Qualifying no speed bump for Tracy

Most first-year sporting events can expect a few bumps in the road. The Vegas Grand Prix is no exception.

The biggest problems in the first qualifying session of the inaugural Champ Car World Series street race were bumps along the recently repaved 2.44-mile course downtown.

Although one bump is very minor, the other is practically a takeoff ramp.

Racers couldn't avoid it. After being slowed by a chicane -- or series of sharp turns -- they discovered it while driving west on Ogden Avenue as they crossed Main Street.

Once past Main, the grade begins downhill and the transition was lifting many cars' rear tires -- with a few having all four soar about 6 inches off the ground at approximately 60 mph.

"That's a big bump going into the Ogden tunnel," said Las Vegan Paul Tracy, who earned the provisional pole in Friday's qualifying session.

Course officials immediately began working to smooth out the bump after Friday's session.

Tracy, the 2003 series champion, is very familiar with the streets as a longtime Summerlin resident, but he said he never thought he'd see a race held downtown.

"When they said they were putting a race downtown, I said the streets are too rough. But this track is real smooth."

Tracy liked the course even more after his fast lap of 1 minute, 19.784 seconds at an average speed of 110.097 mph became the best of the day.

Tracy's top lap earned him a championship point. Though it's only the first day of the season, it marks the first time in 22 Champ Car races that Sebastien Bourdais is not atop the series standings.

"We've worked really hard over the winter," Tracy, 38, said of his No. 3 Forsythe Championship Racing team.

Tracy was able to conquer the Ogden bump but said "the car was airborne almost to the tunnel (entrance)" on one lap.

The second-fastest qualifier Friday was series rookie Simon Pagenaud of France (1:19.998, 109.803 mph). He won last year's Champ Car Atlantic developmental series title to earn a $2 million bonus toward funding this year's opportunity with Team Australia's No. 15 Cosworth DPO1, which is the engine-chassis combination all Champ Car teams use.

Bourdais of France was third quickest (1:20.197, 109.530 mph) but was disappointed with minor mechanical problems he experienced with his No. 1 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing entry.

"We can't do 15 laps without having problems," said Bourdais, the three-time reigning series champion. "When we're on the track we're pretty quick, but we spent too much time in the pits."

A second qualifying session today will finalize the front row for Sunday's 1 p.m. feature race. Tracy is ensured one of the two spots, and the best overall time from both days will determine the pole sitter.

• TAGLIANI FIFTH -- Alex Tagliani, a native of Quebec and longtime Summerlin resident, was fifth quickest for RSPORTS Racing. He was 0.653 seconds behind Tracy at 1:20.437 (109.203 mph).

• JUNQUEIRA ADDED -- Bruno Junqueira was the last driver added to the 17-car field. He's in the No. 19 of Dale Coyne Racing.

• NEVADA TEAM LEADS -- The Sierra Sierra Racing team from Minden holds the provisional pole in the Atlantic Series with driver James Hinchcliffe of Toronto.

Hinchcliffe was the fastest among 27 drivers in the developmental series with a best lap of 1:32.410 at an average speed of 95.055 mph.

• HISTORIC QUALIFYING -- Bobby Rahal, winner of the 1986 Indianapolis 500, was fastest in the final practice session for the Historic Grand Prix.

• SPECTATOR NOTE -- The only way spectators can get from the main grandstands on Grand Central Parkway to Main Street is to use the free shuttle service from the Plaza on Main Street.