CART: TRACY CASHES IN ON THE GOLD COAST - The Champ

Surfers Paradise,AU October 27, 2003; Looking at it statistically or through the popular vote, Paul Tracy was the deserving champion of the Vanderbilt Cup awarded to the CART champion. The 34-year old Canadian led a series-best 658 laps, almost twice as many as Michel Jourdain and almost four times more than Bruno Junqueira.

Those laps led weren’t in vain, because Tracy went on to win a series-best seven races, including fan favorites in Toronto and Vancouver. CART's Most Popular Driver failed to complete the Canadian trifecta in Montreal, but that was about the only thing he didn’t accomplish during the best year of his 13-year Champ Car career.

“It’s amazing to think that he hasn't been champion before this,” said Jimmy Vasser, the 1996 CART champion who lives near Tracy in Las Vegas and counts the new champion as one of his best friends. “Paul Tracy is one of greatest drivers in the world and he's a very worthy champion. What a rollercoaster day he went through. I’m sure he just went through a wide range of emotions. He seemed kind of stunned on the podium.”

Tracy himself admitted that the title would take some time to sink in. On Saturday, he admitted that he refused to touch the Vanderbilt Trophy during a photo opportunity with Junqueira and Michel Jourdain because he feared jinxing himself.

“Once I got my hands on the trophy I just broke down and started crying,” Tracy related. “There is a lot of hard work and sacrifice and the ups and the downs that you go through throughout a career. Some people never get to this level, or never get the opportunity to win a race. I’ve won so many races and led so many laps, but I have never been able to get to this point. It's never all fallen together for me. So it's just a big release of joy and it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”

Tracy’s road to the title on Sunday was dramatic. He was the victim of some gamesmanship by Newman/Haas teammates Sebastien Bourdais and Junqueira at the start and Bourdais tapped Tracy’s PFR Lola into a spin at Turn 1 when the Canadian was clearly ahead.

Paul dropped to the back of the field, but he raced his way back into the top ten before the rain delay at the end of the 13th lap. During the break, he hung out with Vasser and remained remarkably calm.

When racing resumed after several laps under yellow, Tracy found himself in the wars on the 19th lap when Alex Tagliani and Roberto Moreno spun in front of him. Tracy was pressuring the Brazilian at the time.

“I was trying to pass Moreno,” Tracy said. “He shortcut the chicane and then at the far end of the track he and Tag got all sideways locked up in the rain. I got a run on him and got side-by-side with him going into the corner but he didn't want to let me go and he out-braked me on the outside part of the track and ran into the back of Tag on the way into the corner.”

Tracy almost escaped unscathed. “Tagliani did a half-spin and then just drove straight into me at full throttle over the front wing and suspension. I was sandwiched between him and Manning with the engine still running. I put it in reverse and I guess I drove up onto Manning's car.”

He then tried first gear, but the back end skipped out under acceleration into Tagliani’s car and Tracy’s right rear suspension sustained damage. He lost three laps in the pits while repairs were made.

Meanwhile, Junqueira led. But the Brazilian may have cracked under pressure and he crashed at the start of Lap 37. Tracy surveyed the damaged car and realized the title was his.

Courtesy CART PR “I looked at the car and it was pretty mangled up,” Tracy said, “Then they came on the radio and they said, ‘You’re the champion.’ I broke down for probably 20 or 30 seconds and started to cry inside my helmet Then they said, okay, we need to get it together.”

Tracy plans to defend his CART title in 2004. “I am not going anywhere,” he said. “A lot of CART champions have left to go to Formula 1 but I want to continue to try to win some more championships here. I don't think you have seen the best of me and I think I am driving better and better.

“I’m going to stay with this team and I still feel like I am in the prime of my career. I know that I have five solid years still in me. Sometimes I am over-motivated and I try too hard, but I don't think anybody can ever accuse me of not putting out the full effort and doing what it takes.”