Some motorsports followers still might be trying to figure out how Sebastien Bourdais drove from worst to first on a 2004 Grand Prix of Denver street course that previously was dubbed a no-passing zone.
The improbable victory that helped the lanky Frenchman capture the 2004 Champ Car title wasn’t simply about a daredevil seeking vengeance, or a man refusing to lose.
Bourdais, 26, also possesses great instinct and intellect, and has an engineering background. Combine that with great patience born of the confidence such traits instill, and you have the ultimate come-from-behind victory and the top driver in the Champ Car series today.
“Every one of these guys is really intense, and every one of them wants to win very badly, and it’s actually tough to differentiate between them,” said Craig Hampson, Bourdais’ Newman/Haas Racing engineer. “Last year in Denver was more than just being brave and being fast. It was about knowing what you can do with what you have.”
Two weeks ago at the inaugural street race in San Jose, Calif., Bourdais qualified on the pole but still wasn’t satisfied. He wanted more out of a car that was deemed the best of the field. After meeting with his team, the car was rebuilt the night before the race. Bourdais breezed to victory – his second in a row.
Hampson said Bourdais, who studied engineering for three years in France, has an innate ability to find a car’s optimum balance and communicate what needs to be done to his crew.
“I don’t use very much of what I studied, but I have a scientific mind,” Bourdais said. “I guess I understand quicker. When you have drivers that know what engineers are talking about right away, it leads to better communication.”
The best-handling car usually wins in street races, and Bourdais and his crew have proved repeatedly they know the setup secrets.
“It’s about understanding why you’re fast, or even better than that, why you’re slow and what you do to improve that,” Hampson said. “Sebastien always has a feel for that, and that’s why he is the champion.”
A year ago in Denver, Bourdais started on the pole beside teammate Bruno Junqueira, whom Bourdais had bumped during the previous race at Elkhart Lake, Wis. Junqueira’s payback came on the first turn of the first lap. Bourdais spun out while Junqueira took the lead.
When Bourdais got underway after the spin, he was last in the 18-car field. He stood 13th on the lap 4 restart after some drivers topped off with fuel.
“We knew we had the best car. We qualified on the pole, and we knew we could catch a lot of people,” Bourdais said. “It was just really special. I passed, I think, 10 cars or something on the track. I was having fun, and the Newman/Haas car was pretty good. You don’t pull that off if the car isn’t any good.”
The victory helped cement Bourdais’ place as an elite driver, and his win in an International Race of Champions event in April at Texas Motor Speedway has added to his reputation. He has won three of the first eight Champ Car races this year and enters Denver with a slim lead (216-188) in the standings over 2003 champion Paul Tracy.
Carl Haas, who owns Bourdais’ team with actor/race car driver Paul Newman, said the three-year veteran is a “complete driver.”
“He’s obviously a very, very, very good driver, and a very dedicated one at that, but maybe more important is that he blends in really well with our engineering department,” Haas said.
“Overall, he’s just a real winner.”
Two of Bourdais’ best friends on the circuit still marvel at his 2004 victory at Denver.
“He had just an outstanding race car compared to everybody – even his teammate, Bruno,” said A.J. Allmendinger, who finished fifth in Denver as a rookie. “He was just gone. You could see the way the car was working, it was like there wasn’t anybody else on the circuit.
“But it takes a certain amount of luck as well. If the yellow wouldn’t have come out with (16 laps) to go, he’d never have a chance to catch Paul (Tracy) and Bruno. But it must have been exciting for the fans. It wasn’t as exciting as a driver, because he was passing us all.”
Junqueira, who is recovering from a broken back, said all great drivers share a high intensity level.
“Everybody of his caliber has that, but for sure, he had a lot of aggression that day,” Junqueira said. “The big thing was he had a good car and the ability to keep it on the track.”
Staff writer Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5454 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
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Champ Car
World Series
WINNERS/REMAINING SCHEDULE
April 10 – Toyota GP of Long Beach (Sebastien Bourdais)
May 22 – Monterrey GP (Bruno Junqueira)
June 4 – Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225, West Allis, Wis. (Paul Tracy)
June 19 – Grand Prix of Portland (Ore.) (Cristiano da Matta)
June 26 – Grand Prix of Cleveland (Paul Tracy)
July 10 – Molson Indy, Toronto (Justin Wilson)
July 17 – Grand Prix of Edmonton (Alberta) (Sebastien Bourdais)
July 31 – San Jose (Calif.) Grand Prix (Sebastien Bourdais)
Sunday – Centrix Financial Grand Prix, Denver
Aug. 28 – Molson Indy, Mon- treal
Sept. 24 – Las Vegas
Oct. 16 – Grand Prix of Ansan, Seoul, South Korea
Oct. 23 – Indy 300, Surfers Paradise, Australia
Nov. 6 – Grand Prix of Mexico, Mexico City
DRIVER STANDINGS
1. Sebastien Bourdais 216
2. Paul Tracy 188
3. Justin Wilson 175
4. Oriol Servia 160
5. A.J. Allmendinger 126
6. (tie) Mario Dominguez 125
6. Jimmy Vasser 125
8. Alex Tagliani 124
9. Timo Glock 109
10. Cristiano da Matta 99
11. Ronnie Bremer 98
12. Andrew Ranger 87
13. Bjorn Wirdheim 78
14. Ryan Hunter-Reay 70
15. Nelson Philippe 69
16. Marcus Marshall 67
17. Bruno Junqueira 59
18. Ricardo Sperafico 51
19. Alex Sperafico 24
20. Ryan Dalziel 13
PREVIOUS DENVER G.P. WINNERS
2004 Sebastien Bourdais
2003 Bruno Junqueira
2002 Bruno Junqueira
1991 Al Unser Jr.
1990 Al Unser Jr.
