, coupled with another strong run for Doornbos tightened the points race. As the season neared the midway point, Bourdais led Doornbos by three points, 117-114.
Champ Car racing returned to the picturesque Mont-Tremblant circuit in Quebec for the first time since 1968. The race was the first of three straight in Canada and with it came the first-ever Canadian Triple Crown, to be awarded to the team that amassed the best cumulative average for the three races.
Gommendy, who had led at Long Beach, surprised the paddock by setting quick time in qualifying, but the pole would be his weekend highlight as electrical problems caused him to stall on the grid. Bourdais jumped into the lead from the second row and stayed in front for the first 27 laps, until a drizzling rain forced him to spin and hand over the lead to Doornbos.
With podium finishes in four of the first five races, it was only a matter of time and the Dutch driver crossed the finish line nearly three seconds ahead of Bourdais. Power wound up third, followed by teammate Pagenaud and Wilson. The championship lead was now a tie between Bourdais and Doornbos.
Rain plagued the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto and slippery conditions resulted in a six-car pileup on the opening lap that eliminated five from the running: Figge, Legge, Gommendy, Tracy and Jan Heylen (#34 Conquest Racing Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone). The accident had actually started following contact between Pagenaud and Tagliani that sheered off Pagenaud’s front wing. Tracy collected the errant wing, slid into the wall and a melee began behind him. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Almost overlooked was a great start that vaulted Servia from third to first and the Spaniard led the first 34 laps. On Lap 41, Dalziel became the latest rookie to set the pace and the Scottish driver stayed in front until Lap 58 when Power took the lead for good. He would finish nearly three seconds ahead of Jani, who was followed home by Wilson, Pagenaud and Bruno Junqueira, who gave Dale Coyne’s team its best result of the season so far. There would be more to come from Junqueira, Coyne & Company.
Late in the race, Doornbos and Bourdais made contact and the Frenchman’s day was over. Thanks to the high attrition, Bourdais would still finish ninth, but by virtue of Doornbos finishing sixth, the Dutch rookie now led the standings.
If anything, the Toronto race might have become something of a wakeup call for Bourdais. With Edmonton winding up the Canadian schedule, Bourdais started alongside pole winner Power and proceeded to lead nearly two-thirds of the race to score his fourth win of the season. Wilson finished second and Rahal reached the podium for the second time. Pagenaud finished fourth for the third straight race and in doing so, lifted Team Australia over Newman/Haas/Lanigan for the Canadian Triple Crown.
After a disappointing run at Edmonton, where he started and finished 11th, Doornbos rebounded to score his second victory of the season in San Jose. It was a most impressive win as the Dutch driver encountered problems in qualifying and started a lowly 15th on the grid. By Lap 43, however, he was first and for the remainder of the race, he swapped the lead with Jani and Servia, who joined him on the podium. Power was fourth and Bourdais wound up fifth to hold a 10-point lead in the standings over Doornbos.
Bourdais’ pursuit of an unprecedented fourth-straight crown went into overdrive as the Series moved to the always fast Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. In three previous starts, Bourdais had won the pole and finished on the podium. All he needed now was a victory and he got it in stunning fashion, leading all but two laps, setting fastest race lap and finishing more than nine seconds ahead of runner-up Clarke, who scored his career best finish in Champ Car. Rahal got the remaining podium position and was followed by Servia and Tagliani.
The Champ Car World Series paid its first visit to Europe since 2003 with a pair of new venues: Zolder, Belgium, former site of the Belgian F1 Grand Prix, and Assen, Holland, home of the famous TT course. With Belgian driver Jan Heylen and the Dutch star Doornbos, along with a number of other European drivers, the two European races were successful.
Bourdais picked up where he left off in America by winning the pole, leading most of the laps (48 of 69), setting the fastest race lap and scoring victory No. 6 for 2007 by more than 13 seconds over Junqueira who scored Dale Coyne Racing’s best ever finish in its 24-year history. Rahal scored his third podium finish in four races while Power and Wilson wound up fourth and fifth, respectively.
The Bourdais juggernaut continued in Holland as the Frenchman captured the pole for the sixth time in 2007, but when the checker fell, it was Wilson, who scored his first victory of the season. The English driver started second and led by seven seconds over Heylen, who scored his best finish of the season. Junqueira gave Coyne Racing another podium finish and Gommendy and Jani rounded out the top five. Bourdais padded his points lead with a seventh-place finish and needed to finish 12th or better to clinch title No. 4.
Crowd favorite Power gave his home fans something to cheer about by winning the pole at Surfers Paradise, but was unable to parlay it into a top finish. In the end, it was Bourdais’ day of days. The Frenchman won the race, becoming the first two-time winner in the 17-year history of the event. But he also amassed more than enough points to clinch the Vanderbilt Cup for the fourth straight time. It was the first time in the history of Champ Car racing that a driver captured the national title four straight times.
Wilson, who at the time was closest to Bourdais in the standings, finished second, while Junqueira got on the podium for the third straight race. Doornbos was fourth and clinched the top rookie honors for the season.
With title No. 4 sewn up, the attention now focused on whether Bourdais could go out on a winning note in the season finale at Mexico City. Earlier in the season, it had been announced that the Frenchman had been signed by the Scuderia Toro Rosso team to compete in Formula One for 2008.
As had been the case for most of the season, Bourdais more than lived up to his reputation, winning from the front row and closing out an incredible career. Power, who captured his fifth pole of the season, wound up second and was joined on the podium by Servia. Rahal was fourth and Tracy finished fifth.
In the final standings, Wilson ended up runner-up for the second straight year, followed by Doornbos, Power, Rahal, Servia, Junqueira, Pagenaud, Jani and Tagliani. Of the final top 10, four were rookies and Power completed his second full season. With a new champion assured for 2008, the battle is already shaping up.
[Champ Car World Series]
