Bourdais Wins Champ Car World Series Race

LAS VEGAS September 25, 2005 Tom Gardner writing for the AP reported that Sebastien Bourdais, the reigning series champion, overcame a controversial crash with Paul Tracy and a brush with a teammate to win the Champ Car Hurricane Relief 400 late Saturday and extend his points lead with three races left.

"The best I can say is it's not been a smooth ride," Bourdais said after the race. "I'm just so glad it's over."

Tracy came from a 14th place start to pass polesitter Bourdais on the seventh lap and held the lead under pressure from Bourdais until the French driver tapped him from behind as Tracy braked to pit on lap 123, sending the leader hard into the wall.

Bourdais said Tracy never signaled his intention to pit.

"All the sudden, he was jumping on the brakes. I was so surprised I didn't have time to stop," Bourdais said. "He was in the wrong and he can say whatever he wants. He did not play by the rules and he could have paid a very, very high price for it. It could have been a very big two-car crash."

Tracy said he had radioed for three laps that he was going to pit.

"They knew we were coming in the pits. It wasn't like I came from the wall down into the pit lane. You'd think (Champ car) would do something about it. It's a shame because you don't get a car like that all the time."

The race then became a duel between Newman/Haas Racing teammate Bourdais and Oriol Servia in a matchup reminiscent of last year's 20-lap, wheel-to-wheel shootout between Bourdais and Bruno Junquiera around the 1 1/2-mile tri-oval.

Servia and Bourdais touched wheels on the 141st of 166 laps, but both continued. Despite front-end damage from his collision with Tracy, Bourdais averaged 172.962 mph to edge his teammate by 0.312 seconds -- about three car lengths.

Las Vegas native Jimmy Vasser finished third, 3.6 seconds behind Bourdais. Mario Dominguez was fourth and Roldolfo Lavin fifth.

Servia, who was signed by Newman/Haas after Junquiera had surgery for a broken back in this year's Indianapolis 500, didn't mince words about the brush with his teammate.

"It's just one of those things. You have to hold your line. For sure I held my line, so it's his fault," he said.

The victory extended Bourdais' commanding points lead over Servia to 67, 310-243.

The race was dedicated to victims of Hurricane Katrina, with donations being taken at the gate and Champ Car's proceeds from ticket sales in the 15,000-seat Earnhardt Terrace going to the American Red Cross.

Earlier in the night, Todd Bodine won the 146-lap NASCAR Craftsman Truck race in a last-lap shootout with Ted Musgrave for his second victory of the season. Bodine averaged 119.557 mph and led 114 of the 146 laps, then outgunned Musgrave who had passed him on the next to last lap.

David Starr took third, followed by Jack Sprague and Bobby Hamilton.