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2007 Belgium Thoughts

TRACK: The European fans should have enjoyed it. It was just like an F1 track -- virtually no passing except in the pits.

RACE: It may have been televised on ESPN Classic, but it was anything but a classic.

EVENT: It appeared to be a success as Europeans seemed to have remembered what Champ Car is.

THE BIG PICTURE: Racing in Europe is important in that it brings comparatively large sanctioning fees as well as international exposure that can help garner some sponsors. However, if the lure becomes so great that Champ Car becomes just another European road racing series, than where's the gain in that?

START: Another clean one, which is a good thing since the local fans are spoiled by standing starts.

BOURDAIS: Dominate. Again.

RAHAL: Last race, Graham should have had second but offset pit stops put him behind Clarke. This race, Graham should have had second, but offset pit stops put him behind Junqueira.

NEWMAN/HAAS/LANIGAN RACING: Another one-three finish.

JUNQUEIRA: It's better to be lucky than good. It's best to be lucky and good. A pit strategy second place? Sure. But, it's not like Bruno is a stranger to the podium. And it clearly demonstrates to European fans that Champ Car is truly a drivers' series, unlike what the F1 elitist think of their series.

DALE COYNE RACING: The feel good story of the race. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of guys on pit lane.

POWER: Losing ground to Bourdais.

WILSON: Those were some wild last few laps for Justin.

SERVIA: Once again, Oriol saves the weekend for Forsythe Championship Racing.

DOORNBOS: Robert is hoping for better luck in Assen. Though, not the sort of luck Zolder's hometown favorite, Jan Heylen, had in his country.

JANI: Another nondescript race for Neel. Again.

TAGLIANI: Did the Forsythe brain trust move over to Rocketsports for this race? What were they thinking with that kind of strategy?

TRACY: If it's not Paul, it's the car. A miserable season just keeps getting worse.

LEGGE: Speaking of a miserable season...

PAGENAUD: Fastest in Sunday morning warm-up, second fastest race lap, and all Simon got out of it was a 12th place finish.

HEYLEN: Good think Belgians aren't crazy about their racing like English soccer fans. Otherwise, Dan Clarke may not have made it out of Zolder alive.

CONQUEST RACING: We sure hope that Jan Heylen took the whole team out to dinner at his father's restaurant. They sure deserved it after the yeoman effort putting the car back together all day and night on Friday.

FIGGE: Had his obligatory spin.

DALZIEL: Seemed to take a step back, but it's amazing Ryan can race at all with all those pins in his collarbone.

DOMINGUEZ: Mario is becoming an expert at Musical Chairs.

CLARKE: Dick Dan does the impossible -- he tops himself in boneheadedness, with a move that even an SCCA Regional driver isn't stupid enough to make.

RSPORTS: RSPORTS. RuSPORT. Rocketsports. Pick an "R", any "R". That was certainly one of the quickest shotgun marriages seen in racing.

VETTEL: Hmm, looks like Scott Speed was pretty darn good after all...

TROUBLE LAUNCHING: Dan Clarke. Though he was able to launch a few other cars...

NEVER A FACTOR: Tristan Gommendy.

SHOULD REMAINED PARKED: Dan Clarke. Oh, he was.

WORD OF THE WEEKEND: D'uh!

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: 2nd -- the highest finish for Dale Coyne Racing, topping the third place by Roberto Moreno at the 1996 U.S. 500 and Oriol Servia at Laguna Seca in 2004.

HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Zolder will always been known as the track where Gilles Villeneuve lost his life. The track itself dates back to 1963, but racing in Zolder occurred as far back as the 1950s when the local motor club competed around the town square.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: We have two that go together, describing Dick Dan's fubar. Jan Heylen: "What the f---?! What the f---?!" Justin Wilson: "That's the strangest accident I've ever had."

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Oriol Servia on the expectation of Bruno Junqueira lasting the final laps with his fuel load, "I think that after the last green flag we were all just waiting for Bruno to run out of fuel or pit, and then we would settle things. Well, we are still waiting, aren't we?"

SCHEDULE: Time to head three hours up the road to Assen and see how a track known for motorcycle grand prix racing handles Champ Cars.

Copyright © 2007 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.



Courtesy of the Champ Car World Series

RACE RESULTS
  Driver Laps
1. Bourdais 71
2. Junqueira 71
3. Rahal(R) 71
4. Power 71
5. Wilson 71
6. Servia 71
7. Doornbos(R) 71
8. Jani(R) 71
9. Tagliani 71
10. Tracy 71
11. Legge 71
12. Pagenaud(R) 71
13. Heylen 71
14. Figge(R) 70
15. Dalziel(R) 67
16. Gommendy(R) 60
17. Dominguez 47

Time of Race
1:45:21.997

Winner's Speed
100.752 mph

Margin of Victory
13.655 sec.

Caution Flags
3 for 11 laps

Lead Changes
4 among 3 drivers

Lap Leaders
Sebastien Bourdais, Simon Pagenaud, Graham Rahal

Fastest Race Lap
Sebastien Bourdais

Most Positions Improved
Graham Rahal

Friday Pole
Will Power

Saturday Pole
Sebastien Bourdais

CURRENT STANDINGS
  Driver Pts.
1. Bourdais 283
2. Doornbos(R) 230
3. Power 221
4. Wilson 211
5. Rahal(R) 196
6. Servia 189
7. Jani(R) 182
8. Tagliani 174
9. Pagenaud(R) 173
10. Junqueira 165
11. Tracy 133
12. Gommendy(R) 117
13. Clarke 110
14. Dalziel(R) 105
15. Legge 87
16. Heylen 77
17. Figge(R) 72
18. Dominguez 53
19. Halliday(R) 18
20. Moreno 9
 
 
2008 Thoughts
Long Beach

2007 Thoughts
Preseason Las Vegas Long Beach Houston
Portland Cleveland Mont Tremblant Toronto
Edmonton San Jose Road America Belgium
Holland Surfers Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2006 Thoughts
Preseason Long Beach Houston Monterrey
Milwaukee Portland Cleveland Toronto
Edmonton San Jose Denver Montreal
Road America Surfer's Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2005 Thoughts
Preseason Long Beach Monterrey Milwaukee
Portland Cleveland Toronto Edmonton
San Jose Denver Montreal Las Vegas
Surfer's Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2004 Thoughts
Preseason Long Beach Monterrey Milwaukee
Portland Cleveland Toronto Vancouver
Road America Denver Montreal Laguna Seca
Las Vegas Surfer's Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2003 Thoughts
Preseason St. Petersburg Monterrey Long Beach
Brands Hatch Germany Milwaukee Laguna Seca
Portland Cleveland Toronto Vancouver
Road America Mid-Ohio Montreal Denver
Miami Mexico City Surfer's Paradise Postseason

2002 Thoughts
Preseason Monterrey Long Beach Japan
Milwaukee Laguna Seca Portland Chicago
Toronto Cleveland Vancouver Mid-Ohio
Road America Montreal Denver
England Miami Surfer's Paradise
Fontana Mexico City Postseason

2001 Thoughts
Preseason Mexico Long Beach Nazareth
Japan Milwaukee Detroit Portland
Cleveland Toronto Michigan Chicago
Mid-Ohio Road America Vancouver German
England Houston Laguna Seca
Surfer's Paradise Fontana Postseason

2000 Thoughts
Preseason Miami Long Beach Brazil
Japan Nazareth Milwaukee Detroit
Portland Cleveland Toronto Michigan
Chicago Mid-Ohio Road America Vancouver
Laguna Seca Gateway USGP Houston
Surfer's Paradise Fontana Postseason

1999 Thoughts
Preseason Miami Japan Long Beach
Nazareth Brazil Gateway Milwaukee
Portland Cleveland Road America Toronto
U.S. 500 Detroit Mid-Ohio Chicago
Vancouver Laguna Seca Houston
Surfer's Paradise Fontana Postseason

1998 Thoughts
Preseason Miami Japan Long Beach
Nazareth Brazil Gateway Milwaukee
Detroit Portland Cleveland Toronto
U.S. 500 Mid-Ohio Road America Vancouver
Laguna Seca Houston Surfer's Paradise Fontana

1997 Thoughts
Miami Surfer's Paradise Long Beach Nazareth
Brazil Gateway Milwaukee Detroit
Portland Cleveland Toronto
U.S. 500 Mid-Ohio Road America
Vancouver Laguna Seca Fontana
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