Bourdais Wins Milwaukee (05)
BOURDAIS DOMINATES! EARNS FOURTH VICTORY OF THE SEASON IN MILWAUKEE MONTREAL (June 4, 2006) - Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais kept the momentum going in the Champ Car World Series by earning his fourth consecutive victory of the season earlier today at the fabled Milwaukee Mile in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Newman Haas driver also earned his third pole position of the season during the events' single qualifying period on Saturday. Bourdais held on to first place when the green flag waved but on the third lap of a schedule 225, Mexican Mario Dominguez once again caused problems when he tagged Brazilian Bruno Junqueira. A spinning Junqueira then collected the wall while Dominguez's right rear wheel collected teammate, Toronto native Paul Tracy. It is the second time this season that Dominguez crashes with Junqueira and Tracy and puts them out of contention early in the racne. Victim of a leaking rear tire, Bourdais made his first pit stop on Lap 20 under green flag conditions, but the Frenchman slowly climbed back up through the field taking command for good on Lap 101, earning his first oval-track victory and 20th career win. Bourdais, who had never led a race lap in Milwaukee prior to today, dominated by staying at the front for 117 of the 197 laps run. With five caution periods lasting 48 Laps, the race was changed to a timed event in the latter stages of the day. Great Britain's Justin Wilson finished in second place, 3.6 seconds behind Bourdais. The RuSPORT driver led 61 race laps. A second French driver, Nelson Philippe, finished third, to become the second Frenchman on the podium, a first in Champ Car. Finishing 5 seconds behind the winner, Philippe claimed his first career Champ Car podium at the age of 19. American A.J. Allmendinger finished fourth and was the final driver to finish on the lead lap. Oriol Servia of Spain earned fifth place, his best finish of the season, while Brit Katherine Legge finished sixth. Legge, who led 12 race laps, became the first woman to lead a Champ Car World Series race. Quebec driver Andrew Ranger crossed the finish line in seventh place, while Alex Tagliani did not start the race after demolishing his car in Saturday's qualifying period. Tagliani was not injured, but his team was unable to fully repair the damage before race time. Standings In the driver's standing Bourdais collects maximum points (34) and increases his lead in the championship to 136 points, 31 better than Wilson. Dominguez is in third, just one point ahead of Ranger. The Roxton Pond driver earned his fourth Top-7 finish in as many starts. As for Tagliani, he slips from fifth the seventh in the standings with 60 points, one more that Paul Tracy. Next Champ Car World Series drivers will return to the track for the fifth round of the season during the weekend of June 18 on the road course in Portland, Oregon. It will be Champ Car's 23rd appearance on the 3.169 kilometre track. Fans can watch all the action on RDS and SPEED TV. For more information on today's race visit Champ Car's website at www.champcar.ws The Montreal Champ Car Grand Prix Tickets for the Montreal Champ Car Grand Prix, which will be held at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve August 25-27, 2006, are now on sale. A three-day ticket in the Senna Stadium is offered for $169 while tickets in the hairpin are sold for $139. All three-day grandstand tickets include a paddock pass. General admission (no reserved seat, no paddock pass) is $60 for three days. Tickets are available at www.champcarmontreal.com or by calling 1-877-530-2727 A three-day ticket for the Operation Enfant Soleil / Wal-Mart grandstand, situated at the start/finish line is available exclusively at Wal-Mart stores in Quebec only. Tickets for this grandstand will be available at Wal-Mart's Quebec stores starting June 12 at a price of $81. $27 of the purchase will be donated by Wal-Mart to Operation Enfant Soleil to support pediatric programs.