Champ Car Mont-Tremblant 07 Explained

Country:Canada
Race:Champ Car Mont-Tremblant
Date:July 1
Year:2007
Official Name:Champ Car Mont-Tremblant 07
Race No:6
Season No:14
Series:Champ Car
Location:Circuit Mont-Tremblant
Saint-Jovite, Quebec, Canada
Course:Permanent Road Course
Course Mi:2.621
Course Km:4.218
Distance Laps:62
Distance Mi:162.502
Distance Km:261.516
Weather:Partly Cloudy, Rain
Pole Driver:Tristan Gommendy
Pole Team:PKV Racing
Pole Time:1:16.776
Pole Country:France
Fast Driver:Sébastien Bourdais
Fast Team:N/H/L Racing
Fast Time:1:17.327
Fast Lap:19
Fast Country:France
First Driver:Robert Doornbos
First Team:Minardi Team USA
First Country:Netherlands
Second Driver:Sébastien Bourdais
Second Team:N/H/L Racing
Second Country:France
Third Driver:Will Power
Third Team:Team Australia
Third Country:Australia

The Champ Car Mont-Tremblant 07 was the sixth round of the 2007 Champ Car World Series Season. It was held on July 1 at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant, in Saint-Jovite, Quebec, Canada. Robert Doornbos won his first career Champ Car race, with Sébastien Bourdais and Will Power rounding out the podium.

Qualifying results

PosNatNameTeamQual 1Qual 2Best
1Tristan GommendyPKV Racing1:16.776no time1:16.776
2Will PowerTeam Australia1:16.8411:20.9431:16.841
3Sébastien BourdaisN/H/L Racing1:16.7831:21.3801:16.783
4Justin WilsonRSPORTS1:16.8431:20.9811:16.843
5Robert DoornbosMinardi Team USA1:16.8501:22.0931:16.850
6Neel JaniPKV Racing1:16.9311:22.6041:16.931
7Simon PagenaudTeam Australia1:16.9441:21.6711:16.944
8Alex TaglianiRSPORTS1:17.2561:21.6101:17.256
9Graham RahalN/H/L Racing1:17.4751:21.3501:17.475
10Dan ClarkeMinardi Team USA1:17.4811:23.0931:17.481
11Paul TracyForsythe Racing1:17.6291:22.2661:17.629
12Jan HeylenConquest Racing1:17.8321:21.6111:17.832
13Ryan DalzielPacific Coast Motorsports1:17.9651:22.8041:17.965
14Oriol ServiaForsythe Racing1:17.9651:21.5791:17.965
15Alex FiggePacific Coast Motorsports1:18.067no time1:18.067
16Bruno JunqueiraDale Coyne Racing1:18.1271:21.6991:18.127
17Katherine LeggeDale Coyne Racing1:18.9891:26.2591:18.989

Wet conditions on Saturday secured the first career Champ Car pole position for Tristan Gommendy, who pipped his countryman Sébastien Bourdais by .007 second on Friday. The Saturday session began with a brief rain shower. The track then dried enough to allow drivers to return to slicks but the times remained well short of Friday's. Will Power led the Saturday session to earn the front row starting spot next to Gommendy.

Race

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
114 Robert DoornbosMinardi Team USA621:45:41.899531
21 Sébastien BourdaisN/H/L Racing62+2.889328
35 Will PowerTeam Australia62+7.310226
415 Simon PagenaudTeam Australia62+10.563723
59 Justin WilsonRSPORTS62+11.289421
621 Neel JaniPKV Racing62+12.347619
72 Graham RahalN/H/L Racing62+12.8917
88 Alex TaglianiRSPORTS62+13.4815
93 Oriol ServiaForsythe Racing62+26.71313
1028 Ryan DalzielPacific Coast Motorsports62+32.91211
1111 Katherine LeggeDale Coyne Racing62+46.61611
1222 Tristan GommendyPKV Racing60+ 2 Laps110
1329 Alex FiggePacific Coast Motorsports56Mechanical148
144 Dan ClarkeMinardi Team USA34Mechanical107
157 Paul TracyForsythe Racing28Mechanical17*| 6|-! 16| 42| Jan Heylen| Conquest Racing| 24| Off Course| 11| 5|-! 17| 19| Bruno Junqueira| Dale Coyne Racing| 5| Mechanical| 15| 4|}

* Paul Tracy qualified 11th but crashed his car in Sunday practice and started from the back of the grid in his backup car.

The race got off to a ragged start as polesitter Tristan Gommendy's car failed to fire for the formation lap. As the lights for the standing start went out three cars stalled, the first time stalls marred a standing start for Champ Car in three races. Team Australia teammates Will Power and Simon Pagenaud and Jan Heylen were left stranded on the grid. Sébastien Bourdais took advantage of the misfortune in front of him to take the early lead. It appeared as if Bourdais jumped the start, but Champ Car never assessed him a penalty. It would not be the last controversial moment in the race.

The early laps of the race were run in dry but threatening conditions. Power, Pagenaud, and Heylen were all able to rejoin the race on the lead lap, while Gommendy lost two laps while his car troubles were sorted out.

Shortly after the field finished the first round of pit stops staying on slick tires, light rain began to fall. Jan Heylen spun, bringing out a caution flag. Bourdais made an uncharacteristic mistake by sliding off the track on a slippery corner under yellow, dropping him from the lead back to 11th place.

The rain was intermittent and unpredictable, so the field continued to skate around on slick tires. Robert Doornbos and then Graham Rahal held the lead following Bourdais' error. The skies finally opened up on lap 44. Slick tires were no longer an option at this point. Rahal looked to be in position to run away with the race as the field pitted for fuel and rain tires, but his car stuck in gear during the stop and he was shuffled to the rear of the field, giving the lead over to Justin Wilson.

Wilson's British wet weather driving experience didn't seem to help him much on the treacherous track and he gave up the lead to 2006 Atlantics champion Pagenaud, who took the lead for the first time in Champ Car race. He led for five laps before an off course excursion gave the lead over to Doornbos. Bourdais was in 2nd.

Sometime during this stage of the race, Bourdais claims Doornbos blocked him and began to lobby for a penalty over his radio. Champ Car did not impose a penalty. Bourdais backed off to preserve his 2nd place and Doornbos came home to his first Champ Car victory. Power was able to get around teammate Pagenaud for the final spot on the podium.

In his post-race interview broadcast on TV and on the screens at the track, Bourdais complained about Doornbos' tactics. The crowd booed the Frenchman, who would later refuse to shake Doornbos' hand on the podium. Doornbos claimed innocence, explaining that in the wet everyone was taking odd lines looking for traction, and that he also learned his lesson about blocking from the penalty he received in the previous race at Cleveland, which likely cost him a victory.

Caution flags

Laps Cause
1-2 Power, Pagenaud, Heylen stall on start
26-28 Heylen off course
28-29 Tracy spun/stalled before restart
36-39 Figge spun/stalled
46-47 Figge spun/stalled
56-57 Figge spun/stalled

Notes

Laps Leader
1-27 Sébastien Bourdais
28-37 Robert Doornbos
38-44 Graham Rahal
45-47 Justin Wilson
48-52 Simon Pagenaud
53-62 Robert Doornbos
 
Driver Laps led
27
20
7
5
3

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Sébastien Bourdais145
2 Robert Doornbos145
3 Will Power131
14 Justin Wilson113
15 Alex Tagliani112
  • Note: Only the top five positions are included.

Attendance

Attendance for the 3 day race weekend was reported to be in excess of 42,000 for the first Champ/CART/USAC race in 40 years at the circuit.[1] This was actually 7000 more than the expected 35,000 fans over the weekend by the race organizers.[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Home . 2007-08-13 .
  2. https://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story/?ID=212043&hubname= TSN : AUTO RACING – Canada's Sports Leader