Thursday, August 04, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Curves might lie ahead for Champ Car's Tracy, Bourdais

By JEFF WOLF
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Reigning Champ Car champ Sebastien Bourdais fears his window of opportunity for a move to F1 is getting smaller. Photos by JANE KALINOWSKY/REVIEW-JOURNAL Champ Car driver Paul Tracy, testing tires at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Wednesday, is exploring a switch to NASCAR.

Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais are the two best drivers in the Champ Car World Series, and neither is certain what turn his career will take next.

Tracy, a 36-year-old part-time Las Vegas resident, took his first laps in a stock car Tuesday and might shift to NASCAR in the twilight of his career.

Bourdais, 26, has been Champ Car's top driver the past two seasons and leads Tracy by 28 points in the series standings. He's hoping to earn an opportunity to drive in Formula One, the world's most prestigious and lucrative series, but says time is running out.

"The window is getting very narrow. There's no reason to think that a Formula One opportunity is going to happen for next year," said Bourdais, who won seven of 14 races last year, including the series' Las Vegas event, and has a series-best three victories this year.

Bourdais, a Frenchman living in Florida, thinks he'll probably be back with Newman Haas Racing next year. "If nothing else happens, (Carl Haas) is satisfied with me," the reigning Champ Car champion said.

Both Bourdais and Tracy are in their final year under contract and remain focused on the current season. On Wednesday night they were testing tires for Bridgestone at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Sept. 24 Champ Car race at the 1.5-mile tri-oval.

Tracy said team owner Jerry Forsythe would like him to stay with the team. But Tracy has an opportunity that could lead him away from open-wheel racing after this season.

Tracy drove a stock car for the first time Tuesday on a half-mile oval in Concord, N.C. -- an experience he called "a completely, completely different deal."

It was Tracy's first spin in a heavy stocker after logging 231 Indy car races and 30 victories.

Tracy used a rented former NASCAR Cup car to acclimate himself to driving a stock car. Next, he faces a key test Monday and Tuesday at Michigan International Speedway in a Cup car owned by Richard Childress Racing.

"I just wanted to learn how to start the thing and know how to put it in gear," Tracy said. "I needed to know how to put the seat belts on.

"It went OK. The test will be real important. I have to qualify for the (Aug. 21) race on time."

If all goes well, Tracy will try to qualify Childress' No. 33 Chevrolet when the Cup series returns to the Michigan track in two weeks.

He's no stranger to the 2-mile Michigan oval. Tracy has competed in 10 Champ Car races there with seven top-10 finishes. He holds the track qualifying record of 234.949 mph, about 43 mph faster than the best lap anyone has turned in a stock car.

"If I qualify for the race, I'll be happy to finish on the lead lap," Tracy said. "I'll take the chance. I feel I have the driving ability. Racing is racing is racing."